“Find out where he lives,” said Mrs. Tipping, eagerly.
“And let us know,” added her daughter, giving him a card; “that’s our address, and any time you’re up our way we shall be very pleased to see you, Mr.——”
“Brown,” said the mate, charmed with their manners. “Mr. Brown.”
“Ben,” cried a voice from the wharf.
The new mate gazed austerely at the small office-boy above.
“Letter for the mate,” said the youth, who was unversed in recent history; “catch.”
He pitched it to the deck and walked off whistling. There was only one mate in Ben’s world, and he picked the letter up and put it in his pocket.
“Don’t mind us, if you want to read it,” said Mrs. Tipping, kindly.
“Only business, I expect,” said Ben, grandly.
He took it from his pocket, and, tearing the envelope, threw it aside and made a feint of reading the contents.