cial
inferior, and after a formal recognition of his unwelcome presence
ignored him with unusual bravery, and addressed Mrs. Lunn with grave
politeness. He was dimly conscious of the younger and lesser man's
being for some unexplainable reason a formidable rival, and tried
blunderingly to show the degree of intimacy which existed between
himself and the lady.

"I just looked in to report about our little matter of business. I've
got the estimates with me, but 't will do just as well another time,"
said the big mariner in his disapproving, soft voice.

Captain Shaw instinctively scuffed his feet at the sound, and even
felt for his account-book in an inside pocket to reassure himself of
his financial standing. "I could buy him an' sell him twice over," he
muttered angrily, as loud as he dared.

Mrs. Lunn rose to a command of the occasion at once; there was no
sense in men of their age behaving like schoolboys. "Oh, my, yes!" she
hastened to say, as she rose with a simpering smile. "'T ain't as if
't was any kind o' consequence, you know; not but what I'm just as
much obliged."

Captain Crowe scowled now; this was still the affair of the shingles,
and it had been of enough consequence two days before to protract a
conversation through two long hours. He had wished ever since that he
had thought then to tell Mrs. Lunn that if she would just say the
word, she never need think of those shingles again, nor of the cost of
them. It would have been a pretty way to convey the state of his
feelings toward her; but he had lost the opportunity, it might be
forever. To use his own expression, he now put about and steered a new
course.

"I come by your house just now," he said to Captain Shaw, who still
glowered from the rocking-chair. "Your young folks seemed to be havin'
a great time. Well, I like to see young folks happy. They generally
be," he chuckled maliciously; "'tis we old ones have the worst of it,
soon as they begin to want to have everything their way."

"I don't allow no trouble for'ard when I'm on deck," said Shipmaster
Shaw more cheerfully; he hardly recognized the covert allusion to his
drawbacks as a suitor. "I like to give 'em their liberty. To-night
they were bound on some sort of a racket--they got some other young
folks in; but gen'ally they do pretty well. I'm goin' to take my
oldest boy right into the office, first o' January--put him right to
business. I need more help; I've got too much now for me an' D