"I've got that daguerreotype I had took when I was married afore."

He rummaged it out of his chest and displayed it rather proudly. It
showed him as a short, sandy-haired youth, whose sunburned face beamed
from the depths of an enormous choker, and whose head was crowned with a
tall, flat-brimmed silk hat of a forgotten style.

"I s'pose that might do," said Cap'n Perez hesitatingly.

"Do! 'Twill HAVE to do, seein' it's all he's got," said Captain Eri.
"Good land!" he chuckled; "look at that hat! Say, Jerry, she'll think
you done your seafarin' in Noah's ark."

But Captain Jerry was oblivious to sarcasm just then. He was gazing at
the daguerreotype in a sentimental sort of way, blowing the dust from
the glass, and tilting it up and down so as to bring it to the most
effective light.

"I swan!" he mused, "I don't know when I've looked at that afore. I
remember when I bought that hat, jest as well. Took care of it and
brushed it--my! my! I don't know but it's somewheres around now. I
thought I was jest about the ticket then, and--and I wa'n't BAD lookin',
that's a fact!"

This last with a burst of enthusiasm.

"Ho, ho! Perez," roared Captain Eri; "Jerry's fallin' in love with his
own picture. Awful thing for one so young, ain't it?"

"I ain't such a turrible sight older 'n you be, Eri Hedge," sputtered