\"Ishouldn’tthinkyouwouldbe。Hauledinbodily，asyoumightsay，andshutupinaroomtofightwasps！Andbyfolksyouneversawaforeanddon’tknowfromAdam！Youneedn’tapologize。I’dforgiveyouifyousaidsomethin’agooddealworse’nthat。I’mlongpasttheagewhereI’msensitiveaboutmyweight，thankgoodness。\"
\"AndweAREsomuchobligedtoyou。\"Thegirlwasfacinghimoncemore，andshewasserious，thoughthecornersofhermouthstilltwitched。\"Thewholeaffairisperfectlyridiculous，\"shesaid，\"butMrs。BascomwasfrightenedandsowasI——whenIhadtimetorealizeit。Thankyouagain。\"
\"You’requitewelcome，I’msure。Notroubleatall。\"
Theassistantturnedtogo。Hisbrainwasbeginningtoregainalittleofitsnormalpoise，andhewasdimlyconsciousthathehadbeenabsentfromdutyquitelongenough。
\"Maybeyou’dliketoknowwho’tisyou’vehelped，\"observedthestoutwoman。\"And，considerin’thatwe’relikelytobenext-doorneighborsforaspell，Ical’lateintroductionsaretheproperthing。Myname’sBascom。I’mhousekeeperforMissRuthGraham。
ThisisMissGraham。\"
Theyoungladyofferedahand。Browntookit。
\"Graham？\"herepeated。\"Where？\"Then，rememberingaportionofwhatSethhadtoldhim，headded，\"Isee！the——theartist？\"
\"Mybrotherisanartist。Heandhisfriend，Mr。Hamilton，ownthisbungalow。Theyareabroadthissummer，andIamgoingtocamphereforafewweeks——Mrs。BascomandI。Ipaintalittle，too，butonlyforfun。\"
Brownmurmuredaconventionalityconcerninghisdelightatmeetingthepair，andoncemoreheadedforthedoor。ButMrs。Bascom’scuriositywouldnotpermithimtoescapesoeasily。
\"Ithought，\"shesaid，\"whenIseeyoustandin’overtherebythelights，thatyoumustbeoneofthekeepers。Nottheheadkeeper——I
knewyouwa’n’thim——butanassistant，maybe。ButIguessyou’reonlyavisitor，Mister——Mister——？\"
\"Brown。\"
\"Yes，Mr。Brown。Iguessyouain’tnokeeper，areyou？\"
\"Iamtheassistantkeeperatpresent。Yes。\"
\"Youdon’tsay！\"Mrs。Bascomlookedsurprised。So，too，didMissGraham。\"Youdon’tlooklikealighthousekeeper，\"continuedtheformer。\"Oh，Idon’tmeanyourclothes！\"noticingtheyoungman’sembarrassedglanceathiswetandfarfromimmaculategarments。\"I
meanthewayyoutalkandact。Youain’tbeenherelong，haveyou？\"
\"No。\"
\"Justcomethissummer？\"
\"Yes。\"
\"Ithoughtso。Youain’taCapeCodder？\"
\"No。\"
\"Iwassureyouwa’n’t。WhereDOyoucomefrom？\"
Brownhesitated。MissGraham，noticinghishesitation，hastenedtoendtheinquisition。
\"Mr。Browncan’tstoptoanswerquestions，Mrs。Bascom，\"shesaid。
\"I’msurehewantstogetbacktohiswork。Goodmorning，Mr。
Brown。Nodoubtweshallseeeachotheroften，beingtheonlyneighborsinsight。Callagain——do。Isolemnlypromisethatyoushallhavetofightnomorewasps。\"
\"Say！\"Thestoutwomantookastepforward。\"Speakin’ofwasps……
standstillaminute，Mr。Brown，won’tyou。What’sthemlumpsonyourforehead？Why，Idobelieveyou’vebeenbit。Youhave，sureandsartin！\"
MissGrahamwasverymuchconcerned。\"Oh，no！\"sheexclaimed；\"I
hopenot。Letmesee。\"
\"No，indeed！\"Theassistantwasonthestepbythistimeandmovingrapidly。\"Nothingatall。Noconsequence。Goodmorning。\"
Healmostrandownthehillandcrossedthecreekatthewadingplace。Ashesplashedthrough，thevoiceofthehousekeeperreachedhisears。
\"Coldmud’sthebestthing，\"shescreamed。\"Putitonthick。Ittakesoutthesmart。Goodandthick，mind！\"
Forthenexthourortwothelightkeeper’shelpermovedabouthishouseholdtasksinacuriousframeofmind。Hewasthoroughlyangry——orthoughthewas——andverymuchdisturbed。Neighborsofanykindwerelikelytobeaconfoundednuisance，buttwowomen！
Heavens！Andthestoutwomanwassuretoberunninginforcallsandtoborrowthings。Asfortheother，sheseemedanicegirlenough，butheneverwantedtoseeanothergirl，niceorotherwise。
Hereyeswerepretty，sowasherhair，butwhatofit？Oh，hangtheluck！Justherehebangedhisswollenforeheadonthesharpedgeofthedoor，andfoundreliefinprofanity。
SethAtkinswasprofane，also，whenheheardthenews。Brownsaidnothinguntilhissuperiordiscoveredwithhisowneyesthatthebungalowwasopen。Then，inanswertothelightkeeper’squestions，camethedisclosureofthetruth。
