questioned him concerning his
appointment, he happened to be in the Harbor kitchen, and alone--of
itself a surprising thing. Elvira Snowden and her group were holding
some sort of committee meeting in the sitting room. Elvira was
continually forming committees or circles for this purpose or that,
purposes which fizzled out at about the third meeting of each group.
Esther Tidditt was supposed to be in charge of the kitchen on this
particular morning, but she had gone into the committee meeting in order
to torment Elvira and Mrs. Brackett, a favorite amusement with her.

So Sears, wandering into the kitchen, happened to notice that the door
of the store closet had been left open, and he was standing in front of
it idly looking in. He was brought out of his day dream, which had
nothing to do with the closet or its contents, by Elizabeth's voice. She
had entered from the dining room and he had not heard her.

"Well," she asked, "I trust you find everything present or accounted
for?"

Her tone was so crisply sarcastic that he turned in astonishment.

"Why--what?" he faltered.

"I said I trusted that you found everything in that closet as it should
be. Have you measured the flour? My mother is matron here, Cap'n
Kendrick, and she will be glad to have you take any precautions of that
kind, I am sure. So shall I. But don't you think it might as well be
done while she or I are here?"

He was bewildered.

"I don't know what you mean, Elizabeth," he said.

"Don't you?"

"No, I don't. I came in just now by the back door, and there was no one
in the kitchen, so--so I waited for a minute."

"Why did you come by the back door? You didn't use to. Mother and I are
usually in the office, or, at least, we are always glad to come there
when you call."

He was still bewildered, but irritated, too.

"Why did I come by the back door?" he repeated. "Why, I've come that way
a dozen times in the last fortnight. Don't you want me to come that
way?"

Now she looked a trifle confused, but the flush was still on her cheeks
and the sparkle in her eye.

"I'm sure I don't care how often you come that way," she said.
"But--well, mother is matron here, Cap'n Kendrick. She may not
be--perhaps she isn't--the most businesslike and orderly person in the
world, but she is my mother. If you have any complaints to make, if you
want to find out how things are kept, or managed, or----"

"Here!" he broke in. "Wait! What do you mean? Do you sup