something had intervened to shut him off in the middle of a
narrative. Cap'n Abe did not like it.

His keen vision swept the outlook once more. How darkly the clouds
lowered! And the wind, spray-ridden down here on the open strand, cut
shrewdly. It would be a wild night. Casually he thought of his
cheerful living-room, with his chintz-cushioned rocker, Diddimus
purring on the couch, and the lamplight streaming over all.

"Lucky chap, you, Abe Silt, after all," he muttered. "Lucky you ain't
at sea in a blow like this."

It was just then that he saw the laboring schooner in the offing. Her
poles were completely bare and by the way she pitched and tossed Cap'n
Abe knew she must have two anchors out and that they were dragging.

She was so far away that she looked like a toy on the huge waves that
rolled in from the horizon line. Now and then a curling wave-crest hid
even her topmasts. Again, the curtain of mist hanging above Gull Rocks
shrouded her.

For the craft was being driven steadily upon the rocks. Unless the
wind shifted--and that soon--she must batter her hull to bits upon the
reef.

The storekeeper, who knew this coast and the weather conditions so
well, saw at once that the schooner had no chance for salvation. When
the wind backed around into the northeast, as it had on this occasion,
it foreran a gale of more than usual power and of more than twenty-four
hours' duration.

"She's doomed!" he whispered, and wagged his head sadly.

The might of the sea made him tremble. The thought of what was about
to happen to the schooner--a fate that naught could avert--sickened
him. Yet he walked on to join the nearest group of anxious watchers,
the spray beating into that face which was strangely marred.

CHAPTER XXX

WHEN THE STRONG TIDES LIFT

It was the tag-end of the season for the summer colony at The Beaches.
Mrs. Conroth expected to leave the Perritons that evening--was leaving
lingeringly, for she had desired to bear her niece off to New York with
her. But on that point Louise had been firm.

"No, Aunt Euphemia," she had said. "I shall wait for daddy-prof and
the _Curlew_ to arrive at Boston. Then I shall either go there to meet
him, or he will come here. I want him to meet Lawford just as quickly
as possible, for we are not going to wait all our lives to be married."

"Louise!" gasped Mrs. Conroth with horror. "How can you say such a
thing!"

"I mean it," said the girl, nod