"What do you mean by that?" he demanded fiercely. Before the young man
could reply, he turned again, strode to the door of the light, flung
it open, and disappeared within. The door closed behind him with a
thunderous bang.

John Brown gazed after him in bewilderment. Then he shrugged his
shoulders and returned to the bench.

The surf at the foot of the bluff grumbled and chuckled wickedly, as if
it knew all of poor humanity's secrets and found a cynic's enjoyment in
the knowledge.




CHAPTER IV

THE COMING OF JOB


The next morning Seth was gloomy and uncommunicative. At the breakfast
table, when Brown glanced up from his plate, he several times caught
the lightkeeper looking intently at him with the distrustful,
half-suspicious gaze of the night before. Though quite aware of this
scrutiny, he made no comment upon it until the meal was nearly over;
then he observed suddenly:

"It's all right; you needn't."

"Needn't what?" demanded Atkins, in astonishment.