t--not only here in South
Harniss, but elsewhere--in Cambridge, for instance. An older man would
have risen, laughed whether he felt like laughing or not--and have
expressed his opinion of fly paper. Crawford was not yet a man; he was
in the transition stage, a boy fondly hoping that other people might
think him a man. So he sat still until it was too late to rise, and then
wished he had risen in the first place.

"My goodness!" exclaimed the fidgety Miss Keith, "why don't you look at
them, Crawford? What are you waiting for?"

Mary-'Gusta, the box of marshmallows in her hand, regarded the boy on
the nail keg. His eyes met hers and in them was a look of such utter
misery that the girl relented. Her feeling of satisfied resentment
changed to one almost of pity. She had been made to feel ridiculous
herself at various times in her short life and she remembered the
sensation. Mary-'Gusta, as has been mentioned before in this history,
was old for her years.

She considered a moment. Then she thrust the box beneath the counter.

"I guess I'd better not sell you those, anyway," she said with decision.
"Uncle Zoeth said they weren't fresh. I'll open the case in the back
room."

Edna stamped her foot.

"We can't wait for that," she declared. "We must go without them,
I suppose. Oh, dear! And they depended on us to get them. It's so
provoking. Now we can't have any toast at all and it would have been
such fun."

Mary-'Gusta glanced once more at the occupant of the keg.

"I was thinking," she said, slowly, "that you needn't both wait unless
you wanted to. Perhaps Miss Keith might go on and tell the others
and--er--Mr. Smith could stay here until I opened the box. Then he could
meet you at the boat."

Edna hesitated. "Shall I, Crawford?" she asked.

Her companion did not hesitate. "I think perhaps you'd better, Edna," he
said. "I--I guess I won't be long."

Miss Keith hurried out. Mary-'Gusta turned her attention to the
remaining visitor.

"You can get up now," she said. "Some of it will tear off, anyway,
and if you hurry you will have time to run home and change your--your
clothes."

Crawford was evidently much surprised, also his embarrassment was not
lessened; but he rose.

"Then--then you knew?" he stammered.

"Of course I knew. I saw you sit down on it, didn't I? If I'd known what
you were going to do I'd have told you to look out. But you did it so
quick I couldn't. Now tear off as much as you can."

Th