said. Ha, ha! That was kind of funny."

"Eh?... Oh, yes, certainly.... Of course."

"But I haven't told you yet why it was funny. It seems he told every
person he went to that he or she was the first. Doctor Powers prides
himself on bein' a pretty good business man and I guess it provoked him
to find that Raish had fooled him into takin' a lower price than some
of the rest got. He said as much to me. He said that he agreed with what
Raish said, that about he might as well be hung for an old sheep as a
lamb. So long as he WAS hung, so the doctor said, he didn't care what it
was for."

She laughed again and her lodger smiled, although rather feebly. He
murmured that it was very amusing.

"Yes, wasn't it?" said Martha. "Well, the doctor was very anxious that
I should not sell at a cent less than fifteen dollars a share. I wonder
what he, or Raish Pulcifer either, would say if they knew I HAD sold
already, and for as much as father paid, too. Oh, I wonder if Raish
has been to see Cap'n Jeth yet. He won't buy HIS shares for any eight
dollars a piece, he can be sure of that."

Galusha nodded; he was sure of it, too.

"But," said Martha, ending the conversation for the time, "why do you
suppose Raish is buyin' at all? What is goin' on, anyway?"

She was by no means the only one who was asking that question. Three
days later Captain Jethro asked Galusha the same thing. They met in the
lane leading to the village and the light keeper approached the subject
without preamble.

"Say, Mr. Bangs," he demanded, "what's Raish Pulcifer cal'late he's
doin'?"

Galusha smiled. "I thank you for the compliment, Captain
Hallett," he said, "but my intuition cannot keep pace with Mr.
Pulcifer's--ah--calculations. No, indeed."

Jethro pulled his beard. "I asked you," he said, solemnly, "what Raish
Pulcifer cal'lated he was doin' buyin' up Development stock? Do you
know?"

"No. Is he buying it?"

"If you ain't heard that he is, you're about the only one in East
Wellmouth. Ain't you heard it?"

Galusha would have liked to change the subject, but with Jethro Hallett
that was not an easy task, as he knew from experience. He did not
immediately make the attempt.

"Why--ah--yes," he admitted. "I have heard that he has
bought--ah--some."

"Um-hm. Who told you; Martha?"

"Why--why--really, Captain, I don't know that I ought--You'll pardon me,
but--"

"Been tryin' to buy Martha's, has he?"

Galusha sighed. "Have you noticed," he