Pagina 337 de 416

"Oh, did you bring any letters for me?" she cried eagerly.

He held out the two he had kept in his hand.

"Oh, goodness, Nat--only from mama and Lutie Bissell. You excited

me so!"

He spread a tarpaulin amid the clutter amidships and they sat

down.

She excused herself and began to read her letters, first opening

the one from the girl friend, which, as such letters usually do,

contained nothing of importance. Then she opened the one from her

mother. It was long, and she settled back to the pleasure of

deciphering it.

Nat smoked and whistled and looked out to sea, waiting for her to

finish. Therefore he did not observe the changes that passed

across her face. Near the middle of the letter the color rose to

her forehead in a hot wave, but at the end it had receded,

leaving her pale. Methodically she folded the letter and returned

it to its envelope.