They and Mr. Short had already made acquaintance. Polite greetings were exchanged, and then all stood together watching the sun as he sank behind the western hills.
It was a grand sunset, the whole western horizon ablaze with gold, orange, and flame color, shading off here and there into the more delicate shades—rose, pale-green, and amber.
They lingered for many minutes, silently gazing upon the ever-changing panorama until most of its glories had faded away, then slowly descended the hill and wended their way back to their temporary abodes.
It was growing dark, the stars coming out one by one overhead, and a young moon showing herself above the hilltops, when the captain and his children re-entered Mrs. McAlpine’s gate and walked up the path leading to the front porch.
There were several persons sitting there, among them the lady of the house. She rose, said “Good-evening,” and turning to a gentleman who had risen also, introduced him as the Rev. Mr. Green.
He and Capt. Raymond shook hands cordially, each expressing pleasure at the meeting, and when Max and Lulu had also been introduced, and all were seated, the two gentlemen fell into earnest discourse, the mission work and its interests and needs in that region of country being their principal theme.
The children listened in silence, and presently learned from the remarks of the minister, what was news to them—that their father had given town lots for church, parsonage, and schoolhouse, and nearly the whole amount of money their erection had cost.
“Papa must be rich, very rich, Max,” whispered Lulu in her brother’s ear.
“Yes; and generous too; far more generous and liberal than most folks,” Max whispered back. “I’m proud as can be of being his son.”
“And I of being his daughter,” she returned.