Galusha crossed the bridge and approached along the path. The stranger heard his step and turned.
"Good-afternoon," said Galusha.
The man nodded and returned the greeting.
"Nice view from here," he observed. Galusha agreed that the view was very nice, indeed. He pa.s.sed on and turned to climb the bluff. Then the stranger called to him.
"Excuse me," he said. "But may I ask you a question or two? Don"t want to keep you if you are in a hurry, though."
Galusha declared himself to be not in the least hurried. The man walked toward him.
"Are you acquainted about here?" he asked.
"Why--why--ah--yes, to some extent. Yes."
"I mean do you know the lay of the land in this vicinity?"
"Why--ah--yes, I think so. Fairly well."
"I see. Can you tell me how much water there is in that channel out yonder?" He pointed toward the mouth of the inlet, where the two lines of creaming breakers approached each other, but did not meet.
"No--no, I am sorry, but I can"t."
"How deep is it off here opposite where we"re standing?"
"Dear me! I"m afraid I don"t know that, either. When you asked concerning the lay of the land I didn"t understand you meant the--ah--lay of the water. I"m very sorry."
The man laughed. "That"s all right," he said. "Asked my question the wrong way, didn"t I? Well, tell me a little about the land, then. Are the woods the other side of that hill or only on this?"
Galusha informed him concerning the extent of the pine grove. The stranger asked some questions about the course of the creek above the bridge, the distance from the main highway, whether the land beyond the hill was settled or unoccupied. His final question was concerning the Restabit Inn.
"Any other hotels around here within ten miles?" he asked. When told there were not, he merely nodded, making no comment.
"Well, I"m much obliged," he said. "I was just loafing around and a little curious, that"s all. Thanks. Hope I haven"t kept you too long.
Good-day."
Galusha followed the winding path up the face of the high bluff. When, having reached its top, he paused to get fresh breath in place of that he had lost, he looked down and saw his questioner standing where he had left him and, apparently, still admiring the view.
The following afternoon they saw each other again. This time the stranger was on the other side of the creek, wandering about at the edge of the pine grove. He acknowledged Galusha"s bow with a wave of the hand, but he did not come nearer to ask more questions.
That evening, at the supper table, Mr. Bangs mentioned the meeting.
Primmie, who prided herself upon knowing every visitor in town and where he or she came from, was ready with the information in this case.
"I know who he is," she declared. "His name"s Williams and him and his wife"s stoppin" at the Restabit. They never meant to stay there only one night, but his automobile blowed up or busted out somethin" and they had to send to Boston to get a new one. It"s a dreadful expensive kind of a one, the auto is, one of them--them Pieced-Arrows, all upholstery and drapery window curtains and places to put bouquets and your feet in winter to warm "em--your feet, I mean, not the bouquets--and--"
"There, there, Primmie," said Martha. "That will do. For mercy sakes, how did you find out all that?"
"Their chauffeur told me. I know him, too. Him and me was introduced last night when he stopped in to get a drink of water. His name is Kelly, and he--"
"Wait a minute. When you and he were introduced, you say? Who introduced you?"
"Why, he did, Miss Martha. You see, he was comin" along by and he see me out settin" on the side steps, you know. And he stopped and he says: "You look lonesome" he says. "Well," says I, "I may LOOK so, but I ain"t; my savin" soul, no!" Then he wanted to know if he couldn"t have a drink of water and, of course--"
"Yes, I see--of course. I think you had better sit in the house this evenin", Primmie."
The "Pieced-Arrow" car, with Mr. Kelly on the driver"s seat and Mr. and Mrs. Williams inside, left East Wellmouth at the end of that week. Yet once more before the season closed Galusha fancied that he caught a glimpse of that car"s owner. The time was the first week in September and Galusha, returning later than usual along the path from South Wellmouth, saw two figures walking along the beach of the inlet. They were a good way off, but one certainly did resemble Williams as he remembered him. The brisk step was like his and the swing of the heavy shoulders. The other figure had seemed familiar, too, but it disappeared behind a clump of beach-plum bushes and did not come out again during the time that Galusha remained in sight. On reflection the latter decided that he was mistaken. Of course, Williams could not be one of the pair, having left the Cape. It was too dark to see plainly; and, after all, it made little difference whether it was he or not. Mr. Bangs stopped speculating on the subject and promptly forgot it entirely.
On the morning after Labor Day there was a general exodus of city sojourners from the Inn and on September 15 it closed its doors. The weather was still beautiful and mild, even more so than during the previous month, but East Wellmouth"s roads and lanes were no longer crowded. The village entered upon its intermediate season, that autumn period of quiet and restful beauty, which those who know and love the Cape consider most delightful of the year.
