Pearson was rather thankful than otherwise. The captain's absence
afforded him an opportunity to escape from a place where he was plainly
unwelcome.

"Oh, never mind," he said. "It is not important. I can run out
another day. Just tell him I called, Miss Warren, please; that I wrote
yesterday, but my letter must have gone astray. Good afternoon."

He was turning to go, but she stopped him. She had fully made up her
mind that, when he came, she would not meet him--remembering how she had
treated him on the evening of her birthday, she would be ashamed to
look him in the face. Besides, she could not meet him after writing that
letter; it would be too brazen; he would think--all sorts of things.
When he visited her uncle she would remain in her room, or go to the
city or somewhere.

But now she had met him. And he had come in response to her uncle's
invitation, given because she herself had pleaded that it should be. To
let him go away would be rude and ridiculous; and how could she explain
to the captain?

"You mustn't go, Mr. Pearson," she said. "You must come in and wait;
Captain Warren will be back soon, I'm sure."

"Thank you; but I think I won't wait. I can come another time."

"But you must wait. I insist. Uncle Elisha will be dreadfully
disappointed if you don't. There isn't a train for an hour, and he will
return before that, I am sure. Please come in."

Pearson was reluctant, but he could think of no reasonable excuse. So he
entered the house, removed his overcoat and hat, and seated himself in
the living room to await the captain's return. Caroline excused herself,
saying that she had an errand at the shop in the village. She made that
errand as long as she could, but when she returned he was still there,
and Captain Elisha had not appeared.

The conversation was forced, for a time. Each felt the embarrassment,
and Pearson was still resentful of the manner in which she had greeted
him on his arrival. But, as he looked at her, the resentment vanished,
and the other feeling, that which he had determined to forget, returned.
Captain Elisha had told him how brave she had been through it all, and,
contrasting the little house with the former home, remembering the loss
of friends and fortune, to say nothing of the unmasking of those whom
she believed were her nearest and dearest, he wondered and admired more
than ever. He understood how very hard it must have been for her to
write that letter to him, a le