ir return, they seemed very
complacent and much less excited than when they set out. In the evening,
they went to the theatre together, being "shadowed" by Mr. Knox. He took
a seat close behind them, in order to listen to their conversation; but
he overheard nothing of any consequence.

Captain Sumner had a long talk with his sister next morning, in relation
to their return to Connecticut. He begged her to go immediately, and
thus escape from Pattmore's influence; but she opposed his wish, on the
ground that she was too weak to make the journey. He then lost his
temper, and replied that she was strong enough to go around to places of
amusement with Pattmore, and it was very strange that she could not
travel slowly home. This show of anger on the Captain's part, caused her
to commence crying, as she knew that he could not resist so powerful an
appeal to his sympathy. The result equalled her anticipations. The
Captain soon lost all his irritation and began to console her, as if she
were a spoilt child; finally, she induced him to go driving with them
that afternoon. The Captain told me afterward, that Pattmore behaved
with great propriety during the drive, and that they did not seem to be
so much in love with each other as he had supposed. I smiled inwardly at
the old sailor's simplicity; for I noticed that they had gone out in an
open barouche, (instead of a close carriage, such as they had used the
day before,) and they had remained away only one hour, instead of three.

On their return from the drive, Pattmore and Annie went to Mrs. Thayer's
sitting room, and the Captain went down town. At four o'clock, Miss
Seaton knocked at Mrs. Thayer's door; but, receiving no answer, she
tried to enter quietly. She found that the door was locked on the
inside, however, and she was, therefore, obliged to withdraw to her own
room to watch. It was six o'clock before Pattmore came out, having been
nearly three hours in Mrs. Thayer's room with the door locked.

Mr. Knox "shadowed" Pattmore on his departure from the boarding house,
and saw him take the nine o'clock train for Greenville. I immediately
notified Mr. Miller by telegraph, directing him to renew his intimacy
with Pattmore, and to remain in Greenville until further orders.

_CHAPTER VII._

Mr. Miller was not idle during the time that Pattmore was away. His
first action was to learn who were the nurses attending Mrs. Pattmore in
her last illness. One of them had left