Cap'n Dan's Daughter

he door of Captain Per

p'n Hedge! I'm sorry to wake you u

all the lazy-I'll be out in a jiffy. Pere

ch for the coat. He had had no intention of sleeping, but he was tired after his strenuous work at the fire, an

been sleepin' ha'f the forenoon. We'd ought to be ashamed

ed. "I should think you was dressed now,

ed as much surprised as his friend. He managed t

of course. It's you I'm try

of gittin' up and dressin' all by yourself.

s set, really set, with a clean cloth and dishes that shone. The knives and forks were ar

d a fit or what's struck him? I ain't seen hi

se. "Cap'n Baxter seemed to be sleepin' or in a stupor like, and the Doctor, when h

the Doctor been h

Baxter for a few minutes while I finish gettin' breakfast. I've been up and down so many

t had been his room he vaguely noticed that the bureau top was clean

at the pillow cases in the spare room had looked a little yellow the night before, possibly owing to the fact that, as the room had not been occu

nging to the old "Come-Outer." The contents of the pocket would be almost certain to reveal the secret if the coat itself did not. It remained to be seen who the finder

that the capacity for "bossin' things," that he had discerned in the letter, was even more apparent in the lady herself. One thing he did insist upon, however, and this was that Mrs. Snow should "turn in" as soon as breakfast was over. One of the three would take the watch in the sick room while the other two washed the dishes. The nurse was inclined to balk on the dishwa

feasting on hot biscuits, eggs, and clear,

is gay? Look at them eggs; b'iled jest to a

mouth full of biscuit. "When you was cook, you allers b'iled 'em so

t come acrost me all of a sudden that, from what I'd seen of this Nantucket woman, she'd be jest the sort of nurse that John needed. So I skipped out while you fellers was busy with the Doctor, found her at the

ight," and added, "If Jerry here wa'n't so pigheaded all

's my idee," he s

ain his comrades reminded him of the original compact, and the fact that the vote was two to one

ptain Eri lo

ouldn't come nigher to 'em than the other end of the hen-yard. Now you might as well make up your mind that somethin's got to be done. This Mrs. Snow ain't nobody's fool. We put out a bait that anybody with sense would say couldn't catch nothin' bu

o think of marryin' with Cap'n Baxter so sick in the house and that, if she's willin', we'll put it off till he dies o

Nantucket lady, Captain Jerry reluctantly conse

ar Boston. Captain Eri felt that this granddaughter should be notified of the old man

her dad's name was Preston. They called her Elsie. John used to write

"it don't foller that he reads the name on every

erry decidedly, "Mary Emma does. Sh

st-office, and was possessed of a well-developed

We'll write the letter, and I'll ask Mary Em

aptain Eri sat down to write the note that should inform Elizabeth Preston of her grandfather's illness. It was a very short note, and merely stated the fac

one of the first arrivals, and, as Captain Eri had seen her through the window, he went upstairs and took Perez' place as temporary nurse. To Perez, therefore

ng been but a short one. Ralph was favorably impressed with the capable appearance of the new

et and sensible and cheerful besides. She look

fferent on folks. Kind of like hot weather, sours milk, but sweetens apples. She's one of the sweetened kind. And yet,

e did declare, had skipped her mind. The Captain said he would chance it without the number, so the lett

vidently holding a special session on this momentous occasion. The busy "Squealer," a trifle enlivened by some of Mr. Sa

