"Why--why, yes, he did."

Apparently that settled it. Mrs. Snow said, "Oh, dear!" again and the
housekeeper also rose from the table.

"You'd better go right out to the barn this minute, Cap'n Lote," she
said, "and I guess likely I'd better go with you."

The captain already had his cap on his head.

"No, Rachel," he said, "I don't need you. Cal'late I can take care
of 'most anything that's liable to have happened. If he ain't put the
bridle to bed in the stall and hung the mare up on the harness pegs I
judge I can handle the job. Wonder how fur along he'd got. Didn't hear
him singin' anything about 'Hyannis on the Cape,' did you, boy?"

"No."

"That's some comfort. Now, don't you worry, Mother. I'll be back in a
few minutes."

Mrs. Snow clasped her hands. "Oh, I HOPE he hasn't set the barn afire,"
she wailed.

"No danger of that, I guess. No, Rachel, you 'tend to your supper. I
don't need you."

He tramped out into the hall and the door closed behind him. Mrs. Snow
turned apologetically to her puzzled grandson, who was entirely at a
loss to know what the trouble was about.