ys, and
now, once more--after all the years and his savage determination to
forget and to hate--it had the power to awaken strange emotions in his
breast. Yet his first move was to run into the living room and close his
helper's chamber door. When he came back to the kitchen, shutting the
living-room door carefully behind him, Mrs. Bascom was standing on the
sill. She started when she saw him.

"Land sakes!" she exclaimed. "You? I cal'lated, of course, you was abed
and asleep."

The lightkeeper waved his hands.

"S-sh-h!" he whispered.

"What shall I s-sh-h about? Your young man's gone somewhere, I s'pose,
else you wouldn't be here."

"No, he ain't. He's turned in, tired out."

"Oh, then I guess I'd better go back home. 'Twas him I expected to see,
else, of course, I shouldn't have come."

"Oh, I know that," with a sigh. "Where's your boss, Miss Graham?"

"She's gone for a walk along shore. I came over to--to bring back them
eggs I borrowed."

"Did you? Where are they?"

The housekeeper seemed embarrassed, and her plump cheeks reddened.

"I--I declare I forgot to bring 'em after all," she stammered.

"I want to know. That's funny. You don't often--that is, you didn't use
to forget things hardly ever, Emeline."

"Hum! you remember a lot, don't you."

"I remember more'n you think I do, Emeline."

"That's enough of that, Seth. Remember what I told you last time we saw
each other."

"Oh, all right, all right. I ain't rakin' up bygones. I s'pose I deserve
all I'm gettin'."

"I s'pose you do. Well, long's I forgot the eggs I guess I might as well
be trottin' back. . . . You--you've been all right--you and Mr. Brown, I
mean--for the last few days, while the storm was goin' on?"

"Um-h'm," gloomily. "How about you two over to the bungalow? You've kept
dry and snug, I judge."

"Yes."

"I didn't know but you might be kind of nervous and scart when 'twas
blowin'. All alone so."

"Humph! I've got used to bein' alone. As for Miss Ruth, I don't think
she's scart of anythin'."

"Well, I was sort of nervous about you, if you wa'n't about yourself.
'Twas consider'ble of a gale of wind. I thought one spell I'd blow out
of the top of the tower."

"So did I. I could see your shadow movin' 'round up there once in a
while. What made you come out on the gallery in the worst of it night
afore last?"

"Oh, the birds was smashin' themselves to pieces against the glass same
as they always do in a storm, and I . .