Richie, that's the trouble. You let yourself be
imposed upon."
Her broken "no--no" seemed to him a lovely humility, and he laughed
and shook his head.
"Yes, yes! When I see how gentle women are with us clods of men, I
really, I--you know--" William had never since his courting days got
into such a bog of sentiment, and he stammered his way out of it by
saying that Sam was a perfect nuisance.
When they reached the gateway of the senior warden's place, Mrs.
Richie said that she would wait. "I'll stand here in the road; and if
you will make some excuse, and find out--"
"Very well," he said. "I'll come back as quickly as I can, and tell
you he's all right. There isn't a particle of reason for anxiety, but
it's a better sedative for you than bromide. That's the why I'm doing
it," said William candidly. He gave her the lantern, and said he did
not like to leave her. "You won't be frightened? You can see the house
from here, and can call if you want me. I'll have to stay about ten
minutes, or they wouldn't understand my coming in."
She nodded, impatient at his delay, and he slipped into the shadow of
the maples and disappeared. For a minute she could hear the crunch of
his footsteps on the gravel of the driveway. She sat down on the grass
by the roadside, and leaned her head against the big white gate-post.
The lantern burned steadily beside her, casting on the ground a shower
of yellow spots that blurred into a widening circle of light.
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