Maryalsowasalittledisappointed。ShehadratherlookedforwardtomeetingMr。Smith。Hewasherfriend’sfather，ofcourse，andthatofitselfmadehimaninterestingpersonality，buttherewassomethingmore——asortofmysteryabouthim，inspiredinhermindbythephotographwhichCrawfordhadshownher，whichmadehercurious。
ThemaninthephotographresembledCrawford，ofcourse，butshehadthefeelingthatheresembledsomeoneelseevenmore——someoneshehadknownorwhosepictureshehadseen。Shewassorryshewasnottomeethim。
Commencementwasawonderfultime。Marywasintroducedtodozensofyoungfellows，attendedspreadsandsingsandproms，dancedagreatdeal，wasaskedtodanceeversomuchmore，chattedandlaughedandenjoyedherselfasahealthy，happy，andprettygirlshouldenjoyacollegecommencement。AndonthefollowingTuesdaysheandMissPease，lookingdownfromthesteamer’sdeck，wavedtheirhandkerchiefstoMrs。WyethandZoethandCaptainShadrachandCrawfordwho，standingonthewharf，wavedtheirsinreturnasthebigshipmovedslowlyoutofthedockandturnedhernosetowardMinot’sLightandtheopensea。ForthefirsttimesinceHamiltonandCompanyputupasignbothpartnershadcometoBostontogether。
“Annabel’skeepin’store，“explainedShadrach，“andIsaiah’shelpin’。It’llbetheblindleadin’theblind，Ical’late，butwedon’tcare，dowe，Zoeth？Wemadeupourmindwe’dseeyouoff，Mary-’Gusta，ifwehadtoswimtoProvincetownandsendupsky-
rocketsfromRaceP’inttoletyouknowwewasthere。Don’tforgetwhatItoldyou：IfyoushouldgetasfurasLeghornbesureandhuntupthatship-chandlernameofPeroti。AskhimifheremembersShadGouldthatheknewin’65。Ifheain’tdeadIbetyouhe’llremember。“
SoMary-’Gustasailedawayandfortenmarvelousweeksdaydreamscametrueandatticmake-believesturnedtorealities。WarhadnotyetcometosowitsseedofsteelandfireandreapitsharvestofbloodanddeathuponthefairvalleysandhillsofFrance，andthetravelersjourneyedleisurelyfromvillagetocathedraltownandfromtheSeinetotheLoire。TheyspentthreeweeksinSwitzerlandandtwoinItaly，returningforthefinalweektoLondonwhere，underMissPease’sexpertguidance，Maryvisitedtheshops，thebigonesonRegentandOxfordStreetsandthesmaller，equallyfascinating——andmoreexpensive——onesonBondStreetandPiccadilly，buyingpresentsandremembrancesforthefolksathome。And，atlast，camethedaywhen，leaningupontherail，shesawthemistyheadlandsofIrelandsinkbeneaththehorizonandrealizedthatherwonderfulholidaywasoverandthatshewashomewardbound。
Thevoyagewasratherroughandstormy，aswesterlyvoyagesarelikelytobe，buttheshipwascomfortableandspeedyandtheymadegoodtime。MaryspentbutonedayinBostonand，onthemorningofthenext，startedforSouthHarniss。Shehadoneweekbeforeschoolopenedandthatweekwastobespentwithheruncles；nooneelse，shevowed，shouldhaveaminuteofit。
Greatweretherejoicingsinthewhitehousebytheshorethatday，andmarvelouswasthedinnerIsaiahservedinhonoroftheoccasion。
