The Woman-Haters
solved, and the trust between them mutual and without reserve, they no longer were on their guard in each other's presence, but talked freely on all sorts of to
uncertain status remained the same, there was a tacit understanding that, by the first of September, if the y
ith nobody to care a hang whether he lives or dies, but you're different. And even for me the lonesomeness of it drives me 'most crazy sometimes. I've noticed you've been ha
h the work on the Daisy M. and with his occasional trips behind Joshua to the village. Brown might have made some of these trips,
oro and attached it to the door of the boathouse on the little wharf. The lock was, at first, a good deal more of a nuisance than an advantage, for the key was always being forgotten o
nending as those of that early summer. The monotony was almost never broken, and he began to find it deadly. He inven
nce of the ancient fish nets stored within it was not that of attar of roses. A cheap bathing suit was one of the luxuries Atkins
ain, "that you'd had salt water soak enough to last you for
he washtub every Saturday night f
narrow, or in that deep hole by the end of the wharf, where the lobster car's moored. When the tide's comin' in or it's dead high water, the current's strong there. On t
t realized that he was far from that happy condition. He did not want to meet people, least of all people of his own station in life-his former station. Atkins was a fine chap, in his w
perience in his present situation, was odd. He explained his loneliness
ing chaps?"
ly, sociable young chaps, and I kind of liked to have 'em runnin' in and out. Seems queer to have it July, and they not here to hail me and come over to borrow stuff
id the helper
the bungalow all shuttered up and deserted this time of year. Yo
that's why I shouldn
ught of that. But 'tain't likely they'd know
ame from New York? I
ssed New York. But that's all right; I don't know and I don't care. Names and places you and me might just as well n
ide, and those toward the sea open. Seth, having finished his night watching and breakfast, was audibly asleep in the house. Brown rubbed and polished leisurely, his thoughts far away, and a frown on his face. For t
nt rattle of wheels from the direction of the village. Was another "picnic" coming? He walked briskly to the corner of the house and peered down the winding road. A carriage was in sight certainly, but it was goi
re was nowhere else to go on that road. Brown, puzzled, looked about him, at the sea, the lights, th
person or persons to the bungalow and left them there. Instantly, of course, Brown thought of the artists fro
tarted, scarcely believing his ears. Before he could gather his wits, a stout woman, with a checked apr
Lighthouseman! come quick! do pl
ach grass, down the hill, in obedience to the call. As he ran, he wondered who on eart
n, dancing an elephantine fandango
en no other way-excepting by boat-to reach the cottage. But the tide was out, and the narrowest portion of the creek, the stream conne
the woman. "They
at?" pan
'em. If there's one thing on earth I'm scar
ture and sharp slaps. Evidently the artists were having a lively time. But they must be curious chaps to be afraid of wasps. Brown op
rt of the picture. A young woman was there, also; a young woman with dark hair and eyes, the sleeves of a white shirtwaist rolled abo
"don't stand there scream
r an instant she, too, seemed ast
e exclaimed. "Here! take this!
lively company. When, at last, the battle was over, the last wasp was dead, the nest was a crumpled gray heap over in the corner, and the assistant's brow was ornamented with four red and smarting punct
. He found them standing direct
lled them?" begged th
dead?" demand
. "I guess so," he sa
e dark haired girl. "I'm-we
the stout woman, "that I can't stand, it's wa
ted her companio
in the corner I was pretty nigh knocked over-and,"
said, absently, "I should think it migh
burst into a peal of laughter, in which the stout woman joined.
mean that exactly as it sounded. I'm
ou would be. Hauled in bodily, as you might say, and shut up in a room to fight wasps! And by folks you never saw afore and don't know from Adam! You nee
ugh the corners of her mouth still twitched. "The whole affair is perfectly ridiculous," she sai
come, I'm sure. N
gain a little of its normal poise, and he was dimly consc
n' that we're likely to be next-door neighbors for a spell, I cal'late introductions are the
offered a hand.
membering a portion of what Seth had tol
ngalow. They are abroad this summer, and I am going to camp here for a
eeting the pair, and once more headed for the door. But Mrs.
at you must be one of the keepers. Not the head keeper-I knew you wa'n't him
ro
guess you ain't n
stant keeper a
per," continued the former. "Oh, I don't mean your clothes!" noticing the young man's embarrassed glance at hi
N
me this
es
. You ain't a
N
wa'n't. Where DO
noticing his hesitation, has
k to his work. Good morning, Mr. Brown. No doubt we shall see each other often, being the only n
tand still a minute, Mr. Brown, won't you. What's them lumps on your f
cerned. "Oh, no!" she exclaim
ep by this time and moving rapidly. "Noth
ek at the wading place. As he splashed through,
reamed. "Put it on thick. It takes
y to be a confounded nuisance, but two women! Heavens! And the stout woman was sure to be running in for calls and to borrow things. As for the other, she seemed a nice girl enough, but he never wanted to see
il his superior discovered with his own eyes that the bungalow was open. Then
ere's two WOMEN goin' to live the
urself, then," was
neither. W
ey
D? Was y
es
you swore never to go
ell, it wasn'
? Go
t to help some one else, in fact. I expecte
l, g
r. Brown, gloomily, a