"Why-- Well, yes, someone has been talking to me, but the whole idea isn't theirs.I WAS sorry for speaking to you as I did and sorry to think of leaving you and grandmother.I--I was sitting up there in my room and feeling blue and mean enough and--and--""And then Rachel came aboard and gave you your sailin' orders; eh?"Albert gasped."For heaven's sake how did you know that?" he demanded."She-- Why, she must have told you, after all! But she said--""Hold on, boy, hold on!" Captain Lote chuckled quietly."No," he said, "Rachel didn't tell me; I guessed she was the one.And it didn't take a Solomon in all his glory to guess it, neither.Labe Keeler's been talkin' to ME, and when you come down here and began proposin' the same scheme that I was just about headin' up to your room with to propose to you, then--well, then the average whole-witted person wouldn't need more'n one guess.It couldn't be Labe, 'cause he'd been whisperin' in MY ear, so it must have been the other partner in the firm.That's all the miracle there is to it."Albert's brain struggled with the situation."I see," he said, after a moment."She hinted that someone had been talking to you along the same line.Yes, and she was so sure you would agree.Imight have known it was Laban."
"Um-hm, so you might....Well, there have been times when if a man had talked to me as Labe did to-night I'd have knocked him down, or told him to go to--um--well, the tropics--told him to mind his own business, at least.But Labe is Labe, and besides MYconscience was plaguin' me a little mite, maybe...maybe."The young man shook his head."They must have talked it over, those two, and agreed that one should talk to you and the other to me.By George, I wonder they had the nerve.It wasn't their business, really.""Not a darn bit."
"Yet--yet I--I'm awfully glad she said it to me.I--I needed it, I guess.""Maybe you did, son....And--humph--well, maybe I needed it, too....Yes, I know that's consider'ble for me to say," he added dryly.
Albert was still thinking of Laban and Rachel.
"They're queer people," he mused."When I first met them I thought they were about the funniest pair I ever saw.But--but now I can't help liking them and--and-- Say, Grandfather, they must think a lot of your--of our family.""Cal'late they do, son....Well, boy, we've had our sermon, you and me, what shall we do? Willin' to sign for the five years trial cruise if I will, are you?"Albert couldn't help smiling."It was three years Rachel proposed, not five," he said.
"Was, eh? Suppose we split the difference and make it four?
Willin' to try that?"
"Yes, sir."
"Agreement bein' that you shall stick close to Z.Snow and Co.
durin' work hours and write as much poetry as you darned please other times, neither side to interfere with those arrangements?
That right?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good! Shall we shake hands on it?"
They shook, solemnly.Captain Lote was the first to speak after ratification of the contract.
"There, now I cal'late I'll go aloft and turn in," he observed.
Then he added, with a little hesitation, "Say, Al, maybe we'd better not trouble your grandma about all this fool business--the row this afternoon and all.'Twould only worry her and--" he paused, looked embarrassed, cleared his throat, and said, "to tell you the truth, I'm kind of ashamed of my part---er--er--that is, some of it."His grandson was very much astonished.It was not often that Captain Zelotes Snow admitted having been in the wrong.He blurted out the question he had been dying to ask.
"Grandfather," he queried, "had you--did you really mean what you said about starting to come to my room and--and propose this scheme of ours--I mean of Rachel's and Labe's--to me?""Eh?...Ye-es--yes.I was on my way up there when I met you just now.""Well, Grandfather, I--I--"
"That's all right, boy, that's all right.Don't let's talk any more about it.""We won't.And--and-- But, Grandfather, I just want you to know that I guess I understand things a little better than I did, and--and when my father--"
The captain's heavy hand descended upon his shoulder.
"Heave short, Al!" he commanded."I've been doin' consider'ble thinkin' since Labe finished his--er--discourse and pronounced the benediction, and I've come to a pretty definite conclusion on one matter.I've concluded that you and I had better cut out all the bygones from this new arrangement of ours.We won't have fathers or--or--elopements--or past-and-done-with disapp'intments in it.
This new deal--this four year trial v'yage of ours--will be just for Albert Speranza and Zelotes Snow, and no others need apply....
Eh?...Well, good night, Al."
