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〃But he's got some business； ha'n't he？〃 A shadow of severity crept over
Mrs。 Lander's tone； in provisional reprehension of possible
shiftlessness。
〃Yes'm。 He was a machinist at the Mills； that's what the doctas thought
didn't agree with him。 He bought a piece of land he'e； so as to be in
the pine woods； and then we built this house。〃
〃When did you say you came？〃
〃Two yea's ago； this summa。〃
〃Well！ What did you do befoa you built this house？〃
〃We camped the first summa。〃
〃You camped？ In a tent？〃
〃Well； it was pahtly a tent； and pahtly bank。〃
〃I should have thought you would have died。〃
The girl laughed。 〃Oh； no； we all kept fast…rate。 We slept in the tents
we had twoand we cooked in the shanty。〃 She smiled at the notion in
adding； 〃At fast the neighbas thought we we'e Gipsies； and the summa
folks thought we were Indians； and wanted to get baskets of us。〃
Mrs。 Lander did not know what to think； and she asked； 〃But didn't it
almost perish you； stayin' through the winter in an unfinished house？〃
〃Well； it was pretty cold。 But it was so dry； the aia was； and the woods
kept the wind off nicely。〃
The same shrill voice in the region of the stovepipe which had sent the
girl to the Landers now called her from them。 〃Clem ！ Come here a
minute！〃
The girl said to Mrs。 Lander； politely； 〃You'll have to excuse me； now'm。
I've got to go to motha。〃
〃So do！〃 said Mrs。 Lander； and she was so taken by the girl's art and
grace in getting to her feet and fading into the background of the
hallway without visibly casting any detail of her raiment； that she was
not aware of her husband's starting up the horse in time to stop him。
They were fairly under way again； when she lamented； 〃What you doin'；
Albe't？ Whe'e you goin'？〃
〃I'm goin' to South Middlemount。 Didn't you want to？〃
〃Well； of all the men！ Drivin' right off without waitin' to say thankye
to the child； or take leave； or anything！〃
〃Seemed to me as if SHE took leave。〃
〃But she was comin' back！ And I wanted to ask〃
〃I guess you asked enough for one while。 Ask the rest to…morra。〃
Mrs。 Lander was a woman who could often be thrown aside from an immediate
purpose； by the suggestion of some remoter end； which had already；
perhaps； intimated itself to her。 She said； 〃 That's true；〃 but by the
time her husband had driven down one of the roads beyond the woods into
open country； she was a quiver of intolerable curiosity。 〃Well； all I've
got to say is that I sha'n't rest till I know all about 'em。〃
〃Find out when we get back to the hotel； I guess；〃 said her husband。
〃No； I can't wait till I get back to the hotel。 I want to know now。 I
want you should stop at the very fust house we come to。 Dea'！ The'e
don't seem to be any houses； any moa。〃 She peered out around the side of
the carry…all and scrutinized the landscape。 〃Hold on！ No； yes it is；
too！ Whoa！ Whoa！ The'e's a man in that hay…field； now！〃
She laid hold of the reins and pulled the horse to a stand。 Mr。 Lander
looked round over his shoulder at her。 〃Hadn't you betta wait till you
get within half a mile of the man？〃
〃Well； I want you should stop when you do git to him。 Will you？ I want
to speak to him； and ask him all about those folks。〃
〃I didn't suppose you'd let me have much of a chance；〃 said her husband。
When he came within easy hail of the man in the hay…field； he pulled up
beside the meadow…wall； where the horse began to nibble the blackberry
vines that overran it。
Mrs。 Lander beckoned and called to the man； who had stopped pitching hay
and now stood leaning on the handle of his fork。 At the signs and sounds
she made； he came actively forward to the road； bringing his fork with
him。 When he arrived within easy conversational distance； he planted the
tines in the ground and braced himself at an opposite incline from the
long smooth handle； and waited for Mrs。 Lander to begin。
〃Will you please tell us who those folks ah'； livin' back there in the
edge of the woods； in that new unfinished house？〃
The man released his fork with one hand to stoop for a head of timothy
that had escaped the scythe； and he put the stem of it between his teeth；
where it moved up and down； and whipped fantastically about as he talked；
before he answered； 〃You mean the Claxons？〃
〃I don't know what thei' name is。〃 Mrs。 Lander repeated exactly what she
had said。
The farmer said； 〃Long； red…headed man； kind of sickly…lookin'？〃
〃We didn't see the man〃
〃Little woman； skinny…lookin； pootty tonguey？〃
