“No,” with a laugh; “no, I shouldn’t, but my ideas of economy are—well, different. They have to be. Are you ecomomizing, Captain?”
Captain Elisha laughed and rubbed his knee.
“No,” he chuckled, “I ain’t, but my nephew and niece are. These are their rooms.”
“Oh, you’re visiting?”
“No, I don’t know’s you’d call it visitin’. I don’t know what you would call it. I’m here, that’s about all you can say.”
He paused and remained silent. His friend was silent, also, not knowing exactly what remark to make.
“How’s the novel comin’ on?” asked the captain, a minute later.
“Oh, slowly. I’m not at all sure it will ever be finished. I get discouraged sometimes.”
“No use in doin’ that. What sort of a yarn is it goin’ to be? Give me a gen’ral idea of the course you’re tryin’ to steer. That is, if it ain’t a secret.”
“It isn’t. But there’s mighty little worth telling. When I began I thought I had a good scheme, but it seems pretty weak and dish-watery now.”