n't put
the fact into words. I'm clean out of patience with him. Why, one day
he actually had the face to come in here an' ask me to tell her--_me_!
What do you think of that?"

Robert Morton chuckled at his companion's rage.

"Did you?"

"Did I?" repeated Willie with scorn. "Can you see me doin' it? No,
siree! I just up an' told Jack Nickerson if he warn't man enough to do
his own courtin' he warn't man enough for any self-respectin' woman to
marry. An' furthermore, I said he needn't step foot over the sill of
this shop 'till he'd took some action in the matter. That hit him
pretty hard, I can tell you, 'cause he used to admire to come in here
an' set round whenever he warn't on duty. But he saw I meant it, an'
he ain't been since."

The old man paused.

"I kinder bit off my own nose when I took that stand," he admitted, an
intonation of regret in his tone, "'cause Jack's mighty good company.
Still, there was nothin' for it but firm handlin'."

"How long ago did you cast him out?" Bob asked with a chuckle.

"Oh, somethin' over a week or ten days ago," was the reply. "I thought
he might have made some progress by now. But I ain't given up hope of
him yet. He's been sorter quiet the last two times I've seen him, an'
I figger he's mullin' things over, an' mebbe screwin' up his courage."

The room was still save for the purr of the plane.

"I suppose you will be marrying Miss Hathaway off some day," observed
Bob a trifle self-consciously, without raising his eyes from his work.

"You bet I won't," came emphatically from the old inventor. "I've got
some courage but not enough for that. You see, the man that marries
her has got to have the nerve to face the whole village--brave Zenas
Henry, the three captains, an' Abbie Brewster, besides winnin' the girl
herself. 'Twill be some contract. No, you can be mortal sure I shan't
go meddlin' in no such love affair as that. Anyhow, I won't be needed,
for any man that Delight Hathaway would look at twice will be perfectly
capable of meetin' all comers; don't you worry."

With this dubious comfort Willie stamped with spirit out of the shop.

CHAPTER VII

A SECOND SPIRIT APPEARS

Days came and went, days golden and blue, until a week had passed, and
although Robert Morton haunted the post-office, nothing was heard from
the jeweler to whom he had sent the silver buckle. Neither did the
eager young man catch even a fleeting glimpse of its owner. I