"It’s jest so much more of a temptation to Arad Thompson," sighed her brother. "Dunno as we’d be found guiltless if the bank did bust and Arad Thompson should run off with the funds." "I cal’late he won’t run far in that wheel chair," said Heppy, perhaps with additional confidence because of the bank president’s affliction. However, their simple minds could not fail to be fixed upon the nest-egg a good part of the time. When one has worked and scraped to get together a few dollars over a long stretch of years, the sudden access of comparative riches cannot fail to become and continue to be a very important topic of thought. Whenever Tobias took his pay check to the bank and drew the cash needed for their household expenses, he secretly desired to ask the cashier, Mr. Bentley, to let him see that eight thousand in real money so as to be sure the bank was still safely guarding it. Tobias usually went to Clinkerport in the sloop _Marybird_ on these marketing expeditions, now that the weather was good. Conny Degger on a certain occasion went with him. Degger’s salvage from the wrecked motor-boat had been an oar, one seat-cushion, and a broken pennant staff. In other words the craft had been a total loss. And this fact appeared to worry the boarder considerably. He paid his weekly stipend of four dollars to Miss Heppy with admirable promptness, and he had sent for a fairly well-filled trunk, so that he made a presentable appearance in public. But he seemed to be, as Tobias had hinted to Ralph, not overburdened with money. At least, he spent little in the sight of the lightkeeper. He did not even treat the latter to a good cigar, as might have been expected when Tobias gave him passage in the _Marybird_ to and from Clinkerport. "He ain’t no three-minute egg, that’s sure," was the lightkeeper’s comment to his sister. "He’s hard-boiled all right." Nor did Degger seem to make himself popular with the loafers around the Clinkerport Inn and the livery stable, as so many of the youthful summer visitors did. On one occasion, however, Tobias heard, and saw the boarder in earnest conference with a man who seemed to be quite well acquainted in Clinkerport, although he was not a resident. "Well, Conny, take it from me," said this individual, "somebody has got to pay for that motor-boat. When a fellow treats me right I’m the easiest person who ever did another a good turn. But they say patience runs out of virtue after a while. That’s my case exactly." "But I haven’t any money to spare at present, Burtwell," complained Degger, quite loud enough for the lightkeeper to hear. "Get busy then and find some. How do you manage to live, I want to know?" "On expectations," Degger rejoined airily. "Huh! I’ve seen her. She _looks_ all to the good," Burtwell said coarsely. "Folks rich, I suppose?" "As cream," admitted the optimistic Degger. "And you expect to make a killing, Con?"