She stared at him with undisguised astonishment. "Good evening," he
laughed. "Here I am!"
The girl grew rather pink. "Isn't it wonderful that you really found
us?"
"I didn't, the captain found you."
"It's hard to think of you as--well--just here."
"I came down for a day or two off. For the first time in years, I've
forgotten all about the works."
"I'm glad, and do you--"
At that instant there came from between Clark's feet a mighty thump,
and the big bass, curving its spiney back, leaped clear of the boat and
landed in the brown water with a splash. A flip of the broad tail and
it vanished.
"You've lost your fish!" exclaimed Elsie, aghast.
"Perhaps you lost it, but it doesn't matter."
"Is that the way you feel, just slack and careless?"
"Just like that."
"I knew you had a mind above fish," she laughed.
"That's a distinction, because few fishermen have. Now I'd like to
thank you again for your note of a few weeks ago."
"Do you really remember that?" she said earnestly.
He nodded, and over him came a slow conviction that there was an avenue
of life he had never traversed and which seemed to be, after all, more
inviting than he had allowed himself to believe. Elsie was years
younger than Clark, but just now the latter felt strangely young.
"Do you recollect finding out that I had but a few personal friends?"
"Yes, of course."
"Well," he said thoughtfully, "I would like another."
"Oh!" She stared at him, her startled eyes full of light.
"You don't mind, I hope?"
The canoe drifted like a leaf towards his heavy boat, but Elsie's
paddle was motionless.
"It would make me very happy. But could I really do anything for you?
It has always seemed that," she hesitated and her lips became
tremulous, "that you didn't need any one." Then she added under her
breath, "like me."