〃We didn't see her； eitha； but I guess we hea'd her at the back of the
house。〃
〃Lot o' children； about as big as pa'tridges； runnin' round in the
bushes？〃
〃Yes！ And a very pretty…appearing girl； about thi'teen or fou'teen； I
should think。〃
The farmer pulled his fork out of the ground； and planted it with his
person at new slopes in the figure of a letter A； rather more upright
than before。 〃Yes； it's them；〃 he said。 〃Ha'n't been in the neighbahood
a great while； eitha。 Up from down Po'tland way； some'res； I guess。
Built that house last summer； as far as it's got； but I don't believe
it's goin' to git much fa'tha。〃
〃Why； what's the matta？〃 demanded Mrs。 Lander in an anguish of interest。
The man in the hay…field seemed to think it more dignified to include
Lander in this inquiry； and he said with a glimmer of the eye for him；
〃Hea'd of do…nothin' folks？〃
〃Seen 'em； too；〃 answered Lander； comprehensively。
〃Well； that a'n't Claxon's complaint exactly。 He a'n't a do…nothin'；
he's a do…everything。 I guess it's about as bad。〃 Lander glimmered back
at the man； but did not speak。
〃Kind of a machinist down at the Mills； where he come from；〃 the farmer
began again； and Mrs。 Lander； eager not to be left out of the affair for
a moment； interrupted：
〃Yes； Yes！ That's what the gul said。〃
〃But he don't seem to think't the i'on agreed with him； and now he's
goin' in for wood。 Well； he did have a kind of a foot…powa tu'nin'
lathe； and tuned all sots o' things； cups； and bowls； and u'ns for fence…
posts； and vases； and sleeve…buttons and little knick…knacks； but the
place bunt down； here； a while back； and he's been huntin' round for
wood； the whole winta long； to make canes out of for the summa…folks。
Seems to think that the smell o' the wood； whether it's green or it's
dry； is goin' to cure him； and he can't git too much of it。〃
〃Well； I believe it's so； Albe't！〃 cried Mrs。 Lander； as if her husband
had disputed the theory with his taciturn back。 He made no other sign of
controversy； and the man in the hay…field went on。
〃I hea' he's goin' to put up a wind mill； back in an open place he's got；
and use the powa for tu'nin'； if he eva gits it up。 But he don't seem to
be in any great of a hurry； and they scrape along somehow。 Wife takes in
sewin' and the girl wo'ked at the Middlemount House last season。 Whole
fam'ly's got to tu'n in and help s'po't a man that can do everything。〃
The farmer appealed with another humorous cast of his eye to Lander； but
the old man tacitly refused to take any further part in the talk； which
began to flourish apace； in question and answer； between his wife and the
man in the hay…field。 It seemed that the children had all inherited the
father's smartness。 The oldest boy could beat the nation at figures； and
one of the young ones could draw anything you had a mind to。 They were
all clear up in their classes at school； and yet you might say they
almost ran wild； between times。 The oldest girl was a pretty…behaved
little thing； but the man in the hay…field guessed there was not very
much to her； compared with some of the boys。 Any rate； she had not the
name of being so smart at school。 Good little thing； too； and kind of
mothered the young ones。
Mrs。 Lander； when she had wrung the last drop of information out of him；
let him crawl back to his work； mentally flaccid； and let her husband
drive on； but under a fire of conjecture and asseveration that was
scarcely intermitted till they reached their hotel。 That night she
talked along time about their afternoon's adventure before she allowed
him to go to sleep。 She said she must certainly see the child again；
that they must drive down there in the morning； and ask her all about
herself。
〃Albe't；〃 she concluded； 〃I wish we had her to live with us。 Yes； I do！
I wonder if we could get her to。 You know I always did want to adopt a
baby。〃
〃You neva said so；〃 Mr。 Lander opened his mouth almost for the first
time； since the talk began。
〃I didn't suppose you'd like it；〃 said his wife。
〃Well； she a'n't a baby。 I guess you'd find you had your hands full；
takon' a half…grown gul like that to bring up。〃
〃I shouldn't be afraid any；〃 the wife declared。 〃She has just twined
herself round my heat。 I can't get her pretty looks out of my eyes。
I know she's good。〃
〃We'll see how you feel about it in the morning。〃
The old man began to wind his watch； and his wife seemed to take this for
a sign that the incident was closed； for the present at least。 He seldom
talked； but there came times when he would not even listen。 One of these
was the ti