was, in this case, a bit more rapid than usual. Sam's calls and
dinners at his cousin Emily's residence had decreased from two or three
times a week to an uncertain once a fortnight. Mary, of course, noticed
this, but she felt no regret. Crawford, Sam's roommate, must have
noticed it also, but if he felt regret he managed to conceal the feeling
remarkably well.

Early in May Captain Shadrach came up to the city to buy summer goods
for the store. He positively refused to make his headquarters at Mrs.
Wyeth's, although that lady sent an urgent invitation to him to do so.
And, even when Mary added her own plea to that of her landlady, the
Captain still refused.

Don't ask me, Mary-'Gusta [he wrote]. For the dear land sakes don't ask
me to come to that place and stay. I'd do 'most anything for you, and I
will do that if you are dead sot on it, but I do hope you ain't. I will
come up there and see you of course and I'll even stay to supper if I
get asked, but DON'T ask me to drop anchor and stay there night and day.
I couldn't stand it. My backbone's sprung backwards now from settin' up
so straight last time I was there.

So Mary had pity upon him and he took a room at the Quincy House where,
as he said, he didn't have to keep his nose dead on the course every
minute, but could "lay to and be comf'table" if he wanted to. He was
invited to supper at the Wyeth house, however, and while there Mrs.
Wyeth found an opportunity to take him aside and talk with him on a
subject which he found interesting and a trifle disquieting.

"Now mind," said the lady, "I am by no means convinced that the affair
is anything but a mere boy and girl friendship, or that it is ever
likely to be more than that. But I did think I ought to tell you about
it and that you should meet the young man. You have met him, you say?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Shadrach, "I've met him. 'Twan't much more'n that--he
just came into our store down home, that's all. But I did meet him and I
must say I thought he was a real likely young feller."

"I am glad you thought so. So do I. Has Mary written you of his calls
here?"

"Oh, yes, ma'am, she's written. She ain't the kind of girl to keep
anything back from us; at least, if she is, she's changed a heap since
she came away to school. She's told us about his comin' here and about
you and him and her goin' to that--what-d'ye-call-it--hookey game. She
wrote all about that 'way last February."

"Yes, we did go to the