ul, as it did when we first sailed in the _Helen B._,
and that the drawn look would go out of his face for a minute.
Jack showed me everything, and took me upstairs, and it was all
the same: bright and fresh and ready for the bride. But on the
upper landing there was a door that Jack didn't open. When we
came out of the bedroom I noticed that it was ajar, and Jack shut
it quickly and turned the key.

"That lock's no good," he said, half to himself. "The door is
always open."

I didn't pay much attention to what he said, but as we went down
the short stairs, freshly painted and varnished so that I was
almost afraid to step on them, he spoke again.

"That was his room, sir. I have made a sort of store-room of it."

"You may be wanting it in a year or so," I said, wishing to be
pleasant.

"I guess we won't use his room for that," Jack answered in a low
voice.

Then he offered me a cigar from a fresh box in the parlour, and
he took one, and we lit them, and went out; and as we opened the
front door there was Mamie Brewster standing in the path as if
she were waiting for us. She was a fine-looking girl, and I
didn't wonder that Jack had been willing to wait three years for
her. I could see that she hadn't been brought up on steam-heat
and cold storage, but had grown into a woman by the sea-shore.
She had brown eyes, and fine brown hair, and a good figure.

"This is Captain Torkeldsen," said Jack. "This is Miss Brewster,
captain; and she is glad to see you."

"Well, I am," said Miss Mamie, "for Jack has often talked to us
about you, captain."

She put out her hand, and took mine and shook it heartily, and I
suppose I said something, but I know I didn't say much.

The front door of the cottage looked toward the sea, and there
was a straight path leading to the gate on the beach road. There
was another path from the steps of the cottage that turned to the
right, broad enough for two people to walk easily, and it led
straight across the fields through gates to a larger house about
a quarter of a mile away. That was where Mamie's mother lived,
and the wedding was to be there. Jack asked me whether I would
like to look round the farm before dinner, but I told him I
didn't know much about farms. Then he said he just wanted to look
round himself a bit, as he mightn't have much more chance that
day; and he smiled, and Mamie laughed.

"Show the captain the way to the house, Mamie," he said. "I'll
be along in a minute.