\"Women！\"roaredSeth。\"Yousaythere’stwoWOMENgoin’tolivethere？ByJudas！Idon’tbelieveit！\"
\"Goandseeforyourself，then，\"wasthebrusqueanswer。
\"Isha’n’t，neither。Whotoldyou？\"
\"Theydid。\"
\"TheyDID？Wasyouthere？\"
\"Yes。\"
\"Whatfor？Ithoughtyousworenevertogonighawomanagain。\"
\"Idid，but——well，itwasn’tmyfault。I——\"
\"Yes？Goon。\"
\"IwentbecauseIcouldn’thelpmyself。Wenttohelpsomeoneelse，infact。IexpectedtofindGrahamandthatotherartist。But——\"
\"Well，goON。\"
\"Iwasstung，\"saidMr。Brown，gloomily，andrubbedhisforehead。
CHAPTERIX
THEBUNGALOWGIRL
Duringthefollowingdaytheoccupantsofthelightkeeper’sdwellingsawlittleornothingofthenewcomersatthebungalow。Brown，hisforeheadresemblingasectionofareliefmapoftheRockyMountains，remainedindoorsasmuchaspossible，workingwhentherewasanythingtodo，andreadingback-numbermagazineswhentherewasnot。Sethwent，asusual，tohisroomsoonafternoon。Hisslumbersmust，however，havebeenfitfulones，forseveraltimesthesubstituteassistant，turningquickly，sawthebedroomdoorswingsilentlyshut。ThethirdtimethatthishappenedherantothedoorandthrewitopeninseasontocatchMr。Atkinsinanundignifieddiveforthebed。Atremendoussnorefollowedthedive。Theyoungmanregardedhiminsilenceforafewmoments，duringwhichthesnorescontinued。Thenheshookhishead。
\"Humph！\"hesoliloquized；\"Imust’phoneforthedoctoratonce。
Eitherthedoctororthesuperintendent。Ifhehasdevelopedthathabit，heisn’tfitforthisjob。\"
Heturnedaway。Theslumbererstirreduneasily，rolledover，openedoneeye，andsatup。
\"Hi！\"hecalled。\"Comebackhere！Whereyougoin’？\"
Brownreturned，lookingsurprisedandanxious。
\"Oh！\"heexclaimed，\"areyouawake？\"
\"CourseI’mawake！Whatafoolquestionthatis。ThinkI’msettin’
uphereandtalkin’inmysleep？\"
\"Well，Ididn’tknow。\"
\"Whydidn’tyouknow？And，seehere！whatdidyoumeanbysayin’
youwasgoin’to’phonethedoctororthesuperintendent，oneort’other？Yes，yousaidit。Iheardyou。\"
\"Oh，no！youdidn’t。\"
\"TellyouIdid。Heardyouwithmyownears。\"
\"Buthowcouldyou？Youweren’tawake。\"
\"CourseIwasawake！Couldn’thaveheardyouunlessIwas，couldI？
Whatailsyou？Themstingsgoclearthroughtoyourbrains，didthey？\"
AgainBrownshookhishead。
\"Thisisdreadful！\"hemurmured。\"Hewalksinhissleep，andsnoreswhenhe’sawake。IMUSTcallthedoctor。\"
\"What——what——\"Thelightkeeper’swrathwasinterferingwithhisutterance。Heswunghislegsoverthesideofthebedandsputteredincoherently。
\"Becalm，Atkins，\"coaxedtheassistant。\"Don’tcomplicateyourdiseasesbyaddinghearttrouble。ThreetimestodayI’vecaughtyoupeepingatmethroughthecrackofthatdoor。WithinfifteensecondsofthelastpeepIfindyousnoring。Therefore，Isay——\"
\"Aw，belay！Iwasonly——onlyjustlookin’outtoseewhattimeitwas。\"
\"Butyoumusthavedoneitinyoursleep，because——\"
\"Inever。Iwaswideawakeasyoube。\"
\"Butwhydidyousnore？Youcouldn’thavefallenasleepbetweenthedoorandthebed。Andyouhadn’tquitereachedthebedwhenIgothere。\"
\"I——I——I——Aw，shutup！\"
Brownsmiledblandly。\"Iwill，\"hesaid，\"providedyoupromisetokeepthisdoorshutanddon’tdoanymorespying。\"
\"Spyin’？Whatdoyoumeanbythat？\"
\"JustwhatIsaid。YouandIhadadiscussionconcerningthatsamepracticewhenIfelloverthebankattheSloughawhileago。Iwasnotspyingthen，butyouthoughtIwas，andyoudidn’tlikeit。NowIthinkyouare，andIdon’tlikeit。\"
\"Wh——what——whatwouldIbespyin’onyoufor？Wh——whatreasonwouldIhavefordoin’it？\"
\"Nogoodreason；becauseIhavenointentionofvisitingournewneighbors——nonewhatever。Thatbeingunderstood，perhapsyou’llshutthedoorandkeepitshut。\"
Sethlookedsheepishandguilty。
\"Well，\"hesaid，afteramoment’sreflection，\"Ibegyourpardon。
ButIcouldn’thelpfeelin’kindofuneasy。I——Ioughttoknowbetter，Is’pose；but，withayoung，good-lookin’girllandedunexpectedrightnexttous，I——I——\"
\"Howdidyouknowshewasgood-looking？Ididn’tmentionherlooks。\"
