He could not bring himself to confess to Aunt Lucretia all the truth
about his first meeting and subsequent association with Sheila.
Indeed, he hoped he would never be obliged to tell it.
But he must tell Aunt Lucretia nothing but the truth. He did this by
beginning at the coming of the real Ida May Bostwick to the Ball
house that afternoon and her claim to Sheila's place with the
family. As he told the story, Aunt Lucretia gazed upon him so
fixedly, so intently, that the captain of the _Seamew_ was
disturbed. He could not understand her expression.
Perhaps he told the story haltingly of how Ida May had been turned
out and he had taken her back to the port and housed her with Mrs.
Pauling. He made few comments, however; he left Aunt Lucretia to
draw her own conclusions. It was not until he had quite finished
that she spoke again.
"That crazy girl, is she--"
"I don't know that she's crazy," said Tunis gruffly.
"It would seem so. Does she look like Ida May?"
Tunis started. The question seemed to probe into a matter that he
had not before considered. But he shook his head negatively.
"Nothing like her," he said. "Reddish hair. Brown eyes--or kind of
brown. When she's maddest there are green lights in 'em.
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