HALFWAY POINT

Miss Benton's cool, impersonal manner seemed rather to heighten the
young man's embarrassment. Benton, apparently observing nothing amiss,
introduced them in an offhand fashion.

"Mr. Abbey--my sister."

Mr. Abbey bowed and murmured something that passed for acknowledgment.
The three turned up the wharf toward where Sam Davis had once more got
up steam. As they walked, Mr. Abbey's habitual assurance returned, and
he directed part of his genial flow of conversation to Miss Benton. To
Stella's inner amusement, however, he did not make any reference to
their having been fellow travelers for a day and a half.

Presently they were embarked and under way. Charlie fixed a seat for her
on the after deck, and went forward to steer, whither he was straightway
joined by Paul Abbey. Miss Benton was as well pleased to be alone. She
was not sure she should approve of young men who made such crude efforts
to scrape acquaintance with women on trains. She was accustomed to a
certain amount of formality in such matters. It might perhaps be laid to
the "breezy Western manner" of which she had heard, except that Paul
Abbey did not impress her as a Westerner. He seemed more like a type of
young man she had encountered frequently in her own circle. At any rate,
she was relieved when he did not remain beside her to emit polite
commonplaces. She was quite satisfied to sit by herself and look over
the panorama of woods and lake--and wonder more than a little what
Destiny had in store for her along those silent shores.