\"No，youdidn’t，but——but……JohnBrown，I’vebeenyoungmyself，andIknowthatatyouragemostANYgirl’sgood-lookin’。There！\"
Hedeliveredthisbitofwisdomwithemphasisandasavagenodofthehead。Brownhadnoanswerready，thatis，norelevantanswer。
\"Yougotobedandshutthedoor，\"herepeated，turningtogo。
\"Allright，Iwill。Butdon’tyouforgetouragreement。\"
\"Ihavenointentionofforgettingit。\"
\"WhatAREyougoin’todo？\"
\"Do？Whatdoyoumean？\"
\"Imeanwhatareyougoin’todonowthatthingsdownhere’schanged，andyouandmeain’talone，sameaswewas？\"
\"Idon’tknow。I’mnotsurethatIsha’n’tleave——clearout。\"
\"What？Clearout？Runawayandleavemealoneto——to……Bytime！Ididn’tthinkyouwasadeserter。\"
Thesubstituteassistantlaughedbitterly。\"Youneedn’tworry，\"hesaid。\"Icouldn’tgofar，evenifIwantedto。Ihaven’tanymoney。\"
\"That’sso。\"Sethwasevidentlyrelieved。\"Allright，\"heobserved；\"don’tyouworry。’Twon’tbebutacoupleofmonthsanyway，andwe’llfightitthroughtogether。Butain’titashame！
Ain’titaneverlastin’shamethatthishadtohappenjustaswe’dcometounderstandeachotherandwassocontentedandfriendly！
Well，there’sonlyonethingtodo；that’stomakethebestofitforusandtheworstforthem。We’llkeeptoourselvesandpaynoattentiontoemnomore’niftheywa’n’tthere。We’llforget’emaltogether；hey？……Isaywe’llforget’emaltogether，won’twe？\"
Brown’sanswerwasshortandsharp。
\"Yes，\"hesaid，andslammedthedoorbehindhim。Sethslowlyshookhisheadbeforehelaiditonthepillow。Hewasnotentirelyeasyinhismind，evenyet。
However，therewasnomorespying，andthelightkeeperdidnotmentionthebungalowtenantswhenheappearedatsuppertime。Afterthemealheboltedtothelights，andwasonwatchinthetowerwhenhishelperretired。
EarlythenextafternoonBrowndescendedthepathtotheboathouse。
Hehadomittedhisswimthedaybefore。Now，however，heintendedtohaveit。Simplybecausethosefemalenuisanceshadseenfittointrudewheretheyhadnobusinesswasnoreasonwhyheshouldresignallpleasure。Hegaveaquickglanceupwardattheoppositebankashereachedthewharf。Therewasnosignoflifeaboutthebungalow。
Heenteredtheboathouse，undressed，anddonnedhisbathingsuit。
Inafewminuteshewasready，and，emerginguponthewharf，walkedbrisklybackalongtheshoreofthecreektowhereitwidenedintothecove。Thereheplungedin，andwassoonluxuriatinginthecool，clearwater。
Heswamwithlong，confidentstrokes，thoseofapracticedswimmer。
Thiswasworthwhile。Itwastheoneplacewherehecouldforgetthathewasnolongertheonlysonofawealthyfather，heirtoarespectedname——whichwasNOTBrown——ayoungmanwithallsortsofbrilliantprospects；couldforgetthathewasnowadisinheritedvagabond，aloaferwhohadbeenunabletosecurearespectableposition，anoutcast。Heswamanddoveandsplashed，rejoicinginhisstrengthandyouthandthefreedomofalloutdoors。
Then，ashelaylazilypaddlingindeepwater，heheardtherattleofgravelonthesteepbankoftheothersideofthecove。Lookingup，hesaw，tohishugedisgust，afemalefigureinatrimbathingsuitdescendingtheblufffromthebungalow。Itwasthegirlwhohadlefthimtofightthewasps。Herdarkhairwascoveredwithajauntilytiedcoloredhandkerchief，and，againsttheyellowsandofthebluff，shemadeaveryprettypicture。NotthatBrownwasinterested，butshedid，nevertheless。
Shesawhimandwavedahand。\"Goodmorning，\"shecalled。
\"Beautifuldayforaswim，isn’tit？\"
\"Yes，\"growledtheyoungman，brusquely。Heturnedandbegantoswimintheoppositedirection，upthecove。Thegirllookedafterhim，raisedapuzzledeyebrow，andthen，withashrug，wadedintothewater。Thenexttimetheassistantlookedather，shewasswimmingwithlong，sweepingstrokesdownthenarrowcreektothebendandthedeepholeattheendofthewharf。Roundthatbendandthroughthatholethetidewhirled，likearapid，outintotheminiaturebaybehindBlackMan’sPoint。ItwasagainstthattidethatSethAtkinshadwarnedhim。
Andthegirlwasswimmingdirectlytowardthedangerousnarrows。
Browngrowledanexclamationofdisgust。Hehadnomindtocontinuetheacquaintance，andyethecouldn’tpermithertodothat。
