"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 accumulated 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