I didn't wait for any good-bys. They'd
been said, or all I cared to hear"--Captain Elisha's smile disappeared
for an instant--"last evenin'. The dose was sort of bitter, but it had
the necessary effect. At any rate, I didn't hanker for another one. I
remembered what your landlady told me when I was here afore, about this
stateroom bein' vacated, and I come down to look at it. It suits me well
enough; seems like a decent moorin's for an old salt water derelict like
me; the price is reasonable, and I guess likely I'll take it. I GUESS I
will."
"Why do you guess? By George, I hope you will!"
"Do you? I'm much obliged. I didn't know but after last night, after the
scrape I got you into, you might feel--well, sort of as if you'd seen
enough of me."
The young man smiled bitterly. "It wasn't your fault," he said. "It was
mine entirely. I'm quite old enough to decide matters for myself, and I
should have decided as my reason, and not my inclinations, told me. You
weren't to blame."
"Yes, I was. If you're old enough, I'm TOO old, I cal'late. But I did
think--However, there's no use goin' over that. I ask your pardon, Jim.
And you don't hold any grudge?"
"Indeed I don't. I may be a fool--I guess I am--but not that kind."
"Thanks. Well, there's one objection out of the way, then, only I don't
want you to think that I've hove overboard that 'responsibility' I was
so easy and fresh about takin' on my shoulders.
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