er hand on her heart. "It startled me so to see him--just
as he looked on that--that--dreadful day," she was going to say, but how
could she so characterize the day of her full joy and wonder? So her
voice died to silence, and Miss Upton began slamming articles up on the
shelves with unnecessary violence, while Geraldine, smiling into the
packing-boxes, meekly set about helping her.

Pete, like Geraldine before him, was in such terror of his former master
and so full of trust in his present one, that he swallowed his fears as
the plane rose for its short trip, and he found the experience
enjoyable. Ben, when they reached the house, sought his mother. She was
walking on the piazza.

"You didn't tell me you were off for a flight," she said in an annoyed
tone.

"Well, it was now you see me and now you don't this time, wasn't it? You
had hardly time to miss me. I flew over to the Port to get Pete. We have
to go to the city to-night. I'll be gone a few days, Mother, perhaps a
week."

"On some disgusting business connected with that unspeakable man, I
suppose."

"Verily I believe it will be very disgusting; but it has to be gone
through with."

"Why does it?" His mother stood before him and spoke desperately. "Why
can't you let it alone?"

"I've told you--because it affects the happiness of my future wife."

Mrs. Barry's eyes were hard, though her cheeks grew crimson. "You
haven't announced your engagement to me. Don't you think I should be one
of the first to know?" she said.

"I'm not engaged." Ben smiled into her angry, hurt eyes. "Something
stands in the way as yet."

"What?"

"Can't you guess?"

They continued to exchange a steady gaze. She spoke first.

"Do you mean to say that anyone concerned in the affair still considers
_me_?"

Her boy's smile became a laugh at the deliberate manner of her sarcasm.

"Oh, cut it out, Mother mine," he said. And though she tried to hold
stiffly away from him, he hugged her and kissed her and pulled her down
beside him on a wicker seat.

She could not get away from his encircling arm and probably she did not
wish to.

"Ben, I've had a most disagreeable day," she declared. "Everybody within
fifteen miles knows that you flew into the village with a strange girl."

"They said she was pretty, didn't they?"

"I can't leave the house without somebody stopping me and asking me
about it, and I'll have to order the telephone taken out if this goes
on. I can hardly bear