a at once.
Faith!"

"I'm here, mother. I'll go and see to it, right away."

But in some mysterious manner the stranger reached the doorway before
either of the ladies.

"Mrs. Derrick--Miss Faith--I told you that I had had no dinner, and
that was true. It is also true that I am in not the least hurry for
tea. Please do not have it until your usual time." And he walked back
to his seat.

But after the slightest possible pause of hesitancy, Faith had
disappeared. Her mother followed her.

"Child," she said, "what on earth is his name?"

"Mother! how should I know? I didn't ask him."

"But the thing is," said Mrs. Derrick, "I _did_ know,--the Committee
told me all about it. And of course he thinks I know, and I don't--no
more than I do my great-grandmother's name, which I never did remember
yet."

"Mother--shall I go and ask him?--or wait till after supper?"

"O you sha'n't go," said her mother. "Wait till after supper and we'll
send Cindy. He won't care about his name till he gets his tea, I'll
warrant. But what made you so long getting the door open, child? Does
it stick?"

"Why," said Faith, baring her arms and entering upon sundry quick
movements about the room, "it _was_ open and he didn't know it."

"Didn't know it!" said Mrs. Derrick,--"my! I hope he ain't
short-sighted. Now Faith, I'm not going to have you burn your face for
all the school teachers in Connecticut. Keep away, child, I'll put on
the kettle myself. Cindy must have found her beau again--it's as
tiresome as tiresome can be."

"It's just as well, mother; I'd rather do it myself. Now you go in and
find what his name is, and I'll have everything together directly. The
oven's hot now."

"I'll go in presently," said Mrs. Derrick; "but as to asking him what
his name is--la, child, I'd just as soon ask him where he came from."
And in deep thought on the subject, Mrs. Derrick stepped briskly about
the kitchen.

"Faith," she said, "where shall I ask him to sit?"

"Will you pour out tea--or shall I, mother?"

"What's that to do?"

"Why I was thinking--but it don't matter where you put him. There's
four sides to the table."

"Don't talk of my putting him anywhere, child--I'm as afraid of him as
can be." And Mrs. Derrick went back to see how time went with her guest.

It went fast or slow, I suppose, after all, somewhat according to the
state of his appetite. One hour and ten minutes certainly had slipped
away--if he was hungry he knew tha