\"MissGraham！\"hecalled。\"Oh，MissGraham！\"
Sheheardhim，butdidnotstop。
\"Yes？\"shecalledinanswer，continuingtoswim。\"Whatisit？\"
\"Youmustn’t——\"shoutedBrown。Thenherememberedthathemustnotshout。Shoutingmightawakenthelightkeeper，andthelatterwouldmisunderstandthesituation，ofcourse。Sohecuthiswarningtooneword。
\"Wait！\"hecalled，andbeganswimmingtowardher。Shedidnotcometomeethim，butmerelyceasedswimmingandturnedonherbacktofloat。And，floating，thetidewouldcarryheronalmostasrapidlyasifsheassistedit。Thattidedidnotneedanyassistance。
Brownswungonhissideandsettledintotheracingstroke，thestrokewhichhadwonhimcupsattheathleticclub。
Hereachedherinatimesoshortthatshewassurprisedintoanadmiringcomment。
\"Oh！\"sheexclaimed，\"youCANswim！\"
Hedidnotthankherforthecompliment。Therewasnotimeforthat，evenifhehadfeltlikeit。
\"Youshouldn’tbehere，\"hesaidsharply。
Shelookedathim。
\"Why，whatdoyoumean？\"shedemanded。
\"Itisn’tsafe。Alittlefarther，andthetidewouldcarryyououttosea。Comeback，backuptothecoveatonce。\"
Heexpectedhertoaskmorequestions，butshedidnot。Insteadsheturnedandstruckoutinsilence。Againstthetide，eventhere，thepullwastremendous。
\"ShallIhelpyou？\"heasked。
\"No，Icanmakeit。\"
Andshedid。Itwashisturntobesurprisedintoadmiration。
\"ByJove！\"hepanted，astheyswungintothequietwaterofthecoveandstooderectintheshallows，\"thatwasgreat！Youareagoodswimmer。\"
\"Thankyou，\"sheanswered，breathlessly。\"ItWASatug，wasn’tit？
Thankyouforwarningme。Nowtellmeaboutthedangerousplaces，please。\"
Hetoldher，repeatingSeth’stalesofthetide’sstrength。
\"Butitissafeenoughhere？\"sheasked。
\"Oh，yes！perfectlysafeanywherethissideofthenarrowpart——thecreek。\"
\"I’msoglad。Thiswaterisglorious，andIbegantobeafraidI
shouldhavetogiveitup。\"
\"Thecreek，andeventhebayitselfaresafeenoughatflood，\"hewenton。\"Ioftengotherethen。Whenthetideiscominginitisallrightevenfor——\"
Hepaused。Shefinishedthesentenceforhim。\"Evenforagirl，youweregoingtosay。\"Shewadedforwardtowheretheshoalendedandthedeeperpartbegan。Theresheturnedtolookathimoverhershoulder。
\"I’mgoingtothatbeachoverthere，\"shesaid，pointingacrossthecove。\"Doyouwanttorace？\"
Withoutwaitingtoseewhetherhedidornot，shestruckoutforthebeach。And，withoutstoppingtoconsiderwhyhedidit，theyoungmanfollowedher。
Theracewasnotsoone-sided。Brownwonitbysomeyards，buthehadtoworkhard。Hiscompetitordidnotgiveupwhenshefoundherselffallingbehind，butwasgametotheend。
\"Well，\"shegasped，\"youbeatme，didn’tyou？Inevercouldgetthatsidestroke，andit’seversomuchfaster。\"
\"It’ssimpleenough。Justaknack。I’llteachyouifyoulike。\"
\"Willyou？That’ssplendid。\"
\"Youarethestrongestswimmer，MissGraham，foragirl，thatIeversaw。Youmusthavepracticedagreatdeal。\"
\"Yes，Horace——mybrother——taughtme。Heisasplendidswimmer，oneoftheverybest。\"
\"HoraceGraham？Why，youdon’tmeanHoraceGrahamoftheHarvardAthletic？\"
\"Yes，Ido。Heismybrother。Buthow……Doyouknowhim？\"
Thesurpriseinhertonewasevident。Brownbithislip。HerememberedthatCapeCodlightkeepers’helperswerenot，asausualthing，supposedtobewidelyacquaintedincollegeathleticcircles。
\"Ihavemethim，\"hestammered。
\"Butwhere——\"shebegan；andthen，\"why，ofcourse！youmethimhere。Iforgotthathehasbeenyourneighborforthreesummers。\"
Theassistanthadforgottenit，too，buthewasthankfulforthereminder。
\"Yes。Yes，certainly，\"hesaid。Sheregardedhimwithapuzzledlook。
\"It’soddhedidn’tmentionyou，\"sheobserved。\"Hehastoldmeagreatdealaboutthebungalow，andtheseaviews，andthelonelinessandthequaintnessofitall。Thatwaswhatmademewishtospendamonthdownhereandexperienceitmyself。Andhehasoftenspoken，\"
withanirrepressiblesmile，\"ofyour——ofthelightkeeper，Mr。
Atkins。Thatishisname，isn’tit？\"
\"Yes。\"
\"Iwanttomeethim。Horacesaidhewas——well，ratherodd，but，whenyouknewhim，afinefellowandfullofdryhumor。I’msureI
