The girl was standing by the galley when they went on
deck again, an object of curious and respectful admiration to the crew,
who had come on board in the meantime. She stayed on deck until the air
began to blow fresher in the wider reaches, and then, with a brief good-
night to her father, retired below.
"She made up her mind to come with us rather suddenly, didn't she?"
inquired the mate after she had gone.
"She didn't make up her mind at all," said the skipper; "we did it for
her, me an' the missus. It's a plan on our part."
"Wants strengthening?" said the mate suggestively.
"Well, the fact is," said the skipper, "it's like this, Jack; there's a
friend o' mine, a provision dealer in a large way o' business, wants to
marry my girl, and me an' the missus want him to marry her, so, o'
course, she wants to marry someone else. Me an' 'er mother we put our
'eads together and decided for her to come away. When she's at 'ome,
instead o' being out with Towson, direckly her mother's back's turned
she's out with that young sprig of a clerk."
"Nice-looking young feller, I s'pose?" said the mate somewhat anxiously.
"Not a bit of it," said the other firmly. "Looks as though he had never
had a good meal in his life. Now my friend Towson, he's all right; he's
a man of about my own figger.
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