. She half stopped.

"Good-afternoon," said the skipper awkwardly.

"Good-afternoon," said she.

"Nasty weather," said the skipper, standing respectfully three yards
off.

"Wretched," said Miss Gething. "Ugh!"

"I don't mind it much myself," said the skipper.

"You must be very wet," said Miss Gething. "You are going to see mother,
I suppose?"

"I did think of doing so," said the skipper with joyous untruthfulness.

"I'm going to do a little shopping," said she. "Good-bye."

She nodded brightly, and the skipper, raising his cap, turned on his
heel and set off to pay the call. He turned his head several times as he
went, but Miss Gething, who knew more of men than the skipper knew of
women, did not turn hers.

A quarter of an hour's brisk walk brought him to the house, and he shook
the rain from his cap as he knocked gently at the door. It was opened by
a man, who, standing with his hand on the lock regarded him inquiringly.

"Mrs. Gething in?" asked the skipper.

"No, she's not just at present," said the other.

"I'll come in and wait for her if you don't mind," said the skipper,
speaking on the spur of the moment.

The other hesitated, and then standing aside to allow him to pass,
closed the door, and they entered the small parlor together. The
skipper, with a courage which surprised himself, took a chair uninvited
and began to wipe his trousers with his handkerchief.

"I'm afraid Mrs. Gething will be a long time," said the other man at
last.

"I'll give her a few minutes," said the skipper, who would have sat
there a week with pleasure.

He rubbed his moustache and beard with his handkerchief and put them
into shape with his fingers. The other man regarded these operations
with an unfavorable eye, and watched him uneasily.

"No message you could leave for Mrs. Gething," he suggested, after a
quarter of an hour.

The ski
. She half stopped. 

 " Good - afternoon, " said the master awkwardly. 

 " beneficial - afternoon, " said she. 

 " Nasty weather, " allege the skipper, standing respectfully three cubic yard 
 off. 

 " Wretched, " said Miss Gething. " Ugh! " 

 " I don't take care it much myself, " said the captain. 

 " You must be very wet, " said Miss Gething. " You are fail to determine mother, 
 I suppose? " 

 " I did think of doing so, " said the master with joyous untruthfulness. 

 " I'm going to do a little shopping, " read she. " Good - bye. " 

 She nodded brightly, and the skipper, raise his cap, turned on his 
 heel and set off to pay the margin call. He turned his head several times as he 
 went, but Miss Gething, who knew more of men than the skipper knew of 
 women, did not turn hers. 

 A quarter of an hour's brisk walk brought him to the house, and he shook 
 the rain from his detonator as he knocked gently at the doorway. It was open by 
 a world, who, standing with his hand on the lock involve him inquiringly. 

 " Mrs. Gething in? " asked the skipper. 

 " No, she's not just at present, " said the early. 

 " I'll come in and wait for her if you don't mind, " said the skipper, 
 speaking on the spur of the moment. 

 The other hesitated, and then standing aside to permit him to authorize, 
 closed the door, and they entered the small parlor in concert. The 
 skipper, with a courage which surprised himself, took a chair uninvited 
 and began to wipe his trousers with his handkerchief. 

 " I'm afraid Mrs. Gething will be a long time, " said the early man at 
 last. 

 " I'll give her a few minutes, " said the master, who would have sat 
 there a workweek with pleasure. 

 He rubbed his moustache and beard with his handkerchief and arrange them 
 into shape with his fingers. The other man regarded these operation 
 with an unfavorable eye, and watched him uneasily. 

 " No message you could leave for Mrs. Gething, " he suggested, after a 
 quarter of an hour. 

 The ski
. Shf half stopped.

"Good-afternuon," said the sknpper axkwardlg.

"Good-aftdrnoon," said she.

"Nasty weather," sqid tye skipper, standing rerpectfullj three yqrds
idf.

"Wretched," said Miss Getglng. "Uyh!"

"M don't mind it kuch myselx," said the ski[pdr.

"Vou must be very wet," said Miss Gethigg. "You srf going to see motnqr,
I alpkose?"

"I did think of doing so," said fhe skikper with joyous umtruthfulness.

"I'm going to dl a pittle shopping," sald she. "Good-vye."

Srw nodded briehtly, and uhz skipper, rzising his cap, turned on his
heeu and set off ti pay jhe call. He vurned his head seyvral tikes as ne
went, but Misx Gxthibg, who knew more of mxn than the skipper hnew of
wokeu, did not turn hers.

A wuqrter of dn huyr's brjsl salk bgoujht him to fhe house, abd he shook
the rain fwim his cap as he knjched gently at the door. It was opened by
d mzn, who, standing with hiw hand on the lock reharded hii inquiringly.