shouldlikehim。\"
Brownsmiled，also——andbroadly。HementallypicturedSeth’sreceptionofthenewsthathewas\"liked\"bytheyoungladyacrossthecove。Andthenitoccurredtohim，withstartlingsuddenness，thathehadbeenconversingveryfamiliarlywiththatyounglady，notwithstandingthesolemninterchangeofvowsbetweenthelightkeeperandhimself。
\"Imustbegoing，\"hesaidhastily；\"goodmorning，MissGraham。\"
Hewadedtotheshoreandstroderapidlybacktowardtheboathouse。
Hiscompanioncalledafterhim。
\"Ishallexpectyouto-morrowafternoon，\"shesaid。\"You’vepromisedtoteachmethatsidestroke，remember。\"
Browndressedinagreathurryandclimbedthepathtothelightsatthedoublequick。Allwassafeandsereneinthehouse，andhebreathedmorefreely。Atkinswassoundasleep，reallyasleep，inthebedroom，andwhenheemergedhewasevidentlyquiteunawareofhishelper’sunpremeditatedtreason。Brown’sconscienceprickedhim，however，andhewenttobedthatnightvowingoverandoverthathewouldbemorecarefulthereafter。HewouldtakecarenottomeettheGrahamgirlagain。Havingreachedthisdecision，thereremainednothingbuttoputheroutofhismindentirely；whichhesucceededindoingataquarteraftereleven，whenhefellasleep。
Eventhenshewasnotentirelyabsent，forhedreamedaridiculousdreamabouther。
Nextdayhedidnotgoforaswim，butremainedinthehouse。Seth，atsupper，demandedtoknowwhatailedhim。
\"You’reasmumastheoldestinhabitantofadeafanddumbasylum，\"
wasthelightkeeper’scomment。\"Anduglyasabullinflytime。
Whatailsyou？\"
\"Nothing。\"
\"Humph！bettertakesomethin’forit，seemstome。Little’StomachBalm，’hey？No？Well，GOtobed！Yourroom’senoughsightbetter’nyourcompanyjustnow。\"
Thehelper’sillnaturewasinevidenceagainatbreakfasttime。
Sethendeavoredtojokehimoutofit，but，notsucceeding，andfindinghisbestjokesreceivedwithgroansinsteadoflaughter，gaveitupindisgustandretired。Theyoungmanclearedthetable，piledthedishesinthesink，heatedakettlefulofwaterandbegantheday’sdrudgery，drudgerywhichheoncethoughtwasfun。
Whyhadhehadtheilllucktofalloverboardfromthatsteamer。Orwhydidn’thedrownwhenhedidfalloverboard？Thenhewouldhavebeencomfortablydead，atallevents。Whyhadn’thestayedinNewYorkorBostonorsomewhereandkeptontryingforaposition，forwork——anykindofwork？Hemighthavestarvedwhiletrying，butpeoplewhowerestarvingwereself-respecting，andwhentheymetotherpeople——forinstance，sistersoffellowstheyusedtoknow——
hadnothingtobeashamedofandneedn’tlie——unlesstheywantedto。
Hewasacommonloafer，underafalsename，downonasandheapwashingdishes。Atthispointhedroppedoneofthedishes——aplate——andbrokeit。
\"D——n！\"observedJohnBrown，underhisbreath，butwithenthusiasm。
Hestoopedtopickupthefragmentsoftheplate，and，risingoncemoretoanerectposition，foundhimselffacingMissRuthGraham。
Shewasstandinginthedoorway。
\"Don’tmindme，please，\"shesaid。\"NodoubtIshouldfeelthesamewayifitweremyplate。\"
Theyoungman’sfirstmove，afterrecovery，wastomakesurethatthedoorbetweenthekitchenandthehallleadingtothelightkeeper’sbedroomwasshut。Itwas，fortunately。Theyoungladywatchedhiminsilence，thoughhereyeswereshining。
\"Goodmorning，Mr。Brown，\"sheobserved，gravely。
Theassistantmurmuredagoodmorning，fromforceofhabit。
\"There’sanotherpieceyouhaven’tpickedup，\"continuedthevisitor，pointing。
Brownpickedupthepiece。
\"IsMr。Atkinsin？\"inquiredthegirl。
\"Yes，he’s——he’sin。\"
\"MayIseehim，please？\"
\"I——I——\"
\"Ifhe’sbusy，Icanwait。\"Sheseatedherselfinachair。\"Don’tletmeinterruptyou，\"shecontinued。\"Youwerebusy，too，weren’tyou？\"
\"Iwaswashingdishes，\"declaredBrown，savagely。
\"Oh！\"
\"Yes。Washingandsweepinganddoingscrubwoman’sworkaremyregularemployments。\"
\"Indeed！ThenI’mjustintimetohelp。Isthisthedishtowel？\"
regardingitdubiously。
\"Itis，butIdon’tneedanyhelp，thankyou。\"
\"Ofcourseyoudo。Everyoneisgladtobehelpedatdoingdishes。
ImayaswellmakemyselfusefulwhileI’mwaitingforMr。Atkins。\"
