She had not a chance to reply until noon.

Going into the restaurant, she in her turn slipped a paper forcibly into his hand.
"Good land! look out!" said Maud Page.

"Why, Maria Edgham, you butted right into Wollaston Lee and nearly knocked him over." What Maria had written was also short, but desperate.

She wrote: "If you ever tell your folks or my folks, or anybody, I will drown myself in Fisher's Pond." A look of relief spread over the boy's face.

Maria glanced at him where he sat at a distant table with some boys, and he gave an almost imperceptible nod of reassurance at her.