Miss Preston did not answer immediately. Instead, she turned and looked wonderingly at her companion.
“Why should I be glad, pray?” she asked.
“Why, I don't know. I jest took it for granted you would be. You didn't want him to come and see you, and if he was gone he couldn't come, so—”
“Just a minute, please. What makes you think I didn't want Mr. Hazeltine to call?”
And now it was the Captain's turn to stare and hesitate.
“What makes me think—” he gasped. “Why—you told me so, yourself.”
“I told you so? I'm certain that I never told you anything of the kind.”
Captain Jerry stood stock-still, and if ever a face expressed complete amazement, it was his.
“Elsie Preston!” he ejaculated, “are you losin' your mem'ry or what? Didn't you pitch into me hot-foot for lettin' him be alone with you? Didn't you give me 'hark from the tomb' for gittin' up and goin' away? Didn't you say his calls was perfect torture to you, and that you had to be decent to him jest out of common politeness? Now, didn't you?”
“Oh, that was it! No, of course I didn't say any such thing.”