supposed to be down at breakfast at a quarter past。〃
〃Humph！ You were； eh？ Supposed to be？ Does that mean that you
were there？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
There was a surprised look in the gray eyes now； a fact which
Albert noticed with inward delight。 He had taken one 〃rise〃 out
of his grandfather； at any rate。 He waited； hoping for another
opportunity； but it did not come。 Instead they sat down to
breakfast。
Breakfast； in spite of the morning sunshine at the windows； was
somewhat gloomy。 The homesickness； although not as acute as on the
previous night； was still in evidence。 Albert felt lost； out of
his element； lonely。 And； to add a touch of real miserableness；
the housekeeper served and ate like a near relative of the deceased
at a funeral feast。 She moved slowly； she sighed heavily； and the
bandage upon her forehead loomed large and portentous。 When spoken
to she seldom replied before the third attempt。 Captain Zelotes
lost patience。
〃Have another egg？〃 he roared； brandishing the spoon containing it
at arm's length and almost under her nose。 〃Egg！ Egg！ EGG！ If
you can't hear it； smell it。 Only answer； for heaven sakes！〃
The effect of this outburst was obviously not what he had hoped。
Mrs。 Ellis stared first at the egg quivering before her face； then
at the captain。 Then she rose and marched majestically to the
kitchen。 The door closed； but a heartrending sniff drifted in
through the crack。 Olive laid down her knife and fork。
〃There！〃 she exclaimed； despairingly。 〃Now see what you've done。
Oh； Zelotes； how many times have I told you you've got to treat her
tactful when she's this way？〃
Captain Lote put the egg back in the bowl。
〃DAMN！〃 he observed； with intense enthusiasm。
His wife shook her head。
〃Swearin' don't help it a mite； either；〃 she declared。 〃Besides I
don't know what Albert here must think of you。〃 Albert； who；
between astonishment and a wild desire to laugh； was in a critical
condition； appeared rather embarrassed。 His grandfather looked at
him and smiled grimly。
〃I cal'late one damn won't scare him to death；〃 he observed。
〃Maybe he's heard somethin' like it afore。 Or do they say； 'Oh；
sugar！' up at that school you come from？〃 he added。
Albert； not knowing how to reply； looked more embarrassed than
ever。 Olive seemed on the point of weeping。
〃Oh； Zelotes； how CAN you！〃 she wailed。 〃And to…day； of all days！
His very first mornin'！〃
Captain Lote relented。
〃There； there； Mother！〃 he said。 〃I'm sorry。 Forget it。 Sorry if
I shocked you； Albert。 There's times when salt…water language is
the only thing that seems to help me out 。 。 。 Well； Mother； what
next？ What'll we do now？〃
〃You know just as well as I do； Zelotes。 There's only one thing
you can do。 That's go out and beg her pardon this minute。 There's
a dozen places she could get right here in South Harniss without
turnin' her hand over。 And if she should leave I don't know WHAT
I'd do。〃
〃Leave！ She ain't goin' to leave any more'n than the ship's cat's
goin' to jump overboard。 She's been here so long she wouldn't know
how to leave if she wanted to。〃
〃That don't make any difference。 The pitcher that goes to the
wellerer〃
She had evidently forgotten the rest of the proverb。 Her husband
helped her out。
〃Flocks together or gathers no moss； or somethin'； eh？ All right；
Mother； don't fret。 There ain't really any occasion to； considerin'
we've been through somethin' like this at least once every six
months for ten years。〃
〃Zelotes； won't you PLEASE go and ask her pardon？〃
The captain pushed back his chair。 〃I'll be hanged if it ain't a
healthy note；〃 he grumbled； 〃when the skipper has to go and
apologize to the cook because the cook's made a fool of herself！
I'd like to know what kind of rum Labe drinks。 I never saw any but
his kind that would go to somebody else's head。 Two people gettin'
tight and only one of 'em drinkin' is somethin'〃
He disappeared into the kitchen； still muttering。 Mrs。 Snow smiled
feebly at her grandson。
〃I guess you think we're funny folks； Albert；〃 she said。 〃But
Rachel is one hired help in a thousand and she has to be treated
just so。〃
Five minutes later Cap'n 'Lote returned。 He shrugged his shoulders
and sat down at his place。
〃All right； Mother； all right；〃 he observed。 〃I've been heavin'
ile on the troubled waters and the sea's smoothin' down。 She'll be
kind and condescendin' enough to eat with us in a minute or so。〃
She was。 She came into the dining…room with the air of a saint
going to martyrdom and the remainder of the meal was eaten by the
quartet almost in silence。 When it was over the captain said：
〃Well； Al； feel like walkin'； do you？〃
〃Why； why； yes； sir； I guess so。〃
〃Humph！ You don't seem very wild at the prospect。 Walkin' ain't
much in your line； maybe。 More used to autoin'； perhaps？〃
Mrs。 Snow put in a word。 〃Don't talk so； Zelotes；〃 she said。
〃He'll think you're makin' fun of him。〃
〃Who？ Me？ Not a bit of it。 Well； Al； do you want to walk down to
the lumber yard with me？〃
