“Caroline,” she said, nervously, “this”—pausing on the word—“gentleman is here to see you. He says he is—”
The captain interrupted her. Stepping forward he seized his niece’s hands in his. “Well, well!” he exclaimed admiringly. “’Bije’s girl, that I ain’t seen since you was a little mite of a baby! Caroline, I’m your Uncle Elisha.”
“Good Lord!” groaned Stephen Warren.
CHAPTER IV
If the captain heard Stephen’s fervent ejaculation, he paid no attention to it. 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?”