quickly and walked down to Ezekiel
Pettengill's. Uncle Ike was there and he told Mandy to show Mr. Sawyer
to his room, which proved to be the big front one upstairs.

When he was alone, Quincy sank into the capacious rocking chair and fell
to thinking. His mind went back to his parting with Miss Mason. She had
said that it wasn't the horse, so it must have been what he said to her.
Was she angry because he had decided to go in order to stop village
gossip, or had she really cared for him? Well, it was over now. He would
never know what her real feelings were, and after all it was best for
him not to know. He would drop the whole matter where it was. Then he
began to think about his present position. Here he was located in the
house of the man who would naturally be considered the last one to
desire his company.

Uncle Ike had told him that he would make it all right. If he failed in
this and Ezekiel objected to his remaining he could move again. He was
determined not to leave Mason's Corner till he got ready, and he felt
sure he would not be ready to go until he had squared accounts with
Strout.

Presently he heard the sound of wheels. The Pettengill house faced the
south and Eastborough Centre lay west of Mason's Corner, so he could not
see the team when it arrived, as it drove up to the back door, but he
knew that Ezekiel had arrived with his sister. Uncle Ike and Cobb's
twins went down stairs quickly; there was a jumble of voices, and then
the party entered the house. A short time after he heard persons moving
in the room adjoining his, and guessed that Ezekiel's sister was to
occupy it.

Then he fell to imagining the conversation that was doubtless going on
between Uncle Ike and his nephew. Quincy was not naturally nervous, but
he did not like suspense; almost unconsciously he arose and walked back
and forth across the room several times. Then it occurred to him that
probably the uncle and nephew were having their conversation in the
parlor, which was right under him, and he curbed his impatience and
threw himself into the armchair, which stood near the open fireplace.

As he did so there came a sharp rap at the door. In response to the
quick uttered "Come in," the door opened and Uncle Ike entered. He came
forward, took a seat in the rocking chair near Quincy and passed him two
letters.

Quincy looked up inquiringly. He had had his mail sent to Eastborough
Centre, where he had hired a box. At the Mason's Cor