d a lightship, commented on everything.
Sitting next Mr. Bangs, he put his lips close to the ear of the
last-named gentleman and breathed caustic sarcasm into it. Galusha found
it distracting and, at times, annoying, for Mr. Bloomer's mustache was
bristly.

"Little Cherry Blossom talks's if she had a cold," whispered Zach.
"Better take a little cherry rum, hadn't she, eh?"

The control was loudly paging a person named Noah.

"Sperit heree wantee talkee with Noah," she cried. "Wheree isee Noah?"

"'Board the Ark, most likely," whispered Mr. Bloomer. "Be hollerin' for
Jonah next, won't she? Cal'late so. Yus, yus."

Message after message came and was recognized and acknowledged by the
devout. The group from the Phipps' house had so far been slighted,
so, too, had Captain Jethro Hallett. There was a slight hubbub in
the circle, owing to the fact that two of its members simultaneously
recognized and laid claim to the same spirit, each declaring him to
be or have been an entirely different person when living. During this
little controversy Zacheus whispered in his neighbor's ear.

"Say, Mr. Bangs," he whispered, "this is gettin' kind of tiresome, ain't
it? Must be worse for Nelse, though, eh?"

Galusha did not catch his meaning. "For--for whom?" he asked. "I beg
your pardon."

"Oh, you're welcome. Why, I mean Nelse Howard must be gettin' more tired
than we be, shut up in that front hall the way he is."

"Shut up--Why, really, I--Mr. Howard left the house long ago, didn't he?
By the front door, you know."

Zach chuckled. "That front door is locked and the key's been lost for
more'n a fortn't. Cal'late Lulie forgot that when she told him to skip
out that way. He can't GET out. He's in that front entry now and he'll
have to stay there till all hands have gone and the cap'n gone to bed.
That's a note, ain't it!... Sshh! They're goin' to begin again."

The identity of the spiritual visitor having been tentatively
established, the "communications" continued. Galusha paid little heed
to them. The thought of young Howard a prisoner in the front hall was
uncomfortable of itself, but still more uncomfortable was the mental
picture of what might happen should his presence there be discovered
by Captain Hallett. The old light keeper was bigoted and absurdly
prejudiced against his daughter's lover at all times. An encounter
between them would always be most unpleasant. But this evening, when the
captain was in his most fanati