It was quite evident that Mrs. Tobin was longing to express her feelings in no uncertain language, but as she had made up her mind to treat Samuel with silent contempt, it would not do to make any reply.  She was greatly agitated, however, to find that this method was not so effective as in the past.  Her husband was getting beyond her, and it worried her a great deal.

The captain was not slow to notice this, and it pleased him.  He wondered why he had allowed her to ride rough-shod over him for so long.  Perhaps a little more such treatment might break her spell.

“Martha,” he continued, “if ever ye marry agin after I’m dead, I’ll come back to ye from the spirit world.  I’ll be so anxious to see how ye git along with yer new husband that nuthin’ could keep me from comin’.”

He ceased and glanced at his wife to note the effect of this startling announcement.  But no change in her attitude could he observe.

“I’ll come, Martha,” he went on, “when yer least expectin’ me, mebbe in the night, an’ when ye open yer eyes ye’ll see me standin’ before ye.  If ye never had a creepy feelin’ before, ye’ll have one then.  Yer hair’ll stand right on end, an’ yer blood’ll about freeze in yer veins.  An’ I’ll step right up to the side of yer bed, an’ look straight into yer eyes, an’ hold out me hands——­”

The captain never finished his sentence, for with a bound Martha had left him.  She ran as he had never seen her run before, and by the time he reached the house she was in the kitchen, and did not even look at him as he entered.  The table was set for supper, but Flo was nowhere to be seen.  Mrs. Tobin busied herself about the stove, while the captain washed himself at the sink.  He was hungry, for not even his wife’s anger could take away his hearty appetite.  Some cold lamb on the table appealed to him, and he was about to sit down and help himself when the kitchen door was suddenly opened and Flo burst into the room.  She was greatly excited, and was about to announce some startling bit of news when her mother checked her.  She thrust her hand into a pocket in her dress, and held up the side-comb for inspection.  The captain stood transfixed, staring upon the innocent cause of his wife’s wrath.

“Look at that,” Mrs. Tobin, cried, holding it out before her daughter.  “Is it any wonder that I’m heart-broken?”

The girl’s eyes grew wide with amazement as she glanced first at the comb, and then at her father and mother.  She surmised at once that there was trouble between them, but what the comb had to do with it she could not understand.

“Why, mother,” Flo at last found voice to say, “I don’t see anything wrong about that comb.  It’s mine, I must have left it in the cabin the last time I came up the river.  I knew I had lost it, but could not tell where.”

With a whoop of joy the captain sprang forward, and caught his daughter in his arms.