ntly, though I surmised what he must be
debating, I felt myself invited to keep out of his confidence, and I did
so. My advice to him would have been ill received, and--as was soon to
be made plain--would have done his delicacy injustice. Next, one morning
he and Billy were gone. My first thought was that he had rejoined
Jessamine at Mrs. Pierce's, where she was, and left me away over here on
Bear Creek, where we had come for part of a week.

But stuck in my hat-band I found a pencilled farewell.

Now Mr. McLean constructed perhaps three letters in the year--painful,
serious events--like an interview with some important person with whom
your speech must decorously flow. No matter to whom he was writing, it
froze all nature stiff in each word he achieved; and his bald business
diction and wild archaic penmanship made documents that I value among my
choicest correspondence; this one, especially:

"Wensday four a. m.

"DEAR SIR this is to Inform you that i have gone to Separ on important
bisness where i expect to meet you on your arrival at same point. You
will confer a favor and oblidge undersigned by Informing Miss J. Buckner
of date (if soon) you fix for returning per stage to Separ as Miss
J. Buckner may prefer company for the trip being long and poor
accommodations.

"Yours &c. L. McLEAN."

This seemed to point but one way; and (uncharitable though it sound)
that this girl, so close upon bereavement, should be able to give
herself to a lover was distasteful to me.

But, most extraordinary, Lin had gone away without a word to her, and
she was left as plainly in the dark as myself. After her first frank
surprise at learning of his departure, his name did not come again from
her lips, at any rate to me. Good Mrs. Pierce dropped a word one day as
to her opinion of men who deceive women into expecting something from
them.

"Let us talk straight," said I. "Do you mean that Miss Buckner says
that, or that you say it?"

"Why, the poor thing says nothing!" exclaimed the lady. "It's like a man
to think she would. And I'll not say anything, either, for you're all
just the same, except when you're worse; and that Lin McLean is going to
know what I think of him next time we meet."

He did. On that occasion the kind old dame told him he was the best boy
in the country, and stood on her toes and kissed him. But meanwhile we
did not know why he had gone, and Je