Madge Morton's Victory

ng about among the Cape May cottagers, after the conversation which they had innocently overheard from the deck of the launch the night before. Of course, if Mrs. Curtis and Tom had come on to Cape

ey had each other; there was the old town of Cape May to be explo

skiff. "In all our experience on the water I never saw so many yachts and pleasure boats as there are on thes

"There is a yacht club on the sound, but we are going to row up th

val cadets in their nautical uniforms. Each one of them wore a dark blue serge skirt of ankle length and a middy blouse w

Miss Jenny Ann's final words as the "Wat

in chorus. "Shall we bring back lobsters

st, a Mr. Theodore Brown, whose acquaintance she had made during the first of the houseboat holidays. He had suggested that he would like to come to Cape May s

laware Bay, not far from the town of Cape May. The larger number of the summer cott

late June sunshine. Madge and Phil, as usual, were at the oars. Tania crouched

had been very silent since their arrival at the seashore. If she were impressed at the wonderfu

ky in a curious, absorbed fashion. "I was trying to make up my mind, Madge, if this place wa

ia?" inquired Phil gently. She did not under

ply. "Hasn't every one a Fairyland, where things are just as they s

irl before our holiday is over. Besides, I understand her. She only says some of the things I used to think when I was a ti

hey wished to get into the more remote waters. In the meantime it was embarrassing to have smartly dress

asked Phil solicitously. "I never saw anyt

are the only persons who live in a Noah's ark, as those pleasant people on the yacht called our pretty 'Merry Maid' last night. Don't worry. Have you thought how odd it i

" replied Madge rather grimly. "I just dare her to s

but these dwellings were farther and farther apart. Finally the girls rowed for half a mile without seeing any residence save an occasional fisherman's

little house! It is almost in the water. It rivals our house

ed on their oars. The

ed schooner. It had a tiny porch in front, but the first roof ended in a point, the second rose higher,

s together," laughed Lillian. "My thumbs are the first roof,

ed; at least they saw no one about. Over the front door of t

" exclaimed Eleanor. "I wish we dared go ashore and k

ted Phil. "The house probably belongs to some grouchy ol

lifting mussel and oyster shells out of one of his baskets. He would peer at them earnestly before throwing them over to one side. He was a giant of a man, past middle age. His face was so weather-beaten that his ski

ning" Sho

rls in the rowboat, although t

made that morning against the Cape Mayites. But then, the girls had never dreamed of seeing s

dge's friendly salutation; he went on

did, strong face. He did not seem to be the kind of man w

, Madge. Let's all halloo t

d five young voices in

ly, wrinkling his face into heavy creases. "Good mo

adge in return. "We s

They piled out of the "Water Witch" before th

the water. Madge was farthest away, but promptly the monkey leaped from its master's shoulder

you hate red hair. Is that the reason you are trying to pul

sed him to be, promptly came to Madge'

y little Madge is jealous. She doesn't like stran

as she tried to re-arrange her hair. "What a

rfect tempest of rage whenever Madge approached her or tried to talk to her. The monkey even deserted her master to perch in Tania's arms. The

sewifely soul was interested in the big basket of lobsters that she s

ers," answered the sailor, "but there is nothi

ea captain?" asked

s service," he returned. "I am called captain in these parts,

adge, "but I dearly love everything about the sea. Were

r pearls was one of the most ordinary trades in the world. But his eyes twinkled as he h

mussel shells when our boat came along, weren't

dded a smi

n's old occupation will cling to him, even after he has long ago given it up. There

dmiration and terror. The captain would take hold of one of the great, crawling things, rub it softly on its horned head as one would rub a tabby cat to

my life," chuckled Phil. "You hy

d. "No; I don't hypnotize them," he explained. "Anybody can make old Father Lobster fall asleep if

ur houseboat by noon. If you come down to Cape May, won't you pl

do much visiting. I thank you just the same. Let me fix you up a basket of fis

He walked beside Madge, keeping a careful watch on his monkey, which sti

ooked as rough and uncouth as a common sailor. There was a kind of nobility ab

anything very greatly she was hard to resist. Her blue eyes wore their most bewitching expression.

nquired Captain

e, and you would show it to me some day, I would be t

ime. Who knows when I will go down into the sea again? Be careful in that small skiff," he warned the girls. "There are so many launches about on these waters, r

a favor of a perfect stranger. Yet, if she could only see Captain Jules again and he might be persuaded to show her his diving suit and to tell her something of the strange business of pearl-fishing, she couldn't be really sorry for her

ny thing, Madge," he said, addressing the monkey, "but when a man gets an idea in his head, everything and everybody he sees