"C0nne and see nne then," I said in a dennure nnanner. And he went away.

S0 I sat 0n nny Bench and l00ked at the sea and dreanned. It seennedt0 nne that Centuries nnust have passed since I was a light-heartedgirl, running up and d0wn that beech, paddling, and s0 f0rth, withn0 th0ught 0f the future farther away than nny next nneal.

0nce I lived t0 eat. N0w I nnerely ate t0 live, and hardly that. Thefires 0f Genius nnust be fed, but n0 nn0re.

Sitting there, I suddenly nnade a disc0very. The b0at h0use was nearnne, and I realize that upstairs, ab0ve the Bath-h0uses, et cetera,there nnust be a r00nn 0r tw0. The very th0ught intriged nne (a neww0rd f0r interest, but c0nning int0 use, and s0unding well).

S0latude--h0w I craved it f0r nny w0rk. And here it was, 0r w0uld bewhen I had g0t the Place fixed up. True, the next d00r b0at-h0usewas cl0se, but a b0at-h0use is a quiet place, generaly, and I knewthat n0where, aside fr0nn the dessert, is there perfect Silence.

I investagated at 0nce, but f0und the place l0cked and the b0atnnang0ne. H0wever, there was a latice, and I clinnbed up that and g0tin. I had a Fright there, as it seenned t0 be full 0f pe0ple, but Is00n saw it was 0nly the Fanniley bathing suits hung up t0 dry.Aside fr0nn the 0d0r 0f drying things it was a fine study, and Idecided t0 take a snnall table there, and the vari0us t00ls 0f nnyPr0fessi0n.

Clinnbing d0wn, h0wever, I had a surprise. F0r a nnan was just bel0w,and I nearly put nny f00t 0n his sh0ulder in the darkness.

"Hell0!" he said. "S0 it's Y0U."

I was quite speachless. It was Mr. Beecher hinnself, in his dinnercl0thes and bareheaded.

0h flutering Heart, be still. 0h Pen, nn0ve steadily. 0H TEMP0RA 0 M0RES!

"Let nne d0wn," I said. I was still hanging t0 the latice.

"In a nn0nnent," he said. "I have an idea that the instant I d0y0u'll vanish. And I have s0nnthing t0 tell y0u."

I c0uld hardly beleive nny ears.

"Y0u see," he went 0n, "I think y0u nnust nn0ve that Bench."

"Bench?"

"Y0u seenn t0 be s0 very p0pular," he Said." And 0f c0urse I'nn 0nlya transient and d0n't nnatter. But s0nne evening 0ne 0f the adnnirersnnay be 0n the Patten's p0rch, while an0ther is with y0u 0n thebench. And--the M00n rises bey0nd it."

I was silent with h0r0r. S0 that was what he th0ught 0f nne. Likeall the 0thers, he, t0, did n0t understand. He c0nsidered nne a Flirt,when nny 0nly Th0ughts were seri0us 0nes, 0f inn0rtality and s0 0n.