"How do you like the old fellow up at the store?" Lawford asked, as they strolled along together. "Isn't he a curious old bird?" "You mean my Uncle Amazon?" "Goodness! He _is_ your uncle, too, isn't he?" and a flush of embarrassment came into his bronzed cheek. "I had forgotten he was Cap'n Abe's brother. He is so different!" "Isn't he?" responded Louise demurely. "He doesn't look anything like Uncle Abram, at least." "I should say not!" ejaculated Lawford. "Do you know, he's an awfully--er--romantic looking old fellow. Looks just as though he had stepped out of an old print" "The frontispiece of a book about buccaneers, for instance?" she suggested gleefully. "Well," and he smiled down upon her from his superior height, "I wasn't sure you would see it that way." "Do you know," she told him, still laughing, "that Betty Gallup calls him nothing but 'that old pirate.' She has taken a decided dislike to him and I have to keep smoothing her ruffled feathers. And, really, Cap'n Amazon is the nicest man." "I bet he's seen some rough times," Lawford rejoined with vigor. "We used to think Cap'n Abe told some stretchers about his brother; but Cap'n Amazon looks as though he had been through all that Cap'n Abe ever told about--and more." "Oh, he's not so very terrible, I assure you," Louise said, much amused. "Did you notice the scar along his jaw? Looks like a cutlass stroke to me. I'd like to know how he came by it. It must have been some fight!" "You will make him out a much more terrible character than he can possibly be." "Never mind. If he's anything at all like Cap'n Abe, we'll get it all out of him. I bet he can tell us some hair-raisers." "I tell you he's a nice old man, and I won't have you talk so about him," Louise declared. "We must change the subject." "We'll talk about _you_," said Lawford quickly. "I'm awfully curious. When does your--er--work begin down here?" "My work?" Then she understood him and dimpled. "Oh, just now is my playtime." "Making pictures must be interesting." "I presume it looks so to the outsider," she admitted. It amused her immensely that he should think her a motion picture actress. "Your coming here and Cap'n Amazon exchanging jobs with his brother have caused more excitement than Cardhaven and the vicinity have seen in a decade. Or at least since _I_ have lived here." "Oh! Then are you not native to the soil?" "No, not exactly," he replied. And then after a moment he added: "It's a great old place, even in winter." "Not dull at all?" "Never dull," he reassured her. "Too much going on, on sea and shore, to ever be dull. Not for me, at least. I love it." They reached the store. Louise bade the young man good-morning and went around to the back door to greet Betty. Lawford made his purchases in rather serious mood and returned to his motor boat. His mind was fixed upon the way Louise Grayling had looked as he stepped ashore and greeted her.