288 THE BOY CAPTAIN.

the greater portion of the columns of one edition of the
daily papers devoted to maritime news.

It was not necessary the captain should ask his mother
to receive kindly the orphan whom he expected would
soon be his wife.

The young girl was given a loving welcome, for there
was no necessity of explaining what had occurred between
the two.

After having seen Miss Dunham, and knowing that she
had been in her son’s charge more than four months, Mrs.
Thompson could readily fancy the sequel.

Ben had expected to be received with a certain degree
of cordiality by the owners, but he was not at all prepared
for that which actually did happen.

The Messrs. Pierce received him, when he entered their
office, much as they would any other captain sailing in their
employ, and waited patiently until he had told his story.

Ben was not one who would go into details regarding
his own services, and on this occasion contented himself
simply by repeating the actual events, touching lightly
upon his own individual efforts. Then, as if bringing the
brig short-handed and barely provisioned was nothing in
itself to merit any praise, he handed them his own ac-
count with the vessel.

“So this is all you have to say, is it, Captain Thomp-
son?” one of the gentlemen asked.

“Necessarily so, since that is really all there is to it.
The brig is docked, and the consignees propose to break
cargo this forenoon.”