ne of
them than it could to the other.

"Come, Matt!" said Louise.

She added hastily, to prevent insistence against her plan, that they
would have time to walk to the station, and she wished to walk. Then
Matt said, "I will see you aboard the train, and then I'll come back and
wait till you hear from Springfield, Miss Suzette."

"That is a good idea," said Louise.

"But," Adeline urged tremulously, "sha'n't you be afraid to go to Boston
alone? It'll be dark by the time you get there!"

"The journey can't be very dangerous," said Louise, "and when I arrive,
I shall put myself in charge of a faithful Boston hackman, and tell him
I'm very valuable, and am to be taken the best of care of. Then I shall
be set down at our door in perfect safety."

They all had the relief of a little laugh; even Adeline joined
reluctantly in it.

When they were once free of the house, Matt said, "I wonder whether she
will remember, after the worst comes, what you said, and whether she
will trust you enough to turn to us?"

"I don't know. Probably she will be too proud at first. But I shall
come, whether she asks me or not. If they had relations or connections,
as everybody else has, it would be different. But as it is--"

"Yes, of course," said Matt.

"I wish I could realize that Sue is fond of him, as we are of papa. But
I can't. He always made me feel creepy; didn't he you?"

"He was a secret person. But as far as I had anything to do with him at
the Mills, when I was there, I found him square enough. He was a country
person."

"I suppose Sue's pride is countrified," said Louise.

Matt went on, "His secrecy may have been only a sort of shyness; Heaven
knows I don't want to judge him. I suppose that that slow deliberation
of his was an effort to maintain himself with dignity. Of course, we see
him now in the light of his rascality, poor man, and most of his traits
seem ugly."

They had a little time after they reached the station, and they walked
up and down the platform, talking, and Matt explained how his father
might be glad to have him go to Wellwater and settle the question
whether Northwick was in the accident or not. It would be a great relief
for him to know. He tried to make out that he was going from a divided
motive.

"Oh, you needn't be at the trouble to say all that to me, Matt," said
Louise. "I don't blame you for wanting to go, even out of kindness."

"No, I suppose there's no guilt attaching to a thing of