Part 15 (1/2)

The brown derby was stuck fast in the bare branches of an ancient lilac bush which some wors.h.i.+per of former time had planted by the church door.

Galusha rose and limped over to rescue his truant property.

”It blew off,” he began, but the masculine half of the pair who had witnessed his flight from the top to the bottom of the bank, came forward. He was a dark-haired young man, with a sunburned, pleasant face.

”Say, that was a tumble!” he declared. ”I hope you didn't hurt yourself.

No bones broken, or anything like that?”

Galusha shook his head. ”No-o,” he replied, somewhat doubtfully. ”No, I think not. But, dear me, what a foolish thing for me to do!”

The young man spoke again.

”Sure you're not hurt?” he asked. ”Let me brush you off; you picked up a little mud on the way down.”

Galusha looked at the knees of his trousers.

”So I did, so I did,” he said. ”I don't remember striking at all on the way, but I could scarcely have acc.u.mulated all that at the bottom. Thank you, thank you!... Why, dear me, your face is quite familiar! Haven't we met before?”

The young fellow smiled. ”I guess we have,” he said. ”I put you aboard Lovetts' express wagon Friday afternoon and started you for Wellmouth Centre. I didn't expect to see you over here in East Wellmouth.”

Galusha adjusted his spectacles--fortunately they were not broken--and looked at the speaker.

”Why, of course!” he cried. ”You are the young man who was so kind to me when I got off at the wrong station. You are the station man at--ah--at South Wellmouth, isn't it?”

”That's right.”

”Dear me! Dear me! Well, I don't wonder you were surprised to have me--ah--alight at your feet just now. We-ll,” with his quiet smile, ”I seem to have a habit of making unexpected appearances. I surprised Miss Phipps on Friday evening almost as greatly.”

”Miss Phipps? Martha Phipps, Cap'n Jim's daughter; lives over here by the light, do you mean?”

”Why--why, yes her name is Martha, I believe.”

”But how in the world did you get--”

His companion interrupted him. ”Why, Nelson,” she cried, ”he must be the one--the man who is staying at Martha's. Don't you know I told you Primmie said there was some one there who was sick?”

Galusha looked at her. She was young, not more than nineteen or twenty, slender, brown-haired and pretty. The young man spoke again.

”But Lulie,” he said, ”he isn't sick. You aren't sick, are you?”

addressing Galusha.

”My health has not been good of late,” replied the latter, ”and after my long walk on Friday evening I was rather done up. But I'm not ill at present, although,” with a return of his faint smile, ”I probably shall be if I continue to--ah--fly, as I did just now.”

The young woman broke into an irresistible trill of laughter. The South Wellmouth station agent joined her. Galusha smiled in a fatherly fas.h.i.+on upon them both.

”I had quite a series of adventures after leaving you,” he went on.

”Quite a series--yes.”

He told briefly of his losing his way, of his meeting with Raish Pulcifer, of his tramp in the rain, and of his collapse in the Phipps'