a clam
is to fly."

Baxter laughed. "Marcellus seemed confident that you and Hamilton were
perfectly suited to the job," he said.

"Um; yes, I know; Marcellus had confidence in a good many things, the
stock market included. However, what is to be will be and we all have to
take chances, as the feller that was just married said when he tackled
his wife's first mince pie. You get those guardian papers, whatever
they are, made out, and Zoeth and me'll sign 'em. As for the competent
part--well," with a chuckle, "that child's pretty competent herself.
I have a notion that, take it five or six years from now, it'll be her
that'll be bringin' us up in the way we should go. I feel a good deal as
if I was signin' on for a long voyage with the chances that I'd finish
mate instead of skipper."

"Say, Judge," he added, just before leaving for home, "there's one
thing more I'd like to say. 'Most everybody thinks Marcellus left his
stepdaughter a consider'ble sight of money, don't they?"

"Why, yes; I suppose they do."

"All right, let 'em think so. 'Twill give 'em somethin' to talk about.
They'll be guessin' how rich the child is instead of markin' off in the
almanac the days afore Zoeth and me head for the poorhouse."

"Humph! I see. You don't care to have it known that you and your partner
are adopting and supporting her purely from motives of kindness and
generosity."

"Pooh! pooh! No generosity about it. Besides, Marcellus was kind and
generous enough to us in the old days. Pity if we couldn't take our
trick at the wheel now."

The Judge smiled. "You're a good deal more willing to take that trick
than you were when I saw you last, Captain Shad," he observed. "You seem
to have changed your mind completely."

The Captain grinned. "Well, yes, I have," he admitted. "Maybe 'tain't
so big a change as you think; I have a habit of blowin' up a squall when
I'm gettin' ready to calm down. But, anyway, that young-one would change
anybody's mind. She's different from any girl of her age ever I saw.
She's pretty as a little picture and sweet and wholesome as a--as a
summer sweet apple. She don't pester, and she don't tease, and she don't
lie--no, sir, not even when I'd consider layin' the course a p'int or
two from the truth a justifiable proceedin'. She's got inside my vest,
somehow or 'nother, and I did think I was consider'ble of a hard-shell.
She's all right, Mary-'Gusta is. I'm about ready to say 'Thank you' to
Marcellus."