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 uniform had upon the crowd, out there a while ago?"

I nodded.

"And did you notice the interest of every one in the sailor when he came out?—how they all asked him questions and seemed to like to have him about?"

"Yes," I said.

"And did it make you think about our talk of the captain of a boat, and about the uniforms?"

"Yes," I said, "it just dodged through my mind though, and I was going to take it up with myself later, when I felt as if I had some backbone, and my teeth weren't all floating around loose."

Bess laughed, and I groaned.

"Bess," I said, "here's a dandy good job for you, why don't you get to work?"

"You haven't asked me to," said, Bess.

"Well, for goodness' sake, does any one have to ask you, when you can see what's needed?" I felt cross with Bess for that.

"Chet," she said, "suppose the buttons on your coat had sharp edges on them, so that they were cutting out the button-holes and fraying the goods, and you knew it and I knew it;—would I have