clock; a couple of fiddlers coming from "the Swamp" at nine; and
Cousin Susan, the cook, even then promising little Stump Neal "all de
bonyclaba he cu'd stow ef he'd jest friz dis yar cream fo' de new
missis."

"It is too provoking for anything!" the new missis whispered to
Thornton, as he stopped by his wife's side for an instant and moved on
to consult with some of the married men who were smoking in luxuriant
carelessness forward. Very little consolation he got there. Ellis from
Annapolis said he had known calms last two days, and sundry forcible
remarks were made when it was discovered that the last cigars were then
in our mouths. This was the last straw. Thornton felt furious with every
one, and muttered dark wishes that ante-war power might be restored to
him over the person of Uncle Brian when we got home--if we ever did--as
he reflected that that ancient African had guaranteed a breeze.

Mollie Brogden smiled lazily at him as Donaldson fanned her slowly, and
waited until Thornton should pass, so that the talk which was leading up
to the inscription of a clever piece of poetry on her fan might be
continued.

"By the way, Donaldson," as a sudden inspiration seemed to strike
Thornton, "did you ever hear anything more of Kitty after I left you at
Christmas?"

The sweetness of that piece of poetry on the fan was never revealed. The
blue parasol went up with a jump, and a look assured Donaldson that
certain words had better have been left unsaid that afternoon if "Kitty"
should not be satisfactorily explained. I felt sorry for him, for every
one caught at the idea of something new, and the thought of an
explanation to the whole of that boatload, keen for all sorts of
badinage, would have tempted me overboard, I am sure. However, Donaldson
smiled very composedly, and said he believed the family were still in
Texas, although he had heard nothing more than Thornton already knew of
their history.

Well, that simply made matters worse: Texas and Kitty were suggestive
enough for anything, and I caught a whisper from Miss Brogden that
seemed to imply that she doubted whether he had really been so
inconsolable for last summer's diversions as he had tried to make her
believe. That settled him, for I knew he had come down to Thornton's
expressly to see her, and he assured us it was a very small story, but
if we cared to hear it perhaps the breeze would come meanwhile, and he
would try to give the facts exactly as they had