ed the island. For
these hard-working people, though living in hovels and wearing clothing
a tramp would almost disdain, were frugal, and each and all had
something saved for a rainy day. The wisest had, from time to time, sent
their savings ashore by Captain Roby to deposit in a savings bank;
others kept a few dollars hid in bedticks or similarly secreted; but
now, solely because Jess Hutton, the oracle of the island, was known to
have invested in this stock and received such fabulous returns, all were
anxious to follow his lead. A little spice of envy crept in also at his
good luck, and Mrs. Moore, in chatting with a neighbor, voiced it.

"It's allus the way," she said plaintively, "when Jess bought that ledge
o' stun from Gad Baker an' gin him a hundred dollars for't, 'most
everybody thought he was a fool, and now 'long comes this city man and
gives him two thousand for't, an' on top o' that Jess buys some o' this
stock an' gets a hundred dollars profit fust go-off. Here I've been
cookin' an' washin', year in an' year out, an' jist keepin' soul 'n'
body together, an' the boys spendin' every cent they airned--not thet
I'm complainin' on them, only if I had five hundred laid away I might
put in as much as Jess did. It don't seem right, that it don't!
Howsoever, it's the way o' the world, an' them as has, gits."

Little did hard-working Widow Moore realize when Dame Fortune was good
to her!

But Winn was the most worried person on the island, and his burden the
heavier to bear since he dared not hint his suspicions to any one. To
all who came and almost begged him to take their savings in exchange for
stock he made only one reply, "We have no more to sell," and had there
been a stock exchange on the island, Rockhaven would have soared to
twenty dollars a share, so eager were those credulous people to invest.

Then another incident of life began to interest them, and, though Winn
knew it not, his attentions to Mona began to create gossip, more
especially as he was the actual and present representative of a rich
corporation. His walking to and from church with her, the hours he had
spent in her home, and more than these, the summer evening strolls up to
the old tide mill, to linger and watch the moonlight on the water, had
all been noticed and commented upon. For these people, albeit they
worked hard and lived poorly, intuitively knew where Cupid hid himself
and how and when he shot his arrows. It was all right, of cou