CHAPTER IV

A PICTURE SENT AND A CABLE TESTED


Something over a fortnight went by and the three captains had received
no answers from the advertisement in the Nuptial Chime. The suspense
affected each of them in a different manner. Captain Jerry was nervous
and apprehensive. He said nothing, and asked no questions, but it was
noticeable that he was the first to greet the carrier of the "mail box"
when that individual came down the road, and, as the days passed and
nothing more important than the Cape Cod Item and a patent-medicine
circular came to hand, a look that a suspicious person might have deemed
expressive of hope began to appear in his face.

Captain Perez, on the contrary, grew more and more disgusted with the
delay. He spent a good deal of time wondering why there were no replies,
and he even went so far as to suggest writing to the editor of
the Chime. He was disposed to lay the blame upon Captain Eri's
advertisement, and hinted that the latter was not "catchy" enough.

Captain Eri, alone of the trio, got any amusement out of the situation.
He pretended to see in Captain Jerry an impatient bridegroom and
administered comfort in large doses by suggesting that, in all
probability, there had been so many replies that it had been found
necessary to charter a freight-car to bring them down.

"Cheer up, Jerry!" he said. "It's tough on you, I know, but think of all
them poor sufferin' females that's settin' up nights and worryin' for
fear they won't be picked out. Why, say, when you make your ch'ice