he
was thinking; "All but Lawford Tapp, the philosophic fisherman!"

"I believe," Bane said, with flattery, "that I should delight to play
opposite to you, Miss Grayling, rank amateur though you would be. This
Anscomb really is a wonderful director and gets surprising results from
material that cannot compare with you. I'll speak to him if you say
the word. He'd oblige me, I am sure. One of the scripts he has told
me about has a part fitted to you."

"Oh, Mr. Bane!" she cried. "I'd have to think about that, I fear. And
such a tempting offer! Now, if you said that to Gusty Durgin----"

At the moment Betty Gallup came into view. Masculine in appearance at
any time in her man's hat and coat, she was doubly so now. She frankly
wore overalls, but had drawn a short skirt over them; and she wore gum
boots. Bane stared at this apparition and gasped:

"Is--is it a man--or what?"

"Why, Mr. Bane! That is my chaperon."

"Chaperon! Ye gods and little fishes! Miss Grayling, no matter where
you go, or with whom, you are perfectly safe with _that_ as a chaperon."

"How rediculous, Mr. Bane!" the girl cried, laughing. Betty strode
through the sand to the spot where they stood. "This is Mr. Bane,
Betty," Louise continued, "Mrs. Gallup, Mr. Bane."

The actor swept off his sou'wester with a flourish. Betty eyed him
with disfavor.

"So you're one o' them play-actors, be you? Land sakes! And tryin' to
look like a fisherman, too! I don't s'pose you know a grommet from the
bight of a hawser."

"Guilty as charged," Bane admitted with a chuckle. "But we all must
live, Mrs. Gallup."

"Humph!" grunted the old woman. "Are you sure that's so in ev'ry case?
There's more useless folks on the Cape now than the Recordin' Angel can
well take care on."

"Oh, Betty!" Louise gasped.

But Bane was highly amused. "I'm not at all sure you're not right,
Mrs. Gallup. I sometimes feel that if I were a farmer and raised
onions, or a fisherman and caught the denizens of the sea, I might feel
a deeper respect for myself. As it is, when I work I am only
_playing_."

"Humph!" exploded Betty again. "'Denizens of the sea,' eh? New one on
me. I ain't never heard of _them_ fish afore."

The sail of the sloop slatted and then came down with the rattle of new
canvas. Having let go the sheet, Lawford ran forward and pitched the
anchor over. Then he drew in the skiff that trailed the _Merry
Andrew_, stepped in, and sculled him