The boy hesitated。 The quiet note of sarcasm in his grandfather's
voice was making him furiously angry once more； just as it had done
on the previous night。
〃Do you want me to？〃 he asked； shortly。
〃Why； yes； I cal'late I do。〃
Albert； without another word； walked to the hat…rack in the hall
and began putting on his coat。 Captain Lote watched him for a
moment and then put on his own。
〃We'll be back to dinner； Mother；〃 he said。 〃Heave ahead； Al； if
you're ready。〃
There was little conversation between the pair during the half mile
walk to the office and yards of 〃Z。 Snow and Co。； Lumber and
Builders' Hardware。〃 Only once did the captain offer a remark。
That was just as they came out by the big posts at the entrance to
the driveway。 Then he said：
〃Al； I don't want you to get the idea from what happened at the
table just nowthat foolishness about Rachel Ellisthat your
grandmother ain't a sensible woman。 She is； and there's no better
one on earth。 Don't let that fact slip your mind。〃
Albert； somewhat startled by the abruptness of the observation；
looked up in surprise。 He found the gray eyes looking down at him。
〃I noticed you lookin' at her；〃 went on his grandfather； 〃as if you
was kind of wonderin' whether to laugh at her or pity her。 You
needn't do either。 She's kind…hearted and that makes her put up
with Rachel's silliness。 Then； besides； Rachel herself is common
sense and practical nine…tenths of the time。 It's always a good
idea； son； to sail one v'yage along with a person before you decide
whether to class 'em as A。 B。 or just roustabout。〃
The blood rushed to the boy's face。 He felt guilty and the feeling
made him angrier than ever。
〃I don't see why；〃 he burst out； indignantly； 〃you should say I was
laughing atat Mrs。 Snow〃
〃At your grandmother。〃
〃Wellyesat my grandmother。 I don't see why you should say
that。 I wasn't。〃
〃Wasn't you？ Good！ I'm glad of it。 I wouldn't； anyhow。 She's
liable to be about the best friend you'll have in this world。〃
To Albert's mind flashed the addition： 〃Better than you； that
means；〃 but he kept it to himself。
The lumber yards were on a spur track not very far from the railway
station where he had spent that miserable half hour the previous
evening。 The darkness then had prevented his seeing them。 Not
that he would have been greatly interested if he had seen them； nor
was he more interested now； although his grandfather took him on a
personally conducted tour between the piles of spruce and pine and
hemlock and pointed out which was which and added further details。
〃Those are two by fours；〃 he said。 Or； 〃Those are larger joist；
different sizes。〃 〃This is good； clear stock； as good a lot of
white pine as we've got hold of for a long spell。〃 He gave
particulars concerning the 〃handiest way to drive a team〃 to one or
the other of the piles。 Albert found it rather boring。 He longed
to speak concerning enormous lumber yards he had seen in New York
or Chicago or elsewhere。 He felt almost a pitying condescension
toward this provincial grandparent who seemed to think his little
piles of 〃two by fours〃 so important。
It was much the same； perhaps a little worse； when they entered the
hardware shop and the office。 The rows and rows of little drawers
and boxes； each with samples of its contentsscrews； or bolts； or
hooks； or knobsaffixed to its front； were even more boring than
the lumber piles。 There was a countryfied； middle…aged person in
overalls sweeping out the shop and Captain Zelotes introduced him。
〃Albert；〃 he said； 〃this is Mr。 Issachar Price； who works around
the place here。 Issy； let me make you acquainted with my grandson；
Albert。〃
Mr。 Price； looking over his spectacles； extended a horny hand and
observed： 〃Yus； yus。 Pleased to meet you； Albert。 I've heard
tell of you。〃
Albert's private appraisal of 〃Issy〃 was that the latter was
another funny Rube。 Whatever Issy's estimate of his employer's
grandson might have been； he； also； kept it to himself。
Captain Zelotes looked about the shop and glanced into the office。
〃Humph！〃 he grunted。 〃No sign or symptoms of Laban this mornin'； I
presume likely？〃
Issachar went on with his sweeping。
〃Nary one；〃 was his laconic reply。
〃Humph！ Heard anything about him？〃
Mr。 Price moistened his broom in a bucket of water。 〃I see Tim
Kelley on my way down street；〃 he said。 〃Tim said he run afoul of
Laban along about ten last night。 Said he cal'lated Labe was on
his way。 He was singin' 'Hyannis on the Cape' and so Tim figgered
he'd got a pretty fair start already。〃
The captain shook his head。 〃Tut； tut； tut！〃 he muttered。 〃Well；
that means I'll have to do office work for the next week or so。
Humph！ I declare it's too bad just now when I was countin' on him
to〃 He did not finish the sentence； but instead turned to his
grandson and said： 〃Al； why don't you look around the hardware
store here while I open the mail and the safe。 If there's anything
you see you don't understand Issy'll tell you about it。〃
He went into the office。 Albert saunt