in Mr. Phillips smiled.

"Why, nothing in particular, my dear sir," he replied. "Perhaps nothing
at all.... I had heard--mere rumor, no doubt--that you contemplated
giving up your position as superintendent here. I trust it is not true?"

"It isn't."

"I am delighted to hear you say so. We--we of the Harbor--should miss
you greatly."

"Thanks. Do you mind telling me who told you I was goin' to give up the
superintendent's position?"

"Why, I don't remember. It came to my ears, it seemed to be a sort of
general impression. Of course, now that you tell me it is not true I
shall take pains to deny it. And permit me to express my gratification."

"Just a minute. Did they say--did this general impression say why I was
givin' up the job?"

"No-o, no, I think not. I believe it was hinted that you were not well
and--perhaps somewhat tired--a little discouraged--that sort of thing.
As I say, it was mere rumor."

Sears smiled now--that is, his lips smiled, his eyes were grave enough.

"Well," he observed, deliberately, "if you have a chance, Mr. Phillips,
you can tell those mere rumorers that I'm not tired at all. My health is
better than it has been for months. So far from bein' discouraged, you
can tell 'em that--well, you know what Commodore Paul Jones told the
British cap'n who asked him to surrender; he told him that he had just
begun to fight. That's the way it is with me, Mr. Phillips, I've just
begun to fight."

The cane was lifted from the flower bed. Egbert nodded in polite
appreciation.

"Really?" he said. "How interesting, Captain!"

Kendrick nodded, also. "Yes, isn't it?" he agreed. "Were you goin' into
the Harbor, Phillips? So am I. We'll walk along together."

But that night he went to his bed in better spirits. Egbert's little dig
had been the very thing he needed, and now he knew it. He had been
discouraged; in spite of his declaration in his letter to Elizabeth
Berry, he had wished that it were possible to run away from the Fair
Harbor and everything connected with it. But now--now he had no wish of
that kind. If Judge Knowles could rise from the grave and bid him quit
he would not do it.

Quit? Not much! Like Paul Jones, he had just begun to fight.

CHAPTER XV

But there was so little that was tangible to fight, that was the
trouble. If Mr. Egbert Phillips was the villain of the piece he was such
a light and airy villain that it was hard to take him seriously enough.
Even when Kendr