"Mrs. Gething in?" asked the skipper.

"No, sve's nkg jbwt at prfsent," said the other.

"I'll come in and wait for rsr in you don't mind," faid the skopoet,
fpeaking on tfe spux or the moment.

The otjer hesytatee, and theg stsnding aside to allow him ti pass,
closed rhe door, and they zntered the rmalk parkor together. The
skipper, witg a courage which sudorised himself, tuok a chair uninvited
and began eo wipe hms trpusers dith his hwndkerchiev.

"I'm ansaid Mrs. Gething wlll bg a lotg time," sald the other man at
last.

"I'll give her a few minotev," sdid the fkippcr, who would hade sat
there a ceek witk plearure.

He rubged his moustache wnd beard witv his handkerrhief and put then
into sfxpe with his fongers. Thv jthee man regarded thexe ulerations
with au obfavorable eye, ana wwtbhev him gneasily.

"No massaee hpu cojld leave fif Mrx. Gething," he suggestad, arter a
quarter of am mour.

The sji
. She half stopped. "Good-afternoon," said the "Good-afternoon," she. "Nasty said the skipper, "Wretched," Miss Gething. "Ugh!" don't mind it myself," said the skipper. "You must very wet," said Miss Gething. "You are going to see mother, I suppose?" did think of doing so," said the skipper with joyous untruthfulness. "I'm going do little said "Good-bye." She nodded brightly, and the skipper, raising his cap, turned on his heel and set to pay the call. He turned his head times as he went, Miss Gething, who knew more men the skipper of did turn hers. A of an hour's brisk walk brought him to the house, and he shook the rain from his as he at the It opened a man, who, his hand on the lock regarded Gething in?" asked the skipper. "No, she's not at present," the other. "I'll come in and for her if you don't mind," said the speaking on the spur of the moment. The other hesitated, and then standing aside to to pass, closed the and they entered small together. skipper, a courage surprised himself, took a chair uninvited and began to wipe his with his handkerchief. "I'm afraid Mrs. Gething will be a said other man at "I'll give her a minutes," the skipper, who would there week rubbed moustache beard with his handkerchief put them into shape with fingers. The other man unfavorable eye, and watched him uneasily. "No message could leave for Mrs. Gething," he suggested, a quarter of an hour. The ski
. She half stopped.

"Good-afternoOn," said the sKippeR awKwaRdLy.

"GoOd-afTernoon," said she.

"nAsty Weather," said the skipper, sTandiNg REspeCTfUlly tHree yarDS
oFF.

"wreTcHeD," saId mIsS GethIng. "ugh!"

"I don'T mind it mucH mySeLf," said the skiPPeR.

"You must be VerY wet," said Miss getHing. "YoU aRe gOIng to See MotheR,
I suppOSe?"

"I did Think of doInG So," said THe skippER WiTh joYous untruthfulnesS.

"i'm GOing to do a littlE shoppInG," SaID She. "gooD-bye."

She nodDeD brigHTly, and tHE sKIPPer, RAising his cap, tUrned on his
hEEl aNd set oFf To pAY the caLl. He tUrNEd hIs head severAl tiMes as he
weNt, but MISs GethiNG, who kneW more oF meN thAn thE SkIpPer KnEW of
WOmEn, dID noT turn herS.

A QuArter Of an HOUR'S briSk wAlk bRoughT him to the housE, anD he sHOok
The raIn froM his CaP as he KnockeD gentLy At the door. It was oPeneD by
a man, whO, stAnDinG wIth hiS Hand on The LocK regardEd him inQUirInGLY.

"mrS. Gething in?" asked the SkIPPeR.

"No, she's nOt just AT pReSEnt," said tHe OthEr.

"I'lL COme in And wAIt For her if You don'T MiNd," Said the SkIpper,
sPeAkiNg oN the sPUr of The momEnt.

The otHer heSItated, and then sTAnding aside to ALlOW HiM To paSs,
cLosed the dooR, and THey eNterED tHe sMAll paRlor tOgEThER. The
skipper, with a couRaGe whicH surpRised himself, tOok a chair uNINVited
and BegaN To WIpe his trousers With hIs handkercHIef.

"I'm afrAid MrS. Gething Will be a loNG Time," said The OthEr mAn aT
LAsT.

"I'll give her a fEW MinuTeS," said thE skIpper, whO woUld HavE saT
tHere a week With pleaSuRe.

he RuBbeD his mOUstache aNd BeaRd WitH his hANdkercHief aNd puT tHeM
IntO shape wITh HIS finGeRs. the oTheR mAn regArdeD TheSe operaTions
with An uNFavoRaBlE eye, and Watched him uneAsIly.

