He almost feared to put before her the proposition he did have in
his mind. In the dusk, even, those violet eyes seemed to look to the
very bottom of his soul. Fortunate for him that its clarity was
visible to the girl at that moment.
He bent closer. His lips almost brushed her ear. He whispered
several swift sentences into it. She listened. Some of that glow of
exaltation drained out of her countenance, but it registered no
disagreement. They sat for some time thereafter, talking, planning,
this desperate young girl and the captain of the _Seamew_.
* * * * *
"What do you know about this?" Orion Latham growled. "The mate
bunkin' in with cooky and the skipper slingin' a hammock in the
fo'c's'le while the whole cabin's to be given up to a girl. A woman
aboard! Never knew no good to come of that on any craft. What is
this schooner, a passenger packet?"
"You was sayin' she was already hoodooed," chuckled Horace Newbegin.
"I cal'late a gal sailing one trip won't materially harm the
_Seamew_ nor her crew."
"Who is she? That's what I want to know," said the supercargo, who
seemed to consider the matter a personal affront.
"Skipper says she's going to live with Cap'n Ira Ball.
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