"I assure you, Sister Ball, she is not insane. She is harmless."
"She didn't talk as though she was when she was here--not by a
jugful," declared Cap'n Ira bitterly.
"That was because she was angry," explained Elder Minnett
patiently. "You must not judge her by her appearance when she came
here the other day and found--as she declares--another girl in her
rightful place."
"I swan!" exclaimed the old shipmaster, bursting out again. "I won't
stand for that. Her rightful place, indeed! Why, if she was forty
times Prudence's niece and we didn't want her here, what's to make
us take her, I want to know?"
"Do you think we ought to, Elder?" questioned Prudence faintly.
"I think, under all the circumstances, that it is your Christian
duty. Know the girl better. See if there is not something in her
that reminds you--"
"Avast there!" shouted Cap'n Ira, pounding with his cane on the
floor. "That's going a deal too far. 'Christian duty,' indeed! How
about our duty to Ida May setting there, and to ourselves? Prudence
is afraid of that crazy gal in the first place."
"I give you my word she is not insane."
"That's your opinion," said the captain grimly. "I wouldn't back it
with my word, Elder, unless I was prepared to go the whole v'y'ge.
Pages:
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289