Captain Cephas waited a long time for his friend to return,
and at last he thought it would be well to go and look for him.
When he entered the house he found Mrs. Trimmer sitting on the
sofa in the parlor, with Captain Eli on one side of her and her
brother on the other, and each of them holding one of her hands.

"It looks as if I was in port, don't it?" said Captain Eli to
his astonished friend. "Well, here I am, and here's my fust
mate," inclining his head toward Mrs. Trimmer. "And she's in
port too, safe and sound. And that strange captain on the other
side of her, he's her brother Bob, who's been away for years and
years, and is just home from Madagascar."

"Singapore," amended Brother Bob.

Captain Cephas looked from one to the other of the three
occupants of the sofa, but made no immediate remark. Presently a
smile of genial maliciousness stole over his face, and he asked,
"How about the poor little gal? Have you sent her back to Mrs.
Crumley's?"

The little girl came out from behind the Christmas tree, her
stocking, now but half filled, in her hand. "Here I am," she
said. "Don't you want to give me a Christmas hug, Captain
Cephas? You and me's the only ones that hasn't had any."

The Christmas dinner was as truly and perfectly a sailor-
cooked meal as ever was served on board a ship or off it.
Captain Cephas had said that, and when he had so spoken there was