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 sort. He scowled surreptitiously at Ned and answered firmly: "Absolutely, Miss Comfort. There isn't a doubt!"

And then, to Laurie's surprise, Ned said just as convincedly, "It's as good as fixed right now, ma'am."

Miss Comfort sighed happily and beamed about the circle. "Well, I just can't believe it," she said, laughing tremulously at her own emotion. "Why, I can't think of anything that would make me happier than to live on a real boat right on the water! Just think of going to sleep with the lapping of the waves all about, and of waking up in the morning and seeing the blue, blue ocean—no, I should say river—stretching away and away! Oh, my dears, there's romance about the sea that I've always longed to know. Maybe, at my time of life, I shouldn't be talking about romance, but—"

"Fiddlesticks!" exclaimed Mrs. Deane vehemently. "Fiddlesticks, my dear! At your time of life, indeed!" It seemed to the others that the Widow might have borrowed Miss Comfort's handkerchief and put it to good use. Laurie cleared his throat.