ed and went up to prepare. Suddenly Kent, who had been standing at
the farther end of the platform, came back.

"Captain Kendrick," he said, "would you mind answering a question?"

"Eh? Why, not a bit, George. But perhaps yours may be one of those
questions I can't answer."

"I think you can. Say--er--Cap'n Kendrick----"

"Yes, George."

"You see, I.... This sounds awfully foolish, but--but I don't know what
I ought to do."

"Um-hm. Well, a good many of us get that way every once in a while."

"Do you?"

"You bet!"

"Humph! Somehow you seem to me like a man who would know exactly what to
do at any time."

"Yes? Well, my looks must belie me. Heave ahead, George. The folks are
beginning to come."

"Well, I---- Oh, hang it, Cap'n, when you've made a mistake--done
something that you didn't think was wrong--that wasn't wrong,
really--and--and.... Say, I'm making an awful mess of this. And it's
such a fool thing, anyhow."

"Um-hm. So many things are. Chuck it overboard, George; that is, if you
really want to ask me about it."

"I do. That is, I want to ask you this: Suppose you had done something
that you thought was all right and--and somebody else had thought was
wrong--would you--would you go and tell that other person that you
_were_ wrong? Even if you weren't, you know."

Kendrick was silent. The question was ridiculous enough, but he did not
laugh, nor feel like laughing. Nor did he want to answer.

"Oh, I know that it's a child's question," put in Kent, disgustedly.
"Never mind answering. I am a child sometimes, feel like one, anyhow.
And I've got to fight this out with myself, I suppose, so what's the
use?"

He turned on his heel, but the captain laid a hand on his shoulder.

"George," he said, slowly, "of course, the way you put this thing makes
it pretty foggy navigatin' for a stranger; but--humph!--well, in cases
somethin' like yours, when I've cared anything about the--er--friendship
of the other fellow, I've generally found 'twas good business to go and
say I was sorry first, and then, if 'twas worth while, argue the point
of who was right or wrong later. You never can do much fishin' through
the ice unless somebody chops the hole."

The young man was silent. He seemed to be reflecting and to find his
reflections not too pleasant. Before they were at an end the first group
of townspeople came up the steps. Some of them paused to greet Kendrick
and at their heels was another group. The capt