old bird couldn't see
no more. Now, who would ha' told him Jerry was blind?"

There were a few other things about the returned Cap'n Abe that might
have amazed his neighbors. He seemed to possess an almost uncanny
knowledge of what had happened during the summer. Besides, he seemed
to have achieved Cap'n Amazon's manner of "looking down" a too
inquisitive inquirer into personal affairs and refusing to answer.

Because of this, perhaps, nobody was ever known to ask the storekeeper
why he had filled his sea chest with bricks and useless dunnage when he
shipped it to Boston. That mystery was never explained.

Before Louise and her father were ready to leave Cardhaven most of the
summer residents along The Beaches, including Aunt Euphemia, had gone.
And the moving picture company had also flown.

With the latter went Gusty Durgin, bravely refusing to have her
artistic soul trammeled any longer by the claims of hungry boarders at
the Cardhaven Inn.

"I don't never expect to be one of these stars on the screen," she
confided to Louise. "But I can make a good livin', an' ma's childern
by her second husband, Mr. Vleet, has got to be eddicated.

"I'm goin' to make me up a fancy name and make a repertation. They
ain't goin' to call me 'Dusty Gudgeon' no more. Miss Louder tells me I
can 'bant'--whatever that is--to take down my flesh, and mebbe you'll
see me some day, Miss Lou, in a re'l ladylike part. An' I can always
cry. Even Mr. Bane says I'm wuth my wages when it comes to the tearful
parts."

The Tapps were flitting to Boston, Mrs. Tapp and the girls sure of
"getting in" with the proper set at last. Their summer's campaign,
thanks to Louise, had been successful to that end.

Louise and Lawford walked along the strand below the cottages. The
candy cutting machine had proved a success and Lawford was giving his
attention to a new "mechanical wrapper" for salt water taffy that would
do away with much hand labor.

On the most prominent outlook of Tapp Point were piles of building
material and men at work. The pudgy figure of I. Tapp was visible
walking about, importantly directing the workmen.

"It's going to be a most, wonderful house, Louise dear," sighed
Lawford. "Do you suppose you can stand it? The front elevation looks
like a French chateau of the Middle Ages, and there ought to be a moat
and a portcullis to make it look right."

"Never mind," she responded cheerfully. "We won't have to live in