s Noah Ellis and his passenger turned into the lighthouse lane another
vehicle turned out of it.

"Who was that?" queried Kyan. "Looked like one of the livery stable
horses to me."

"'Twa'n't. 'Twas Thankful Payne's and that was her carriage, too. It's
gettin' so dark I couldn't see who was drivin' it, but 'twas a man,
anyhow."

Kyan seemed to be pondering. "I wonder," he said slowly, "I wonder if
that cousin of hers from Sandwich is here visitin'. That Caleb Pratt,
seems to me his name is."

"Don't know. Why?"

"Nothin', nothin'. I just wondered, that was all. That might explain why
she let me--"

"Hey?"

"Nothin'. Good night, Noah. I'm much obliged to you for takin' me over,
even if there wa'n't no reception."

Trumet spent that evening wondering what had become of Nat Hammond.
Captain Zeb Mayo wondered most of all. Yet his wonderment was
accompanied by vague suspicions of the truth. And, at eleven o'clock,
when the village was in bed, a horse and buggy moved down the Turn-off
and stopped before the Hammond gate. A man alighted from the buggy and
walked briskly up to the side door. There he knocked and then whistled
shrilly.

A window overhead was opened.

"Who is it?" asked a feminine voice.

"Don't be frightened, Gracie," replied the man at the door. "It's
me--Nat. I've come home again."

CHAPTER XX

IN WHICH THE MINISTER RECEIVES A LETTER

John Ellery was uneasy. Physically he was very much better, so much
better that he was permitted to sit up a while each day. But mentally he
was disturbed and excited, exactly the condition which the doctor said
he must not be in. Keziah and Grace had gone away and left him, and he
could not understand why.

Mrs. Higgins, Ike's mother, was at the shanty and she did her best to
soothe and quiet him. She was a kind soul and capable, in her way, but
she could not answer his questions satisfactorily.

"Where are they?" he demanded. "Why did they go? Has anything happened?
When are they coming back?"

"I can't tell you just when, Mr. Ellery," replied Mrs. Higgins. "Grace
had to go home for a--a day or so and Keziah had things to attend to at
the parsonage. Don't you fret yourself about them."

"I'm not fretting, but it does seem strange. I could understand why one
should go, perhaps, but not both. Didn't Gra--Miss Van Horne tell you
why she went?"

"Well, now, Mr. Ellery, don't let's worry about Gracie. She's a good
girl with lots of common sense and--"