He looked forlorn and miserable, as well he might, for he had lost a fine ship in which he owned an interest.
“How is your daughter coming along?” asked Jack, deeming it best not to dwell on the stricken mariner’s misfortunes.
“Fairly well. We were two days in that gale. It’s a wonder any of us lived. But I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart. That was a fine bit of work, and I can’t begin to express my gratitude.”
“We were glad to have happened along in time,” said Jack; but at this moment the conversation was interrupted by the appearance of the captain’s daughter. Jack saw with surprise that the bedraggled, white-faced maiden of the day before had, by some magic peculiar to womankind, transformed herself into a remarkably pretty girl of about his own age. She thanked him in a gentle way for his part in the work of rescue, and Jack found himself stammering and blushing like a school-boy.
“The Trojan is almost up to us now,” he said, “and it will be time for us to say good-bye. But I—I wish I could hear some time how you get along after you get ashore.”
“We live in New York,” said the captain, coming out of a sad reverie, “or we did. We’ll have to find new quarters now. But this address will always find me.”
“And here is mine,” said Jack, writing hastily on a bit of message paper. The captain glanced at it and then started.
“Are you any relative of Captain Amos Ready?” he demanded eagerly.
“I’m his son,” said Jack. “I live with my Uncle Toby and——”
But Captain Dennis was wringing his hand as if he would shake it off.