y exploded his accusation silenced Dunham for a
moment, but he did not relax his grasp. "I didn't make her cry," he
answered then. "Give you my word, Benny. Can't you have any sympathy
for a fellow? I didn't know she was going, and I'm all broken up."

Benny lifted his eyes, half relenting.

"What did she cry for? What did she say? Tell me, and I'll give you the
best fishing outfit you can buy in Portland."

"Didn't say nothin' much. She come to me all white around the gills,
and asked if I'd sail her home right away quick. She had her bag, and I
see she didn't cal'late to come back. She kep' a-hurryin' me up, and
after we got out o' the cove she give me a smile and thanked me for
bein' so quick, and then she said, 'If you don't mind, Benny, I'm goin'
to sleep. I'm jest as tired as I can be.'"

"Well, where does my making her cry come in?" In his impatience John
gave an unconscious shake to his captive.

"You leggo my collar," said Benny, with a threatened return of the
sulks.

"Certainly. Excuse me." Dunham instantly dropped his hand. "You said
she went to sleep?"

"Yes, went to sleep!" repeated the boy contemptuously. "Do folks go to
sleep with their eyes wide open? I see she didn't want me to talk to
her, but I watched her mighty close, 'cause I knew right off you was at
the bottom of it."

"I? What possible idea"--

"Git out. Ain't I seen you not noticin' Miss Edna any? Ain't I seen you
not sail the boat when you had the chance? Ain't I seen her eyin' you
when she thought you wan't lookin'?"

Dunham groaned. "Benny, you're horribly precocious."

The boy glowered suspiciously.

"I don't know whether I be or not. I know I've got eyes."

"And what did you see to-day?"

"Tears. Hundreds of 'em. That's what I see. If she'd a-busted out
cryin' 't wouldn't 'a' ben so bad. I could 'a' said, 'Oh, you're young
yet, you don't know how many wuss things is goin' to happen to you, and
I've known fellers could stay under longer'n he kin;' but I couldn't
say a thing to comfort her when she kep' a-wip-in' away one tear at a
time from her cheek, secret like. I knew she'd ben scrappin' with you,
or else that you'd turned around and ben sweet on Miss Edna."

"Nothing of the sort, Benny. You're all off in both guesses. Miss
Sylvia just went home a little sooner than she expected, and Miss
Derwent is going over to-morrow to spend the day with her. You're going
to take her over yourself."

"See anythin' green in my ey