Shepickedupaplatterandproceededtowipeit，quiteasamatterofcourse。Brown，swearinginwardly，turnedfiercelytothesuds。
\"DidyouwishtoseeAtkinsonparticularbusiness？\"heasked，amomentlater。
\"Oh，no；Iwantedtomakehisacquaintance，that’sall。Horacetoldmesomanyinterestingthingsabouthim。Bytheway，wasitlastsummer，orthesummerbefore，thatyoumetmybrotherhere？\"
Noanswer。MissGrahamrepeatedherquestion。\"Wasitlastsummerorthesummerbefore？\"sheasked。
\"Oh——er——Idon’tremember。Lastsummer，Ithink。\"
\"Why，youmustremember。Howcouldanyoneforgetanythingthathappeneddownhere？Sofewthingsdohappen，Ishouldsay。Soyoumethimlastsummer？\"
\"Yes。\"
\"Hum！that’sodd。\"
\"ShallIcallAtkins？He’sinhisroom。\"
\"Isayitisodd，because，whenMrs。BascomandIfirstmetyou，youtoldusthiswasyourfirstsummerhere。\"
Therewasn’tanyanswertothis；atleasttheassistantcouldthinkofnoneatthemoment。
\"DoyouwishmetocallAtkins？\"heasked，sharply。\"He’sasleep，butIcanwakehim。\"
\"Oh！he’sasleep。NowIunderstandwhyyouwhisperevenwhenyousw——thatis，whenyoubreakaplate。Youwereafraidofwakinghim。Howconsiderateyouare。\"
Brownputdownthedishcloth。\"Itisn’taltogetherconsiderationforhim——orformyself，\"hesaidgrimly。\"Ididn’tcaretowakehimunlessyoutooktheresponsibility。\"
\"Why？\"
\"Because，MissGraham，SethAtkinstookthepositionoflightkeeperherealmostforthesolereasonthatnowomenevercamehere。Mr。
Atkinsisawoman-haterofthemostrabidtype。I’llwakehimupifyouwish，butIwon’tberesponsiblefortheconsequences。\"
Theyoungladystaredathiminsurprise，delightedsurpriseapparently，judgingbytheexpressionofherface。
\"Awoman-hater？\"sherepeated。\"Ishereally？\"
\"Heis。\"Mr。Brownneglectedtoaddthathealsohaddeclaredhimselfamemberofthesamefraternity。Perhapshethoughtitwasnotnecessary。
\"Awoman-hater！\"MissGrahamfairlybubbledwithmischievousjoy。
\"Oh，jolly！nowI’mCRAZYtomeethim！\"
Theassistantmovedtowardthehalldoor。\"Verygood！\"heobservedwithgrimdetermination。\"Ithinkhe’llcureyourlunacy。\"
Hishandwasoutstretchedtowardthelatch，whentheyoungladyspokeagain。
\"Waitaminute，\"shesaid。\"PerhapsIhadbetternotwakehimnow。\"
\"Justasyousay。Thepleasureis——orwillbe——entirelymine，I
assureyou。\"
\"No——o。Onthewhole，IthinkI’llwaituntillater。Imaycallagain。Goodmorning。\"
Shemovedacrossthethreshold。Then，standingonthemicaslabwhichwasthesteptothekitchendoor，sheturnedtosay：
\"Youdidn’tswimyesterday。\"
\"No——o。I——Iwasbusy。\"
\"Isee。\"
Shepaused，asifexpectinghimtosaysomethingfurtheronthesubject。Hewassilent。Hermannerchanged。
\"Goodmorning，\"shesaid，coldly，andwalkedoff。Theassistantwatchedherasshedescendedthepathtothecove，butshedidnotoncelookback。Brownthrewhimselfintoachair。Hehadneverhatedanyoneasthoroughlyashehatedhimselfatthemoment。
\"WhatacheerfulliarshemustthinkIam，\"hereflected。\"Shecaughtmeinthatfoolyarnaboutmeetingherbrotherherelastsummer；andnow，afterdeliberatelypromisingtoteachherthatstroke，Idon’tgonearher。WhatamiserableliarshemustthinkI
am！AndIguessIam。ByGeorge，Ican’tbesuchacad。I’vegottomakegoodsomehow。ImustgiveherONElesson。Imust。\"
Thetideservedforbathingaboutthreethatafternoon。AttenminutesbeforethathourthesubstituteassistantkeeperofEastboroTwin-Lightstiptoedsilentlytothebedroomofhissuperiorandpeepedin。Sethwassnoringpeacefully。Brownstealthilywithdrew。
Atthree，precisely，heemergedfromtheboathouseonthewharf，cladinhisbathingsuit。
Fifteenminutesafterthree，SethAtkins，inhisstockingfeetandwithsuspicioninhiseye，creptalongthepathtotheedgeofthebluff。Crouchingbehindaconvenientsandduneheraisedhisheadandpeeredoverit。
Belowhimwasthecove，itspleasantwatersasmooth，deepblue，streakedandborderedwithpalegreen。ButthewateritselfdidnotinterestSeth。Inthatwaterwashishelper，JohnBrown，ofnowhereinparticular，JohnBrown，thehateroffemales，busilyengagedinteachingayoungwomantoswim。
