cated that the minister
had been thrown over, as he deserved to be, and that Nat would find his
fiancee waiting and ready to fulfill her contract. "Reg'lar whirligig,
that girl," sniffed Didama Rogers. "If she can't have one man she'll
take the next, and then switch back soon's the wind changes. However,
most likely she never was engaged to Mr. Ellery, anyhow. He's been out
of his head and might have said some fool things that let Dr. Parker and
the rest b'lieve he was in love with her. As for pickin' of him up and
totin' him back to the shanty that night, that wa'n't nothin' but common
humanity. She couldn't let him die in the middle of the lighthouse lane,
could she?"

Thursday was a perfect day, and the reception committee was on hand and
waiting in front of the Bayport post office. The special carriage, the
span brushed and curried until their coats glistened in the sunshine,
was drawn up beside the platform. The horses had little flags fastened
to their bridles, and there were other and larger flags on each side
of the dashboard. Captain Daniels, imposing in his Sunday raiment,
high-collared coat, stock, silk hat and gold-headed cane, sat stiffly
erect on the seat in the rear. The other carriages were alongside, among
them Captain Zebedee Mayo's ancient chaise, the white horse sound asleep
between the shafts. Captain Zeb had not been invited to join the escort,
but had joined it without an invitation.

"I guess likely I'd better be on hand," the captain confided to Dr.
Parker. "Maybe I can stop Elkanah from talkin' too much about--well,
about what we don't want him to talk about, and besides, I'm just as
anxious to give Nat a welcome home as the next feller. He's a brick and
we're all proud of him. By mighty! I'd like to have seen that craft he
built out of cocoanuts and churches--I would so."

Kyan Pepper was there also, not yet fully recovered from the surprise
which Lavinia's gracious permission had given him. Abishai had been
leaning disconsolately over his front gate early that morning when Noah
Ellis, the lightkeeper, jogged down the lane.

"'Mornin', 'Bish," hailed Noah, pulling up his horse. "What's the
matter? You look bluer'n a spiled mack'rel. What's the row? Breakfast
disagree with you?"

"Naw," replied Kyan shortly. "Where you bound, all rigged up in your
shore duds?"

"Bound to Bayport, to see Nat Hammond land," was the cheerful answer.
"I ain't had a day off I don't know when, and I thought I'