"There she is," he said. "I told her to wait outside."

He ran upon deck, and his perturbed brother-in-law, following at his
leisure, was just in time to see him descending the ladder with a young
woman and a small handbag.

"This is my brother-in-law, Cap'n Gibbs," said Ted, introducing the new
arrival; "smartest man at a barge on the river."

The girl extended a neatly gloved hand, shook the skipper's affably, and
looked wonderingly about her.

"It's very close to the water, Ted," she said, dubiously.

The skipper coughed. "We don't take passengers as a rule," he said,
awkwardly; "we 'ain't got much convenience for them."

"Never mind," said the girl, kindly; "I sha'nt expect too much."

She turned away, and following the mate down to the cabin, went into
ecstasies over the space-saving contrivances she found there. The
drawers fitted in the skipper's bunk were a source of particular
interest, and the owner watched with strong disapprobation through the
skylight her efforts to make him an apple-pie bed with the limited means
at her disposal. He went down below at once as a wet blanket.

"I was just shaking your bed up a bit," said Miss Harris, reddening.

"I see you was," said the skipper, briefly.