"'A captain in the United States Navy,'" Captain Jules repeated huskily. "I thought so. I thought so." "Why?" asked Madge wonderingly. Captain Jules pulled his needle slowly through a heavy piece of sail cloth. It must have stuck, he was so long about it, and his big hands fumbled it so clumsily. "Oh, because of your liking for the water, Miss Madge," he returned quietly. "You see, there are two great loves born in the hearts of men and women that you never can get away from. The one is the love of the soil and the other is the love of the sea. No matter what your life is, if you have those two passions in you, you've got to get back to the country or to the water when your chance comes. But why do you say that your father was once a captain in the United States Navy? Is he dead?" "I am afraid so," replied Madge faintly. Of late she was beginning to believe that her uncle and aunt, Mrs. Curtis and all her older friends were right. If her father were not dead in all these long years, surely he would have tried to find her. He would have sought to discover some news of the daughter whom he had left when she was only a baby. Captain Jules seemed about to say something, then, changed his mind. He shook his great, shaggy, gray head and looked at Madge tenderly. "Is your mother living?" he inquired. "No, she died soon after my father went away to join his ship on his last voyage," Madge went on sadly, her eyes filling with tears. She was half tempted to tell the old sailor her father's story, then decided to reserve it until some future day when she felt that she knew him better. In spite of her liking for the old sea captain, she realized that she had hardly known him long enough to make him her confidant. Captain Jules continued to sew. He opened his mouth, to speak once or twice and then closed it again. Finally he asked Madge huskily, "What was your father's name, child?" "Captain Robert Morton," replied Madge slowly. "He was from Virginia. If I knew him to be alive, I'd be the happiest girl in the world." Captain Jules cast a peculiar glance in her direction which Madge did not see. "My dear little mate," he said slowly, "some day a young man will come along who will be far more to you than any old father could have been. But what made your father go away? If he was a captain in the Navy, what made him resign his command?" "I can't tell you that to-day, Captain Jules. Perhaps I'll tell you some day when I know you better; in fact, I am sure I shall tell you. Perhaps when I do tell you I shall ask you to do me a great favor. Perhaps I shall ask you to help me hunt for him. I'll tell you a secret. Uncle and Aunt have been good to me and I love them dearly, but I want my own father, and I can't, I won't, believe he is dead. That is, not until I have absolute proof."