n air I ogled and bowed
with hand on heart! Then, somehow, it seemed we were alone, she on the
top stair, I on the lower. And standing thus I raised my arms to her
with an appealing gesture. Her eyes looked down into mine, the patch
quivered at the corner of her scarlet mouth, and there beside it was
the dimple. Beneath her petticoat I saw her foot in a little pink
satin shoe come slowly toward me and stop again. I watched scarce
breathing, for it seemed my fate hung in the balance. Would she come
down to Love and me, or--

"Ship ahoy!" cried a voice, and in that moment my dream vanished. I
sighed, and looking round, beheld a head peering eat me over the
balustrade; a head bound up in a bandanna handkerchief of large pattern
and vivid colouring.

"Why, Imp!" I exclaimed. But my surprise abated when he emerged into
full view.

About his waist was a broad-buckled belt, which supported a wooden
cutlass, two or three murderous wooden daggers and a brace of toy
pistols; while upon his legs were a pair of top-boots many sizes too
large for him, so that walking required no little care. Yet on the
whole his appearance was decidedly effective. There could be no
mistake--he was a bloodthirsty pirate!

The imp is an artist to his grimy finger tips.

"Avast, shipmate!" I cried. "How's the wind?"

"Oh," he exclaimed, failing over his boots with eagerness, "do take me
in your boat, an' let's be pirates, will you, Uncle Dick?"

"Well, that depends. Where is your Auntie Lisbeth?"

"Mr. Selwyn is going to row her and Dorothy up the river."

"The deuce he is!"

"Yes, an' they won't take me."

"Why not, my Imp?"

"'Cause they're 'fraid I should upset the boat. So I thought I'd come
ask you to be a pirate, you know. I'll lend you my best dagger an' one
of my pistols. Will you, Uncle Dick?"

"Come aboard, shipmate, if you are for Hispaniola, the Tortugas, and
the Spanish Main," said I, whereupon he scrambled in, losing a boot
overboard in his baste, which necessitated much intricate angling with
the boat-hook ere it was recovered.

"They're Peter's, you know," he explained as he emptied out the water.

"I took them out of the harness-room; a pirate must have boots, you
know, but I'm afraid Peter'll swear."

"Not a doubt of it when he sees them," I said as we pushed off.

"I wish," he began, looking round thoughtfully after a minute or so, "I
wish we could get a plank or a yardarm from somewhere."

"What