captain noticed it. He looked up and Kent,
catching his eye, colored slightly. Sears noticed the color, also, but
his tone, when he spoke, was quite casual.

"Oh," he said. "So Elizabeth's in it, too, is she? Well, well! What part
does she take?"

"She's 'Kitty Gale,' my sweetheart."

"You don't say. She's good, I'll bet."

"Wonderful!" Kent's enthusiasm was unrestrained. "You wouldn't believe
any untrained girl could act as she does. She might have been born for
the part, honestly she might."

"Um-hm.... Well, maybe she was."

"Eh? I beg your pardon."

"Nothin', nothin'. I'll have to see that play, even if the Foam Flake
founders and Judah has to carry me there pig-back. And how are you
gettin' on in it yourself? You haven't told me that."

"Oh, I'm doing well enough. Trying hard, at least. But, Cap'n Sears, you
should see Elizabeth. She is splendid. But she is a wonderful girl,
anyway. Don't you think she is?"

"Yes."

"You couldn't help thinking so. No one could. Why----"

The remainder of the conversation was, for the most part, a chant, sung
as a solo by George Kent, and having as its subject, the wonders of Miss
Berry. Captain Sears joined occasionally in the chorus, and smiled
cordial and complete agreement. His caller was charmed.

"I've had a bully good time, Cap'n," he declared, at parting. "I came
intending to stay only a few minutes and I've been here an hour and a
half. You are one of the most interesting talkers I ever heard in my
life, if you don't mind my saying so."

Sears, whose contributions to the latter half of the conversation had
been about one word in twenty, laughed. "I'm afraid you haven't heard
many good talkers," he said.

"Oh, yes, I have. But there are precious few of them in this town. It
does a fellow good to know a man like you, who has been everywhere and
met so many people and done so many things worth while. And, you and I
agree so on almost every point. I don't know whether you noticed it or
not, but our opinions seemed so exactly alike. It's remarkable, I think.
I like you, Cap'n Kendrick; you don't mind my saying so, do you?"

"Oh, not a bit, not a bit. Glad of it, of course."

"Yes. I liked you down there at your sister's, but you were so sick I
didn't have the chance to know you as well as I wanted to. But I had
seen enough of you to know I should like you a lot when I knew you
better. And Elizabeth, she was sure I would."

"Oh, she was, eh?"

"Yes. Oh, y