He smiled at his reference to the weather, and Annie smiled too as she again answered, “Yes?” She did not want his books, but she liked something that was cheerful and enthusiastic in him; she added, “Won't you step into the study?” “Thanks, yes,” said the young man, flinging off his gossamer, and hanging it up to drip into the pan of the hat rack. He gathered up his books from the chair where he had laid them, and held them at his waist with both hands, while he bowed her precedence beside the study door. “I don't know,” he began, “but I ought to apologise for coming on a day like this, when you were not expecting to be interrupted.” “Oh no; I'm not at all busy. But you must have had courage to brave a storm like this.” “No. The truth is, Miss Kilburn, I was very anxious to see you about a matter I have at heart--that I desire your help with.” “He wants me,” Annie thought, “to give him the use of my name as a subscriber to his book”--there seemed really to be a half-dozen books in his bundle--“and he's come to me first.” “I had expected to come with Mrs. Munger--she's a great friend of mine; you haven't met her yet, but you'll like her; she's the leading spirit in South Hatboro'--and we were coming together this morning; but she was unexpectedly called away yesterday, and so I ventured to call alone.” “I'm very glad to see you, Mr. Brandreth,” Annie said. “Then Mrs. Munger has subscribed already, and I'm only second fiddle, after all,” she thought. “The truth is,” said Mr. Brandreth, “I'm the factotum, or teetotum, of the South Hatboro' ladies' book club, and I've been deputed to come and see if you wouldn't like to join it.” “Oh!” said Annie, and with a thrill of dismay she asked herself how much she had let her manner betray that she had supposed he was a book agent. “I shall be very glad indeed, Mr. Brandreth.” “Mrs. Munger was sure you would,” said Mr. Brandreth joyously. “I've brought some of the books with me--the last,” he said; and Annie had time to get into a new social attitude toward him during their discussion of the books. She chose one, and Mr. Brandreth took her subscription, and wrote her name in the club book. “One of the reasons,” he said, “why I would have preferred to come with Mrs. Munger is that she is so heart and soul with me in my little scheme. She could have put it before you in so much better light than I can. But she was called away so suddenly.” “I hope for no serious cause,” said Annie. “Oh no! It's just to Cambridge. Her son is one of the Freshman Nine, and he's been hit by a ball.” “Oh!” said Annie. “Yes; it's a great pity for Mrs. Munger. But I come to you for advice as well as co-operation, Miss Kilburn. You must have met a great many English people in Rome, and heard some of them talk about it. We're thinking, some of the young people here, about getting up some outdoor theatricals, like Lady Archibald Campbell's, don't you know. You know about them?” he added, at the blankness in her face.