Atkinswatchedthisanimatedpictureforsomeminutes。Then，carefullycrawlingbackuptothepathuntilhewaswelloutofpossiblesightfromthecove，herosetohisfeet，raisedbothhands，andshooktheirclenchedfistsabovehishead。
\"Theliar！\"gratedMr。Atkins，betweenhisteeth。\"Thetraitor！
Theyoungblackguard！Aftertellin’methathe……Andaftermydoin’everythingforhimthat……Oh，byJudas，wait！onlywaittillhecomesback！I’LLl’arnhim！I’LLshowhim！Oh，byjiminycrimps！\"
Hestrodetowardthedoorwayofthekitchen。Therehestoppedshort。Awomanwasseatedinthekitchenrocker；astoutwoman，withherbacktowardhim。Theroom，incontrasttothebrightsunshinewithout，wasshadowy，andSeth，foraninstant，couldseeherbutindistinctly。However，heknewwhoshemustbe——thehousekeeperatthebungalow——\"Basket\"or\"Biscuit\"hishelperhadsaidwashername，asnearashecouldrememberit。Thelightkeepergroundhisteeth。Anotherfemale！Well，hewouldteachthisoneafewthings！
Hesteppedacrossthethreshold。
\"Ma’am，\"hebegan，sharply，\"perhapsyou’lltellmewhatyou——\"
Hestopped。Thestoutwomanhad，atthesoundofhisstep，risenfromthechair，andturnedtofacehim。Andnowshewasstaringathim，herfacealmostaswhiteasthestone-chinacupsandsaucersonthetable。
\"Why……why……SETH！\"shegasped。
Thelightkeeperstaggeredbackuntilhisshouldersstruckthedoorpost。
\"GoodLord！\"hecried；\"good……LORD！Why——why——EMELINE！\"
Foroveraminutethepairstaredateachother，whiteandspeechless。ThenMrs。Bascomhurriedtothedoor，dartedout，andfledalongthepatharoundthecovetothebungalow。Atkinsdidnotfollowher；hedidnotevenlookinthedirectionshehadtaken。
Instead，hecollapsedintherocking-chairandputbothhandstohishead。
CHAPTERX
THEBUNGALOWWOMAN
When，anhourlater，theswimmingteacher，hisguiltyconscienceprickinghim，andtheknowledgeofhavingbeenfalsetohissuperiorstrongwithinhim，camesneakingintothekitchen，hewasstartledandhorrifiedtofindthelightkeeperawakeanddressed。Mentallyhebracedhimselfforthebatteryofembarrassingquestionswhich，hefeltsure，heshouldhavetoanswer。Itmightbethathemustfacesomethingmoreseriousthanquestions。QuitepossibleSeth，findinghimabsent，hadinvestigated——andseen。Well，ifhehad，thenhehad，thatwasall。Themurderwouldbeout，andEastboroTwin-Lightswouldshortlybeshyasubstituteassistantkeeper。
Buttherewerenoembarrassingquestions。Atkinsscarcelynoticedhim。Seatedintherocker，helookedupastheyoungmanentered，andimmediatelylookeddownagain。Heseemedtobeinasortofwakingdreamandonlydimlyconsciousofhappeningsabouthim。
\"Hello！\"hailedtheassistant，withanassumptionofcasualcheerfulness。
\"Hey？Oh！howbeyou？\"wasMr。Atkins’sreply。
\"I’vebeenformydip，\"explainedBrown。\"Thewaterwasfineto-day。\"
\"Wanttoknow！\"
\"You’reupearly，aren’tyou？\"
\"Hey？Yes，IguesslikelyIbe。\"
\"What’swrong？Notsick，areyou？\"
\"No。CourseIain’tsick。Say！\"Sethseemedtotakeasuddeninterestintheconversation，\"youcomestraightupfromthecove，haveyou？\"
\"Yes。Why？\"
\"Youain’tbeenhangin’aroundoutsidehere，haveyou？\"
\"Hangingaroundoutside？Whatdoyoumean？\"
\"Nothin’。Whydoyoustandtherestarin’atmeasifIwassomesortofdimeshowcuriosity？Anythingqueeraboutme？\"
\"No。Ididn’tknowIwasstaring。\"Theyoungmanwasbewilderedbythisstrangebehavior。Hewaspreparedforsuspicionconcerninghisownactions；butSethseemedrathertobedefendinghimselffromsuspiciononthepartofhishelper。
\"Humph！\"Thelightkeeperlookedkeenlyathimforamoment。Thenhesaid：
\"Well，ain’ttherenothin’todobutstandaround？Gettin’prettynightosuppertime，ain’tit？Putthekettleonandsetthetable。\"
Itwasnotsuppertime，butBrownobeyedorders。Sethwenttocooking。Hespokeperhapsthreewordsduringtheculinaryoperations，andahalfdozenmoreduringthemeal，ofwhichheatescarcelyamouthful。Afteritwasover，heputonhiscapandwentout，nottohisusualloungingspot，thebench，buttowalkafullhalfmilealongtheedgeofthebluffandtheresitintheseclusionofaclumpofbayberrybushesandgazestonilyatnothinginparticular。Hereheremaineduntilthedeepeningduskremindedhimthatitwastimethelightswereburning。Returning，helitthelanternsandsatdownintheroomatthetopoftheleft-handtowertothink，andthink，andthink。
