sleep.

"Let me see," said Mrs. Snow musingly, in a low tone. "I've been here
now, two, three, over four months. Seems longer, somehow."

"Seems almost as if you'd always been here," replied Captain Eri. "Queer
how soon we git used to a change. I don't know how we got along afore,
but we did some way or other, if you call it gittin' along," he added
with a shrug. "I should hate to have to try it over again."

"It's always seemed funny to me," remarked the lady, "that you men, all
sailors so--and used to doin' for yourselves, should have had such a
time when you come to try keepin' house. I should have expected it if
you was--well, doctors, or somethin' like that--used to havin' folks
wait on you, but all sea captains, it seems queer."

"It does, don't it? I've thought of that myself. Anybody'd think we was
the most shif'less lot that ever lived, but we wa'n't. Even Jerry--and
he's the wust one of the three when it comes to leavin' things at loose
ends--always had a mighty neat vessel, and had the name of makin' his
crews toe the mark. I honestly b'lieve it come of us bein' on shore and
runnin' the shebang on a share and share alike idee. If there'd been a
skipper, a feller to boss things, we'd have done better, but when all
hands was boss--nobody felt like doin' anything. Then, too, we begun too
old. A feller gits sort of sot in his ways, and it's hard to give in to
the other chap.

"Now, take that marryin' idee," he went on. "I laughed at that a good
deal at fust and didn't really take any stock in it, but I guess 'twas
real hoss sense, after all. Anyhow, it brought you down here, and what
we'd done without you when John was took sick, _I_ don't know. I haven't
said much about it, but I've felt enough, and I know the other fellers
feel the same way. You've been so mighty good and put up with so many
things that must have fretted you like the nation, and the way you've
managed--my!"

The whole-souled admiration in the Captain's voice made the housekeeper
blush like a girl.

"Don't say a word, Cap'n Eri," she protested. "It's been jest a pleasure
to me, honest. I've had more comfort and--well, peace, you might say,
sence I've been in this house than I've had afore for years."

"When I think," said the Captain, "of what we might have got for that
advertisement, I swan it makes my hair curl. Advertisin' that way in
that kind of a paper, why we might have had a--a play actress, or I
don't know what, landed on us. S