ff in the middle. Its narrator and his young
companion turned startled faces toward the sound.

"Lulie!" bellowed Captain Jeth, again. "Lulie!"

Lulie answered. "Why, yes, father," she said. "I am right here, at the
gate. Why are you shouting so? What is the matter?"

The captain seemed much surprised. He raised a hand to shield his eyes
from the lamplight in the room behind him.

"Hey?" he queried. "Where be you? You ain't right there at the gate, are
you?"

"Why, yes, of course I am."

"Humph!..." Then, with renewed suspicion, "Who's that with you?"

"Mr. Bangs. I ran over to Martha's for a minute or two, and he walked
home with me."

"Good-evening, Captain Hallett," hailed Galusha. Captain Jethro pulled
his beard.

"Humph!" he grunted. "Humph! Mr. Bangs, eh?... Humph! I
thought--Cal'late I must have fell asleep on the sofy and been
dreamin'.... Humph!... Lulie, you better come in now, it's chilly out
here. Mr. Bangs can come, too, I suppose likely--if he wants to."

It was not the most cordial of invitations and Galusha did not accept
it.

"I must get back to the house, Captain," he said. "It IS chilly, as you
say. No doubt he is right, Lulie. You mustn't stay. Good-night."

"But, Mr. Bangs, you haven't finished your story."

"Eh? Dear me, so I haven't. Well--"

"Lulie!" Captain Jethro's voice was fretful. "Lulie, you come along in
now. I want you."

Lulie shook her head resignedly. "Yes, father," she replied, "I'm
coming this minute. You see?" she whispered. "He is getting back all
the impatience and--and strangeness that he had last fall. It is that
dreadful spirit business. Oh, dear!"

Galusha softly patted her shoulder. "I won't finish my story," he
said, in a low tone. "It isn't necessary, because I can tell you
the--ah--moral, so to speak, and that will do as well. We found those
tombs at last by doing a thing which, we were all sure, was the worst
thing we could possibly do. It turned out to be that 'worst thing' which
saved us. And--and I wish you would think that over, Lulie," he added,
earnestly. "It looked to be the very worst thing and--and it turned out
to be the best.... Ah--good-night."

But she detained him. "I don't understand, Mr. Bangs," she said. "What
do you mean? You said you were going to tell me the moral of your story.
That isn't a moral, is it?"

"Eh? No--ah--no. I suppose it isn't. But--but you think it over, to
please me, you know. A--a something which looked to be