“Your aunt is not here. Tom saw her on the piazza as he drove by. She probably did not expect you on this boat,” Paul said to Elithe, and added, “My man Tom will drive you home in our carriage. Here, Tom, take this trunk to an expressman and leave the young lady at Miss Hansford’s.” Tom shouldered the trunk, while Paul continued to Clarice, whose face was clouded, “You don’t mind walking, do you? It is so short a distance.” Clarice did mind, not so much the walk as the fact that Elithe, whom she considered far beneath her, was to be driven in the Ralston carriage while she went on foot. “Oh, no; a little roasting, more or less, in this hot sun won’t hurt me; let’s go,” she said, with a toss of her head, and was turning away when Elithe, who had heard everything and understood it, exclaimed, “Please, Mr. Ralston, let Miss Percy ride. I would rather walk if some one will show me the way.” “All right,” Paul answered, with some annoyance in his tone. “Tom shall take Clarice and I will go with you. Hallo, Tom! Bring the horses here.” In an instant Clarice changed her tactics. She had no intention to let Paul take Elithe home, and she said, “How absurd! Do you think I am going to ride and let her walk, tired as she is. She looks quite worn out.” She was beginning to be ashamed of her manner, which she knew was displeasing to Paul, and as she addressed herself to Elithe she flashed upon her a smile which made Elithe start, it seemed so familiar. The eyes, too, in their softer expression, had in them a look she had surely seen before. Tom had brought the horses up by this time, and at a sign from Clarice Paul gave his hand to Elithe and assisted her into the carriage. Clarice had played the amiable, and kept the role up as she walked with Paul the few blocks to the Percy cottage on Ocean Avenue. Then her mood changed, and without asking him in, she said, “I suppose I shall see you to-night, unless you feel it your duty to call upon that Miss,—what’s her name? Hansford isn’t it?” “Girls are queer,” Paul reflected, as he bade her good-bye and went slowly towards home. His road did not take him directly past Miss Hansford’s cottage, but he could see it from the avenue and knew that Elithe was there, as the carriage was driving away from it. Miss Hansford had fully intended to meet her niece, but for the first time in her life had forgotten to wind her clock, which stopped at three, and the first indication she had that it was time for the boat was when she saw it moving up to the wharf. “For the land’s sake,” she exclaimed in alarm, glancing at the clock, “if there ain’t the boat, and I not there to meet her! What will she do?” Then like an inspiration her bones came to her aid and told her somebody would see to her. She did not, however, expect her to be seen to in quite the way she was, and felt not a little surprised and elated when the Ralston carriage stopped before her door and Elithe alighted from it.