Hetookasteptowardher。“BecauseIfeltthatImust，“hesaid。
“Ihadtocome。Icametoseeyouoncemore。Youmustforgiveme。“
Shedidnotspeak。Hecontinued：
“Youmustforgivemeforcoming，“hesaidagain。“TherewasaquestionIhadtoaskandonlyyoucouldanswerit。Itisn’tthequestionIaskedbefore，althoughperhapsthat——ButfirstImusttellyou：Mary，myfatherisdead。“
Shenodded。Shecouldscarcelytrustherselftospeak，butshetried。
“Yes，yes，“shefaltered。“I——Iknow。“
“Youknow？“herepeated。
“Yes，Mr。Keithtoldusthismorning。HesaidhemetyouinBoston。“
“Yes，Ihadforgotten；sohedid。“
“ThatishowIknew。Oh，Crawford，Iamsosorryforyou。Ihavebeenwritingyou。ButWHYdidyoucomehereagain？It——itmakesitsomuchharderfor——forbothofus。“
Hedidnotanswerthequestion。“Youknewmyfatherwasdead，“hesaidagain。“Iwonder“——hewasspeakingslowlyandhisgazewasfixeduponherface——“Iwonderhowmuchmoreyouknow。“
Shestartedback。“Howmuch——“sherepeated，“Howmuchmore——Oh，whatdoyoumean？“
“ImeanhowmuchdidyouknowaboutmyfatherwhenyouandIweretogether——whenIcameonhereandaskedyoutomarryme？“
Sheputahandtoherthroat。“Oh！“shecriedbreathlessly。“YOU
know！Hetoldyou！“
“Yes，Mary，hetoldme。Beforehediedhetoldmeeverything。Andyouknewit！Iknownowwhyyouwouldnotmarryme——thesonofathief。“
Shelookedathiminpainedastonishment。Thetearssprangtohereyes。“Oh，howcanyou！“sheexclaimed。“Howcanyousaythattome？Howcanyouthinkit？Asifthatwouldmakeanydifference！I
learnedyourfather’snameand——andwhathehaddone——byaccident。
Itwasonlythenightbeforeyoucame。Itwouldhavemadenodifferencetome。FormyselfIdidn’tcare——but——Oh，Crawford，howcanyouthinkitwasbecausehewas——that？“
Hiseyeswereshining。
“Idon’tthinkit，“hecriedtriumphantly。“Ineverhavethoughtit，Mary。Ibelieve——eversinceIknew，Ihavedaredtobelievethatyousentmeawaybecauseyouweretryingtosavemefromdisgrace。YouhadlearnedwhoandwhatmyfatherhadbeenandIdidnotknow。AndyoufearedthatifyoumarriedmethesecretmightcomeoutandIwouldbeashamed，mycareerwouldbespoiled，andallthat。IhavedaredtobelievethisandthatiswhyIcamebacktoyou——toaskifitwastrue。Can’tyousee？IHADtocome。ISittrue，Mary？“
Hecametowardher。Shewouldhaverunawayifshecould，buttherewasnowheretorun。
“Lookatme，Mary，“hecommanded。“Lookatme，andtellmethis：Itwasn’tbecauseyoudidn’tlovemethatyousentmeaway？Itwasn’treallythat，wasit？Tellmethetruth。Lookatmenow，andtellme。“
Shetriedtolookandshetriedtospeak，butherglancefalteredandfellbeforehisandthewordswouldnotcome。Shecouldfeelthebloodrushingtohercheeks。Sheputupherhandsinmuteprotest，buttheprotestwasunavailing。Hisarmswereabouther，hiskisseswereuponherlips，andhewastellingherthethingswhicharetoldintimeslikethese。Andshestrugglednolonger，butpermittedherselftolisten，tobelieve，toaccept，andtobesweptawaybythewonderfulcurrentofloveanddestinyagainstwhichshehadfoughtsolong。
Butthestrugglewasnotentirelyover。Shemadeonemoreeffort。
“Oh，Crawford！“shecriedalittlelater。“Oh，Crawford，dear，thisisallwrong。Itcan’tbe。Itmustn’tbe。Don’tyouseeitmustn’t？WehaveforgottenUncleZoeth。Hedoesn’tknowwhosesonyouare。Ifheshouldlearn，itwouldbringbacktheoldstoryandtheoldtrouble。Heisn’twell。Theshockmightkillhim。“
ButCrawfordmerelysmiled。
“Hedoesknow，Mary，“hesaid。“Fatherwrotehim。IshalltellyouthewholestoryjustasDadtoldittome。Heavenknowsitwasnotapleasantoneforasontohear，butIamgladIheardit。Thepastwasbad，butitispast。YouandIhavethefutureforourownandImeantomakeitacleanoneandahappyoneforusboth，Godwilling。“
Shadrachcameupthepathtothetea-house，leadingIsaiahbythearm。Mr。Chasemovedreluctantly，asifledtoexecutionor，attheveryleast，toimmediatetrialforhislife。
