ost him."

The boy's eyebrows contracted sharply. "What a beastly shame," he said,
"I mean for both of you." He included Martin because he liked him now,
reading between the lines. He must be an awfully decent chap who had
had a pretty bad time.

"Yes," said Joan, "it is, for both of us." And she was grateful to him
for such complete understanding,--grateful for Martin, too. They might
have been brothers, these boys. "But for you, Easthampton would have
been impossible," she added. "I don't mean the house or the place or
the sea, which is glorious. I mean from what I have forced myself to
do. I came down labelled 'Who Cares?' caring all the time, and just to
share my hurt with some one I've made Gilbert care too. He's in an ugly
mood. I feel that he'll make me pay some day--in full. But I'm not
afraid to be alone now and drop my bluff because I believe Martin is
waiting for me and is back in armor again with your cousin. And I
believe the old look will come into his eyes when he sees me, and he'll
hear me ask him to forgive and we'll go back and play at keeping house
in earnest. Harry, I believe that. Little as I deserve it I'm going to
have another chance given to me,--every mile we go I feel that! After
all, I'm awfully young and I've kept my slate clean and I ought to be
given another chance, oughtn't I?"

Harry nodded and presently brought the car to a stop under the shadow
of the little clubhouse. Half a dozen other cars were parked there, and
a colored chauffeur was sitting on the steps of the back entrance, fast
asleep with his chin on his chest. The small but vigorous orchestra was
playing a fox-trot on the far veranda, and the sound of shuffling feet
resembled that of a man cleaning something with sandpaper. There was an
army of flies on the screen door of the kitchen and on several
galvanized iron bins stuffed with ginger-ale bottles and orange peel.

"We'll leave the car here," said Harry, "and go and have a look for the
cottage. It'll be easy to find. There aren't many of 'em, if I remember
right."

Joan took his arm. She had begun to tremble. "Let's go this way first,"
she said, going the right way by instinct.

"If they're in," said Harry, "and I should guess they are.--there's no
wind,--I'll draw old Howard off for an hour or so."

"Yes, please do, Harry."

And they went up the sandy incline, over the thick undergrowth, and the
sun blazed down on the shining water, and half a dozen canvas-covered