'll have to let the rest know right off; 'twould be cruelty to
animals not to. You ought to put 'em out of their misery quick's
possible."

Captain Jerry's laugh was almost dismal.

The first batch of answers from the Chime came by an evening mail.
Captain Eri happened to beat the post-office that night and brought them
home himself. They filled three of his pockets to overflowing, and
he dumped them by handfuls on the dining table, under the nose of the
pallid Jerry.

"What did I tell you, Jerry?" he crowed. "I knew they was on the way.
What have you got to say about my advertisement now, Perez?"

There were twenty-six letters altogether. It was surprising how
many women were willing, even anxious, to ally themselves with "an
ex-seafaring man of steady habbits." But most of the applicants were of
unsatisfactory types. As Captain Perez expressed it, "There's too many
of them everlastin' 'blondes' and things."

There was one note, however, that even Captain Eri was disposed to
consider seriously. It was postmarked Nantucket, was written on half a
sheet of blue-lined paper, and read as follows:

"MR. SKIPPER:

"Sir: I saw your advertisements in the paper and think perhaps you might
suit me. Please answer these questions by return mail. What is your
religious belief? Do you drink liquor? Are you a profane man? If you
want to, you might send me your real name and a photograph. If I think
you will suit maybe we might sign articles.

"Yours truly,

"MARTHA B. SNOW.

"NANTUCKET, MASS."

"What I like about that is the shipshape way she puts it," commented
Captain Perez. "She don't say that she 'jest adores the ocean.'"

"She's mighty handy about takin' hold and bossin' things; there ain't
no doubt of that," said Captain Eri. "Notice it's us that's got to suit
her, not her us. I kind of like that 'signin' articles,' too. You bet
she's been brought up in a seagoin' family."

"I used to know a Jubal Snow that hailed from Nantucket," suggested
Perez; "maybe she's some of his folks."

"'Tain't likely," sniffed Captain Jerry. "There's more Snows in Nantucket
than you can shake a stick at. You can't heave a rock without hittin'
one."

"I b'lieve she's jest the kind we want," said Captain Perez with
conviction.

"What do you say, Jerry?" asked Captain Eri. "You're goin' to be the
lucky man, you know."

"Oh, I don't know. What's the use of hurryin'? More 'n likely the next
lot of letters 'll have somethin' be