Galusha enjoyed its beauties hugely. He could stroll where he pleased now and no charging and bellowing motor car was likely to awaken him from his daydreams and cause him to leap frantically into the gutter.
Sunsets over the western dunes and the Bay were hazily wonderful fantasies of crimson and purple and gold and sapphire, with the nets and poles of the distant fish weirs scattered here and there about the placid water like bits of fairy embroidery. And then to end his walk by turning in at the Phipps" gate; the lamplight in the cozy dining room shining a welcome and Martha"s pleasant, attractive face above the teacups. It was like coming home, like coming to a real home, his home.
He dreaded to think of leaving it--even for his loved science and the promised "great plan" which the Inst.i.tute people were to present him that very fall or winter.
He had heard nothing further from them concerning the plan, but he knew he was likely to hear at any moment. He was well, perfectly well now, and stronger than he had been for a long, long time. He felt himself abundantly able to take charge of an exploring expedition, or to reorganize a department, to do anything which the Inst.i.tute might ask him to do. His guess was that the plan was for another archaeological expedition, one to go farther afield and equipped for more thorough research than any yet sent out. He himself had urged the need of such an expedition many times, but when the war came all such ideas were given up. The giving up had been, on his part, although he realized the necessity which prompted it and even urged the yielding to that necessity, a bitter disappointment.
And now--well, now he could not seem to arouse an atom of real enthusiasm. He should be too excited to sleep, but he did sleep well.
When he dreamed of Egypt and the tombs of the Ptolemies, there was always a Cape Cod cottage in the foreground. And the cottage never varied in design; it was always the "Phipps" place," and its mistress was always standing in the doorway. That was the great trouble, he knew it. He was going to be homesick for that cottage and its contents. If they might only be transferred with him to Egypt, then the land of the Pharaohs would be even more paradisical than he used to think it.
He told Martha of the promised plan and its call to duty. Oddly enough, thereafter they discussed it but little. Other subjects, although mere commonplaces, they seemed to find more interesting. One evening, however, they were together in the sitting room and Martha said:
"I noticed you got a letter from Washin"ton to-day, Mr. Bangs."
Galusha nodded. "Yes," he said. "It wasn"t a letter exactly. Merely another of the regular reports, that is all."
"I see.... Well, I suppose you will be hearin" from them pretty soon about--about that other matter. The plan they told you they had for you."
He nodded again. "Dear me, yes," he agreed. "I suppose I shall."
"Why do you say "Dear me"? You want to hear, don"t you? It will be a wonderful thing for you, I should think. It is sure to be somethin" you will like, because they said so in their letter."
"Yes--ah--yes."
Both were silent for a brief interval, then Martha said:
"I presume likely I shall be sittin" here in this very room this winter, doin" just the very same thing I"m doin" now, knittin" or sewin", with everything just as it is, cat and plants and Primmie and all the everyday things I"ve been amongst all my life. And you"ll be away off, goodness knows where, among goodness knows what sorts of queer people and queer places.... Well," she added, with a smile, "you won"t have any one to fret you about whether you put on rubbers or not. That"ll be a comfort for you, at any rate."
He did not seem to find great comfort in the prospect.
"I shall not put them on," he said. "I know I sha"n"t. I shall forget all about them, and forget to eat at regular times, and to--ah--keep my head covered in the sun. Why, do you know," he added, in a burst of confidence and quite as if he had not said the same thing before, "when I am by myself I always forget things like that, things that real people--ah--normal people, remember. Then I have--ah--indigestion and headaches and all sorts of miserable ailments. I shall forget again, of course, and my friends, the normal ones, will tell me, as they always do, that I need a--ah--keeper, so to speak. Oh, dear, yes."
She was indignant. "A keeper!" she repeated. "The idea! I do wish you wouldn"t keep speakin" of yourself as simple-minded or crazy, Mr. Bangs.
You are absent-minded, I know, but what of it? Whose business is that?"
He rubbed his chin. "Why, here," he observed, smiling slightly, "you have been kind enough to make it YOUR business, Miss Martha. The reason I do not have--ah--sunstrokes and colds and headaches here is that you take pains to see that I am protected against their causes. I realize that. And I realize, too," he added, "that in Egypt I shall miss your--your great kindness. I shall miss all this--this room and all--very much, indeed. I think--no, I know I have never spent such a pleasant year as this has been. And I fear I shall never spend another as pleasant."
She laughed, but she looked pleased, nevertheless.
"Nonsense!" she exclaimed. "You"ll have many more a great deal pleasanter, of course. You"re well now, Mr. Bangs, and good health makes such a difference. You will enjoy your work more than ever."