Page:Anne's house of dreams (1920 Canada).djvu/225

 now?’ ‘Vell,’ growled Andrew, ‘I t’ink de old devil has got a blessing left yet.’ Laws, how Henry did laugh over that today!”

“Do you know who Mr. Ford is, Captain Jim?” asked Anne, seeing that Captain Jim’s fountain of reminiscence had run out for the present. “I want you to guess.”

Captain Jim shook his head.

“I never was any hand at guessing, Mistress Blythe, and yet somehow when I come in I thought, ‘Where have I seen them eyes before?’—for I have seen ’em.”

“Think of a September morning many years ago,” said Anne, softly. “Think of a ship sailing up the harbor—a ship long waited for and despaired of. Think of the day the Royal William came in and the first look you had at the schoolmaster’s bride.”

Captain Jim sprang up.

“They’re Persis Selwyn’s eyes,” he almost shouted. “You can’t be her son—you must be her—”

“Grandson; yes, I am Alice Selwyn’s son.”

Captain Jim swooped down on Owen Ford and shook his hand over again.

“Alice Selwyn’s son! Lord, but you’re welcome! Many’s the time I’ve wondered where the descendants of the schoolmaster were living. I knew there was none on the Island. Alice—Alice—the first baby ever born in that little house. No baby ever brought more joy! I’ve dandled her a hundred times. It was from my knee she took her first steps alone. Can’t I see