rtha went on talking. She apparently did not notice his silence. It
was more as if she were thinking aloud.

"If it wasn't for Lulie's bein' here," she said, slowly, "I don't know
what I should do sometimes, I get so lonesome. When father lived it was
all so different. He was bright and cheerful and he and I were just as
if we were the same age, as you might say. He never was cross and he
didn't fret and if he worried he didn't let me know it. He just loved
this place. It was near the salt water, and he loved that, and he had
his garden and his hens and he was interested in town affairs and all.
We didn't have much money, but we had enough, seemed so. Before he died
he told me he hoped he'd left me well enough off to get along. 'The only
thing that troubles me, Martha,' he said, 'is that some of the things
I've put money into shouldn't turn out as I hoped. I've tried to be
careful, but you can't always tell. If you want advice,' he said, 'go to
Jethro Hallett. Jeth's a shrewd business man.' Ah, well, he didn't know
that the spirits were goin' to run Cap'n Jeth. About the last words he
said to me, father, I mean, was, 'Martha, hang on to the old place if
you can. I hate to think of your sellin' it.' Of course I told him I
never should sell it."

"Well--ah--well--" Galusha felt that he ought to say something, "you
don't intend selling it, do you, Miss Phipps?"

Martha did not answer immediately. And when she did speak it was not a
reply.

"You must think we're a queer lot down here by the Bluffs, Mr. Bangs,"
she said. "Primmie--you've seen what she is--and Zach Bloomer and Cap'n
Jethro with his 'spirit revelations.' As I say, if it wasn't for Lulie
I don't know what I should do. Get to be cracked myself, I presume
likely.... But there," she added, brightening, "do let's change the
subject, for mercy sakes! Mr. Bangs, what do you suppose I did when
I was over at the light this afternoon? Besides talkin' with Lulie, I
mean."

"Why--why, I don't know, I'm sure."

"I don't believe you could guess, either. I looked up 'archaeologist' in
the dictionary."

Mr. Bangs blinked surprise behind the spectacles.

"In the--in the dictionary?" he repeated. "Oh--ah--dear me! Really!"

"Yes. I'm afraid you'll think I am awfully ignorant, but to save my soul
I couldn't think what an archaeologist did, what sort of a business
it was, I mean. Of course, I knew I OUGHT to know, and that I did know
once, but it seemed to be perfectly