I don't know that I quite
comprehend. Of what were you speaking, Captain Hallett?"

The captain explained. "Of course you think it's queer that I haven't
said a word about what Julia told us," he went on. "Eh? Don't you?"

"What--ah--what Miss Hoag said, you mean?"

"Plague take Marietta!" impatiently. "She wan't nothin' but the
go-between. 'Twas my wife that said it. You understand 'twas Julia, my
wife, talkin', don't you?"

"Why--ah--why--I suppose--"

"Suppose? Don't you KNOW 'twas?"

"Why--ah--no doubt, no doubt."

"Course there ain't any doubt. Well then, Julia said there was a dark
man heavin' a sort of evil influence over Lulie."

"She said a SMALL dark man, a stranger. And she said he was present
among us. So far as I can see I was the only small dark stranger."

"But you ain't an evil influence, are you?"

"Well, I--ah--hope not. Dear me, no!"

"I hope not, too, and I don't believe you are. No, there is some mistake
somewheres. 'Twas Nelson Howard she must have meant."

"But, Captain Hallett, Mr. Howard is not small."

"No, and he wan't there that evenin', neither. But I'm bettin' 'twas him
she meant just the same. Just the same."

"Do you think that is quite fair to Mr. Howard? If he isn't small, nor
very dark, and if he was not in your house that evening, how--"

"I don't know--I don't know. Anyhow, I don't believe she meant you, Mr.
Bangs. She couldn't have."

"But--ah--why not?"

"Because--well, because you couldn't be an evil influence if you tried,
you wouldn't know how. THAT much I'll bet on. There, there, don't let's
talk no more about it. Julia and me'll have another talk pretty soon and
then I'll find out more, maybe."

So that was the end of this portion of the conversation. The light
keeper positively refused to mention the subject again. Galusha was left
with the uneasy feeling that his brilliant idea of claiming to be
the small, dark influence for evil had not been as productive of good
results as he had hoped. Certainly it had not in the least shaken the
captain's firm belief in his spirit messages, nor had it, apparently,
greatly abated his prejudice against young Howard. On the other hand,
Lulie found comfort in the fact that in all other respects her father
seemed as rational and as keen as he had ever been. The exciting evening
with the Hoag spook had worked no lasting harm. For so much she and her
friends were grateful.

The autumn gales blew themselves out and blew i