His household habits were those which she supposed Cap’n Abe to have had.  She wondered if all sailors were as neat and as fussy as he.  He still insisted upon doing much of the cooking; it was true that he had good reason to doubt Betty Gallup’s ability to cook.

When there were no customers in the store Louise often sat there with Cap’n Amazon, with either a book or her sewing in her hand.  Sometimes they would not speak for an hour, while the substitute storekeeper “made up the books,” which was a serious task for him.

He seemed normally dexterous in everything else, but he wrote with his left hand—­an angular, upright chirography which, Louise thought, showed unmistakably that he was unfamiliar with the use of the pen.  “Writing up the log” he called this clerkly task, and his awkward looking characters in the ledger were in great contrast to Cap’n Abe’s round, flowing hand.

For several days following the discovery in the “Globe paper” of the notice about the Curlew, Louise Grayling and Cap’n Amazon lived a most intimate existence.  She would not allow Betty Gallup to criticise the captain even slightly within her hearing.

They received news from New York which was no news at all.  The Boston Chamber of Commerce had heard no further word of the schooner.  Louise and the captain could only hope.

The world of seafaring is so filled with mysteries like this of the Curlew, that Louise knew well that no further word might ever be received of the vessel.

Cap’n Amazon rang the changes daily—­almost hourly—­upon sea escapes and rescues.  He related dozens of tales (of course with the personal note in most), showing how ships’ companies had escaped the threat of disaster in marvelous and almost unbelievable ways.

Louise had not the heart now to stop this flow of narrative by telling him bluntly that she doubted the authenticity of his tales.  Nor would she look into the old books again to search out the originals of the stories which flowed so glibly from his lips.

Who and what he could really be puzzled Louise quite as much as before; yet she had not the heart to probe the mystery with either question or personal scrutiny.  The uncertainty regarding the Curlew and those on board filled so much of the girl’s thought that little else disturbed her.

Save one thing.  She desired to see Lawford Tapp and talk with him.  But Lawford did not appear at the store on the Shell Road.

Mr. Bane came frequently to call.  He was an eager listener to Cap’n Amazon’s stories and evidently enjoyed the master mariner hugely.  Several of the young people from the cottages along The Beaches called on Louise; but if the girl desired to see Aunt Euphemia she had to go to the Perritons, or meet the Lady from Poughkeepsie in her walks along the sands.  Aunt Euphemia could not countenance Cap’n Amazon in the smallest particular.