Good reason why your father didn't speak of Abe in
his letter to your a'nt. Didn't in yours, did he?"
Louise shook her head.
"No? Listen here," Cap'n Amazon said. "'I haven't spoke to Professor
Grayling. He don't know Abe Silt from the jib-boom. Why should he? I
am a foremast hand and he lives abaft. But he is a fine man.
Everybody says so. We've had some squally weather----'
"Well! that's nothin'. Ahem!"
He went on, reading bits to the interested listeners now and then, and
finally handed the letter to Cap'n Joab Beecher. The latter, looking
mighty queer indeed, adjusted his spectacles and spread out the sheet.
"Ye-as," he admitted cautiously. "That 'pears to be Cap'n Abe's
handwritin', sure 'nough."
"Course 'tis!" squealed Washy Gallup. "As plain, as plain!"
"Read it out," urged Milt while the captain went to wait upon a
customer.
Louise listened with something besides curiosity. The letter was a
rambling account of the voyage of the _Curlew_, telling little directly
or exactly about the daily occurrences; but nothing in it conflicted
with what Professor Grayling had written Louise--save one thing.
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