and.

From the first moment of their meeting it was noticeable that Willie
was strongly attracted by Robert Morton's sensitive and intelligent
face; and had he not been, for Celestina's sake he would have made an
effort to like the newcomer. Fortunately, however, effort was
unnecessary, for Bob won his way quite as uncontestedly with the little
inventor as with Celestina. There was no question that his aunt was
delighted with him. One could read it in her affectionate touch on his
arm; in her soft, nervous laughter; in the tremulous inflection of her
many questions.

"Your father couldn't have done a kinder thing than to have sent you to
Wilton, Robert," she declared at last when quite out of breath with her
rejoicings. "My, if you're not the mortal image of him as he used to
be at your age! I can scarcely believe it isn't Nate. His forehead
was high like yours, an' the hair waved back from it the same way; he
had your eyes too--full of fun, an' yet earnest an' thoughtful. I
ain't sure but you're a mite taller than he was, though."

"I top Dad by six inches, Aunt Tiny," smiled the young man.

"I guessed likely you did," murmured Celestina, with her eyes still on
his face. "Now you must sit right down an' tell me all about yourself
an' your folks. I want to know everything--where you come from; when
you got here; how long you can stay, an' all."

"The last question is the only really important one," interrupted
Willie, approaching the guest and laying a friendly hand on his
shoulder. "The doin's of your family will keep; an' where you come
from ain't no great matter neither. What counts is how long you can
spare to visitin' Wilton an' your aunt. We ain't much on talk here on
the Cape, but I just want you should know that there's an empty room
upstairs with a good bed in it, that's yours long's you can make out to
use it. Your aunt is a prime cook, too, an' though there's no danger
of your mixin' up this place with Broadway or Palm Beach, I believe you
might manage to keep contented here."

"I'm sure I could," Bob Morton answered, "and you're certainly kind to
give me such a cordial invitation. I wasn't expecting to remain for
any length of time, however. I came down from Boston, where I happened
to be staying yesterday afternoon, and had planned to go back tonight.
I've been doing some post-graduate work in naval engineering at Tech
and have just finished my course there. So, you see, I'm really on