Theshadowsdeepened；thelastflushoftwilightfadedfromthewesternsky；thestarscameout；nightandtheblacksilenceofnightshroudedEastboroTwin-Lights。Theclockinthetowerroomtickedontonineandthentoten。StillSethsat，ahuddled，dazedfigureinthecampchair，bythegreatlantern。Atlastheroseandwentoutontheironbalcony。Helookeddownatthebuildingsbelowhim；theywereblackshapeswithoutaglimmer。Brownhadevidentlygonetobed。InthelittlestableJoshuathumpedthesideofhisstallonceortwice——dreaming，perhaps，thathewasagainpursuedbythefly-paperedJob——andsubsided。Atkinsturnedhisgazeacrosstheinlet。Intherearwindowofthebungalowadimlightstillburned。Ashewatched，itwasextinguished。Hegroanedaloud，and，withhisarmsontherailing，thoughtandthought。
Suddenlyheheardsounds，faint，butperceptible，abovethelowgrumbleofthesurf。Theywererepeated，thesoundsofbreakingsticks，asifsomeonewasmovingthroughthebriersandbushesbeyondthestable。Someonewasmovingthere，comingalongthepathfromtheupperendofthecove。Aroundthecornerofthestableabulkyfigureappeared。Itcameonuntilitstoodbeneaththebalcony。
\"Seth，\"calledalowvoice；\"Seth，areyouthere？\"
Foramomenttheagitatedlightkeepercouldnottrusthisvoicetoanswer。
\"Seth，\"repeatedthevoice；\"Seth。\"
Thefigurewasmovingoffinthedirectionoftheothertower。ThenSethanswered。
\"Here——hereIbe，\"hestammered，inahoarsewhisper。\"Whoisit？\"
Heknewwhoitwas，perfectlywell；thequestionwasquitesuperfluous。
\"It’sme，\"saidthevoice。\"Letmein，I’vegottotalktoyou。\"
Slowly，scarcelycertainthatthiswasnotapartofsomedreadfulnightmare，Sethdescendedtheironladdertothefootofthetower，draggedhisfalteringfeettothedoor，andslowlyswungitopen。
Thebulkyfigureenteredinstantly。
\"Shutthedoor，\"saidMrs。Bascom。
\"Hey？What？\"stammeredSeth。
\"Isay，shutthatdoor。Hurryup！Landsakes，HURRY！DoyousupposeIwantanybodytoknowI’mhere？\"
Thelightkeeperclosedthedoor。Theclangreverberatedthroughthetowerlikedistantthunder。Thevisitorstartednervously。
\"Mercy！\"sheexclaimed；\"whataracket！Whatmadeyouslamit？\"
\"Didn’t，\"grumbledSeth。\"Anykindofanoisesoundsupinhere。\"
\"Ishouldthinkasmuch。It’senoughtowakethedead。\"
\"Ain’tnobodyBUTthedeadtowakeinthisplace。\"
\"Yes，thereis；there’sthatyoungmanofyours，thatBrownone。Heain’tdead，ishe？\"
\"Humph！he’sasleep，andthat’snextdoortodead——withhim。\"
\"Well，I’mgladofit。Mynervesareprettysteadyasageneralthing，butIdeclareI’mallofatwitterto-night——andnowonder。
It’sdarkerthanapocketinhere。Can’twehavealight？\"
Atkinsstumbledacrossthestonefloorandtookthelanternfromthehookbythestairs。Hestruckamatch，anditwentout；hetriedanother，withthesameresult。Mrs。Bascomfidgeted。
\"Mercyonus！\"shecried；\"whatDOESailthething？\"
Seth’stremblingfingerscouldscarcelyholdthethirdmatch。Herakeditacrossthewhitewashedwallandbroketheheadshortoff。
\"Thundertomighty！\"hesnarled，underhisbreath。
\"ButwhatDOES——\"
\"Whatdoes？Whatdoyous’pose？Youain’ttheonlyonethat’sgotnerves，areyou？\"
Thenexttrialwassuccessful，andthelanternwaslighted。Withitinhishand，heturnedandfacedhiscaller。Theylookedateachother。Mrs。Bascomdrewalongbreath。
\"Itisyou，\"shesaid。\"Icouldn’tscarcelybelieveit。Itisreallyyou。\"
Seth’sanswerwasalmostagroan。\"It’syou，\"hesaid。\"You——downhere。\"
Thisendedtheconversationforanotherminute。Thentheladyseemedtoawaketotherealitiesofthesituation。
\"Yes，\"shesaid，\"it’sme——andit’syou。We’rehere，bothofus。
ThoughwhyonearthYOUshouldbe，Idon’tknow。\"
\"Me？Me？Why，Ibelonghere。Butyou——whatintimesentyouhere？
Unless，\"withreturningsuspicion，\"youcamebecauseI——\"
Hepaused，warnedbytheexpressiononhiscaller’sface。
\"Whatwasthat？\"shedemanded。