"Children and some others speak the truth," he growled.

"I never had no teachin', but I'm not a fool," remarked Jane keenly.

"I guess I'm the fool in this case," he added.

"It don't make no difference to me," she said sympathetically. "I'm goin' to
mind you and not her. If you ever send her away I'll cook for you."

"Send her away!" exclaimed the farmer, with a shiver. "God forbid! There,
don't talk any more!"

For the next half mile he drove in silence, with a heavy frown on his face;
then he broke out sternly, "If you don't promise to mind Mrs. Holcroft and
please her in everything, I'll leave you at the poorhouse door and drive home
again."

"'Course I will, if you tells me to," said the child in trepidation.

"Well, I DO. People will find that making her trouble is the surest way of
making themselves trouble."

"She's got some hold on 'im," concluded Jane, who, in listening to much
gossip, had often heard this expression, and now made a practical application
of the idea.

Watterly was greatly relieved when he saw Holcroft drive up with the fugitive.
"I was just going out to your place," he said, "for the girl's mother insisted
that you had enticed the child away," and the man laughed, as if the idea
tickled him immensely.