s. Snow was
busy, arranging the pillows, setting the room in something like
order, and caring for her patient's garments, that had been tossed
helter-skelter on the floor in the hurry of undressing. She came to the
door as they entered Captain Eri's chamber.

"Mrs. Snow," said the Captain, "you'd better sleep in my room here
long's you stay. I'll bunk in with Perez downstairs. I'll git my dunnage
out of here right off. I think likely you'll want to clean up some."

The lady from Nantucket glanced at the bureau top and seemed about to
say something, but checked herself. What she did say was:

"P'raps you'd better introduce me to Cap'n Burgess. I don't think we've
ever met, if we ARE relations."

Captain Eri actually blushed a little. "Why, of course," he said.
"Excuse me, ma'am. Jerry, this is Mrs. Snow. I don't know what's got
into me, bein' so careless."

The sacrifice shook the nurse's hand and said something, nobody knew
exactly what. Mrs. Snow went on to say, "Now, I want you men to go right
on to bed, for I know you're all tuckered out. We can talk to-morrow--I
mean to-day, of course: I forgot 'twas next-door to daylight now. I
shall set up with Cap'n Baxter, and if I need you I'll call you. I'll
call you anyway when I think it's time. Good-night."

They protested, of course, but the lady would not listen. She calmly
seated herself in the rocker by the bed and waved to them to go, which
two of them reluctantly did after a while. The other one had gone
already. It would be superfluous to mention his name.

Downstairs again and in Perez' room Captain Eri came in for a
questioning that bade fair to keep up forever. He shut off all
inquiries, however, with the announcement that he wouldn't tell them a
word about it till he'd had some sleep. Then he would explain the whole
thing, and they could decide whether he had done right or not. There
were all sorts of things to be considered, he said, and they had better
take a nap now while they could.

"Well, I'd jest like to ask you this, Eri Hedge," demanded Captain
Jerry. "What in time did you tell the Doctor that she was a relation of
mine for? That was a nice thing to do, wa'n't it? I'll have to answer
more fool questions 'bout that than a little. What sort of a relation
shall I tell folks she is? Jest tell me that, will you?"

"Oh, tell 'em she's a relation by marriage," was the answer, muffled by
the bed clothes. "Maybe that 'll be true by the time they ask you