Seated at a little table in the back room, with a cup of tea and some sandwiches before her, Miss Panney took more time over her slight meal than any previous customer had ever occupied in disposing of a similar repast, at least so the girl at the counter believed and averred to the colored man who did outside errands.  The girl thought that the old lady’s deliberate method of eating proceeded from her want of teeth; but the man who had waited at dinners where Miss Panney was a guest contemptuously repudiated this assumption.

“I’ve seen her eat,” said he, “and she’s never behind nobody.  She’s got all the teeth she wants for bitin’.”

“Then why doesn’t she get through?” asked the girl.  “When is she ever going to leave that table?”

“When she gits ready,” answered the man; “that’s the time Miss Panney does everything.”

Sipping her tea and nibbling her sandwich, Miss Panney considered the situation.  It would be, of course, a difficult thing to get that young man to visit his sister at Barport.  It would cost money, and there would seem to be no good reason for his going.  Of course no such influence could be brought to bear upon him at this end of the line.  Whatever inducement was offered, must be offered from Barport.  And there was no one there who could do it, at least with the proper effect.  The girls would be glad to have him there, but nothing that either of them could, with propriety, be prompted to say, would draw him into such extravagant self-gratification.  But if she were at Barport, she knew that she could send him such an invitation, or sound such a call to him, that he would be sure to come.

Accordingly Miss Panney determined to go to Barport without loss of time; and although she did hot know what sort of summons she should issue to Ralph after she got there, she did not in the least doubt that circumstances would indicate the right thing to do.  In fact, she would arrange circumstances in such a way that they should so indicate.

Having arrived at this conclusion, Miss Panney finished eating her sandwich with an earnestness and rapidity which convinced the astonished girl at the counter that she had all the teeth she needed to bite with; and then she went forth to convince other people of the same thing.  On the sidewalk she met Phoebe.

“How d’ye do, Miss Panney?” said that single-minded colored woman.  “I hain’t seen you for a long time.”

Miss Panney returned the salutation, and stood for a moment in thought.

“Phoebe,” said she, “when did you last see Mike?”

“Well, now, really, Miss Panney, I can’t say, but it’s been a mighty long time.  He don’t come into town to see me, and I’s too busy to go way out thar.  I does the minister’s wash now, besides boardin’ him an’ keepin’ his clothes mended.  An’ then it’s four or five miles out to that farm.  I can’t ‘ford to hire no carriage, an’ Mike ain’t no right to expect me to walk that fur.”