it--much. See. We have all this to live in," with a wide gesture.
"The sea and the shore. Cape Cod forever! I shall never be
discontented here, Lawford."

They wandered back to the store on the Shell Road. There was a chill
in the fall air and Cap'n Abe had built a small fire in the rusty
stove. About it were gathered the usual idlers. A huge fishfly droned
on the window pane.

"It's been breedin' a change of weather for a week," said Cap'n Joab.

"Right ye air, sir," agreed Washy Gallup, wagging his head.

"I 'member hearin' Cap'n Am'zon tell 'bout a dry spell like this,"
began Cap'n Abe, leaning his hairy fists upon the counter. "Twas when
he was ashore once at Teneriffe----"

"Don't I hear Mandy a-callin' me?" Milt Baker suddenly demanded, making
for the door.

"I gotter git over home myself," said Cap'n Joab apologetically.

"Me, too," said Washy, rising. "'Tis chore time."

Cap'n Abe clamped his jaws shut for a minute and his eyes blazed. Only
the mild and inoffensive Amiel was left of his audience.

"Huh!" he growled. "Ain't goin' to waste my breath on _you_, Amiel
Perdue. Go git me a scuttle of coal."

Then, when the young fellow had departed, the storekeeper grinned
ruefully and whispered in his niece's ear:

"Hi-mighty! Cap'n Amazon's cut the sand out from under my feet. They
think he told them yarns so much better'n I do that they won't even
stay to hear me. Hard lines. Niece Louise, hard lines. But mebbe I
deserve it!"

***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CAP'N ABE, STOREKEEPER***

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