se became enthralled by the narratives of perilous adventure and
odd happenings on shipboard which the author claimed to have himself
observed. She read for an hour or more, while the sounds in the store
below gradually ceased and she heard Cap'n Amazon close and lock the
front door for the night.

Silence below. Outside the lap, lap, lap of the waves on the strand
and the rising moan of the surf over Gulf Rocks.

Louise turned a page. She plunged into another yarn. Breathlessly
and, almost fearfully she read it to the end--the very story of the
murdered albatross and the sailors' superstitious belief in the bird's
bad influence, as she had heard Cap'n Amazon relate it to Aunt Euphemia
Conroth.

She laid down the book at last in amazement and confusion. There was
no doubt now of Cap'n Amazon's mendacity. This book of nautical tales
had been written and printed _long before Amazon Silt was born_!

And if the falseness of his wild narratives was established, was it a
far cry to Betty Gallup's suspicions and accusations? What and who was
this man, who called himself Amazon Silt who had taken Cap'n Abe's
place in the store on the Shell Road?

Louise lay with wide-open eyes for a long time. Then she crept out of
bed and turned the key in the lock of her door--the first time she had
thought to do such a thing since her arrival at Cardhaven.

CHAPTER XX

THE SUN WORSHIPERS

"Them movin' picture people are hoppin' about The Beaches like
sandpipers," observed Cap'n Amazon at the breakfast table. "And I
opine they air pretty average useless, too. They were hurrahin' around
all day yest'day while you was out fishin'. Want to take a picture of
Abe's old store here. Dunno what to do about it."

Louise was too much disturbed by her discoveries of overnight to give
much attention to this subject.

"It's Abe's store, you see," went on Cap'n Amazon. "Dunno how he'd
feel 'bout havin' it took in a picture and showed all over the country.
It needs a coat o' paint hi-mighty bad. Ought to be fixed up some
'fore havin' its picture took--don't ye think so, Niece Louise?"

The girl awoke to the matter sufficiently to advise him:

"The lack of paint will not show in the picture, Uncle Amazon. And I
suppose they want the store for a location just because it is
weather-beaten and old-fashioned."

"I want to know! Well, now, if I was in the photograftin' business,
seems t' me I'd pick out the nice-lookin' place