the time.
Where was he when they saw him first?"

"Over on our property. In the Fair Harbor grounds, I mean. He came out
of the bushes, so Elvira and Aurora say, and spoke to them. Insulted
them, Elvira says."

"Sho! Well, well! I wonder where he went."

"I can't think. I supposed of course you must have seen him. It was only
a little while ago, not more than an hour. Have you been here all that
time?"

"Yes, I've been here for the last two hours. What part of your grounds
was it? Would you like to have me go over there and look around?"

"No, thank you. You are very kind, but I am sure it won't be necessary.
He has gone by now, of course."

"I should be glad to try." Then, noticing her glance at his limp, he
added: "Oh, I can navigate after a fashion, well enough for a short
cruise like that. But it is funny that, if there was a tramp there such
a little while ago, I didn't run afoul of him. Why, I was over there
myself."

"You were?"

"Yes, you see, I----"

He stopped short. He had been about to tell of his short walk and how he
had inadvertently trespassed within the Fair Harbor boundaries. But
before he could speak the words a sudden and amazing thought flashed
upon him.

"Eh?" he cried. "Why--why, I wonder----"

His visitor was leaning forward. Judging by her expression, she, too,
was experiencing a similar sensation of startled surmise.

"Why----" repeated the captain.

"Oh!" exclaimed the young woman.

"You don't suppose----"

"It couldn't possibly be that----"

"Wait a minute, please. Just a minute." Sears held up his hand. "Where
did those folks of yours see this tramp? Were they in a--in a kind of
roundhouse--summer-house, you might call it?"

"Why, yes. They were in the Eyrie."

"That's it, the Eyrie. And is one of the--er--ladies rather tall and
narrow in the beam, gray-haired, and speaks quick and--school-marmy?"

"Yes. That is Miss Elvira Snowden."

"Of course--Elvira. That's what the other one called her. And she--the
other one--is short and broad and--and hard of hearin'?"

"Yes. Her name is Aurora Chase. Is it possible that you----"

"Just a second more. Has this short one got a--a queer sort of hair rig?
Black as tar and with kind of--of wrinkles in it?"

She smiled at this description. "Yes," she said. "Do you mean that _you_
are----"

"The tramp? I guess likely I am. I was over on your premises just a
little while ago and met those two ladies."

"But you can't be.