the houses were alight when
he pulled up at the judge's door.

The judge himself answered the knock, or series of knocks. He seemed
much surprised to find the keeper of Eastboro Twin-Lights standing on
his front step.

"Why, hello, Atkins!" he cried. "What in the world are you doing over
here? a night like this!"

"Has--has Mrs. Bascom been here? Is she here now?" panted Seth
anxiously.

"Mrs. Bascom? Who is Mrs. Bascom?"

"She--she's a friend of mine. She and--and a relation of hers was comin'
over here to see you on business. Ain't they here? Ain't they been
here?"

"No. No one has been here this afternoon. I've been in since one
o'clock, and not a soul has called, on business or otherwise."

The lightkeeper could scarcely believe it.

"You're sure?" he demanded.

"Certainly. If they came before one my wife would have told me, I think.
I'll ask her."

"No, no," hastily. "You needn't. If they ain't been since one they ain't
been. But I don't understand. . . . There's no other lawyer nigh here,
is there?"

"No; none nearer than Bayport."

"My land! My LAND! Then--then I'm out of soundin's somehow. They never
came for it, after all."

"Came for what?"

"Nothin', nothin', I guess," with a sickly smile. "I've made some sort
of mistake, though I don't know how. Benije must have . . . I'll break
that feller's neck; I will!"

The lawyer began to share the blacksmith's opinion that his caller had
gone crazy.

"Come in, Atkins," he urged. "Come in out of the wet. What IS the
matter? What are you doing here at this time of night so far from the
Lights? Is it anything serious? Come in and tell me about it."

But Seth, instead of accepting the invitation, stared at him aghast.
Then, turning about, he leaped down the steps, ran to the wagon and
climbed in.

"Giddap!" he shouted. Poor, tired Joshua lifted his clay-daubed hoofs.

"You're not going back?" cried Gould. "Hold on, Atkins! Wait!"

But Seth did not wait. Already he had turned his horse's head toward
Eastboro, and was driving off. The lawyer stood still, amazedly looking
after him. Then he went into the house and spent the next quarter of an
hour trying to call the Twin-Lights by telephone. As the northeast wind
had finished what the northwest one had begun and the wire was down,
his attempt was unsuccessful. He gave it up after a time and sat down to
discuss the astonishing affair with his wife. He was worried.

But his worriment was as nothin