ey? How peevish! Atkins, you're not married?"

It was an innocent question, but it had an astonishing effect. The
lightkeeper bounced on the bench as if someone had kicked it violently
from beneath.

"What?" he quavered shrilly. "Wha--what's that?"

Brown was surprised. "I asked if you were married, that's all," he said.
"I can't see--"

"Stop!" Seth's voice shook, and he bent down to glare through the
darkness at his companion's face. "Stop!" he ordered. "You asked me if I
was--married?"

"Yes. Why shouldn't I?"

"Why shouldn't you? See here, young feller, you--you--what made you ask
that?"

"What made me?"

"Stop sayin' my words after me. Are you a man or a poll-parrot? Can't
you understand plain United States language? What made you? Or WHO made
you? Who told you to ask me that question?"

He pounded the bench with his fist. The pair stared at each other for a
moment; then Brown leaned back and began to whistle. Seth seized him by
the shoulders.

"Quit that foolishness, d'you hear?" he snarled. "Quit it, and answer
me!"

The answer was prefaced by a pitying shake of the head.

"It's the mosquitoes," observed the young man, musingly. "They get
through and puncture the brain after a time, I presume. I'm not
surprised exactly, but," with a sigh, "I'm very sorry."

"What are you talkin' about," demanded Atkins. "Be you crazy?"

"No-o. I'M not."

"YOU'RE not! Do you mean that I am?"

"Well," slowly, "I'm not an expert in such cases, but when a perfectly
simple, commonplace question sets a chap to pounding and screaming and
offering violence, then--well, it's either insanity or an attempt at
insult, one or the other. I've given you the benefit of the doubt."

He scratched a match on his heel and relit his pipe. The lightkeeper
still stared, suspicious and puzzled. Then he drew a long breath.

"I--I didn't mean to insult you," he stammered.

"Glad to hear it, I'm sure. If I were you, however, I should see a
doctor for the other trouble."

"And I ain't crazy, neither. I beg your pardon for hollerin' and
grabbin' hold of you."

"Granted."

"Thank ye. Now," hesitatingly, "would you mind tellin' me why you asked
me if I was married?"

"Not in the least. I asked merely because it occurred to me that you
might be. Of course, I had seen nothing of your wife, but it was
barely possible that she was away on a visit, or somewhere. There is no
regulation forbidding lightkeepers marrying--at least, I nev