about to speak。 However； he did not； so the young man stumbled on。
〃Andand I realize； too；〃 he said； 〃that you have； I guess； been
trying to give me a real start in business； the start you think I
ought to have。〃
The captain nodded slowly。 〃That was my idea in startin' you；〃 he
said。
〃Yesand fact that I haven't done more with the chance is because
I'm made that way； I guess。 But I do want toyes； and I MEAN to
try to succeed at writing poetry or stories or plays or something。
I like that and I mean to give it a trial。 And soand so； you
see； I've been thinking our talk over and I've concluded that
perhaps you may be right； maybe I'm not old enough to know what I
really am fitted for； and yet perhaps _I_ may be partly right； too。
II've been thinking that perhaps some sort ofof〃
〃Of what？〃
〃Well； of half…way arrangementsome sort ofof compromise； you
know； might be arranged。 I might agree to stay in the office and
do my very best with bookkeeping and business forwell； say； three
years or so。 During that time I should be trying to write of
course； but I would only do that sort of writing evenings or on
Saturdays and holidays。 It shouldn't interfere with your work nor
be done in the time you pay me for。 And at the end of the three or
four years〃
He paused again。 This time the pause was longer than ever。
Captain Lote broke the silence。 His big right hand had wandered
upward and was tugging at his beard。
〃Well？ 。 。 。 And then？〃 he asked。
〃Why； thenifif Well； then we could see。 If business seemed
to be where I was most likely to succeed we'd call it settled and I
would stay with Z。 Snow and Co。 If poetry…making ororliterature
seemed more likely to be the job I was fitted for； that would be the
job I'd take。 Youyou see； don't you； Grandfather？〃
The captain's beard…pulling continued。 He was no longer looking
his grandson straight in the eye。 His gaze was fixed upon the
braided mat at his feet and he answered without looking up。
〃Ye…es；〃 he drawled； 〃I cal'late I see。 Well； was that all you had
to say？〃
〃No…o； not quite。 II wanted to say that which ever way it turned
out； II hoped weyou and I； you knowwould agree to beto be
good…natured about it andand friends just the same。 II
Well； there！ That's all； I guess。 I haven't put it very well； I'm
afraid； butbut what do you think about it； Grandfather？〃
And now Captain Zelotes did look up。 The old twinkle was in his
eye。 His first remark was a question and that question was rather
surprising。
〃Al；〃 he asked； 〃Al； who's been talkin' to you？〃
The blood rushed to his grandson's face。 〃Talking to me？〃 he
stammered。 〃Whywhy； what do you mean？〃
〃I mean just that。 You didn't think out this scheme all by
yourself。 Somebody's been talkin' to you and puttin' you up to it。
Haven't they？〃
〃Whywhy； Grandfather； I〃
〃Haven't they？〃
〃Why Well； yes； someone has been talking to me； but the whole
idea isn't theirs。 I WAS sorry for speaking to you as I did and
sorry to think of leaving you and grandmother。 II was sitting up
there in my room and feeling blue and mean enough andand〃
〃And then Rachel came aboard and gave you your sailin' orders； eh？〃
Albert gasped。 〃For heaven's sake how did you know that？〃 he
demanded。 〃She Why； she must have told you； after all！ But she
said〃
〃Hold on； boy； hold on！〃 Captain Lote chuckled quietly。 〃No；〃 he
said； 〃Rachel didn't tell me； I guessed she was the one。 And it
didn't take a Solomon in all his glory to guess it； neither。 Labe
Keeler's been talkin' to ME； and when you come down here and began
proposin' the same scheme that I was just about headin' up to your
room with to propose to you； thenwell； then the average whole…
witted person wouldn't need more'n one guess。 It couldn't be Labe；
'cause he'd been whisperin' in MY ear； so it must have been the
other partner in the firm。 That's all the miracle there is to it。〃
Albert's brain struggled with the situation。 〃I see；〃 he said；
after a moment。 〃She hinted that someone had been talking to you
along the same line。 Yes； and she was so sure you would agree。 I
might have known it was Laban。〃
〃Um…hm； so you might。 。 。 。 Well； there have been times when if a
man had talked to me as Labe did to…night I'd have knocked him
down； or told him to go toumwell； the tropicstold him to mind
his own business； at least。 But Labe is Labe； and besides MY
conscience was plaguin' me a little mite； maybe 。 。 。 maybe。〃
The young man shook his head。 〃They must have talked it over；
those two； and agreed that one should talk to you and the other to
me。 By George； I wonder they had the nerve。 It wasn't their
business； really。〃
〃Not a darn bit。〃
〃Yetyet II'm awfully glad she said it to me。 II needed it；
I guess。〃
〃Maybe you did； son。 。 。 。 Andhumphwell； maybe I needed it；
too。 。 。 。 Yes； I know that's consider'ble for me to say；〃 he
added dryly。
Albert was still thinking of Laban and Rachel。
〃They're queer people；〃 he mused。 〃When I first met them I thought
they were about the funniest pair I ever saw。 Butbut now I can't
