hua is, and a profession' church
member, but he does swear more'n he ought to. But, as I tell the
minister, he don't mean nothin' by it."

"Not a damn thing!" said Mr. Atwood, reassuringly. The bottle, it
appeared, contained Jamaica ginger, a liberal dose of which Mrs. Atwood
insisted upon our taking as a precaution against catching cold.

"There's nothin' better," she said.

"You bet there ain't!" this from the lightkeeper. "A body can't get
within forty fathoms of a cold with a swallow of that amidships. It's
hotter than--"

"Joshua!"

"The Fourth of July," concluded her husband, triumphantly.

"And now, Mrs. Paine," went on the lady of the house, "your room's all
ready. I've laid out some dry things for you on the bed and some of
Joshua's, too. You and your husband--"

I thought it high time to explain.

"The lady is not my wife," I said, quickly.

"She ain't! Why, I thought Joshua said--"

"He--er--made a mistake. She is Miss Colton, a summer resident and
neighbor of mine in Denboro."

"Sho! you don't say! That's just like you, Joshua!"

"Just like me! Well, how'd I know? I beg your pardon, Miss, I'm sure.
Shan't beg your hus--I mean Mr. Paine's pardon; he ought to thank me for
the compliment. Haw! haw!"

Miss Colton herself made the next remark.

"If my room is ready, Mrs. Atwood," she said,, without even a glance in
my direction, "I think I will go to it. I AM rather wet."

"Wet! Land sakes, yes! I guess you be! Come right in, Joshua, take them
clothes of yours into our room and let Mr. Paine put 'em on."

Her husband obeyed orders. After I was alone in the room to which
he conducted me and enjoying the luxury of dry socks, I heard him
justifying his mistake in stentorian tones.

"I couldn't help it, Betsy," I heard him say. "I took it for granted
they was married. When I hove alongside that motor boat they was
a-settin' close up together in the stern sheets and so, of course, I
thought--"

"You hadn't any business to. You made that poor young lady blush
somethin' dreadful. Most likely they're just keepin' company--or
engaged, or somethin'. You ought to be more careful."

I wondered if the young lady herself heard all this. I didn't see how
she could help it.

Kinder-hearted people than these two never lived, I do believe. It was
after three in the morning, both had been up all night, we were absolute
strangers to them, and yet, without a word of complaint, they gave the
remainder of the