Paul Stone, in his character of adviser and assistant in the work of founding the free colored school, had been an almost daily visitor at the hall. He had been attracted and fascinated by the gracious and majestic beauty of the person and character of Roma Fronde. He loved, adored and worshiped her. He was completely infatuated with her, and though he never breathed the passion that was consuming him, he constantly betrayed himself. Roma’s kind heart was touched by his dumb devotion, but now she found it difficult to be as gentle and friendly in her manner to him as she wished to be, without encouraging hope, and perhaps precipitating a proposal from him, which she would be obliged to meet with a rejection—a rejection painful to herself and mortifying to him. She wished to avoid giving him this humiliation. The only way out of the difficulty that occurred to her mind was to leave the neighborhood as soon as possible. So one morning, when Dr. Shaw called to see her, she said to him: “I think I shall go to Washington early next week?” “Indeed! Why so soon? Is this a sudden resolution, my dear?” inquired the surprised rector. “Well, no. The work here is all well laid out, and the schoolhouse will be finished and furnished even before it is time to open the school. I can very well leave the neighborhood now, and the supervision of affairs here to you and Mr. Stone. I have very much to do in Washington and at the Isle of Storms before the first of August, when you and I must sail on our voyage to Europe.” “Yes, of course.” “I have to make arrangements to convert the old manor house on the Isle into a free sanitorium for the sick poor. Certainly there is not much to be done. The house is large, and in good repair. I have only to send down a great many cots, with bedclothes in proportion, and provisions by the wholesale. This will not take long to do, for it is quite as easy to buy a hundred cots or twenty barrels of flour as to buy one.” “Yes, my dear, when we have the money, as you have.” “I meant to say,” said Roma, with a slight flush, “that it takes no more time to purchase a large quantity than a small one.” “I know what you meant, my dear.” “So there is really not much to be done, though what there is should be done immediately. If the place is to be of any use this season it should be ready for occupancy by the first of June.” “Certainly. I see that.”