Atsixo’clockMary，whohadreasonsofherownforwishingtobeleftaloneinthestore，suggestedthatsheremaintherewhileheruncleswenthomeforsupper。NeitherMr。HamiltonnortheCaptainwouldconsent，soshewasobligedtogotothehouseherselfandsendIsaiahuponcemoretoactasshopkeeper。Butateleventhatnight，afterunmistakablesoundsfromtheirroomswerefurnishingproofsthatbothpartnersofHamiltonandCompanywereasleep，shetiptoeddownstairs，putonhercoatandhat，tookthestorekeysfromthenailwhereZoethalwayshungthem，andwentout。Shedidnotreturnuntilalmostthree。
Thenextdayshespent，forthemostpart，atthestore。Shewroteseverallettersand，inspiteofheruncles’protests，waiteduponseveralcustomers。Thatevening，asshesatbehindthecounterthinking，aboywhomCaptainShadrachidentifiedasZenasAtkins’
young-onerushedbreathlesslyintothestoretoannouncebetweengaspsthat“Mary-’GustaLathrop’swantedonthephone。It’slongdistance，too，and——and——you’vegottoscrabble’causethey’reholdin’thewire。“Maryhurriedoutandtothetelephoneoffice。
ShehadnotansweredShadrach’squestionastowhoshethoughtwascalling。Shedidnotknow，ofcourse，butshesuspected，andforacool-headedyoungbusinesswoman，agirlwhohadruthlesslydrivenallthoughtsexceptthoseofbusinessfromhermind，herheartbeatsurprisinglyfastassheenteredtheclosetwhichactedasasubstituteforatelephonebooth，andtookdownthereceiver。Yethertonewascalmenoughassheutteredthestereotyped“Hello。“
Thewirehummedandsang，fragmentsofdistantconversationbecameaudibleandwerelost，andthenavoice，thevoicewhichshewasexpectingbut，inaway，dreadingtohear，asked：“Hello！IsthisMissLathrop？“
“Yes，Crawford。“
“Mary，isthatyou？“
“Yes。“
“IhavejustcalledatMrs。Wyeth’sandlearnedthatyouhadgone。
Iamawfullydisappointed。IleaveforhometomorrowandIhadcountedonseeingyoubeforeIwent。Whydidyougowithoutawordtome？“
“Didn’tMrs。Wyethtellyou？“
“Shetoldmeagooddeal，butIwanttoknowmore。Isittrue——thataboutyouruncles？“
“Iamafraiditis。“
“GreatScott，that’stoobad！Iammightysorrytohearit。Lookhere，isn’ttheresomethingIcando？Dotheyneed——“
“Sshh！wemustn’ttalkaboutitoverthephone。No，thereisnothingyoucando。Ihavesomeplanspartiallyworkedout；
somethingmaycomeofthem。Pleasedon’taskmoreparticularsnow。“
“Allright，Iunderstand；Iwon’t。Butmayn’tIcomedownandseeyou？IcanstartWestthedayaftertomorrowjustaswellandthatwouldgivemetime——“
“No，Crawford，no。Youmustn’tcome。“
“I’veagoodmindto，whetherorno。“
“IfyoudoIshallnotseeyou——thenoratanyothertime。Butyouwon’t，willyou？“
“No，Mary，Iwon’t。It’smightyhard，though。“
Perhapsitwasquiteashardforher，butshedidnotreply。
“Willyouwriteme——everyday？“hewenton……“Whydon’tyouanswer？“
“Iwasthinkingwhatwouldbebestformetodo，“shesaid；“bestforusboth，Imean。Ishallwriteyouonelettersurely。“
“ONE！“
“Onesurely。Iwantyoutounderstandjustwhatmycomingheremeansandwhateffectitmayhaveuponmyfuture。Youshouldknowthat。Afterward，whetherIwriteyouornotwilldepend。“
“Depend！Ofcourseyou’llwriteme！Dependonwhat？“
“OnwhatseemsrighttomeafterIhavehadtimetothink，andafteryouhaveseenyourfather。Imustgo，Crawford。Thankyouforcallingme。Iamgladyoudid。Good-by。“
“Wait！Mary，don’tgo！Letmesaythis——“
“Please，Crawford！I’dratheryouwouldn’tsayanymore。Youunderstandwhy，I’msure。Ihopeyouwillhaveapleasanttriphomeandfindyourfather’shealthmuchimproved。Good-by。“
