She saw that his blue suit, though wrinkled and well worn, was of an excellent quality of cloth. His hat was a good one, too, and his stick was a fine Malacca cane with a gold top to it. He wore a heavy cable watchchain of gold, and when he drew, out the timepiece it proved to be a valuable, if ancient, one. "Now, I reckon I'll turn in, if it's all the same to you folks," Cap'n Jonah said, seeing the lateness of the hour. "I sha'n't need no rockin' to put me to sleep. We'll talk more to-morrow," and he started for the front of the house. Sarah had been taking sharp note of his footgear. "I'm sartain pleased to see that you wear middlin' light boots, Uncle Jonah," she said pointedly. "I never let Orrin nor Tom go through the house 'cept in their stockin' feet or their slippers. Men's boots is that trackin'." "Oh, I'll take heed of your decks when you've jest holystoned 'em, Sarah," Cap'n Jonah rejoined easily. This pleased Pearl. It seemed that the old captain was not to be easily nagged. He went off cheerfully after bidding them good-night. "Well," said Sarah, "we'll get something out of him, anyway. He can't be an absolute pauper. And I'll soon have him out o' that best room and into where he belongs." "Have a care, Sarah. Have a care," advised Orrin Petty. "He's a quiet-talkin' man. Mebbe he's got more cash than he's willin' to tell about. We don't want to rile him." "If he was rich as cream I wouldn't have him messin' up my best bedroom for long. I tell you that, now, Orrin Petty!" Then she turned on Tom with one of her sudden, birdlike motions. "Where's that Ladies Aid money I give you, Tom, to buy that lamp with at the Harwich Emporium, and you never done it? I sartain sure thought you could do that for me while I was visitin' with your A'nt Poley Heath." "I tell you they didn't have no more of the kind you women picked out for the chapel," growled Tom, stuffing his pipe from his father's tobacco pouch. "Have 'em in again next month." "Well, gi'me the money." "Let a feller light his pipe, won't you?" growled Tom, getting up to take a spill from the vase on the mantelpiece, and proceeding to ignite it at the lamp. Then as his mother's attention was diverted by some household matter, he slipped out of the door. * * * * * The captain did not go directly to bed. He sat by his window, of which he had opened wide the blinds, much to his niece's rage and disgust. He looked out into the soft darkness that had now settled down on sea and land. A red light sparked, went out, sparked again. That was the revolving lamp at the lighthouse on The Neck, the narrow strip of land which stretched a defense between the Haven and the open sea. Nearer were the lamps of other dwellings. The surf sighed along the Beaches, beyond Cap'n Abe's store.