And if Mr.Abbott had not risen in gentle alarm and begun to teeter around, Kenny in an interval of frantic excitement would not have been forced to fish him out of the stream by his coattails.

He considered always that he saved the old man's life.
Nor had he meant to dab at him with the oar, thereby encouraging the unfortunate old chap to duck and misinterpret his obvious intention to save him.
But Joan had understood.

That was the chief essential.

Always Joan was there upon the horizon of his day.

Whatever he thought, whatever he did, was colored by a passionate desire for the girl's approval.