He got
himself splashed trying to push his boat off last night."
"Well, then," said Captain Eli, "would you mind tellin' him
when he comes back that you and me's engaged to be married? I
don't know whether I've made a mistake in the lights or not, but
would you mind tellin' him that?"
Mrs. Trimmer looked at him. Her eyes were not so soft as
they had been, but they were brighter. "I'd rather you'd tell
him that yourself," said she.
The little girl sat on the floor near the Christmas tree,
just finishing a large piece of red-and-white candy which she had
taken out of her stocking. "People do hug a lot at Christmas-
time," said she to herself. Then she drew out a piece of blue-
and-white candy and began on that.
Captain Cephas waited a long time for his friend to return,
and at last he thought it would be well to go and look for him.
When he entered the house he found Mrs. Trimmer sitting on the
sofa in the parlor, with Captain Eli on one side of her and her
brother on the other, and each of them holding one of her hands.
"It looks as if I was in port, don't it?" said Captain Eli to
his astonished friend. "Well, here I am, and here's my fust
mate," inclining his head toward Mrs. Trimmer. "And she's in
port too, safe and sound. And that strange captain on the other
side of her, he's her brother Bob, who's been away for years and
years, and is just home from Madagascar."
"Singapore," amended Brother Bob.
Captain Cephas looked from one to the other of the three
occupants of the sofa, but made no immediate remark.
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