"Huh!" he added. "Got your own little packet of coffin-nails? That Degger feller was always havin’ one o’ them things stuck in a corner of his mouth." Ralph promptly threw away the cigarette and filled his pipe from Tobias’s sack of tobacco. The lightkeeper led the way, chuckling. When they reached the lamp room the old man turned a curious eye on his young friend and bluntly demanded: "Tell us all about it, Ralphie. I see the mention of our ex-boarder stirred you up. What made him in such a hurry to leave us?" "Don’t tell Miss Heppy," begged Ralph, "but I guess it is my fault that she’s lost her boarder." "You ought to have a leather medal for bringing it about," declared Tobias. "I certain sure was glad to see him go. What happened? He and Lorny got out in my boat while I was asleep. I can’t be about and stirrin’ to watch the weather for ’em _all_ the time." Ralph briefly narrated the adventure while Tobias listened, puffing at his pipe and nodding his head. "I cal’late Lorny’s got something to thank you for, then?" he suggested. Ralph laughed harshly. "You saw how she acted when we came ashore. Did she seem overpoweringly grateful?" "Oh, sugar!" chuckled Tobias. "What chance did you give her to fall on your neck and tell you how much she thought of you?" "Now, Tobias Bassett! I don’t want any girl to fall on my neck. Least of all Lorna Nicholet." "Ain’t ready yet to sacrifice yourself’ for the good of her family?" "I won’t see a fellow like Conway Degger fool her," growled Ralph. "I will break up his game all right. But I tell you Lorna would not marry me on a bet." "Oh, sugar! She’s something of a sport, Lorny is. I cal’late you ain’t ever made her that proposition?" "Really, I don’t have to wait for a ton of coal to fall on me to take a hint," Ralph said, but looking away from the amused lightkeeper. "No? I dunno ’bout that," muttered Tobias, who found his matchmaking with this rather dense young fellow somewhat uphill work. "I’d like to see Lorny get a good fellow with as much money as you’ve got, Ralph, and almost as much sense." "Huh!" "And that Degger don’t fill the bill." "If he doesn’t let her alone——" "Yep. That’s all right. But in removing him from the scene you don’t give Lorny no other play-toy. And she’s been used to having a chap at her beck an’ call all of the time. You know that." "But, Tobias! She doesn’t want me. She has shown plainly enough that she cares nothing for me." "Oh, sugar! I don’t see how it is that you young fellers understand so little about womenfolks." "To hear you talk! And you not even married!" "That’s why," rejoined Tobias slyly. "I cal’late I understand ’em too well. Now, s’posin’ Lorna was a gal you’d just met and you was stuck on her? S’posin’ you wanted to make a good impression on her—eh? How would you go about it? S’posin’ you was really fallin’ in love with Lorny?"