r Lulie and her father. If the old cap'n had
found me hiding in that front hall I don't know what he might have done,
or tried to do. And I don't know what effect it might have had on him.
He was--well, judging from what I could hear, he was in a state that
was--that was pretty near to--to--"

While he was hesitating Martha Phipps finished the sentence. "To what
they put people in asylums for," she said, emphatically. "He was, there
is no doubt about that. It's a mercy he didn't find you, Nelson. And if
I were you I wouldn't take any such chances again."

"I shan't, you needn't worry. When Lulie and I meet after this it will
be--Humph! well, I don't know where it will be. Even the graveyard
doesn't seem to be safe. But I must go. Tell Lulie I got away safe and
sound, thanks to Mr. Bangs here. And tell her to 'phone me to-morrow.
I'm anxious about Cap'n Jeth. Sometimes I think it might be just as well
if I went straight to him and told him--"

Again Martha interrupted.

"My soul, no!" she exclaimed. "Not now, not till he gets that 'small
dark man' notion out of his head."

"I suppose you're right. And Mr. Bangs has set him guessing on that,
too. Honestly, Mr. Bangs, you've just about saved--well, if you haven't
saved everybody's life you've come pretty near to saving the cap'n's
reason, I do believe. How Lulie and I can ever thank you enough I don't
know."

Galusha turned red. "Ah--ah--don't--ah--please don't," he stammered. "It
was just--ah--a silly idea of mine. On the spur of the moment it came to
me that--ah--that the medium person hadn't said WHO the small, dark man
was. And as I am rather dark perhaps--and small, certainly--it occurred
to me to claim identity. Almost every one else had received some sort
of--ah--spirit message and, you see, I didn't wish to be neglected."

"Well, it was the smartest dodge that I ever heard of. By jingo, it was!
Say, you don't suppose Cap'n Jeth will take it seriously and begin to
get down on YOU, do you?"

Martha looked grave. "I was wonderin' that myself," she said.

Galusha smiled. "Oh, dear no," he said. "I think there is no danger of
that, really. But, Mr. Howard, in regard to that--ah--cap of yours, I...
Eh?... Um... Why, dear me, I wonder--"

"Why is it you wonder, Mr. Bangs?" asked Martha, after a moment's wait.

"Why--ah--considering that that cap of Mr. Howard's is one which, so
you and he say, he is in the habit of wearing, and that many people have
often see