"You
can't teach an old dog new tricks--nor break him of them he's l'arned!"
Louise and her father remained at the store on the Shell Road until
Cap'n Abe was up and about again. Then they could safely leave him to
the ministrations of Betty Gallup.
"Somehow," confessed that able seaman, "he don't seem just like he used
to. He speaks quicker and sharper--more like that old pirate, Am'zon
Silt, though I shouldn't be sayin' nothin' harsh of the dead, I s'pose.
I don't dispute that Cap'n Am'zon was muchly of a man, when ye come to
think on't.
"But Cap'n Abe's more to my taste. Now the place seems right again
with him in the house. Cap'n Abe's as easy as an old shoe. And, land
sakes! I ain't locked out o' _his_ bedroom when I want to clean!
"One thing puzzles me, Miss Lou. I thought Cap'n Abe would take on
c'nsiderable about Jerry. But when I told him the canary was dead he
up and said that mebbe 'twas better so, seem' the old bird couldn't see
no more. Now, who would ha' told him Jerry was blind?"
There were a few other things about the returned Cap'n Abe that might
have amazed his neighbors.
Pages:
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386