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He turned to his dusty case and set up the next item on his yellow copy paper. "Rumour hath it that Sandy Seaver's Sunday trips out of town mean business, and that a certain bright resident of Geneseo will shortly become Mrs. Sandy." He paused again. All at once it seemed to him that the Whipples had been hasty. They would get to thinking the thing over and drop it; never mention it to him again.
As if she would consent for a moment to figure in the eyes of his friends as a tyrannical wife who objected to her husband's passing a social evening with his friends! To be sure, in this particular case, she might not favor Seaver's presence, but even she would not mind this once and, anyhow, it was Jenkins that was the attraction, not Seaver. Besides, he himself was no undeveloped boy now.
Since breaking his arm he had turned to games with the feverish eagerness of one who looks for something absorbing to fill an unrestful mind. It was Seaver's skill in chess that had at first attracted Bertram to the man long ago; but Bertram could beat him easily too easily for much pleasure in it now. So they did not play chess often these days.
If Bertram's chin was a little higher and his step a little more decided than usual, it was all merely by way of accompaniment to his thoughts. Certainly it was right that he should go, and it was sensible. Indeed, it was really almost imperative due to Billy, as it were after that disagreeable taunt of Seaver's. As if she did not want him to go when and where he pleased!
They started from Mr. Joshua Seaver's store, and would call for passengers in any part of the village as requested in the order-box. Mr. Seaver's store, established in 1796, stood on slightly elevated ground farther back from the street than the one now occupied by his grandsons, and connected with his dwelling.
We ate and packed and got into the boats and fished along down the river. At Seaver's we hitched up our team and headed homeward. When we drove into the dooryard Aunt Deel came and helped me out of the buggy and kissed my cheek and said she had been "terrible lonesome." Mr. Wright changed his clothes and hurried away across country with his share of the fish on his way to Canton.
My filly led him at a swift gallop over the hills and I heard many a muttered complaint behind me, but she liked a free head when we took the road together and I let her have her way. Coming back we fell in with another rider who had been resting at Seaver's little tavern through the heat of the day. He was a traveler on his way to Canton and had missed the right trail and wandered far afield.
"No, I never let myself go too fur. Bein' so stout, I have to be kind o' careful." After a moment's pause he went on: "A man threatened to lick me up to Seaver's t'other day. You couldn't blame him. He didn't know me from a side o' sole leather. He just thought I was one o' them common, every-day cusses that folks use to limber up on. But he see his mistake in time.
It couldn't be that. It can't be!" "But it is, dear. I think I have loved you ever since that night long ago when I saw your dear, startled face appealing to me from beyond Seaver's hateful smile. And, Billy, I never went once with Seaver again anywhere. Did you know that?" "No; but I'm glad so glad!" "And I'm glad, too.
To-night, however, Seaver's genial smile and hearty friendliness were like a sudden burst of sunshine on a rainy day and Bertram detested rainy days. He was feeling now, too, as if he had just had a whole week of them. "Yes, I am something of a stranger here," nodded Seaver. "But I tell you what, little old Boston looks mighty good to me, all the same. Come on! You're just the fellow we want.
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