Road, and brooded over its surroundings, as Lou Grayling

clam flats, although the tide was just right at dawn. The surfman from the patrol station beyond The Be

e they in Sabbath garb, but they had on their Sabbath manner. Even to Milt Baker,

go ashore" clothes of blue, which were possibly those he had worn when he arrived at the store on the Shell Road. He wore a hard, gl

ch a very personal question. Had it been Cap'n Abe she would not for a moment have hesitated. Louise had heard of men being

craft, like the Mariner's Chapel, are all right, I don't dispute; but they are lacking in bal

like everybody else. As they came out of the yard old Washington Gallup hobbled by, but instead of stopping

ook dignified and impressive; but Cap'n Amazon was not a big man. However, in his blue pilot-cloth suit, cut sever

of his crew or their confidence. He was distinctly a man to command-a leader and director by nature

hind them and the mellow hoot of a horn. Louise turned to see a great touring car take the curve

as well as fisherman an

r the coat he wore; but he touched his ca

ently quarreling with the chauffeur. In the tonneau was a matronly woman and th

an, he comes of good old Cape stock. But I guess that blood can de-te-ri-orate, as the feller said. Ain't much of it left in the young folks, pretty likely. They just laze around and p

was some little bustle on Main Street at church-going time for some of the vacation visitors-those

aisle Cap'n Amazon spoke a

ew here; but I don't rightly know its bearings. W

curious glances at the black silk handkerchief on Cap'n Amazon's head and did not come near. Despite hi

Cardhaven Inn, claimed acquainta

" she said. "Some of 'em's goin' to stop with us at the Inn. How you m

Cap'n Amazon Silt,

. You see, my folks live down the Shell Road. My ma married again. D'rius

t a telegraph dispatch for a room to be saved for him. With bath! Land sakes! ain't the whole ocean big enough fo

im-once," con

t," Gusty declared. "I'

to the company. I ain'

outh last night where t

he took a r

e'l mis'rable-like the time our old brahma hen, Beauty, got bit by Esek Coe's do

e the day and place. She knew a hearty burst of laughter in the

a number of women and men were discussing various matters-the sermon, the weather, clamming, boating, and the colony at The

men said. "But I was told he was some poor relation who allers lived among the

an. "An' he's well spoken, too-from wh

mmy wants to sell it bad enough-an' needs the money, beli

exceedingly thoughtful when Cap'n Amazon broke away fr

omeward; "but he's got as many ways of holdin' a feller as an octopus. And lemme tell y

h sundries for Jamaica, to bring back molasses-and something a leetle mite stronger. That's 'bout

r went bad. Yes, sir! Water does get stringy sometimes on long v'y'ges. It useter on whalin

e Mary Bedloe it was

ng water. Made the hul

as a good navigator, bu

out no rea

e come to an island-something more than a key-and Cap'n Braman ordered a boat's crew ashore for water. I was in the second's boat so I went. We found g

to the rocks, it bein' low water. Some o' them mussels, when ye gut 'e

few of them mussels. There was a mud bottom and so the water was black. Just as I reached for the first mu

s. I jumped; but I didn't jump far. There was two o' the things had

Amazon!" ga

aist tighter'n any girl of my acquaintance ever lashed her best fe

or cuttin' your way through the jungle. I hauled that out o' the waistband of my pants

But the arms seemed fairly to grow on that devilfish. I wasn't hacked loose when the second officer come runnin' with his gun. I dragged the critter nea

ndering rather vaguely why the minister of the Fi

Louise. I'm goin' to give you a re'l fisherman's chowder for dinner, an' I want to git

Abe had. Louise had baked some very delicate pop-overs for break

nd sakes! give me something hearty and kind of solid for reg'lar eating.

hearty and as appetizi

allow Louise to wash

t's slack tide. You ain't been up there to Tapp P'int yit and seen that big house that belongs to th

water mark just below the very first bungalow. She saw several men coming down the steps from the top of the bluff to the shore and the ba

ane would not leave the legitimate stage for any small salary. Seeing no women in the party and that the men were he

Tapp had come over in the morning previous. The wind being off the land she had not he

sked her, with his very widest smile.

am not

re to work on Sunday?" and

Mr. Tapp. I do not w

t even let me w

ce at her ungloved hands. "He's a pretty decent old fellow, I gu

or a "joy ride," Louise Grayling would certainly have refused. To go on a pleasure tri

e was (or what she believed him to be), but because she had seen something in his manner an

ssed a more interesting personality than almost any man she had ever met socially bef

im. She was boatwise. He pushed off, starting his engine;