en you a letter asking you to
take charge of my money for me, to be my trustee. I suppose you must
think it queer that I have let all these days go by without coming to
speak with you about it. I hope----"

He interrupted. "Now, Elizabeth, before we go any further," he said,
earnestly, "don't you suppose any such thing. The judge wrote me he had
asked us both not to decide in a hurry, but to take plenty of time to
think it over. I have thought it over, in fact, I haven't thought of
much else since I opened that letter, and I have made up my mind----"

"Wait. Please wait a minute. I haven't been taking time to think over
that at all. I have been thinking about the whole matter; whether I
should accept the money--so very, very, very much money----"

"What! Not accept it? Of course you'll take it. He wanted you to take
it. It was what he wanted as much as anybody could want anything. Why,
don't you dare----"

"Hush! hush! You mustn't be so excited. And you mustn't move from that
chair. If you do I shall go home this minute. I am going to accept the
money."

"Good! Of course you are."

"Yes, I am. Because I do believe that he wanted me to have it so much. I
know people will say--perhaps they are already saying all sorts of
wicked, mean things. I don't--I won't let myself think what some of them
may be saying about my influencing the judge, or things like that. But I
don't care--that is, I care ever so much more for what _he_ said and
what he wished. And he wanted you to take care of the money for me. You
will, won't you, Cap'n Kendrick?"

Now it was Sears' turn. He had gone over a scene like this, the scene
which he had foreseen, many times. He was kind, but he was firm. He told
her that he should not accept the trusteeship. He could not. It was too
great a responsibility for a man with as little--and that little
unfortunate--business experience as he had had.

"It needs a banker or a lawyer for that job, Elizabeth," he declared.
"What does a sailor know about handlin' money? You go to Bradley;
Bradley's the man."

But she did not want Bradley. The judge only mentioned Bradley as second
choice.

"He wanted you, Cap'n Kendrick. He had every confidence in you. You
should see what he says about your ability and common-sense and--and
honesty in the letter. Please."

"No, Elizabeth. As far as honesty goes I guess he's right. I am honest,
at least I hope I should be. But for the rest--he's partial there. He
seemed