"By Hannah!" said 'Liphalet again, which was his emasculated pronunciation of "Gehenna!" "It would sarve 'em right if they got fooled, good and plenty. You needn't be too tender with such folks. And there's a hull lot like 'em around here," he added, in an undertone. It was plain the ex-steward's opinion of his neighbors--some of them, at least--had become as the storekeeper suggested, somewhat soured. "I tell ye what," he went on. "You'd ought to talk with Cap'n Abe about this." "Talk with who?" ejaculated the other in surprise. "With Abram Silt." "Whatever! That old gasbag?" snorted Cap'n Jonah. "Ev'ry time I go into that store for my snuff he starts tellin' me some silly yarn! I been to sea too long myself to enjoy hearin' about other sea-farers an' their hard luck. Why! they tell me he didn't even come fair an' honest by his title of Cap'n. All he was ever skipper of was a wreckin' comp'ny." "Wal, now, cap'n is one of the easiest titles to come by on the Cape," said Mr. Truitt excusingly. "And as for Cap'n Abe--wal, sir, I do allow he is one of the smartest men we have around here, if he didn't never go but one v'y'ge in a deep bottom craft." "Didn't know as he ever done even that," scoffed Cap'n Jonah. "To hear him tell those yarns of his you'd think he'd sailed longer without seeing land than old Noah did." "He loves seafarin' and always has," commented 'Liphalet. "And I reckon he's the only Silt that warn't as salt as a haddocker. Now, his brother, Cap'n Am'zon Silt, _he_ was a corker. Spent the last summer of his life here on the Shell Road, did Cap'n Am'zon. We had a bad wreck off the Gull Rocks an' Cap'n Am'zon went out with the life-saving crew an' never come ashore again. Was washed off'n the wreck of the _Curlew_ schooner. "Cap'n Abe's been kind of diff'rent since his brother was drowned. Don't begin to tell so many stories as he did, and he's a sight more stern. B'sides, Cap'n Am'zon could fair burn him up when it come to relatin' of adventures. Consider'ble of a man, Cap'n Am'zon was. "Jest the same," pursued 'Liphalet, "Cap'n Abe Silt has got a head on him. I'd like you to tell your story to him, Cap'n Jonah. I b'lieve he might be able to give you an idee wuth follerin'. "Hullo! Who's boarded us now?" A quick _tap, tap_ of heels on the steps and porch. Then a gentle rap on the door. 'Liphalet's brick-burned face became more inflamed, if that were possible, as he arose to answer the unexpected summons. "Oh! Good morning, 'Liphalet," came the sweet contralto of Miss Sue Ambrose. "I wanted to remind you that the Christmas committee meets this afternoon in the vestry. You'll see to the fire for us, won't you?" "I calc'late to," the ex-steward replied in evident confusion of mind, for he was striving to cram his big-bowled pipe into a vest pocket far too small to receive it.