landing.
Think I took a nap."

"I presume likely. Wonder 'twasn't your everlastin' nap! Tut! tut! tut!
Think of it!"

"I don't want to, thank you. It isn't pleasant enough to think of. I'm
here and--by the way, where IS here?"

"This is Eastboro township--Eastboro, Cape Cod. Them lights out there
are Eastboro Twin-Lights. I'm the keeper of 'em. My name's Atkins, Seth
Atkins."

"Delighted to meet you, Mr. Atkins. And tremendously obliged to you,
besides."

"You needn't be. I ain't done nothin'. Let me see, you said your name
was--"

"Did I?" The young man seemed startled, almost alarmed. "When?"

Seth was embarrassed, but not much. "Well," he admitted, "I don't know's
you did say it, come to think of it. What IS your name?"

"My name?"

"Yes."

"Oh, why--my name is Brown--er--John Brown. Not the gentleman who was
hanged, of course; distant relative, that's all."

"Hum! John Brown, hey? What steamer did you fall off of?"

"Why--why--I can't seem to remember. That's odd, isn't it?"

"Yes, I should say 'twas. Where was she bound?"

"Bound? Oh, you mean where was she going?"

"Sartin."

"I think--I think she was going to--to. . . . Humph! how strange this
is!"

"What?"

"Why, that I should forget all these things."

The lightkeeper regarded his guest with suspicion.

"Yaas," he drawled slowly, "when you call it strange you ain't
exaggeratin' none wuth mentionin'. I s'pose," he added, after a moment,
during which he stared intently at Mr. Brown, who smiled in polite
acknowledgment of the stare; "I s'pose likely you couldn't possibly
remember what port you hailed from?"

"I suppose not," was the calm reply.

Seth rose from the table.

"Well," he observed, "I've been up all night, too, and it's past my
bedtime. As I told you, my assistant's left all of a sudden and I'm
alone in charge of gov'ment property. I ought to turn in, but--" he
hesitated.

John Brown also rose.

"Mr. Atkins," he said, "my memory seems to be pretty bad, but I haven't
forgotten everything. For instance," his smile disappeared, and his tone
became earnest, "I can remember perfectly well that I'm not a crook,
that I haven't done anything to be ashamed of--as I see it--that I'm
very grateful to you, and that I don't steal. If you care to believe
that and, also, that, being neither a sneak or a thief, I sha'n't clear
out with the spoons while you're asleep, you might--well, you might risk
turning in."

The lightkeeper d