“Good morning, Claude.  Nobody else is up.  It’s going to be a glorious day, isn’t it?”

“Splendid.  A little warm for this time of year.  You won’t need that coat long.”

For the first hour they found the roads empty.  All the fields were grey with dew, and the early sunlight burned over everything with the transparent brightness of a fire that has just been kindled.  As the machine noiselessly wound off the miles, the sky grew deeper and bluer, and the flowers along the roadside opened in the wet grass.  There were men and horses abroad on every hill now.  Soon they began to pass children on the way to school, who stopped and waved their bright dinner pails at the two travellers.  By ten o’clock they were in Hastings.

While Enid was shopping, Claude bought some white shoes and duck trousers.  He felt more interest than usual in his summer clothes.  They met at the hotel for lunch, both very hungry and both satisfied with their morning’s work.  Seated in the dining room, with Enid opposite him, Claude thought they did not look at all like a country boy and girl come to town, but like experienced people touring in their car.

“Will you make a call with me after dinner?” she asked while they were waiting for their dessert.

“Is it any one I know?”

“Certainly.  Brother Weldon is in town.  His meetings are over, and I was afraid he might be gone, but he is staying on a few days with Mrs. Gleason.  I brought some of Carrie’s letters along for him to read.”

Claude made a wry face.  “He won’t be delighted to see me.  We never got on well at school.  He’s a regular muff of a teacher, if you want to know,” he added resolutely.

Enid studied him judicially.  “I’m surprised to hear that; he’s such a good speaker.  You’d better come along.  It’s so foolish to have a coolness with your old teachers.”

An hour later the Reverend Arthur Weldon received the two young people in Mrs. Gleason’s half-darkened parlour, where he seemed quite as much at home as that lady herself.  The hostess, after chatting cordially with the visitors for a few moments, excused herself to go to a P. E. O. meeting.  Every one rose at her departure, and Mr. Weldon approached Enid, took her hand, and stood looking at her with his head inclined and his oblique smile.  “This is an unexpected pleasure, to see you again, Miss Enid.  And you, too, Claude,” turning a little toward the latter.  “You’ve come up from Frankfort together this beautiful day?” His tone seemed to say, “How lovely for you!”

He directed most of his remarks to Enid and, as always, avoided looking at Claude except when he definitely addressed him.

“You are farming this year, Claude?  I presume that is a great satisfaction to your father.  And Mrs. Wheeler is quite well?”