She flushed more deeply then, and her eyes began to spark. "If you are hinting that I have anything to do with making Ralph Endicott unhappy——" "Not a-tall! Not a-tall!" the lightkeeper hastened to say. "But I reckoned you’d know full as much about the Endicott’s private affairs as I do." "Mr. Bassett! what _is_ it?" "Why, ain’t you even heard about it?" exclaimed the old fellow most innocently. "Didn’t nobody tell you how the Endicotts have lost purt’ near all their money? Oh, sugar! ain’t you heard?" "Never!" "Wal, they do say Henry Endicott has jest about wrecked the family fortune putterin’ with them inventions of his. ’Tain’t to be wondered at. Might have been expected. Foolin’ away both time and money. Yessir!" Each of these phrases was emitted between puffs of tobacco smoke which served as a screen for the expression on the lightkeeper’s countenance. "Lost their money? The Endicotts? You can’t mean it!" ejaculated Lorna. "Does seem too bad," went on Tobias. "’Twarn’t Ralph’s fault, of course. But he feels it, I cal’late, as bad as any of ’em. Like enough he’s goin’ away from here, like you say, to get him a job of work. I shouldn’t wonder," sighed the guileful Tobias. "Why, Mr. Bassett, this is _awful_!" There was real sympathy in Lorna’s shocked tone. "I cal’late that if your Aunt Ida did have a liking for Professor Endicott years ago she was wise to turn him down. Yes’m. She likely foresaw the snarl that was comin’ through Henry’s puttering with these inventions. Your Aunt Ida is a wise woman, Lorny." "Why, Mr. Bassett!" ejaculated Lorna, some displeasure in both her tone and look, "Aunt Ida is not like that. She is the least mercenary person I know." "Wal, p’r’aps. I don’t know. But she’ll mebbe be just as well satisfied now that you did turn Ralph down. Of course, a feller that’s got to work for his livin’—has his own way to make in the world—wouldn’t do for you." "I don’t know what you mean, Mr. Bassett," cried the girl, her head high, her cheeks red, and already tight-lipped with wrath. "You have no right to say that." "Oh, sugar! I warn’t meaning nothing out the way," said Tobias easily. "It’s a good thing you and Ralphie got over your foolishness ’bout each other. Now, ain’t it so?" "You have no right—I won’t listen—oh, Tobias Bassett! Is it really so that the Endicotts are poor? Has Ralph really got to go to work? Why! he never hinted at such a thing when he told me he was going away." "Guess you ain’t been showing him much sympathy, have ye?" rejoined the callous Tobias. "But now see here!" His manner changed suddenly. "Don’t you go and run off to him and say that I told you all this. I cal’late the Endicotts wouldn’t be likely to want all the world and Dick’s hat band to know they’d lost their money. Ralph’s proud—you know he is."