'ate to have
everything ready so 's to get an early start."

"She wouldn't mind how I looked," said the young man, defensively.

"Mebbe not." Uncle William was gathering together the trifles from the
shelf and table, and knotting them in a table-spread. "You want to save
this out?" he asked indifferently. It was a picture of the girl in an
oval frame.

The young man seized it. He was looking at it with warm eyes.

Uncle William glanced down on them from his height. "Mebbe not," he said
gently, "but I reckon she'd hate to see ye lookin' like that. It's about
all I can stan' to see ye, myself."

XVI

The girl looked up from her copying. Uncle William stood in the doorway,
beaming on her. She got up quickly. "You are early."

Uncle William held out a hand detainingly. "You set right down and go
to work. I come early a-purpose. I thought I'd like to set a spell and
watch ye."

The girl resumed her copying. The lamp beside her shed its dull glow
on the page, and on her face and neck, as she bent to it. The dark room
rose mysteriously behind her. Uncle William settled himself in his chair
with a breath of relief.

When she had finished the copying she came across to him. "It is done
now." She smiled to him through the dim light.

"Keeps you workin' pretty steady, don't it?" said Uncle William.

"Yes." There was no complaint in the word.

Uncle William nodded. "I reckoned I'd find you doin' it. That's why I
come early. I kind o' wanted a chance to set--where 't was quiet and
things wa'n't worryin'."

She leaned forward. "Is he worse?"

"Well, not worse, so to speak, but kind o' triflin'--wanting his own way
a good deal. If I was home, I wouldn't mind it a mite. I'd go outdoor
and take two-three good whiffs, look at the water and see how things was
comin' on. I'd be all right in no time. But here--" He drew a kind of
caged breath. "It's worse _out_door 'n 't is _in_."

"You mind the noise, don't you?" She was looking at him sympathetically.

"Well, 't ain't the noise so much,--I've heard the ocean roar,--it's
folks. Pesters me havin' 'em round--so many on 'em."

Her look changed to a little wonder. "I should think you would like to
be with them. You help them." She spoke the words softly, almost shyly.
The clear glow of her eyes rested on his face.

The face showed no pride. "Yes, I reckon I help 'em--some. There's
gen'ally suthin' to do, if you're where folks be; but I have to get away
from 'em. Ca