Marywasobligedtorelatethestoryofhertripfromstarttofinish，whilethreeraptlistenersnoddedandexclaimedinsympathyorbrokeintoaskquestions。Shehadwrittenfaithfully，but，asIsaiahsaid，“writin’ain’ttellin’。“SoMarytoldandherunclesandMr。Chaselistenedandquestioned。Itwastwelveo’clockthatnightbeforeanyonethoughtofgoingtobed，andnextmorningatthebreakfasttablethequestioningbeganalloveragain。
“Mrs。Wyethwasdownatthedock，Ipresumelikely，tomeetyouwhenyourshipmadeport？“queriedZoeth。
“Yes，shewasthere，“repliedMary。
“Anybodyelse？HowaboutthatyoungSmithfeller？Wa’n’thethere，too？“askedCaptainShadrachwithelaborateinnocence。
Marycoloredjustalittle。Sheknewitwasfoolish；therewasnoreasonintheworldwhysheshouldbeembarrassed，butshecouldnothelpit。
“No，UncleShad，“sheanswered。“Hewasn’tthere。HehasnotreturnedfromtheWestyet，buthewillbeinBostonnextweekwhentheMedicalCollegeopens。“
“Beenhavin’agoodtimeoutWestthere，hashe？“inquiredtheCaptain，stillwithstudiedunconcern。
“Yes。Atleasthewritesmethathehas。“Shelookedfromonetotheotherofhertriooflistenersandthenadded：“Ihavesomeofhislettersherewithme。Ifyou’dliketohearthemI’llreadthemaloud。“
“No，no，youneedn’tdothat，“protestedShadrachhastily。ButafteranotherlookathimMarysaid，“IthinkIwill，“anddepartedinsearchoftheletters。
CaptainShad，lookingatrifleguilty，glancedathispartner。
“Sheneedn’tread’emunlessshewantsto，needshe，Zoeth？“hesaid。“I——Ididn’tmeanforhertodothat。“
Mr。Hamilton’sfaceexpresseddoubtanddisapproval。
“Humph！“hesaidandthatwasall。
Maryreturnedbearingthepacketofletters，someofwhichsheproceededtoread。CrawfordhadspentthesummereitherathishomeinCarsonCityorincampingwithhisfatherintheSierras，wherehehadshotandfishedandapparentlyenjoyedhimselfhugely。Theletterswerefrankandstraightforward，fulloffunandexuberance，thesortoflettersarobust，clean-mindedyoungfellowoughttowriteandsometimesdoes。Theywerenotsentimental；evenIsaiah，withwhatCaptainShadrachtermedhis“lovesickimagination，“wouldnothavecalledthemso。
ThepartnersandMr。Chaselistenedwithinteresttothereadingofthelettersandexpressedtheirapproval。Shadrach’sapplausewasloudestofall，butheseemedtofinddifficultyinmeetinghisniece’seye。Justbeforebedtime，afterZoethandIsaiahhadgoneupstairsandhewaslockingupforthenight，Mary，whomhesupposedhadgonealso，reenteredthedining-roomandstoodbeforehim。
“UncleShad，“shesaidseverely，“comehereaminuteandsitdown。
Iwanttotalkwithyou。“
Sheledhimtothebigrocker。Thenshetookthelittleonebesideit。
“Now，lookmeintheface，“shecommanded。“No，“notoutofthewindow——here。Um……yes。Idon’twonderyouturnred。Ishouldthinkyoumightbeashamed。“
“I——I——what’sthat？“stammeredShadrach，turningredderthanever。
“Whatdoyoumean？Turnin’red！Who’sturnin’red？“
“Youare，“saidtheyounglady，firmly，“andyouknowit。Now，lookmestraightintheeye。UncleShadGould，don’tyouthinkitwouldhavebeenmorehonorable，ifyouwishedtoknowwhetherCrawfordSmithandIcorresponded，tohaveaskedmeinsteadofhinting？
Don’tyouthinkitwould？“
“Hintin’？Why——why，Mary-’Gusta，what-what——？“
Hisfacewasastudyinexpression。Marybitherlip，butshemanagedtoappearsolemn。
