No more whip, she
needs only the voice--and little of that."
"Alice," said Quincy, "Mr. Strout has invited us to dinner. He will
be offended unless his invitation is accepted."
"I don't feel equal to meeting that man in his own house. I cannot
bear him even at long range. Take Maude."
"I'll go, Quincy. I love these odd characters."
"He's married and has a little boy," said Alice.
"Then my love for the father will be invisible--I'll shower my
affection upon his offspring."
Quincy, after introducing his sister to Mr. Strout and his wife,
expressed his regret that his wife was so unnerved by the runaway
that she was unable to accompany him. Mr. Strout, in turn, expressed
his regrets, as did Mrs. Strout, then he added: "Miss Sawyer, we'll
have to pay you a commission. The store has been full of folks asking
about you, and after I told them all about the runaway and how you
were rescued, they had to talk it over, and I sold more than forty
cigars and ten plugs of tobacco."
"How did you know how I was rescued?" asked Maude.
"Well, I heard part and imagined the rest. I had to tell 'em
something or lose the trade."
Mrs. Strout was a very good cook and the dinner was a success.
Strout leaned far back in his chair and Maude assumed a similar
position. Quincy looked at her reprovingly, but she did not change
her attitude. To her brother's astonishment, she addressed Mr.
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