Laurie Shafton had caught Lynn as she came down the stairs with a bit
of sewing in her hand to give Naomi a direction from her mother, and
had begged her to come out on the porch and talk to him. He pleaded
that he was lonesome, and that it was her duty as hostess to amuse him
for a while.

Lynn had no relish for talking with the guest. Her heart was too sore
to care to talk with any one. But her innate courtesy, and natural
gentleness finally yielded to his pleading, for Laurie had put on a
humility that was almost becoming, and made her seem really rude to
refuse.

She made him sit down in the hammock at the far end, however, and
insisted on herself taking the little rocker quite near the front door.
She knew her father would soon be returning from some parish calls and
would relieve her, so she settled herself with the bit of linen she was
hemstitching and prepared to make the best of it.

"It's a shame my car is out of commission yet," began Laurie settling
back in the hammock and by some strange miracle refraining from
lighting a cigarette. It wouldn't have entered his head that Lynn would
have minded. He didn't know any girls objected to smoking. But this
girl interested him strangely. He wasn't at all sure but it was a case
of love at first sight. He had always been looking for that to happen
to him. He hoped it had. It would be such a delightful experience. He
had tried most of the other kinds.