“If—?” said the captain, with a smile.

“If what?” asked Andy, alarmed.

“If your mother’ll let you,” was his friend’s reply.

Andy was silent a moment as the two hurried forward toward the house. Finally, with decision, he exclaimed:

“Well, she will. It’ll be a shame if she don’t.”

Captain Anderson seemed amused, but not wholly convinced.

“I kind o’ glanced through the book, and I was sort o’ plannin’ if I had the stuff—”

“And haven’t you?”

“Pretty much all, I guess.”

“Then you are goin’ to do it; you will, won’t you?” pleaded the lad.