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thoughts； for she said：
〃Oh； I mean it！ Please believe I do。 I haven't spoken that way
when Jane was with me； for she wouldn't understand and would laugh；
but I mean it； Mr。 Speranza。 It would be an honora great honor。〃
So the still protesting and rebellious Googoo was compelled to go a
few feet away and lie down； while his mistress and the young man
whom he had attempted to devour bent their heads together over a
scribbling…pad and talked and exclaimed during the whole of that
hour and a full three…quarters of the next。 Then the distant town
clock in the steeple of the Congregational church boomed five times
and Miss Fosdick rose to her feet。
〃Oh；〃 she said； 〃it can't really be five o'clock； can it？ But it
is！ What WILL mother fancy has become of me？ I must go this
minute。 Thank you； Mr。 Speranza。 I have enjoyed this so much。
It has been a wonderful experience。〃
Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were shining。 She had grown
handsomer than ever during the winter months。 Albert's eyes were
shining also as he impulsively seized her hand。
〃Thank you； Miss Fosdick；〃 he said。 〃You have helped me more than
I can tell you。 I was about to give up in despair before you came；
and nownow I KNOW I shall write the best thing I have ever done。
And you will be responsible for it。〃
She caught her breath。 〃Oh； not really！〃 she exclaimed。 〃You
don't mean it； really？〃
〃Indeed I do！ If I might have your help and sympathy once in
awhile； I believeI believe I could do almost anything。 Will you
help me again some day？ I shall be here almost every pleasant
Saturday and Sunday afternoon。 Will you come again？〃
She hesitated。 〃II'll see； perhaps；〃 she answered hurriedly。
〃But I must go now。 Come； Goo。〃
She hastened away； down the knoll and along the beach toward the
hotel。 Googoo followed her； turning occasionally to cast
diabolical glances at the Speranza ankles。 Albert gazed until the
graceful figure in the trim sport costume disappeared behind the
corner of the point of the beach。 Just at the point she paused to
wave to him。 He waved in return。 Then he tramped homeward。 There
was deep sand beneath his feet and； later； pine…needles and grass。
They were all alike to him； for he was traveling on air。
That evening at supper his radiant appearance caused comment。
〃What makes you look so happy； Albert？〃 asked his grandmother。
〃Seems to me I never saw you look so sort ofwell； glorified； as
you might say。 What is the reason？〃
The glorified one reddened and was confused。 He stammered that he
did not know； he was not aware of any particular reason。
Mrs。 Ellis beamed upon him。 〃I presume likely his bookkeepin' at
the office has been goin' pretty well lately；〃 she suggested。
Captain Zelote's gray eyes twinkled。 〃Cal'late he's been makin' up
more poetry about girls；〃 was his offering。 〃Another one of those
pieces about teeth like pearls and hair all curls； or somethin'
like that。 Say； Al； why don't you poetry…makin' fellers try a new
one once in a while？ Say； 'Her hair's like rope and her face has
lost hope。' Eh？ Why not； for a change？〃
The protests on the part of Olive and the housekeeper against the
captain's innovation in poetry…making had the effect of distracting
attention from Albert's 〃glorified〃 appearance。 The young man
himself was thankful for the respite。
That night before he retired he took Madeline Fosdick's photograph
from the back of the drawer among the ties and collars and looked
at it for five minutes at least。 She was a handsome girl；
certainly。 Not that that made any difference to him。 And she was
an intelligent girl； she understood his poetry and appreciated it。
Yes； and she understood him； too； almost as well as Helen。 。 。 。
Helen！ He hastily returned the Fosdick photograph to the drawer；
but this time he did not put it quite so near the back。
On the following Saturday he was early at the knoll； a brand…new
scribbling…pad in his pocket and in his mind divine gems which were
later； and with Miss Fosdick's assistance； to be strung into a
glittering necklace of lyric song and draped； with the stringer's
compliments； about the throat of a grateful muse。 But no gems were
strung that day。 Madeline did not put in an appearance； and by and
by it began to rain； and Albert walked home； damp； dejected； and
disgusted。 When； a day or two later； he met Miss Fosdick at the
post office and asked why she had not come he learned that her
mother had insisted upon a motor trip to Wapatomac that afternoon。
〃Besides；〃 she said； 〃you surely mustn't expect me EVERY Saturday。〃
〃No；〃 he admitted grudgingly； 〃I suppose not。 But you will come
sometimes； won't you？ I have a perfectly lovely idea for a ballad
and I want to ask your advice about it。〃
〃Oh； do you really？ You're not making fun？ You mean that my
advice is really worth something？ I can't believe it。〃
He convinced her that it was； and the next Saturday afternoon they
spent together at the inspiration point among the dunes； at work
upon the ballad。 It was not finished on that occasion； nor on the
next； for it was an unusually long ballad； but progress was made；
glorious progress。
And so； during that Summer； as the Fosdick residence upon the Bay
Road grew and grew； so did the acquaintanceship； the friendship；
the poetic partnership between the Fosdick daughter and the
grandson of Captain Zelotes Snow grow and grow。 They met almost
every Saturday； they met at the post office on week evenings；
occasionally they saw each other for a moment after church on
Sunday mornings。 Mrs。 Fletcher Fosdick could not imagine why her
only child cared to attend that stuffy little country church and
hear that prosy Kendall minister drone on and on。 〃I hope； my
dear； that I am as punctilious in my religious duties as the
average woman； but one Kendall sermon was sufficient for me； thank
you。 What you see in THAT church to please you； _I_ can't guess。〃
If she had attended as often as Madeline did she might have guessed
and saved herself much。 But she was busy organizing； in connection
with Mrs。 Seabury Calvin； a Literary Society among the summer
people of South Harniss。 The Society was to begin work with the
discussion of the poetry of Rabindranath Tagore。 Mrs。 Fosdick
said she doted on Tagore； Mrs。 Calvin expressed herself as being
positively insane about him。 A warm friendship had sprung up
between the two ladies； as each was particularly fond of shining as
a literary light and neither under any circumstances permitted a
new lion to roar unheard in her neighborhood； provided； of course；
that the said roarings had been previously endorsed and well
advertised by the critics and the press。
So Mrs。 Fosdick was too busy to accompany Madeline to church on
Sunday or to walk on Saturday； and the young lady was left to
wander pretty much at her own sweet will。 That sweet will led her
footsteps to trails frequented by Albert Speranza and they walked
and talked and poetized together。 As for Mr。 Fletcher Fosdick； he
was busy at his office in New York and came to South Harniss only
for infrequent week…ends。
The walks and tal