Shehungupthereceiverandhastenedbacktothestore。ShadrachandZoethlookedatherquestioningly。Finallytheformersaid：
“Anythingimportant，wasit？“
“No，UncleShad，notveryimportant。“
“Oh！“
Ashortintervalofsilence，then——
“Mrs。Wyethcallin’，Ipresumelikely，eh？“
“No，UncleShad。“
Shadrachaskednomorequestions，andZoethaskednone。NeitherofthemagainmentionedMary’scalltothephone，eithertoherortoeachother。Andshedidnotrefertoit。ShehadpromisedherUncleShadrach，whenhequestionedhertheyearbeforeconcerningCrawford，totellhim“whentherewasanythingtotell。“Butwasthereanythingtotellnow？Withthetaskwhichshehadsetherselfandtheuncertaintybeforehershefeltthattherewasnot。Yettokeepsilencetroubledher。Untilrecentlytherehadneverbeenasecretbetweenherunclesandherself；nowthereweresecretsonbothsides。
CHAPTERXIX
Attwelveo’clockonanightlateinthefollowingweekCaptainShadrach，snoringgloriouslyinhisbed，wasawakenedbyhispartner’senteringtheroombearingalightedlamp。TheCaptainblinked，raisedhimselfonhiselbow，lookedathiswatchwhichwasonthechairbythebed’shead，andthendemandedinanoutragedwhisper：
“Whatinthenationareyouprowlin’aroundthishourofthenightfor？Youdon’twanttotalkaboutthosedivilishbillsandcreditsandthings，Ihope。What’stheuse？Talkin’don’thelpnone！
Jumpin’fire！Iwenttobedso’stoforget’emandIwasjustbeginnin’todoit。Nowyou——“
Zoethhelduphishand。“Sshh！sshh！“hewhispered。“Hush，Shadrach！Ididn’tcometotalkaboutthosethings。Shadrach，there’s——there’ssomethin’queergoin’on。Getup！“
TheCaptainwasoutofbedinamoment。
“What’sthematter？“hedemanded，inawhisper。“What’squeer？“
“I——Idon’texactlyknow。Iheardsomebodymovin’downstairsand——“
Shadrachgrunted。“Isaiah！“heexclaimed。“Walkin’inhissleepagain，I’llbetadollar！“
“No，no！Itain’tIsaiah。Isaiahain’twalkedinhissleepsincehewasachild。“
“Well，he’sprettynighhissecondchildhoodnow，judgin’bythewayheactssometimes。ItwasIsaiahofcourse！Whoelsewouldbewalkin’arounddownstairsthistimeofnight？“
“That’swhatIthought，soIwentandlooked。Shadrach，itwasMary-’Gusta。Hush！Letmetellyou！Shehadherthingson，hatandall，andshetookthelanternandlititandwentout。“
“WentOUT！“
“Yes，and——anduptheroad。Now，where——？“
Shadrach’sanswerwastostridetothewindow，pullasidetheshadeandlookout。Alongthelaneinthedirectionofthevillageafierysparkwasbobbing。
“Thereshegoesnow，“hemuttered。“She’sprettynightothecorneralready。Whatintheworldcanshebeupto？Whereisshebound——
attwelveo’clock？“
Zoethdidnotanswer。Hispartnerturnedandlookedathim。
“Humph！“heexclaimed。“Whydon’tyoutellmethewholeofitwhileyou’reaboutit？You’rekeepin’somethin’back。Outwithit！DoYOUknowwhereshe’sbound？“
Zoethlookedtroubled——andguilty。“Why，no，Shadrach，“hefaltered，“Idon’tknow，but——butIkindofsuspect。Yousee，she——
shedidthesamethinglastnight。“
“SheDID！Andyouneversaidaword？“
“Ididn’tknowwhattosay。IheardhergoandIlookedoutofthewindowandsawher。Shecomebackaboutthree。Ithoughtsureshe’dspeakofitthismornin’，butshedidn’tand——and——ButtonightIwatchedagainand——Shadrach，she’stakenthestorekeys。
Anyhow，they’regonefromthenail。“
TheCaptainwipedhisforehead。“She’sgonetothestore，then，“hemuttered。“Jumpin’！That’sarelief，anyhow。Iwasafraid——I