storm, some of them crippled,
distressed, sinking perhaps. And you get to thinking about the men and
women, and little children maybe, on board and wondering how many will be
alive when the storm dies down. I tell you it grips you by the throat, it
makes your eyes ache with pity, and you curse the storm that's bringing
disaster along with it."

His hands were clenched, his face was hard and stern, and the girls felt
thrilled, stirred, as they had never been before. But suddenly he jumped
to his feet, went over to the window and stood there looking out for a
moment. And when he came back he was smiling so naturally that the girls
caught themselves wondering if they had not dreamed what had gone before.

"I didn't mean to give you a lecture," he told them gayly. And with
strange reluctance they shook off the spell and smiled with him. "Come
on, let's take a look at the tower, and then I'll give you some clam
chowder. Would you like some clam chowder?"

They were too fresh from breakfast to be wildly enthusiastic even over
clam chowder just then, but they knew the time would come soon when they
would be hungry again, so they assented happily and followed the broad
back of Uncle Tom up the winding tower steps.

They exclaimed over the tower room, and the wonderful revolving light,
but the thing that charmed them most was the platform that completely
encircled the tower.

They reached the platform through a small door, and as the girls stepped
out upon it they felt almost as if they were stepping out into space.

The water seemed unbelievably far away, farther a good deal than it
actually was, and Billie did not dare look down very long for fear of
becoming dizzy.

It was almost half an hour before Uncle Tom finally succeeded in luring
them away from the platform, and then the whole crowd of girls went
reluctantly.

They went downstairs with Uncle Tom and listened to his yarns, with Bruce
curled happily up at his master's feet, until the thought of the clam
chowder he had promised them became insistent and Connie asked him
pointblank whether he had forgotten all about it.

Uncle Tom indignantly denied the latter imputation, and set about
preparing the chowder immediately, the girls offering eager but
inexperienced help. Bruce tried to help, too, but only succeeded, as
usual, in getting himself in the way.

And after that came bliss! The girls succeeded in devouring a huge pot of
delicious chowder--it was better t