expect to see you over here in East Wellmouth."

Galusha adjusted his spectacles--fortunately they were not broken--and
looked at the speaker.

"Why, of course!" he cried. "You are the young man who was so kind to me
when I got off at the wrong station. You are the station man at--ah--at
South Wellmouth, isn't it?"

"That's right."

"Dear me! Dear me! Well, I don't wonder you were surprised to have
me--ah--alight at your feet just now. We-ll," with his quiet smile, "I
seem to have a habit of making unexpected appearances. I surprised Miss
Phipps on Friday evening almost as greatly."

"Miss Phipps? Martha Phipps, Cap'n Jim's daughter; lives over here by
the light, do you mean?"

"Why--why, yes her name is Martha, I believe."

"But how in the world did you get--"

His companion interrupted him. "Why, Nelson," she cried, "he must be
the one--the man who is staying at Martha's. Don't you know I told you
Primmie said there was some one there who was sick?"

Galusha looked at her. She was young, not more than nineteen or twenty,
slender, brown-haired and pretty. The young man spoke again.

"But Lulie," he said, "he isn't sick. You aren't sick, are you?"
addressing Galusha.

"My health has not been good of late," replied the latter, "and after
my long walk on Friday evening I was rather done up. But I'm not ill at
present, although," with a return of his faint smile, "I probably shall
be if I continue to--ah--fly, as I did just now."

The young woman broke into an irresistible trill of laughter. The South
Wellmouth station agent joined her. Galusha smiled in a fatherly fashion
upon them both.

"I had quite a series of adventures after leaving you," he went on.
"Quite a series--yes."

He told briefly of his losing his way, of his meeting with Raish
Pulcifer, of his tramp in the rain, and of his collapse in the Phipps'
sitting room.

"So that is--ah--my Odyssey," he concluded. "You see, we--ah--I beg your
pardon, but I don't know that I learned your name when we met the other
day. Mine is Bangs."

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Bangs. My name is Howard--Nelson Howard. And
this is--"

He paused. The young woman was regarding him in a troubled way.

"Nelson," she said, "don't you think, perhaps, we had better not--"

They were both embarrassed. Galusha noticed the embarrassment.

"Dear me! Dear me!" he said, hastily. "Please don't trouble.
Ah--good-morning. I must go--really--yes."

He was on his way toward