on the buggy seat and
he recognized the Foam Flake first and his driver next.

"Why, good mornin', Cap'n," hailed the youth. "You over here, too?"

Sears, performing the purely perfunctory task of hitching the Foam Flake
to a post, smiled grimly.

"No, Josiah," he replied. "I'm not here. I'm over in South Harniss all
this week. Where are you?"

"Eh?... Where be I?... Say, what----"

"Yes, yes, Josiah, all right. Just keep a weather eye on this post, will
you, like a good fellow?"

"On the post? On the horse, you mean?"

"No, I mean on the post. If you don't this--er--camel of mine will eat
it. Thanks. Do as much for you some time, Josiah."

He went into the building, leaving the bewildered Josiah in what might
be described as a state of mind.

"Is the commodore busy?" he asked of the boy at the desk.

"Yes, he is," replied the boy. "But he won't be very long, I don't
think."

"Humph! That's what you don't think, eh? Well, now just between us, what
do you think?... Never mind, son, never mind, I'm satisfied if you are.
I'll wait. By the way, somebody from my home port is in there with him,
I judge."

"Um--hm. Miss Berry, she's there."

"Miss Berry! Elizabeth Berry?... Is she there now?"

The boy nodded. "Um-hm," he declared, "she's there, but I guess they're
'most done. I heard her chair scrape a minute or two ago, so I think
she's comin' right out."

Kendrick rose from his own chair. "I'll wait outside," he said, and went
out to the platform again. Josiah, evidently lonely and seeking
conversation, hailed him at once.

"Say, that old horse of yours _is_ a cribbler, ain't he," he observed.
"He's took one chaw out of that post already."

Sears paid no attention. He walked around to the rear of the little
building and, leaning against its shingled side, waited, gazing absently
across the fields to the spires and roofs of Orham village.

He was sorry that Elizabeth was there just at this time. True they met
almost daily at the Fair Harbor office, but those meetings were
obligatory, this was not. And meeting her at all, relations between them
being what they were, was very hard for him. Since George Kent's
disclosure of his feelings and hopes those meetings were harder still.
Each one made his task, that of helping the boy toward the realization
of those hopes, so much more difficult. He was ashamed of himself, but
so it was. No, in his present frame of mind he did not want to meet her.
He would wait