“I went to the post office, that’s all, Captain Townsend,” he said. “I tried to coax Esther to go with me, but she wouldn’t.”
“Guess she was expecting a caller, maybe. Anyway, she has got one. Esther, suppose you do the introducing.”
Esther colored slightly, but she accepted the suggestion.
“Bob,” she said, “this is Seymour Covell, from Chicago. He is visiting us. You remember I—” She paused, noticing the expression upon the two faces. “Why!” she cried, in astonishment. “What is it? Do you know each other?”
It was quite evident that they did. Griffin had risen when Covell entered. He was gazing at the latter in incredulous surprise. And Covell, when he turned to face Bob, seemed quite as much astonished. The hand which he had extended dropped at his side. Of the two, he appeared the more taken aback by the meeting.
“Do you know each other?” repeated Esther. “You look as if you did.”
Seymour Covell’s embarrassment, if he was embarrassed, was but momentary. The hand shot forward again to seize Bob’s and shake it heartily. His handsome face beamed.
“Well, well!” he declared, with a delighted smile, “this is a surprise! Griffin, who on earth would have expected to find you down here! How are you, old man? Glad to see you!”
Bob’s gladness was more restrained. He accepted the handshake, but he did not return it, and his smile seemed, so Esther thought, somewhat forced. He looked from her to Covell and back again.
“Why, how are you, Covell?” he said. “Where did you come from?”