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He wore a sweater and a felt hat, and had on blue overalls the color of his eyes. He was older than his employer, and a fringe of white whiskers surrounded his red, weather-beaten face. "Howdy, Thinkright," he said, nodding as the couple approached. "How are you, Cap'n Lem? This is my little cousin, Miss Lacey." "Glad to see ye, Miss Lacey. Ye've got hahnsome weather," observed the old man.
Edna did not say a long visit, for the impression made upon her by this mute, cold girl in black was chilling; but she seemed to need cheering, and Edna was prepared to do any missionary work which would be a help to her dear Thinkright. "Thank you, but I couldn't," returned Sylvia hastily. "I couldn't, possibly."
"I don't blame her for mourning," said Thinkright kindly, "do you, Sylvia?" turning to the young girl, who was mortified to feel her color mounting again. "Sylvia knows Mr. Dunham." "How stupid of him! Oh, how stupid of him!" was Sylvia's angry thought. "I met him once only, on business," she said briefly. Her manner and the blush mystified Miss Derwent. "But didn't you like him?
"I've shown the white feather after all," she said; "but would you mind not asking me anything, just for to-day?" "Certainly I won't, little one. Don't tell me until you wish to." Sylvia rested her hand on his shoulder as they walked up the hill. "I shall tell the others, if they ask, that I was homesick. Never was a truer word spoken. People have died of homesickness, haven't they, Thinkright?
"They ain't no time to change. They're a-comin' right up. Thinkright asked me to tell ye they'd be here for supper. They hain't had nothin' but trash on the road, I guess. Miss Lacey looks kind o' peak-ed;" and so saying, the old man drove on to the barn, his eyes closed tight as he slapped his knee in enjoyment of this second witticism, possibly even better than the first.
She won't have to wait long," he replied kindly, putting his arm around the child's shoulders. Mrs. Lem, her hair strained back in its least decorative twist, fixed her offspring with black eyes that snapped. "You're a-goin' to have a good time with Thinkright, ain't you, Minty?" she asked, and the child's breath caught through her little nose as she replied promptly: "Yes, I be."
"Oh, Thinkright, what a beauty!" exclaimed Sylvia. The men looked up, smiling. "Here is Aunt Martha," added the girl. "Just in the nick of time, Martha," said Thinkright, coming forward and shaking hands. "We've a beauty here to show you." Miss Martha came forward to greet Cap'n Lem. "Glad to see you back, Miss Marthy. What d'ye think o' this plaything, hey?"
"Yes, and you said somethin' else, too," retorted Mrs. Lem. "You say a lot o' things beside your prayers." Upon this Cap'n Lem's cackling laugh burst forth. "She don't look it, does she?" he responded. "So ye're likin' all right, air ye, Miss Sylvy?" "I could sit by these windows twenty-four hours," returned the girl. "Might git a little hungry, mebbe?" "Yes, Mrs. Lem," put in Thinkright.
Judge Trent would not have given unqualified assent to so sweeping an assertion, but, poorer than Dunham on a recent occasion, he had not even monosyllables at his command. It did something novel to him to remember Laura and then picture this girl alone at the Hotel Frisbie. They floated in silence for nearly a minute, then the judge spoke: "Thinkright has some very good ideas.
Thinkright, and the dear Fosters, she loved them all; and her boat, whose dainty oars she had never handled. Home, a dear home, awaited her. She hoped the uncontrollable fountain of her tears would dry before the Tide Mill should feel her presence and seem to say: "I told you so. Better never to believe in the sunshine.
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