"But vait aw'ile! I say no. I vant to ask you some questions." "What?" "Vel, one t'ing--ish der a town somevere's near, on der coast?" "Yes, several." "Vot one is der nearest?" "Forsyth Landing." "Vot is der population?" "Four people." "Shimminy dunder! So mooch ash dot? Any old maids among der lot?" "Nary a maid!" "Vel, dot's all. Much obliged." After she had departed, Fritz finished his meal, and then resumed his tramp along the lonely beach. Half an hour brought him to the landing, but he did not pause. Two rough-looking old sea-dogs were lounging outside a sort of a hut, but their appearance did not inspire Fritz with any desire to cultivate their acquaintance. About sunset he arrived at a far prettier spot than he had yet encountered. A great bluff of land rolled up to an abrupt and precipitous ending at the ocean's edge. In high tide it would be impossible to walk along the beach at the base of the bluff, owing to the depth of water, while at low tide the beach was quite bare. The evening tide was rolling in close to the base of the cliff, when Fritz reached it, and so he paused and took a reconnoissance. Far up on the top of the bluff he saw a large, rambling, old house, in a grove of trees, but whether it was deserted or not, he could not tell. It looked so grim in the weird sunset light, and so isolated in its lone watch by the sea that one might easily have fancied it an abode of spooks, and their like. "I s'pect dot I'll haff to climb up und go around that bluff," Fritz muttered, not at all liking the idea. "Uff a veller vas to try und wade along der front, he'd like ash not get drowned, und dot vould pe a duyfel off a fix. I wonder ef der folks who lif up yonder ar' samples off dot Sample I met dis morning? Looks like ash uff it might be a ghost factory." He was considering what was best to do, when he felt a tap upon his shoulder, and wheeled about with a nervous start. Before him stood a ragged, frowsy-haired, bare-footed girl, some sixteen or seventeen years of age--a girl with a well-rounded figure of but medium stature, and a face at once peculiar and attractive, from the sparkle of its eyes, the broad grin of its mouth, and the amount of dirt gathered about it. She had evidently but recently emerged from the water, for her long black hair as well as her wet garments were dripping with drops which the dying sunlight transformed into diamonds. "Ha! ha! ha!" she laughed, putting her pretty arms akimbo, and staring hard at Fritz. "Don't I look silly, though?" "Vel, I don'd know apoud dot. I dink der abblication uff some water mit your face vould make you look petter ash vot you are now!" Fritz answered, somewhat puzzled. "Water! ha! ha! I just came out of the water. But oh! I'm so silly--that's what everybody says, and I guess it must be so; anyhow, they call me Silly Sue. Was you ever silly, boss?"