help liking them andand Say； Grandfather； they must think a
lot of yourof our family。〃
〃Cal'late they do； son。 。 。 。 Well； boy； we've had our sermon； you
and me； what shall we do？ Willin' to sign for the five years trial
cruise if I will； are you？〃
Albert couldn't help smiling。 〃It was three years Rachel proposed；
not five；〃 he said。
〃Was； eh？ Suppose we split the difference and make it four？
Willin' to try that？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Agreement bein' that you shall stick close to Z。 Snow and Co。
durin' work hours and write as much poetry as you darned please
other times； neither side to interfere with those arrangements？
That right？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Good！ Shall we shake hands on it？〃
They shook； solemnly。 Captain Lote was the first to speak after
ratification of the contract。
〃There； now I cal'late I'll go aloft and turn in；〃 he observed。
Then he added； with a little hesitation； 〃Say； Al； maybe we'd
better not trouble your grandma about all this fool businessthe
row this afternoon and all。 'Twould only worry her and〃 he
paused； looked embarrassed； cleared his throat； and said； 〃to tell
you the truth； I'm kind of ashamed of my part…ererthat is；
some of it。〃
His grandson was very much astonished。 It was not often that
Captain Zelotes Snow admitted having been in the wrong。 He blurted
out the question he had been dying to ask。
〃Grandfather；〃 he queried； 〃had youdid you really mean what you
said about starting to come to my room andand propose this scheme
of oursI mean of Rachel's and Labe'sto me？〃
〃Eh？ 。 。 。 Ye…esyes。 I was on my way up there when I met you
just now。〃
〃Well； Grandfather； II〃
〃That's all right； boy； that's all right。 Don't let's talk any
more about it。〃
〃We won't。 Andand But； Grandfather； I just want you to know
that I guess I understand things a little better than I did； and
and when my father〃
The captain's heavy hand descended upon his shoulder。
〃Heave short； Al！〃 he commanded。 〃I've been doin' consider'ble
thinkin' since Labe finished hiserdiscourse and pronounced the
benediction； and I've come to a pretty definite conclusion on one
matter。 I've concluded that you and I had better cut out all the
bygones from this new arrangement of ours。 We won't have fathers
ororelopementsor past…and…done…with disapp'intments in it。
This new dealthis four year trial v'yage of ourswill be just
for Albert Speranza and Zelotes Snow； and no others need apply。 。 。 。
Eh？ 。 。 。 Well； good night； Al。〃
CHAPTER VIII
So the game under the 〃new deal〃 began。 At first it was much
easier than the old。 And； as a matter of fact； it was never as
hard as before。 The heart to heart talk between Captain Zelotes
and his grandson had given each a glimpse of the other's inner
self； a look from the other's point of view； and thereafter it was
easier to make allowances。 But the necessity for the making of
those allowances was still there and would continue to be there。
At first Albert made almost no mistakes in his bookkeeping； was
almost painfully careful。 Then the carefulness relaxed； as it was
bound to do； and some mistakes occurred。 Captain Lote found little
fault； but at times he could not help showing some disappointment。
Then his grandson would set his teeth and buckle down to painstaking
effort again。 He was resolved to live up to the very letter of the
agreement。
In his spare time he continued to write and occasionally he sold
something。 Whenever he did so there was great rejoicing among the
feminine members of the Snow household； his grandmother and Rachel
Ellis were enraptured。 It was amusing to see Captain Zelotes
attempt to join the chorus。 He evidently felt that he ought to
praise； or at least that praise was expected from him； but it was
also evident that he did not approve of what he was praising。
〃Your grandma says you got rid of another one of your poetry
pieces； Al；〃 he would say。 〃Pay you for it； did they？〃
〃Not yet； but they will； I suppose。〃
〃I see； I see。 How much； think likely？〃
〃Oh； I don't know。 Ten dollars； perhaps。〃
〃Um…hm 。 。 。 I see。 。 。 。 Well； that's pretty good； considerin'； I
suppose。 。 。 。 We did first…rate on that Hyannis school…house
contract； didn't we。 Nigh's I can figger it we cleared over
fourteen hundred and eighty dollars on that。〃
He invariably followed any reference to the profit from the sale of
verses by the casual mention of a much larger sum derived from the
sale of lumber or hardware。 This was so noticeable that Laban
Keeler was impelled to speak of it。
〃The old man don't want you to forget that you can get more for
hard pine than you can for soft sonnets； sellin' 'em both by the
foot；〃 observed Labe； peering over his spectacles。 〃More money in
shingles than there is in jingles； he cal'lates。 。 。 。 Um。 。 。 。
Yes； yes。 。 。 。 Consider'ble more； consider'ble。〃
Albert smiled； but it astonished him to find that Mr。 Keeler knew
what a sonnet was。 The little bookkeeper occasionally surprised
him by breaking out unexpectedly in that way。
From the indiscrim