her. For that matter he had thought it a little odd in the first
place when he had been directed to a real estate agent as the
owner of the craft. But as he knew very little about business,
and nothing at all about ships, he assumed that perhaps it was
quite the usual thing for real estate dealers to buy and sell
ships abutting on the coast of Long Island.

"I had only intended to buy the vessel," said Cleggett. "I don't
know that I'll be able to use the land."

Mr. Goldberg looked at Cleggett with a slight start, as if he
were not sure that he had heard aright, and opened his mouth as
if to say something. But nothing came of it--not just then, at
least. When the last signature had been written, and Clegget's
check had been folded by Mr. Goldberg's plump, bejeweled fingers
and put into Mr. Goldberg's pocketbook, Mr. Goldberg remarked:

"You say you can't use the ship?"

"No; the land. I'm surprised to find that the land goes with the
ship."

"Why, it doesn't," said Mr. Goldberg. "It's the ship that goes
with the land. She was on the land when I bought the plot, and I
just left her there. Nobody's paid any attention to her for
years."

The words "on the land" grated on Cleggett.

"You mean on the water, don't you?"