Helmford continued to smile. "You know almost everything in this world will stand improvement--and a man knows more than a fish." "Hum! Does he?" rejoined Cap'n Jonah dryly. "He's never l'arned to swim as good as a fish. I turn up here, young feller," and he halted at the Petty lane. Pearl came out on the porch and waved her hand to Cap'n Jonah. The late supper was ready. "Tidy craft that, I do say!" murmured the captain; gazing admiringly at Pearl's trim figure and flushed face as she stood there in the afterglow of the sunset. "What?" responded the young man, unappreciatively. "Oh, yes. Mr. Orrin Petty's place is one of the most attractive along the Shell Road." Cap'n Jonah stared at him. "Well, good-night, Captain Hand. I am glad to have met you." "Good-night!" grunted the captain, shortly. Then he stared after the tall, rather round-shouldered figure as it swung up the road with never a backward glance. "Whatever!" he exclaimed vigorously. "That young feller needs somethin' stronger than them goggles of his'n to make him see what's wuth seein' along this road. Why, he's blind!" CHAPTER III CAP'N JONAH SETTLES DOWN "Well, Uncle!" exclaimed Sarah Petty, meeting the old man at the door with outstretched hand and a sharp smile upon her sharper face. "You _air_ a stranger! You come clean across the world to see us." "Wal, I was in the China trade last," admitted Cap'n Jonah; "so naturally I had to come a fur ways to get to Cardhaven. I come through the canal. Whatever! that's a snorting big job. I got to Boston on a fruit steamer; and then I caught a trawler goin' down to Chatham and me an' my chist come up from there on the freightin' schooner." He had entered the kitchen now and released Sarah's hand to take Orrin's. The latter said in lieu of too warm a greeting, for Orrin's was a cautious soul: "Why didn't you come down from Boston by rail? The steam cars bring ye a sight quicker, even if the fare is somethin' more." "No," said Cap'n Jonah. "I never go nowhere by these railroads if I can help it. Ye never know when the b'iler's like to bust or the hull contraption run off the track." "Hoh!" snorted Tom in the background. "Marm said you'd sailed master o' steam vessels. Warn't you afraid of the boiler's bustin' on them?" "Now, Tom!" fluttered his mother. "I could keep away from the b'ilers on them iron pots I was master of," said Cap'n Jonah, dryly. "And there's plenty of leeway in the open sea. Wal, Orrin, I see the Haven's much as it looked aforetime, when I was here. I liked the look of it then." "Do you calc'late on stayin' quite a spell?" queried the anxious Mr. Petty.