I says to Web, I says, 'There's folks in this town besides me that kept you from losin' the whole thing and you ought to than

tarted yit?" inquired the Cap

ey tell me it couldn't have been him, cause he was took down runnin' to the fire. Web, he's

usiness was but a trifling incident, a little annoying, of course, but not worth fretting about. He thanked the Captain and Hazeltine effusively for their service of the previous night, and

nk it started,

re most of the evenin', and, jest like's not, a cigar butt, or a match, or somethin' dropped somewheres and go

nd sence last night. Seems to me I heard you t

r'd tried to burn me out. But I guess not; I guess not. More I think of it, more I think it catched itself. Seems to me I remember smellin' sort of a scorchin' smell when I was lockin' up. Oh, say! I w

d. "Web" didn't know just yet. He was a poor man, didn't carry much insurance, and so on. Thought likely he shou

ht change of manner, his rejoinder was to the effect that "ile was bound to rise, but that didn't mean there wa'n't dirty water und

the affair pretty well, and was not disposed to blame him. As for the men, they had been as docile as lambs, and he th

a broom and surrounded by a cloud of dust. Perez was upstairs with the patient, and Cap

erry's unwillingness to discuss the marriage question while John Baxter's condition continued critical, and she agreed to act as nurse and housekeeper for a while, at least, for th

. The dust had disappeared; the chronometer was polished till it shone; the table was covered with a cloth that was snow-white, and

nse to his knock, and grinned appreci

myself, and Lorenzo's so shook up he ain't been in the house sence breakfast time. He's out

. "Mrs. Snow?

oman. She's done more swabbin' decks and overhaulin' runnin' riggin' than a new mate on a clippe

n Baxter?" as

pell. Set down and keep me comp'ny. It's my watch jest now. Perez, he's over to Barry's; Jerry's up to the schoolhouse, and Mrs. Snow's run up to the post-office t

eeks Captain Eri was troubled with thoughts concerning the missing coat, but, as time passed, and the accusing garment did not turn up, he came to believe that some boy must have found it and that it had, in all probability, been destroyed. There were

ng "Lives of Great Naval Commanders," having received their share of the general dusting, now sho

. She' always up to somethin' to make a dollar, and she's as slick a talker as ever was, I guess. She never give Perez no rest till he signed the deed for them books. Told him they'd give liter'ry tone to the shebang. Perez started to read 'em out loud when they

you have book age

dollars from Perez. It's her day now, and I told Perez that that was why he sneaked off to Barry's. You see, 'Gusty's after him to buy the hi

really ought to go down and see to my shanty. Ain't been there sence day afore yesterday, and there's so many boys 'round, I'm 'fraid to leave it unlocked much longer. I thought some

to report that the patient was

e, 'less it's 'Gusty or the Reverend Perley come to ask 'bout John. If it's a middlin' good-lookin' young woman with a satchel, that's 'Gusty

ble to look it over. He was smiling over the gaudy illustrations and flamboyant descriptions of battles, when t

en. She had a small leather bag in her hand, just as the Captain had said she would have, but it flashed across Mr. Hazel

Hedge in?"

tain disagreeable remembrances of former encounters with female book agents had helped to form th

ing orders with exactitude. "C

e didn't seem to fit-was

, and then added, "W

mmered, and then miserably equivocated. He really

ome further observation on the part of the gentleman at the door. None bei

ecision. And come in she did, Mr. Hazeltine not kn

book agent's behavior; nevertheless, when he turned and found the young lady st

take a chai

aid the caller

looked out of the window and Mr. Hazeltine looked at her. He was more than ever of the opinion that the "middlin'" term should be cut out of her description. He rather liked her appearance, so he decided. He liked the w

t of the window again. Mr. Hazeltine colored also and fidgeted with the book on the table. The situation was confoundedly

husiasm in her tone. Then Ralph, nervously fishing

is," he said. "I found

y expected to be confronted with the necessary order blanks without delay. But, strangely enough, the book lady made no such move. She looked at him,

I am glad

cted, and the electrician, as Captain Eri wou

sting indeed. I-I suppose you must take a

many O

I mean. The books-the 'Great Na

don, but who do

began to seize upon Mr. Hazeltine. He had been red before; no

Black, I suppo

p and then, seeing the visitor, remained standing, apparently waiting

ain Eri Hedge

nswered th

is morning, and I hurried down on the