had become a
real help to Captain Eri, and the latter said that sailing alone would
be doubly hard when his foremast hand went back to school again, which
he was to do very shortly, for Josiah meant to accept the Captain's
offer, and to try for the Annapolis appointment when the time came.

The boy came back with the mail and an item of news. The mail, a paper
only, he handed to Mrs. Snow, and the news he announced at the supper
table as follows:

"Mr. Hazeltine's goin' to leave the cable station," he said.

"Goin' to leave!" repeated the housekeeper, "what for?"

"I don't know, ma'am. All I know is what I heard Mr. Wingate say. He
said Mr. Hazeltine was goin' to get through over at the station pretty
soon. He said one of the operators told him so."

"Well, for the land's sake! Did you know anything 'bout it, Eri?"

"Why, yes, a little. I met Hazeltine yesterday, and he told me that
some folks out West had made him a pretty good offer, and he didn't know
whether to take it or not. Said the salary was good, and the whole thing
looked sort of temptin'. He hadn't decided what to do yit. That's all
there is to it."

There was little else talked about during the meal. Captain Perez,
Captain Jerry, and Mrs. Snow argued, surmised, and questioned Captain
Eri, who said little. Elsie said almost nothing, and went to her room
shortly after the dishes were washed.

"Humph!" exclaimed Captain Perez, when they were alone, "I guess your
match-makin' scheme's up spout, Jerry."

And, for a wonder, Captain Jerry did not contradict him.

The weather changed that night, and it grew cold rapidly. In the morning
the pump was frozen, and Captain Jerry and Mrs. Snow spent some time and
much energy in thawing it out. It was later than usual when the former
set out for the schoolhouse. As he was putting on his cap, Elsie
suggested that he wait for her, as she had some lessons to prepare, and
wanted an hour or so to herself at her desk. So they walked on together
under a cloudy sky. The mud in the road was frozen into all sorts of
fantastic shapes, and the little puddles had turned to ice.

"That thaw was a weather-breeder, sure enough," observed Captain Jerry.
"We'll git a storm out of this, 'fore we're done."

"It seems to me," said Elsie, "that the winter has been a very mild one.
From what I had heard I supposed you must have some dreadful gales here,
but there has been none so far."

"We'll git 'em yit. February's jist the tim