So she treated Degger particularly nicely on this occasion. She overlooked some rather crude things about the young man, and from the shore where Ralph lay she appeared to be having a most delightful time with her fishing partner. It made her angry to see how Ralph hung around. She delayed coming ashore as long as she could, hoping he would go away. She did not want a scene with him. Ralph, however, did not even rise from his recumbent position when the fishing party beached the dory on the strand between the out-thrust reefs. Lorna hurried away, and Ralph did not attempt to join her, as she had feared he would. Instead, he got up slowly and aided Degger draw up the lightkeeper’s dory. "Awf’ly nice girl, that," said Degger boldly. "Yes." "Good sport, too. I never met a nicer girl." "I don’t believe you ever did," said the other, his level gaze boring Degger rather unpleasantly. "Oh, I don’t know!" ejaculated Degger, with sudden warmth and a sneer on his lips. "I’ve known a lot of girls——" "But not of her kind," broke in Ralph. "And don’t you think it! Watch your step with Lorna." "What’s the matter with you, Endicott?" snapped Degger. "I don’t have to take orders from you." "Not as long as you go straight you don’t," Ralph assured him. "But we all think too much of Lorna Nicholet around her to see anybody try to misbehave with her." "Oh—you——" "I know a few things about you. It’s none of my business what you try out with other girls," Ralph hastily added. "But you be mighty careful with Lorna." He turned on his heel then and strode away. Degger sneered after him. "Think’s he is the Great I Am!" he muttered. "You’d think he owned the girl. And putting on his airs with _me_!" Degger’s scowl grew darker as he added: "Guess the beggar wants me to pay up. That is like these rich fellows. They are mighty free offering to lend you money; but they make you feel the obligation forever after." Now, Conway Degger quite wronged Ralph on this point. The latter had entirely forgotten that Degger was in his debt from some time back in their college days. Indeed, Ralph Endicott was never one to trouble about money, for he never remembered putting his hand into his pocket when he wanted that commodity without finding it. His family had been wealthy for generations. Just how well-to-do they were in the present generation he had never troubled to ask. Uncle Henry and the family attorneys attended to all that. It did seem odd that just at this time the money matters of other people should begin to disturb Ralph Endicott. Not that he bothered his head about Conny Degger’s affairs. It was somebody entirely different of whose financial difficulties he was unexpectedly made aware. Coming up from the shore following his brief conversation with Degger, Ralph found the old lightkeeper mending a seine outside the lighthouse door.