s, I suppose so. But what in the world----"

"I don't know. But I imagine we'll all know Monday. I'll look for you
then, Cap'n."

CHAPTER XI

The reading of the Knowles will, so Bradley had said, was to take place
at the lawyer's office in Orham on Monday. It was Friday when Bradley
called at the Minot place, and on Saturday morning Sears and Elizabeth
discussed the matter.

"Mr. Bradley said your name was on the list of those the judge asked to
be on hand when the will was read," said the captain. "He asked me not
to speak about the will to outsiders, and of course I haven't, but
you're not an outsider. You're goin' over, I suppose?"

She hesitated slightly. "Why, yes," she said. "I think I shall."

"Yes. Yes, I thought you would."

"I shall go because the judge seems to have wished me to be there, but
why I can't imagine. Can you, Cap'n Kendrick?"

Remembering his last conversation with Judge Knowles, Sears thought he
might at least guess a possible reason, but he did not say so.

"We're both interested in the Fair Harbor," he observed. "And we know
how concerned the judge was with that."

She nodded. "Yes," she admitted. "Still I don't see why mother was not
asked if that was it. You are going over, of course?"

"Why--yes, I shall. Bradley seemed to want me to."

That was all, at the time. The next day, however, Elizabeth again
mentioned the subject. It was in the afternoon, church and dinner were
over, and Sears was strolling along the path below the Fair Harbor
garden plots. He could walk with less difficulty and with almost no pain
now, but he could not walk far. The Eyrie was, for a wonder,
unoccupied, so he limped up to it and sat down upon the bench inside to
rest. This was the favorite haunt of the more romantic Fair Harbor
inmates, Miss Snowden and Mrs. Chase especially, but they were not there
just then, although a book, _Barriers Burned Away_, by E. P. Roe, lay
upon the bench, a cardboard marker with the initials "E. S." in
cross-stitch, between the leaves. When the captain heard a step
approaching the summer-house, he judged that Elvira was returning to
reclaim her "Barriers." But it was not Elvira who entered the Eyrie, it
was Elizabeth Berry.

She was surprised to see him. "Why, Cap'n Sears!" she exclaimed. "I
didn't expect to find you here. I was afraid--that is, I did rather
think I might find Elvira, but not you. I didn't know you had the Eyrie
habit."

He smiled. "I haven't,