onsid'able softer than a marble. And that pesky cat's jest as
frisky as ever!"

Had any one seen him? There certainly had not been any one in the
street, but where had been Mr. Edwards, Jim, the housekeeper? Where
had his own wife been? There were windows from which she might have
seen him returning, some from which she might even have seen him
fire the fatal shot. But pshaw, there now! Probably no one had seen
him at all, not even his wife, not even his victim! Probably no one
would ever find out.

"Must have been some worthless feller, stealin' apples, mebbe, who
won't dare make a fuss. 'T ain't likely I'll ever hear anythin' of
it. 'T ain't no use sayin' anythin' till suthin' happens. What folks
don't know don't hurt 'em none."

The structure of comfort which he thus built himself was shaky
indeed, but it had to serve. He nerved himself to meet his wife. He
must not excite her suspicion by too long an absence. She was
doubtless full of curiosity, for of course she had heard the shot,
and would expect him to know what it meant.

It would not do to seem to enter the house by the front door, sacred
to formal occasions, so, sneaking outdoors again, he slipped round
to the side of the house, and with much trepidation went into the
kitchen.

His wife began the moment she saw him. "Well, of all the crazy
carryings on!" she cried. "What's the Ed'ards boy firin' off guns
for, right under peaceable folks' windows? I'm goin' to speak to Mr.
Ed'ards right off."

"Now don't ye, Sarepty, now don't ye!" said Mr. Peaslee, in alarm.

Relieved as he was to find himself unsuspected, he did not like the
idea of having his wife pick a quarrel with Mr. Edwards for what he
himself had done! The less said about that shot the better he would
be pleased.

"For the land's sake, why not, I should like to know?"

"Well, now, Sarepty, I wouldn't. That Ed'ards boy ain't more of a
boy than most boys, I guess. Always seemed a real peaceable little
feller. And Ed'ards is kinder touchy, I guess. It might make hard
feelin'. 'T wouldn't look well for us to speak, bein' newcomers so.
I wouldn't, Sarepty, I wouldn't. Mebbe some time I'll slide in a
word, just slide it in kinder easy, if he does it again."

And Mr. Peaslee looked appealingly at his wife through his big
spectacles, his eyes looking very large and pathetic through the
strong lenses.

"Humph!" said his wife, unmoved. "I ain't afraid of Ed'ards, if you
be."

Nor could she be