the woods,
as if I were her company, and she was responsible for me.

I thanked them heartily when I came away, for I had had such a pleasant
time. Miss Cynthia picked me a huge nosegay of her flowers, and
whispered that she hoped I wouldn't forget about lending her the book.
Poor woman! she was so young,--only a girl yet, in spite of her having
lived more than fifty years in that plain, dull home of hers, in spite
of her faded face and her grayish hair. We came away in the rattling
wagon. Georgie sat up in his place with a steady hand on the reins,
and keeping a careful lookout ahead, as if he were steering a boat
through a rough sea.

We passed the house were the auction had been, and it was all shut up.
The cat sat on the doorstep waiting patiently, and I felt very sorry
for her; but Georgie said there were neighbours not far off, and she
was a master hand for squirrels. I was glad to get sight of the sea
again, and to smell the first stray whiff of salt air that blew in to
meet us as we crossed the marshes. I think the life in me must be next
of kin to the life of the sea, for it is drawn toward it strangely, as
a little drop of quicksilver grows uneasy just out of reach of a
greater one.

"Good-night, Georgie!" said I; and he nodded his head a little as he
drove away to take the horse home. "Much obliged to you for my ride,"
said he, and I knew in a minute that his father or one of the aunts had
cautioned him not to forget to make his acknowledgments. He had told
me on the way down that he had baited his nets all ready to set that
evening. I knew he was in a hurry to go out, and it was not long
before I saw his boat pushing off. It was after eight o'clock, and the
moon was coming up pale and white out of the sea, while the west was
still bright after the clear sunset.

I have a little model of a fishing dory that Georgie made for me, with
its sprit-sail and killick and painter and oars and gaff all cleverly
cut with the clumsiest of jackknives. I care a great deal for the
little boat; and I gave him a better knife before I came away, to
remember me by; but I am afraid its shininess and trig shape may have
seemed a trifle unmanly to him. His father's had been sharpened on the
beach-stones to clean many a fish, and it was notched and dingy; but
this would cut; there was no doubt about that. I hope Georgie was
sorry when we said good-by. I'm sure I was.

A solemn, careful, contented young life, with