Evelina met
nobody for some distance. Then she saw a man coming towards her, and
her heart stood still, and she was about to turn back, for she
thought for a minute it was the young minister. Then she saw it was
his father, and she went on slowly, with her eyes downcast. When she
met him she looked up and said good-evening, gravely, and would have
passed on, but he stood in her way.
"I've got a word to say to ye, if ye'll listen," he said.
Evelina looked at him tremblingly. There was something strained and
solemn in his manner. "I'll hear whatever you have to say, sir," she
said.
The old man leaned his pale face over her and raised a shaking
forefinger. "I've made up my mind to say something," said he. "I
don't know as I've got any right to, and maybe my son will blame me,
but I'm goin' to see that you have a chance. It's been borne in upon
me that women folks don't always have a fair chance. It's jest this
I'm goin' to say: I don't know whether you know how my son feels
about it or not. I don't know how open he's been with you. Do you
know jest why he quit you?"
Evelina shook her head. "No," she panted--"I don't--I never knew. He
said it was his duty."
"Duty can get to be an idol of wood and stone, an' I don't know but
Thomas's is," said the old man. "Well, I'll tell you.
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