ch at the chair.
Its seat was piled high with small pasteboard boxes containing
hardware-screws, tacks and metal washers--which he used in his mill
and vane-making.

"Sho!" he exclaimed. "Hum! Does seem to be taken, as you say. I
recollect now; a lot of that stuff came in by express day before
yesterday afternoon and I piled it up there while I was unpackin'
it. Here!" apparently addressing the hardware, "you get out of
that. That seat's reserved."

He stretched a long arm over the workbench, seized the chair by the
back and tipped it forward. The pasteboard boxes went to the floor
in a clattering rush. One containing washers broke open and the
little metal rings rolled everywhere. Mr. Winslow did not seem to
mind.

"There!" he exclaimed, with evident satisfaction; "sit right down,
ma'am."

The lady sat as requested, her feet amid the hardware boxes and her
hands upon the bench before her. She was evidently very nervous,
for her fingers gripped each other tightly. And, when she next
spoke, she did not look at her companion.

"Mr. Winslow," she began, "I--I believe--that is, Babbie tells me
that--that last evening, when you and she were on your way back
here in the boat, she said something--she told you something
concerning our--my--family affairs which--which--"

She faltered, seeming to find it hard to continue. Jed did not
wait. He was by this time at least as nervous as she was and
considerably more distressed and embarrassed. He rose from the box
and extended a protesting hand.

"Now, now, ma'am," he begged. "Now, Mrs. Armstrong, please--please
don't say any more. It ain't necessary, honest it ain't. She--
she--that child she didn't tell me much of anything anyhow, and she
didn't mean to tell that. And if you knew how ashamed and--and
mean I've felt ever since to think I let myself hear that much! I
hope--I do hope you don't think I tried to get her to tell me
anything. I do hope you don't think that."

His agitation was so acute and so obvious that she looked at him in
wonder for a moment. Then she hastened to reassure him.

"Don't distress yourself, Mr. Winslow," she said, smiling sadly.
"I haven't known you very long but I have already learned enough
about you to know that you are an honorable man. If I did not know
that I shouldn't be here now. It is true that I did not mean for
you or any one here in Orham to learn of my--of our trouble, and if
Babbie had not told you so much