"

"Well, he is 'most everybody, so far as Miss Bertha is concerned; and
I'd rather tumbled overboard in December than have that fire happen just
now."

"You were not there when the fire broke out," said Fanny, with a strong
effort to satisfy her boatman.

"That's the very reason why they will lay it to me. They will say I set
the boat-house afire, and then ran away on purpose."

"I can say you were with me when the fire broke out, and that I know you
didn't do it," replied Fanny.

"That will do; but I would give all my old shoes to know how the fire
took, myself."

"No matter how it took."

"Yes, it is matter, Miss Fanny. I want to know. There wasn't any fire in
the building when I left it."

"Perhaps somebody stopped there in a boat, and set it on fire."

"Perhaps they did; but I know very well they didn't," answered Noddy,
positively. "There hasn't been any boat near the pier since we left it."

"Perhaps Ben left his pipe among those shavings."

"Ben never did that. He would cut his head off sooner than do such a
thing. He is as scared of fire as he is of the Flying Dutchman."

"Don't say anything more about it. Now row over to Whitestone as quick
as you can," added Fanny, petulantly.

"I'm not going over to Whitestone, after what has happened. I shouldn't
have a bit of fun if I went."

"Very well, Noddy; then you may get out of the scrape as you can," said
the young lady, angrily.

"What scrape?"

"Why, they will accuse you of setting the boat-house afire; and you told
Ben you wished it was burned down."

"But I didn't set it afire."

"Who did, then?"

"That's just what I want to find out. That's what worries me; for I
can't see how it happened, unless it took fire from that bucket of water
I left on the floor."

Fanny was too much disturbed by the conduct of her boatman, or by some
other circumstance, to laugh at Noddy's joke; and the brilliant sally
was permitted to waste itself without an appreciative smile. She sat
looking at the angry flames as they devoured the building, while her
companion vainly attempted to hit upon a satisfactory explanation of the
cause of the fire. Noddy was perplexed; he was absolutely worried, not
so much by the probable consequences to himself of the unfortunate
event, as by the cravings of his own curiosity. He did not see how it
happened; and if a potent juggler had performed a wonderful feat in his
presence, he could not have been more exercised in mind t