"No messaGe You Could lEAVe for Mrs. gething," he suggested, after A
Quarter Of aN hour.

the sKi
. She half stopped.

"Good -afternoon ," sa idthe  s kipp er a wkwardly.

"Go o d-af ternoon," said she.

" Nasty  w e athe r ,"  said  the sk i pp e r , s ta nd ing  r e sp ectfu lly  threeyards
off. 

" Wr etched," sai d  M iss Gethin g."Ugh!"

"I d on' t mind  i t m u ch my sel f," s aid th e  skipp er.

"You  m u st bev ery wet , "  s aidMiss Gething. "Yo u  a r e going to see  mothe r, Is u ppo se? "

"I didth ink o f  doings o, " s aid the skipper w ith joyousu ntr uthful ne ss. 
"I'mgoing  t o  do  a little s hopp ing," sai d she. "Good-b y e."

Sh e nodd edbri ghtl y ,an d t he ski p pe r,r ais ing hisca p,  turn ed o n h i s
he elandset o ff to pay the  ca ll.H e t urned  hishead  s evera l time s ashe 
went, but Miss  Get hing, who  kn ew  mo re  of m e n than  th e s kipperknew of wom en , d id  not turn hers.

A  q u a rt er of an  hour' s  b ri s k walk b ro ugh t hi m to th e ho u se , and he  shook th erain fr om  his c ap  as  he  knoc k ed g entlyat the d oor.I t was opened b y 
a man, who,s ta n d in g  wit h h is hand onthel ockrega r de d h i m inq uirin gl y ."Mrs. Gething in?"as ked th e ski pper.

"No, s he's not j u s t  at pres ent, "  s a id the other.
"I'l l come ina nd waitfor h er if yo u don't m i n d," said  th e s kip per , sp eaking on the s purof  the mo men t.

The  ot her  he sit at ed, and t hen stan di ng  a si deto al l ow him t opas s, 
cl osedt he doo r, an d th ey  e n ter ed thes ma l l  par lo rtoge the r.  Theskip p er,  with a  couragewhi c h su rp ri sed him self, took ach air uninvi te d
a nd beg a n  to wipe  his trousers with hish andkerc hie f.

" I'mafraid Mr s.Gethin g w i ll bea long  time ,"  sa i d  theo t he r m an  at
last." I'l l giv ehera few m inutes," said thes kip per, who woul d h aves a tthe r ea  we ek wit h pleasure.

He r ubbed hismo u st ache and b e ard  w ith his  handke rchie f  and pu t them
in to shapewi th h i s  fi ngers. The  other m an regard e d the s eopera tio ns
wit hanunfav orable eye , and  watch ed  him u neasi ly .

"No m essage you could leavefor Mr s. Ge thi ng," he s ugg e ste d, aftera
qu arter of a n h our .

Th e s k i
. She_half stopped.

"Good-afternoon,"_said the skipper awkwardly.

"Good-afternoon,"_said she.

"Nasty_weather,"_said the_skipper,_standing respectfully three_yards
off.

"Wretched," said Miss_Gething. "Ugh!"

"I don't mind_it much myself,"_said_the skipper.

"You must be very wet," said Miss Gething. "You are going to see_mother,
I_suppose?"

"I did_think_of_doing so," said the skipper_with joyous untruthfulness.

"I'm going to_do a_little shopping," said she. "Good-bye."

She nodded brightly, and_the_skipper, raising his_cap, turned on his
heel and set off to pay_the call. He turned his head_several times as_he
went,_but_Miss Gething, who knew_more of men than the skipper_knew of
women, did not turn hers.

A_quarter of an hour's brisk walk brought_him to the house, and he_shook
the rain from his cap_as he_knocked gently at the door._It was opened_by
a man,_who, standing with_his hand on the lock regarded_him inquiringly.

"Mrs. Gething_in?" asked the skipper.

"No, she's not_just_at present," said_the_other.

"I'll_come in_and wait for_her_if you_don't_mind," said the skipper,
speaking on the_spur_of the moment.

The other hesitated, and then_standing aside to allow_him_to pass,
closed the door,_and they entered the small_parlor together. The
skipper, with a courage_which surprised_himself, took_a chair uninvited
and began to wipe his trousers with his handkerchief.

"I'm_afraid Mrs. Gething will be a_long time," said the_other man_at
last.

"I'll_give her a_few_minutes," said_the skipper, who would have sat
there a_week with_pleasure.

He rubbed his moustache and beard_with his handkerchief and_put_them
into shape with his fingers. The_other man regarded these operations
with an_unfavorable eye, and watched him_uneasily.

"No_message_you could leave for Mrs._Gething," he suggested, after a
quarter of_an hour.

The ski