"To pay her board."

"Who said anything about paying?" the captain demanded. "She's worth
more than her board any day. We don't want any money. If ye'll let
her stay with us we'll be quite willin' to pay you something fer her.
We need her, and so do the scouts. It'll be a shame to take her back
to that stuffy city at this time of the year."

"But what shall I do without her?" Mrs. Sinclair asked. "She is all I
have near me, and I shall miss her so much if she remains with you."

"You can come and see her as often as you like," Mrs. Britt replied.
"We shall be so glad to have you."

And so it was arranged that Whyn was to stay for several weeks at
least, and the girl was delighted when she heard the news.

"You are the dearest and best people in the world, excepting mamma,"
she told the captain and Mrs. Britt. "It is so nice to be here, and
when I know that mamma can come to see me often I do not mind staying."

"But ye'll have to behave yerself, young woman," the captain replied.
"No more lyin' awake at night, remember, worryin' about the scouts.
And ye've got to eat more than ye have in the past."

"Oh, no fear of that," and Whyn laughed merrily. "I am going to eat so
much that you will be glad to send me away."

It did not take the captain long to get the scouts down to steady work.