acquainted with
Nelson Howard.

"I am sure I should like him," he said. "He seems like a very nice young
man."

Lulie nodded radiantly.

"Oh, he is," she cried. "Truly he is, Mr. Bangs. Why, every one says--"
Then, becoming aware of her enthusiasm, she blushed and begged pardon.
"You see, I hear so much against him--from father, I mean--that I
couldn't help acting silly when you praised him. Do forgive me, won't
you, Mr. Bangs?"

He would have forgiven her much more than that.

"I shall make it a point to go over to the South Wellmouth station and
call upon him," he told her. She thanked him.

"I am hoping that you and Martha and Nelson and I may spend an evening
together pretty soon," she said. "You see, father--but there, that's
another secret. I'll tell you in a little while, next week, I hope."

He learned the secret from Martha. On a day in the following week Miss
Phipps informed her lodger that he and she were to have supper at the
light keeper's that evening.

"It's a real sort of party," declared Martha. "Small but select, as they
used to say in books when I was a girl. There will be four of us, you
and I and Nelson Howard and Lulie."

Galusha was surprised.

"Nelson Howard!" he repeated. "Why, dear me, I thought--I understood
that Mr. Howard was persona non grata to Captain Hallett."

Martha nodded. "Well, if that means what I suppose it does, he is," she
replied. "If Cap'n Jeth knew Nelson was goin' to eat supper in his house
he'd go without eatin' himself to stop it. But, you see, he doesn't
know. Jethro is goin' spiritualizin' to-night. Marietta Hoag and Ophelia
Beebe and their crowd of rattleheads have dug up a brand new medium who
is visitin' over in Trumet and they've made up a party to go there and
hold a seance. When they told Cap'n Jeth, of course nothin' would do but
he must go, too. So, WHILE he is gone Nelson is comin' over to supper.
It's deceivin' the old man, in one way, of course, but it isn't doin'
him a bit of harm. And it does give the young folks a pleasant time, and
I think they deserve it. Lulie has been as kind and forbearin' with her
father as a daughter could be, and Nelson has been more patient than the
average young fellow, by a good deal."

Late that afternoon two automobiles laden with humanity, male and
female, drove past the Phipps' gate, and Primmie, from the window,
announced that it was "Marietta and 'Phelia and the rest of 'em. My
savin' soul, ain't they talkin