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Marietta colored with pleasure. "Does Dad pay you to stand an' look at me an' say pretty things t' the cook?" "No, he don't. But I'm willin' t' do it without pay. I could jest stand here till kingdom come an' look at you. Hello! I hear a wagon. I guess I better hump into that wood-pile." "I think so, too. Dinner's most ready, and Dad'll be here soon."
I'll go, for one, if dad'll let me, and I guess he will. Then, if you'll come, too, Rod, I'll go with you to see her. You can do the talking, and I'll back you up." "Mighty poor backing, I should say," Joe Martin retorted, with a grin. "Better take some one with more spunk, Rod. I think you should go, though, as patrol-leader." "I guess Phil will do all right," Rod replied.
"Your dad'll cut you out. First thing you know you'll lose your girl, that's all." Nettie would smile. Her teeth were white and strong and even. Old man Minick would laugh and wink, immensely pleased and flattered. "We understand each other, don't we, Pop?" Nettie would say. During the first years of their married life Nettie stayed home.
"Why, dear baby, don't you fret. We're going to be all right. Dad'll soon be back, Mr. Lounsbury's watching, and we won't lose the little home." "Oh, it ain't that, it ain't that," weeping harder than before; "I'm so unhappy!" It was an answer that smote Dallas to the heart. Some trouble, heretofore concealed, was threatening her sister's peace of mind.
Charley laughed. "You didn't tear up no boards off the floor tryin' to git away!" said he. Joan smiled; that seemed to express her opinion of it, also. She admired the schoolmaster's modest reluctance when he gave them a bare outline of what followed, shuddering when he laughed over Mrs. Carlson's defense of her husband with the ax. "Gee!" said Charley, "I hope dad'll give you a job."
"I had been expecting my poor father's death for some time," said Philip gravely. "Just so! He wa'n't very rugged. We've all got to come to it sooner or later. I expect dad'll die of apoplexy some time-he's so awful fat," remarked Nicholas cheerfully. "If he does, it's lucky he's got me to run the business. I'm only eighteen, but I can get along as well as anybody. I'm kinder smart in business."
"Before we knows un the summer'll be gone and the fishin' over, and Dad'll be settin' up his traps again, and the winter'll come, and I'll not be havin' you, Charley," said Toby sadly.
From far up faint calls and laughter still met her ears. It was evident that the boys were finding the water very much to their taste. "Duffers!" Norah ejaculated. "We'll have the loveliest soaking and Dad'll be anxious." She coo-ee'd several times, but no response came. Finally she rose, with a little wrinkle in her brow. "I guess I'd better saddle up," she said.
No empty trucks stand at the pit-mouth. The women on the hillside look across as they shake the hearthrug against the fence, and count the wagons the engine is taking along the line up the valley. And the children, as they come from school at dinner-time, looking down the fields and seeing the wheels on the headstocks standing, say: "Minton's knocked off. My dad'll be at home."
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