d and added, "Heavens, no wonder!"

The picture was a dismal one on that particular day. The sky was
overcast and gray, with a distinct threat of rain. The sea was gray and
cold and cheerless. The fields were bare and bleak and across them
moved a damp, chill, penetrating breeze. From horizon to horizon not a
breathing creature, except themselves, was visible. And in the immediate
foreground were the tumbled, crumbling memorials of the dead.

"Heavens, what a place!" repeated Cabot. "It's enough to give anybody
the mulligrubs. Why in the world do you come over here and--and go to
roost by yourself? Do you actually LIKE it?"

Galusha sighed. "Sometimes I like it," he said. Then, sliding over on
the tomb top, he added, "Won't you--ah--sit down, Cousin Gussie?"

His relative shook his head. "No, I'll be hanged if I do!" he declared;
"not on that thing. Come over and sit on the fence. I want to talk to
you."

He led the way to a section of the rail fence which, although rickety,
was still standing. He seated himself upon the upper rail and Galusha
clambered up and perched beside him. The banker's first question was
concerning the six hundred and fifty shares of Development stock.

"I know you gave the Phipps woman par for hers," he said. "You told me
so and so did she. Did you pay old Whiskers--Hallett, I mean--the same
price?"

Galusha shook his head. "I--ah--was obliged to pay him a little more,"
he said. "His--ah--wife insisted upon it."

"His wife? I thought his wife was dead."

"Yes--ah--she is. Yes, indeed, quite so."

When this matter was satisfactorily explained Cousin Gussie asked if
Galusha would be willing to sell his recently purchased shares at the
price paid. Of course Galusha would.

"I should be very glad to make you a present of them, Cousin Gussie," he
said, listlessly. "I do not care for them, really."

"I don't doubt that, but you won't do anything of the kind. As a matter
of fact, your buying those shares and taking them out of the market
was a mighty good thing for us. That Trust Company crowd was getting
anxious, so the Phipps woman says. By the way, I will send her a check
at once for her shares and she will hand it over to you. She was very
much disturbed because you had--as she called it--given her that five
thousand dollars."

Galusha nodded sadly. "Of course," he said. "It was a--a very dreadful
thing to do. Oh, dear!"

His relative, who was watching him intently, smiled. "She an