that which was causing painful agitation in his bosom at
the moment, namely, the reason for his cousin's appearance in East
Wellmouth.

Cousin Gussie laughed. "I came to see you, Loosh," he declared. "Family
ties, and all that. I thought I would run down and get you to picnic on
the beach with me. How is the bathing just now?"

The chill October wind rattled the sash and furnished answer sufficient.
Galusha smiled a sad sort of acknowledgment of the joke. He did not feel
like smiling. The sensation of sitting on a powder barrel had returned
to him, except that now there was no head to the barrel and the air was
full of sparks.

"I--I did not expect you," he faltered, for the sake of saying
something. Cabot laughed again.

"Of course you didn't," he said. "Well, to tell you the truth, I didn't
come purposely to see you, old man. There has been a little business
matter down here which hasn't gone as I wanted it to, and I decided,
pretty much on the spur of the moment, to motor down and see what was
the matter. The friend for whom I was trying to handle the thing--it is
only a little matter--was coming with me, but this morning I got a wire
that he was detained and couldn't make it. So, as it was a glorious
day and my doctor keeps telling me to forget business occasionally, I
started alone. I didn't leave town until nearly eleven, had some motor
trouble, and didn't reach here until almost five. Then I found the
fellow I came to see had gone somewhere, nobody knew where, and the
hotel was closed for the season. I inquired about you, was given your
address at the post office, and hunted you up. That's the story."

Galusha's smile was less forced this time. He nodded reflectively.

"That explains it," he said, slowly. "Yes, quite so. Of course, that
explains it."

"Explains what?"

"Why--ah--it explains why you came here, you know."

"Well, I hope it does. That was the idea. If it doesn't I don't know
what will."

Miss Phipps entered briskly from the kitchen. She proceeded to set
another place at the supper table.

"Mr. Bangs," she said, "hadn't you better take Mr. Cabot up to your
room? Probably he'd like to clean up after ridin' so far. Better go
right away, because supper is nearly ready. Mr. Cabot, it is Saturday
night and you'll get a Saturday night supper, beans and brown bread. I
hope you won't mind."

Galusha's relative was somewhat taken aback.

"Why, Miss Phipps," he protested, "of course I can't th