permission to take Mary with her as her
guest and friend and companion.

CHAPTER XV

If time and space did not matter, and if even more important happenings
in Mary-'Gusta's life were not as close at hand to claim attention, it
would be interesting to describe at length those of that spring and the
summer which followed it. Summarized in chronological order, they were
these: First, the lengthy discussions between the partners concerning
Miss Pease's plan, discussions which ended by Zoeth, as senior partner,
writing Miss Pease:

Shadrach and I say yes. We ought to have said it afore but flesh is weak
and we found it kind of hard to make up our minds to spare our girl all
summer. But we know we ought to spare her and that it will be a splendid
chance for her. So we say she shall go and we thank you more than we can
say. She will need clothes and fixings to take with her and Shadrach and
I wish to ask if you will be kind enough to help her pick out what she
needs. Maybe Mrs. Wyeth will help too. It will be a great favor if you
two will do this, Shadrach and I not being much good at such things. We
will send the money and will pay for all.

Then came the breaking of the news to Mary herself. At first, after
she could be made to believe the whole idea a perfectly serious one
and realized that a trip to Europe--her dearest day-dream, even when a
little girl, and the favorite play with the dolls in the attic at South
Harniss--when she at last realized the opportunity that was hers, even
then she hesitated to accept it. There were her uncles--they needed her
so much in the store--they would miss her so dreadfully. She could not
go and leave them. The united efforts of Miss Pease and Mrs. Wyeth could
not alter her determination to remain at home; only a joint declaration,
amounting to a command and signed by both partners of Hamilton and
Company, had that effect. She consented then, but with reluctance.

The steamer sailed from Boston--Miss Pease's civic loyalty forbade her
traveling on a New York boat--on the thirtieth of June, the week after
Commencement. Mary and Mrs. Wyeth attended the Commencement exercises
and festivities as Crawford's guest. Edwin Smith, Crawford's father, did
not come on from Carson City to see his son receive his parchment from
his Alma Mater. He had planned to come--Crawford had begun to believe he
might come--but at the last moment illness had prevented. It was nothing
serious, he wr