It was nearly ten minutes before Kate Spencer could stop laughing, and for an hour afterward she would break out occasionally when she remembered how Harlow had looked after being struck by the basket.
The whole affair was explained to Mrs. Barnaby, and Frank was introduced. He promised to send her over another basket of eggs from the store, which eased her feelings greatly.
“I’m glad to meet you, Mr. Merriwell, sir,” said the good woman. “Elsie has told us lots about ye, but I never expected to see you here.”
Frank explained how, by accident, he came to be there, telling of the treacherous work in which he had detected Harlow not long before.
“The fellow must have come directly here after returning to Blue Cove,” he said. “And that other chap was the spy.”
“That other chap has been stopping at the Cove a few days,” said Kate Spencer. “He thinks he is a masher, and he was determined to force his attentions upon me.”
After they had talked a short time, Mrs. Barnaby went into the house, and Kate, seeing Frank and Elsie wished to be alone, soon excused herself and left them seated in the hammock.
“Oh, Frank,” whispered Elsie, looking up at him with her innocent blue eyes, “I am so glad to see you again! I had begun to fear we’d never see each other any more.”
“And I had begun to fear so myself, dear little girl,” he confessed. “I did not know where you were, for you were sailing over the world with your father, and you did not have any permanent address.”
“You did not answer the last two letters I wrote you.”