“I am Going to Keep House for You at ‘The Anchorage.’”
The little captain laughed with the tears in her eyes. “It’s that good-for-nothing monkey!” she exclaimed as she disentangled the creature’s tiny hands. Then she kissed her father and afterwards Captain Jules. “Now I know why this monkey is called Madge, and I am sorry to have such a jealous, bad-tempered namesake.”
The captain scolded the monkey gently. “Don’t you fret about this particular namesake. If you only knew all the others you have had! Every single pet that two lonely old men could get to stay around the house with them we have named for you.”
Captain Morton did not go back to the houseboat with his daughter. Madge thought she would rather tell her friends of her great happiness alone. She wouldn’t even let Captain Jules escort her. “You’ll both have plenty of my society after a while,” she argued, “for I am going to come to keep house for you at ‘The Anchorage’ some day.”
Madge rowed slowly back to the “Merry Maid.” She was thinking over what she would say to Miss Jennie Ann and the girls. How should she announce to them that her quest was ended, her victory over Fate won?
As she neared the houseboat she saw that her companions were gathered on deck, evidently watching for her. Madge rested on her oars and waved one hand to them. Four hands waved promptly back to her. A moment more and she had come alongside the “Merry Maid.” As she clambered on deck she cast a swift upward glance at her friends, who, with one accord, were looking down on her, their faces full of loving concern.
With a little cry of rapture Madge threw herself into Miss Jenny Ann’s arms. “O, my dear!” she cried, “I’ve found him! I’ve found my father!”
And it was with her faithful mates’ arms around her that Madge told the strange story of how her quest had ended in the little sitting room of “The Anchorage.”