"
"Why, you don't mind, do you, my boy? It's all for your own good."
"I can bear it, sir, because one of these bright days I'm going to do
something without consulting you."
Cappy favored him with a sharp glance. "As the street boys say," he
flashed back, "'I get you, Steve!'"
"And having gotten me, Mr. Ricks, do you still want me in your
employ?"
"Oh, certainly, certainly. Any time I want to get rid of you I'll
fire you or have Skinner do it for me."
Matt looked at his watch and rose. "I have four days' shore leave
before me, sir," he said, "so I guess I'll be trotting along and make
the most of it. I'll be at Los Medanos Sunday night."
"Her skipper's a big Finn," Cappy warned him. "Behave yourself, Matt.
He's bad medicine for young second mates."
"I'll do my duty, sir."
He took his leave. As he went out the door Cappy gazed after him with
twinkling eyes: "Young scoundrel!" he murmured. "Damned young
scoundrel! You'll be ringing Florry up the minute you leave this
office, if you haven't already done it. I'm onto you, young fellow!"
Matt Peasley took Florry Ricks to a matinee that very day. Cappy,
suspecting he might attempt something of the sort and desiring to
verify his suspicions, went home from the office early that day, and
from his hiding place behind the window drapes in his drawing room he
observed a taxicab draw up in front of his residence at six o'clock.
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