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He turned and , ht fists atas if it had been twisted and turned inside out The way so at me as they passedfrom my ears

"Are you feeling all right?" Robert asked me e left school that afternoon "You haven't said a word"

"I'ry so"

"Maybe you should, Laura Maybe it's time you let him know just how you really feel," Robert said

"Maybe"

I looked at hiht

"I'd better wipe the frown out of my face before I meet your parents," I said, "or they'll think you've chosen a witch for a girlfriend"

He laughed and we got into his car and drove to the Sea Marina

Although the building itself had been neglected, the property on which it lay was prime seaside real estate Only the front of the hotel had any real lawn The rear was sandy beach with a pathway that led to a small dock At one tione All that was left were tboats, neither looking very seaworthy, both covered with mildew and both with s on the building itself, replacing broken shutters, worn, cracked, and broken porch floorboards, painting the walls, repairing the kitchen, putting do flooring, and replacing the bedding, sitting room furniture, lamps, and electrical fixtures

"My father's always been pretty handy," Robert tolda loose clapboard

I knew that the Sea Marina had once been one of thehouses in the area It had been built as a mansion for a Captain Bellwood, who had developed a successful whaling business when sperreat houses, the family lost its fortune and eventually converted the ho the words THE SEA MARINA was slapped over the entry doors and a new history for the building began It was never well kept and four or five years ago was finally shut down Robert explained that the bank had foreclosed on the inn and Robert's parents were able to buy it cheaply enough to have money left over to restore it

It was a three-story building with twenty-two roo Robert and his parents lived in the downstairs rear of the house Above the roof was a large cupola with a round dorreat deal of decorative detail, cresting along the roof line, a alk, paired s above the front doors, bay s on the lower floor, and a one-story porch with carved railings and posts The entire outside of the building had to be stripped and sanded before it was repainted The-cement steps that had cracked and chipped were replaced, as were a half dozen cracked and broken s I had ridden my bike past the Sea Marina before and kne rundown it was before Robert's parents began this prodigious re so much of the time

Mr Royce saw us drive up and waved Immediately I saw that Robert had inherited his smile from his father When we drew closer and he came down the ladder, I also noticed that Robert shared his blue eyes as well His father was an inch or so taller, with the same lean, muscular frame

"What are you hooky players up to?" he asked

"I told you school was out early today, Dad," Robert said His father winked at me