Cap'n Abe, Storekeeper

dusty, musty old place seemed actually to

oap, and starch, and half a hundred other kitchen goods beyond; the bolts of calico, gingham, "turkey red," and mill-ends; the piles of visored caps and boxes of sunbonnets on the counter: the ship-lanterns, coils o

ned upon the figure of the bewhiskered old man, with spectacles and sou'wester both pushed back on his bald cro

m The Beaches followed their leader. Old Washy Gallup and Amiel Perdue sudden

Abram Silt-Captai

" Cap'n Abe ret

s, gaping oilily at the visitor across the top of the rusty sto

im? Land sakes! he's as hard to hold as the grease

uggestively, "I b'lieve

" gurgled Milt, cognizant of the gi

the recreant husband of the militant Mandy stum

d not help it. Cap'n Abe's bearded countena

oes have him on a lead

's a

oking, got his point almost at once. "You m

, nodding. "Guess you know a thing or

laughed the girl, coming closer to the coun

d sa

hat is how I came to see

d sa

you bel

ne niece in the worl

ever expecte

open her bag, resting it on the counter, and produced an old-fashioned photograph of her mother, a letter, yellowed by time, tha

The girl's hand to her wrist was completely lost in the grip; but despite its firmness Cap'n

ttle Mirry's girl. An' you do favor her a mite.

I am like

in' man-an' a pleasant-

decl

in'-room, Niece Louise, an' lemme

k. The table in the big room was already spread with a clean red-and-white checked tablecloth and set with heavy chinaware for a meal. A huge caster graced the center of the table, containing g

a cage. A corpulent tortoise-shell cat occupied the turkey-red cushion in one generous rocking chair, There was a couch with a faded patchwork cov

," as Louise slipped the strap of her bag from her shoulder. "Take that

he is," Louise said, as the tortoise-shell-witho

ends with all the mice on the place, I swan! But sometimes

er

d, and resting his palms on his knees as he gazed at her out of his pale blue eyes. "He's a lot

ke him has got to live in a cage all his endurin' days. Jerry's a p

bram. Lou Grayling," the

n Abe. I'm sort o' useter t

reverting to his previous topic. "Seems to me-down here on t

hesitation. "I been some hampered all my life, as ye might

bein' caged, and one sunshiny day-it was a marker for days down here on the Cape, an' we have lots on 'e

d the girl, watching the

o sweet. He pitched on the old apple tree yonder-the August sweet'nin'-and I thought he'd bust

see," said Loui

. When it grew on toward sundown an' the air got kinder chill, I didn't hear Jerry singin' no more. I'd seen him, off'n on, flittin' 'bout the yard all day. When I come in here to l

g!" was Lou's

be let loose than nothin' 'tall. And I wonder if I be,"

he added with latent curiosity,

f we had not always been traveling when I was not at school, I should

nter

alt of the earth'-that

Abe. "I never seen your father but once or twice. You se

ho

uncle you got," he said, watching

How jolly!" exclaimed Lo

Abe said. "Ahem! your father

y-prof even knew ther

ily. "And not to be wondered at. You see, Am'

d h

a Belle. He tied his socks an' shirt an' a book o' navigation he owned, up in a handkerchief, and slipped out over the shed roof one night, a

e South Sea Belle was havin' hard time makin' up her crew. She warn't a new ship. Am'zon was twelve year old an' looked fifteen. An' he was fifteen

s he now?" a

nder. He might step in at that door any minute,"

g the store as he spoke. The storekeeper

but comfortable. There was a display of marine art upon the walls. All the ships were drawn exactly, with the stays, spars, and

ieces-works of art appreciated nowhere but on the coast. The designs were

and dull-eyed like all old birds of his kind, and paid her slight attention. When she turned to Diddimus she had better succes

e came back t

a young man I saw on t

th o' ropeyarn. I reckon you went to that young man's head

he girl, understanding

ke it. Lawford Tapp ain

dating to-day when I asked

met him

Uncl

. "But I don't jest fancy the cut of his jib.

. "That is what I want