"Oh, but I didn't do that!" cried the little girl honestly. "He 'membered you his own self. Mr. Cap'n Littlefield says the crew mutinied, includin' the supercargo, and Mr. Ben just _hates_ to talk to folks--" "Yes. I know he always was a regular quahaug," observed the pale lady's husband, smiling. "Why!" murmured the little girl; "not a _reg'lar_ quahaug, you know. That's a clam; and Mr. Ben's got legs like any other party--'ceptin' Mr. Cap'n Littlefield and his Cousin Oly. They both have wooden sticks on one side for legs." Motherly Mrs. Truefelt welcomed the pale lady and her baby very kindly indeed. A room for the little family was found for that night. Mrs. Cameron, too, greeted Carolyn's friend warmly. "Mr. Laird," as Carolyn insisted upon calling the new clerk, went to work at once, to Mr. Ben Truefelt's open satisfaction. The next morning the wooden-legged man drove the pale lady and her little one over to Barzilla Ball's place in the two-seated buckboard; and of course Carolyn May and Prince went, too. "It's got so," said Captain Littlefield to the baby's mother, "that I dunno as I could steer a proper course about this island 'nless I had this young 'un with me--an' the dog. They are gre't comp'ny, for a fact." "Carolyn May is the friendliest little soul alive," replied the pale lady, her wan countenance lighting with appreciation. "Ain't she, jest?" agreed the wooden-legged man. "I dunno but if she had a chance't she might cure Cousin Oly of the megrums--an' Oly's some settled in his ways! Dunno how poor old Sue-Betsey ever got along with him all the ten year they was married and livin' together. But they do say," and his eyes began to twinkle, "that when Oly got too much upsot for even her to stand, she useter steal his wooden leg and go out to the neighbours to get shet of Oly's tongue." "Then," said the pale lady in some wonderment, "you are not the only member of your family that has the misfortune to need an artificial limb?" "Tell ye what," chuckled the captain, "wooden laigs do run in our family, an' no mistake. There air Littlefields that have a full suit o' limbs; but Oly an' me--Wal, it does seem as though we'd been mighty careless, or sumpin'. Both on us air shy a laig. But we manage to git on purt' well considerin', as the feller said." Carolyn listened with stretched ears to the wooden-legged man's speech; but not a hint did he drop about the catastrophe that cost him--and Cousin Oly--the missing limb. It was a mystery! The ride across the island was just as delightful as it had been before, and they were as warmly welcomed at the Ball cottage. Besides Molly Icivilla, her brother was present. He was a tall, pleasant, good looking young man, dressed in brown sea boots and a blue guernsey, with a tarpaulin pushed back from his sea-browned face. He sat in the sun mending a seine.