Mary laughed softly. “But you haven't your way, you see,” she said. “You have had it for ever so long and now I am going to have mine. Your new silent partner is going to begin to boss you.” For the first time since he entered the door of his store that night--or morning--Shadrach smiled. It wasn't a broad smile nor a very gay one, but it was a smile. “Um--ya-as,” he drawled. “I want to know, Mary-'Gusta! I am gettin' some along in years, but my memory ain't failed much. If I could remember any day or hour or minute since Zoeth and me h'isted you into the old buggy to drive you from Ostable here--if I could remember a minute of that time when you HADN'T bossed us, I--well, I'd put it down in the log with a red ink circle around it. No, sir-ee! You've been OUR skipper from the start.” Even Zoeth smiled now and Mary laughed aloud. “But you haven't objected; you haven't minded being--what shall I call it?--skipped--by me, have you?” she asked. The Captain grinned. “Mind it!” he exclaimed. “Umph! The only time when we really minded it was these last two years when we ain't had it. We minded missin' it, that's what we minded.” “Well, you won't miss it any more. Now help me put these things back in the safe and we'll go home. Yes, home! Tomorrow morning--this morning, I mean--we'll talk and I'll tell you some of my plans. Oh, yes! I have plans and I am in hopes they may do great things for Hamilton and Company. But no more talk tonight. Remember, the skipper is back on board!” So to the house they went and to bed, the Captain and Mr. Hamilton under protest. CHAPTER XX Neither Mary nor the Captain nor Mr. Hamilton slept much of the few hours until daylight, and Captain Shadrach, who was devoured with curiosity concerning the plans, would have asked particulars before breakfast, but Mary would not listen to questions. It was not until breakfast was over and they were back in the store that she consented to discuss the subject. The safe was reopened and the books and papers spread out upon the desk. Mary took up one of the sheets of paper; it was covered with rows of figures in her handwriting. “Now,” she said, “it seems to me that the first thing is to find out exactly where we stand. When I say 'we,'” she added, with a nod of great importance, “I mean 'we,' because, as I told you last night, I am a silent partner in the business now.” “Don't seem to be so terrible much silence,” observed Shadrach dryly. “Hush! Another remark of that kind and I shall set you to sweeping out, Uncle Shad. Now, Uncle Zoeth, according to the books this is what we owe.” She read from the paper in her hand. “That is the total, Uncle Zoeth, isn't it?” she asked. Zoeth groaned and admitted that he cal'lated it was nigh enough. “Yes. But this,” holding up another sheet of paper, “is what is owed us, and it is almost as much as the other.”