ss--ah--Hoag's, a
change might be brought about. It would be difficult to reach the said
imagination, however, wouldn't it? I once found a way to reach a tomb
of the XIIIth Dynasty which had been buried for thousands of years under
thirty-three feet of rock and sand. I located it by accident--that is,
in a way, it was an accident; of course, we had been searching for some
time. I happened to strike the earth at a certain point with my camera
tripod and it sounded quite hollow. You see, there was a--ah--sort of
shaft, as one might say, which came quite close to the surface at that
point. It sounded surprisingly hollow, like a--like something quite
empty, you know. Yes."

Martha nodded. "If you struck Marietta's head anywhere," she observed,
"it would sound the same way. She's got about as much brains as a punkin
lantern."

"Yes--ah--yes, but I fear we should gain little by doing that. We
shouldn't get at our 'spirit' that way. But perhaps we may find a way.
There are obstacles, but there were obstacles above and about that tomb
also. Dear me, yes. We must consider, Miss Lulie; we must, so to speak,
consider."

His advice to Nelson was similar.

"I should say the situation was a bit more encouraging, Mr. Howard,"
he said. They had been discussing Lulie's talk with her father. Nelson
nodded.

"Perhaps it is, a little bit," he admitted. "It seems barely possible
that the old man is not quite as bitter against me as he was. For
instance, I met him yesterday at the post office and said 'Good-morning,
Cap'n Jeth.' I always speak to him whenever I meet him, make it a point
to, but he never speaks to me. He didn't speak yesterday, but he did
bow. It was more of a bob than a bow and he looked savage enough to bite
me; but, at least, he went so far as to show he knew I was on earth.
That was rather funny, too, his doing that. I wonder why he did."

Galusha reflected a moment. Then he said: "I shouldn't be greatly
surprised if your new position at the radio station may be the cause,
Captain Hallett is--ah--not unmindful of success in business. Miss
Mar--ah--that is, Miss Phipps says he is a very shrewd business man.
My own experience," he added, meditatively, "would lead me to that
conclusion, also."

Nelson was surprised.

"Have you had business dealings with the cap'n?" he asked. "I never
thought of you as a business man, Mr. Bangs."

Galusha started and seemed embarrassed.

"Oh--ah--ah--I'm not, Mr. Howard," he dec