d into
his mind. They had had many a good laugh over it since, and Elsie had
apparently forgotten it, but he had not, by a good deal.

She was the first to speak, and then as much to herself as to him.

"I think they are the best people I ever knew," she said.

"Who?" he asked.

"Oh, all of them! The captains and Mrs. Snow, and Captain Davis and his
sister. They are so simple and kind and generous. And the best of it is,
they don't seem to know it, and wouldn't believe it if you told them."

Ralph nodded emphatically.

"I imagine it would take a good deal to convince Davis or any of these
station men that there was anything heroic in their lives," he said. "As
for Captain Eri, I have known him only a month or two, but I don't know
of anyone to whom I would rather go if I were in trouble."

"He has been so kind to grandfather and me," said Elsie, "that I feel
as though we were under an obligation we never could repay. When I came
down here I knew no one in Orham, and he and Captain Jerry and Captain
Perez have made me feel more at home than I have ever felt before. You
know," she added, "grandfather is the only relative I have."

"I suppose you will go back to your studies when your grandfather
recovers."

"I don't know. If grandfather is well enough I think I shall try to
persuade him to come up to Boston and live with me. Then I might perhaps
teach. This was to have been my last year at Radcliffe, so my giving it
up will not make so much difference. Do you intend to stay here long? I
suppose you do. Your profession, I know, means so much to you, and your
work at the station must be very interesting."

"It would be more so if I had someone who was interested with me. Mr.
Langley is kind, but he is so wrapped up in his own work that I see very
little of him. I took the place because I thought it would give me a
good deal of spare time that I might use in furthering some experiments
of my own. Electricity is my hobby, and I have one or two ideas that
I am foolish enough to hope may be worth developing. I have had time
enough, goodness knows, but it's a lonesome sort of life. If it had not
been for the captains--and you--I think I should have given it up before
this."

"Oh, I hope you won't."

"Why?"

"Why--why, because it seems like running away, almost, doesn't it? If
a thing is hard to do, but is worth doing, I think the satisfaction IN
doing it is ever so much greater, don't you? I know it must be lonel