“Nowthen，“commandedShadrach，“furlthatumbrellaandcomealonginherewithme。IwantyoutomakeMary-’Gustaunderstandthatyou’vetoldmethewholebusiness，aboutyourtellin’hertheEdFarmeryarnandall。Afterthatyoucanclearout，becauseIwanttotalktohermyself。“
Heopenedthedoorand，stillholdinghiscaptivebythearm，strodeintotheparlor。Therehestoodstockstill，staring。
CrawfordheldouthishandandtheCaptainfoundhimselfshakingitwarmly。
“CaptainGould，“hesaid，“IknownowwhatIdidnotknowuntiltwoweeksago，howgreatlymyfatherwrongedyouandyourpartners。I
knowthewholemiserablestory。But，inspiteofit，IamherebecauseIloveMaryandIwanttomarryher。Shehastoldmethatshelovesme。Idon’tknowhowyoufeelaboutit，butIhope——“
TheCaptaininterrupted。“Waitaminute！“heordered。“Heavetoandcomeupintothewindaminute；letmegetmybearin’s。Youngfeller，ifyou’regoin’todropdownoutoftheskiesunexpectedlikethis，you——Tut！tut！tut！Whew！“Hewaitedamoment，thenhesaid：
“Mary-’Gusta，comehere。“
Heheldouthisarms。Shecametohimandheheldherclose。
“Isitso？“heasked。“Doyoucareforthisyoungfellerenoughforthat？Doyou，Mary-’Gusta？“
Heputhisfingerbeneathherchinandliftedherheadtolookdownintoherface。Thefacewascrimson。
“Doyou，Mary-’Gusta？“heasked。
Marylookedup，wet-eyedbutsmiling。
“Yes，UncleShad，“shesaid，“IthinkIdo。“
“Andyouwanttocruiseinhiscompanyallyourlife，eh？“
“Yes，UncleShad；butnotunlessyouandUncleZoetharewilling。“
Hebentandkissedher。
“Blessyourheart，dearie，“hesaid，“it’sallright。Zoethandmeweretalkin’aboutthisverythingalittlewhileago。Anddoyouknowwhathesaid？Hesaid：’Whatwreckedallourlivesthirty-fiveyearagoshan’twreckthesetwo，ifIcanhelpit。IfMary-’Gustacaresforhimandheforhertheyshallhaveeachotherandbehappy。Andwe’llbehappywatchin’theirhappiness。’That’swhathesaid。Idon’tknow’sIsaid’Amen’exactly，butIthoughtit，anyhow。Godblessyou，Mary-’Gusta。NowyouandCrawfordgoandseeyourUncleZoeth。He’sdownatthehouse。Youjustrunalongandtellhimaboutit。“
MaryturnedtoMr。Chase。
“Well，Isaiah，“shesaid，“haven’tyouanythingtosaytome？“
IsaiahlookedatCrawfordandthenather。
“Ishouldsayyou’dbettergosomewheres，bothofyou，andgetdry，“
hesaid。“Hisovercoat’ssoakin’wetandyourwaistain’tmuchbetter。I——I——don’tknowwhatsortof——ofcongratulationsor——orwhatevertheybeIoughttosay，but——butIhopeyou’llbeterriblehappy，Mary-’Gusta。“
“Thankyou，Isaiah，“laughedMary。
“Yes，you’rewelcome。Now，justletmetalktoCap’nShadaminute。“
HeswungaboutandfacedtheCaptainandinhiseyewastriumphgreatandcomplete。
“Cap’nShadGould，“crowedIsaiah，“agoodmanytimesinthelastfourorfiveyearyou’vecalledmeafoolforheavin’outhintsthatsomethin’aboutlikethiswasliabletohappen。Well？WELL？WhathaveyougottosayNOW？Who’sthefoolNOW？Hey？Whois？“
CHAPTERXXX
ThestoryofMary-’GustaLathropisalmosttold。BeforeCrawfordleftSouthHarniss，whichwasnotuntiltheendofanotherweek，ithadbeendecidedthatonadayinJuneofthefollowingyearsheshouldceasetobeMary-’GustaLathrop。Therewasagreatdealofdiscussionbeforethisdecisionwasreached，formanyperplexingquestionshadtobeanswered。
First，therewasthequestionofCrawford’sfuture。Hisfatherhadleftacomfortablefortuneandaninterestinminingpropertieswhichwouldhaverendereditquiteunnecessaryfortheyoungmantokeeponwithhisprofessionalstudieshadhewishedtodiscontinuethem。Buthedidnotsowish。
“AsIthinkItoldyouthatSundayafternoonwhenwefirstmetatMrs。Wyeth’s，Mary，“hesaid，“Ihavealwaysintendedtobeadoctor。Daddidnotwantmetobe；hewantedmetocomeinwithhim，butIwouldn’tdoit。IlovemyworkandImeantosticktoitandgoonwithit。IfIwereasrichasadozenRockefellersitwouldn’tmakeanydifference。But，asIseeit，Iamnotrich。Itisagravequestioninmymindhowmuchofthatmoneyouttherebelongstome。“