Her opportunity came the following morning, the day before Thanksgiving.
After breakfast Captain Elisha went downtown to call on some
acquaintances. He invited Caroline and the lawyer to accompany him, but
they refused, the latter because he judged his, a stranger's, presence
during the calls would be something of a hindrance to good fellowship
and the discussion of town affairs which the captain was counting on,
and Caroline because she saw her chance for the interview she so much
desired.
After the captain had gone, Sylvester sat down before the fire in the
sitting room to read the Boston Transcript. As he sat there, Caroline
entered and closed the door behind her. Miss Abigail was in the kitchen,
busy with preparations for the morrow's plum pudding.
The girl took the chair next that occupied by the lawyer. He put down
his paper and turned to her.
"Well," he asked, "how does this Cape Cod air effect your appetite,
Caroline? I'm ashamed of mine. I'm rather glad to-morrow is
Thanksgiving; on that day, I believe, it is permissible, even
commendable, to eat three times more than a self-respecting person
ordinarily should."
She smiled, but her answer was in the form of another question, and
quite irrelevant.
"Mr. Sylvester," she said, "I wish you would tell me something about the
value of a seat on the Stock Exchange.
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