“Yes，hinting，“shesaid。“InsteadofaskingifCrawfordandIhadwritteneachotheryouhinted。Well，nowyouknowthatwedidwrite，andhaveheardhisletterstome，haveyouanyobjection？“
“Objection？No，no，coursenot。Why——I——Ithink’twasafinething。I——Iliketogetletters；aheapbetterthanIdotowrite’em，“headdedtruthfully。
“Thenwhy？“
“Well——well——I——I——“
“Andaren’tyouashamed？“repeatedMary。
“Why——why，yes，bythejumpin’fire，Iam！There！IwasashamedwhenIdoneit。“
“Thenwhydidyoudoit？“
“Well——well，yousee，Mary-’Gusta，Ijustwantedtoknow。YourUncleZoethandmehavebeenactin’asyourpilotsforaconsider’blespell。Courseyou’regettin’bigenoughnowtocruiseonyourownhook——thatis，inreason，youunderstand——but——but——
well，we’vegotsousedtotakin’anobservationeverynoontime，seein’howyou’relayin’yourcourse，youknow，thatit’shardtolosethehabit。NotthatZoethwasinonthis，“headdedhonestly。
“Hedidn’tdoanyofthehintin’，asyoucallit。Iimaginehe’llpreachmyheadofffordoin’it，whenhegetsmealone。“
“Youdeservetohaveitpreachedoff——orpartlyoff，atanyrate。
Doyoubegmypardon？“
“Sartinsure。I’dbegitonmybendedkneesif’twa’n’tfortherheumatiz。“
“Andyouwon’thintanymore？“
“Naryahint。“
“That’sright。Ifyouwantmetotellyouanything，pleaseask。
Youmusttrustme，UncleShad。Ishallalwaystell——whenthereisanythingtotell。“
“Iknowyouwill，Mary-’Gusta。I’mashamedofmyhintin’。Godblessyou，dearie。Nowkissmegoodnight。“
Hekissedherand，holdingherinhisarms，lookedfondlydownintohereyes。And，asshereturnedhislook，suddenlysheblushedcrimsonandhidherfaceinhisjacket。Thenshebrokeawayandwithagoodnightranfromtheroomandupthestairs。
Shadrachlookedafterher，sighed，and，afterfinishinghislockingup，wentupstairshimself。Therewasalightinhispartner’sroomandheenteredtofindMr。Hamiltonsittingatthelittletablewithseveralsheetsofpapercoveredwithfiguresspreadoutbeforehim。
TheCaptainwassobusywithhisownthoughtsthat，forthemoment，hedidnotnoticethepapers。
“Zoeth，“hesaid，“ourMary-’Gusta’schangedintoagrown-upwoman。
Eventhislastsummerhaschangedher。Shedon’tlookanyolder，andshe’sprettierthanever，butshethinksdifferent，andIhaveanotionthat，nomatterhowmuchwemaywantto，youandmeain’tgoin’tobeabletokeephertoourselvesaswe——Eh？“suddenlybecomingawareofhisfriend’soccupation。“Areyoustillfussin’
overthosethings？Didn’tItellyounottoworryanymore，buttoturninandsleep？“
Zoethshookhishead。Hisusuallyplacid，gentlefacehadlostsomeofitsplacidity。Helookedwornandworriedandtheshadowsthrownbythelampdeepenedthelinesinhisforehead。Helookedupoverhisspectacles。
“Shadrach，“hesaid，“Ican’thelpit。ItrynottoworryandItrytoheavemyburdensontotheAlmighty，sameaswe’recommanded，butIcan’tseemtoheavethewholeof’emthere。Ifthingsdon’tpickupprettysoon，Idon’tknow——Idon’tknow——andIdon’tdarethink，“
headdeddespairingly。
Thesheetofpaperhewasholdingrattledashishandshook。
CaptainShadscowled。
“Ifwedidn’thaveourwintergoodstobuy，“hemuttered。“Ourcredit’sgood，that’sonecomfort。“