pneumonia, and Mrs. Partington, for my first six months of school,
kept an anxious eye upon me to discover the first symptoms of
consumption.

Time flies. It seems but yesterday that I was a lad of sixteen on
the fish patrol. Yet I know that I arrived this very morning from
China, with a quick passage to my credit, and master of the
barkentine Harvester. And I know that to-morrow morning I shall
run over to Oakland to see Neil Partington and his wife and family,
and later on up to Benicia to see Charley Le Grant and talk over
old times. No; I shall not go to Benicia, now that I think about
it. I expect to be a highly interested party to a wedding, shortly
to take place. Her name is Alice Partington, and, since Charley
has promised to be best man, he will have to come down to Oakland
instead.