llowed the
captain to where the new teacher stood alone. He took her hand and
shook it vigorously, his kind blue eyes beaming a welcome.

"I'm sure we are glad you've come!" he declared again, still more
heartily, for he saw the homesickness in the big eyes. "You'll be as
happy here as a bob-o-link in a field of clover. I needn't ask you if
Captain McTavish took good care of you on the way up. He couldn't help
it, with that Hieland heart of his, eh, Jimmie, lad? Whenever we want
to make a good impression upon a stranger, Miss Murray, we always see
that he comes to Algonquin by boat, for by the time the _Inverness_
carries him for an afternoon, he's so prejudiced in our favour, he
never gets over it. Eh, my braw John Hielanman?"

He slapped the captain on the back again, and his forgiveness was
complete.

"Now, Miss Murray, I shall show you up to your new home. Give me your
bag. Never mind, Alfred Tennyson. You trot round there and tell young
Peter to see about that trunk. I'll send a wagon for it. Good-bye,
Jimmie. I'll see you at the meeting to-morrow night."

He helped Helen into his buggy and tucked the lap-rug around her, while
Mr. Alfred Wilbur held his horse's head, though Lawyer Ed's horse,
everyone knew, would stand for a week untethered. He jumped in and
started off with a dash that nearly precipitated poor Afternoon Tea
Willie into the lake, and away they rattled up the street to the utter
discomfiture of the yellow dog and the yellow-and-white dog that were
fighting in the middle of Main Street.

It was just the waiting time before the six-o'-clock bells and whistles
would break forth into a joyful clamour and send every one out on the
street; so the place was very quiet. The pretty streets rose up from
the lake, all cool and shady under their green canopy. It was like a
little town dropped down into the woods, and in spite of her
homesickness and the quiet loneliness of it all, the new-comer felt a
sensation of pleasure.

Lawyer Ed gave her no chance to be lonely. He chatted away cheerfully,
pointing out this and that place of interest. As they turned off Main
Street up a wide avenue of swaying elms, he touched his horse into
greater speed, and leaning far over to one side, called her attention
to something across the street.

"Look there, now!" he cried impressively. "Isn't that a fine building?
Just take a good look at this, Miss Murray. I don't think that in all
Algonquin there