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。“