Dropping his niece's hand, he extended his own toward his nephew.
"And this is Stephen?" he said. "Well, Steve, you and me have never met
afore, I b'lieve. But that's our misfortune, not our fault, hey? How are
you? Pretty smart?"
The boy's face was flaming. He mumbled something to the effect that he
was all right enough, and turned away without accepting the proffered
hand. Captain Elisha glanced quickly at him, then at his sister.
"Well, Caroline," he said, pleasantly, "I s'pose you've been expectin'
me. Mr. Graves told you I was comin', didn't he?"
Miss Warren, also, was flushed with embarrassment and mortified
surprise.
"No," she stammered. "He has been ill."
"Sho! you don't say! Mrs. Dunn--your friend here--said he was laid up
with a cold, but I didn't realize 'twas as bad as that. So you didn't
know I was comin' at all."
"No. We--we have not heard from you since he returned."
"That's too bad. I hope I sha'n't put you out any, droppin' in on
you this way. You mustn't treat me as comp'ny, you know. If 'tain't
convenient, if your spare room ain't ready so soon after movin', or
anything of that kind, I can go to a hotel somewheres for a day or so.
Hadn't I better, don't you think?"
Caroline hesitated. If only they might have been spared this public
humiliation.
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