uousness, almost the violence of his hurry to reach her, sent
its thrill through her. She went down on the path to meet him.

"How quickly you came!"

"You let yourself think you needed me, Connie!"

"I did..."

He had caught her hand in his and he held it while he brought her to
the porch and exchanged greetings with her mother. Then he led her on
past and into the house.

When she saw his face, in the light, there were signs of strain in it;
she could feel strain now in his fingers which held hers strongly but
tensely too.

"You're tired, Henry!"

He shook his head. "It's been rotten hot in Chicago; then I guess I
was mentally stoking all the way up here, Connie. When I got started,
I wanted to see you to-night ... but first, where are the things you
wanted me to see?"

She ran up-stairs and brought them down to him. Her hands were shaking
now as she gave them to him; she could not exactly understand why; but
her tremor increased as she saw his big hands fumbling as he unwrapped
the muffler and shook out the things it enclosed. He took them up one
by one and looked at them, as she had done. His fingers were steady
now but only by mastering of control, the effort for which amazed her.

He had the watch in his hands.

"The inscription is inside the front," she said.

She pried the cover open again and read, with him, the words engraved
within.

"'As master of...' What ship was he master of then, Henry, and how did
he rescue the _Winnebago's_ people?"

"He never talked to me about things like that, Connie. This is all?"

"Yes."

"And nothing since to show who sent them?"

"No."

"Corvet, Sherrill, and Spearman will send some one to Manitowoc to make
inquiries." Henry put the things back in the box. "But of course,
this is the end of Benjamin Corvet."

"Of course," Constance said. She was shaking again and, without
willing it, she withdrew a little from Henry. He caught her hand again
and drew her back toward him. His hand was quite steady.

"You know why I came to you as quick as I could? You know why I--why
my mind was behind every thrust of the engines?"

"No."

"You don't? Oh, you know; you must know now!"

"Yes, Henry," she said.

"I've been patient, Connie. Till I got your letter telling me this
about Ben, I'd waited for your sake--for our sakes--though it seemed at
times it was impossible. You haven't known quite what's been the
matter between us these last months,