H. Bedford-Jones

“ The lighthouse man was there, telling of the wild storm out beyond the harbor and how the rollers were thundering away toward the mainland under the gray wrack of sky. Every lake boat has one or more Beaver lads aboard, and some had come ashore from the boats in the harbor; and old Cap'n O'Grady was over from Garden Island with his two strapping boys. Kitty Dunlevy had just come in to ask them about how they wanted the turkey for dinner, when into the lobby walked Cap'n Vesty. ”

“ Every soul on the island knows I'm goin' on fifty,” said Kitty, though her eye softened a little. 'Cap'n Connie asked me last night to marry him.”
That was a stiff one to Cap'n Vesty. He sat with his cigar in his hand, staring up at her with his blue eyes wide. Then came his laugh, with a roar and a merry word.
“Praise be—the poor old rascal!” said he, shaking with laughter. “Wants to marry you, does he? And him growin' feebler every day! Faith, it's an elegant joke——”
“Do ye think so?” Kitty put her head on one side. “I don't. He's worth two of ye.” ”

“ He read the letter word by word and saw for himself that Father John had spoken the truth. Then he looked up at the priest and just nodded, for his teeth were set hard, and there was a hurt look in his blue eyes.
“The man is a rogue and a rascal,” said the Father. “He's imposed on you from the start. He's robbed you of the big lump, and has thieved all you had here on the island. I hear tell that he sends his money to no bank, but keeps it all in a belt. That's the way of scoundrels, who never know when they must run. Have ye waked up, Vesty? ”

“ So he held a grand auction and sold everything that he had in the world, from the farm to the piano; Cap'n Connie bought the farm and all in it, and others bought a bit, and in the end Cap'n Vesty squared off with all the island, though he had little left.
After the sale was over, Father John sought him out and told him of the whisper. At this, Cap'n Vesty broke into a fit of hearty laughter.
“Stop it!” snapped Father John. “Ye big simpleton, where's all the money gone to this summer? Why are ye poor and this man rich?” ”

“ An old man was Father John, twenty year on the island and with many a year before that elsewhere. He looked at Cap'n Vesty and smiled, and shook his head a bit as he spoke.
“That's not what I mean, neither,” said he. “Now, what's this Big Biddy Callahan does be tellin' me about you and him playin' cards and gambling with money?”
Cap'n Vesty laid a hand on the priest's shoulder, and laughed softly.
“Whist, now!” said he. “Would ye have it driven into the poor old felly that he's livin' on charity? No, no; it's a proud man is Cap'n O'Brien, and likes to pay his way. ”

“ One and all turned to stare at him. He had walked from the church, and his shirt was open at the neck, and somehow it seemed that all the stoop had gone out of his back; but it was the flash in his eye that made them stare, and the vibrant ring to his voice. ”

“ Then somebody let slip the wrong word, and Cap'n Connie took it up in a flash.
“Old, is it?” said he. “Old as I am and lame as I am, by the poker I can step down any lad of ye! What are ye but a lot o' fresh-water farmers?”
Illustration: “Gallegher's Divil!” said Kitty. “Get out o' here, for I'd not marry the likes of you if ye was the last man on the Beavers—ye ould thievin' divil, ye!”
“Stow your jaw!” said Cap'n Vesty, laughing and all in good humor. “These lads ha' been sailing real craft, skipper, whilst ye been mastering iron boats under steam. ”

“ Though Cap'n Vesty lived on one of his two farms, still and all he was no farmer, and the place not planted nor cared for the whole year past. He and Cap'n Connie, then, did nothing at all but maybe lay in a trifle of wood, though they talked of buying a fine housed boat and doing some fishing in the fall. True it is, as the saying goes, that idle hands fall to poor ways. ”

“ Then he jumped for Cap'n Connie and fetched him a blow that drove him to one side, and caught Sevinsky up and threw water in his face. There was water enough and to spare, and after a minute Sevinsky opened his eyes, with the boat rolling gunnels under.
“LET her roll,” said Cap'n Vesty, with a laugh. “She'll not sink that way. It's the twist of a sea tumbling her over the crest that may send her under! Get to them engines, for the worst is ahead of us. Hey, ye sojerin' rogue!” He kicked Cap'n Connie in the ribs. “Up and bale or I'll throw ye out! ”

“ Cap'n Vesty's blue eyes twinkled. “There's better things in the world to be carin' about than money, Kitty, and you're one of the same. Will ye still give me no answer? Is it the white hair that ye don't like? ”

“ CAP'N VESTY bit the end off a cigar, then looked the priest in the eye.
“Well, Father, you're not to breathe a word,” said he, “but it's not lost—divil a bit of it! I'll tell ye, now, where the big lump went to. I heard tell of a fine large building in New York City, an office building that brings in grand rents all the time and no work to do, that was to be bought cheap, the owners of it being hard up. ”

“ Mother McCann was standing by, and told him to take shame for such actions, at which he turned and gave her the same, and she cursing him, but with a laugh in her eye until he set her down. Cap'n Connie shook hands pleasantly enough, and by all accounts was a civil-spoken man.
Illustration: Darkness was gathering when they came staggering toward the breakwater, where the currents were treacherous and the seas thundering in. ”

“ And——”
“Where'd ye get the lawyer's name?”
“Sure, didn't Cap'n Connie recommend him? He did that, and a good deed it was.”
“It's a wonder ye've lived sixty year,” said Father John. “Let's see them papers.”
So Cap'n Vesty, mighty proud, got out his deed and the picture of the building and so forth, and when Father John offered to take care of them a while, he was glad of the offer.
“A man must live,” said he, laughing to himself, “and until the rents come in, I'll work on the nets for Willy John. Whist! ”