es," drily, "I know you was. If I hadn't cut across your bows, you
would. Whew! if you had I guess likely there'd have been somethin'
doin'. If Gertie or Serena knew I wrote you that letter I'd stand to
lose what hair I've got left. Didn't I write you not to mention that
letter to a livin' soul?"

"You did. But I couldn't understand why. What is all this secrecy,
anyhow? And what is troubling you about Gertie?"

"Well, now, I don't know as there's anything."

"Humph! I judged there was a little of everything. What is the matter?
Out with it.

"Well--we-ell--you see--you see--"

"I don't see anything, Captain Dott."

"You saw how she was set on goin' to that Chapter meetin', didn't you?
You saw that?"

"Yes, but what of it?"

"What of it? What OF it? Did she ever use to want to go to such things?
Down in Trumet did she ever want to go? I bet she didn't! But now she
does. And she's goin' to join the thing--join it, herself! As if one
loon--I mean as if one Chapter member in the family wasn't enough. I
thought when Gertie come home she'd probably keep her ma from goin' off
the course altogether. I thought, with her level head, she'd swing us
back into the channel again. But she didn't--she didn't. John, Gertie's
got the Chapter disease worse than her ma ever had it, I do believe.
You've got to talk to her, John, that's what you've got to do--talk to
her."

John laughed. He did not take the situation very seriously. If Gertrude
wished to become interested in the Chapter, he was willing she should.
She probably had a good reason for it. Her insisting upon attending a
meeting on the very evening of his arrival was odd--it did not seem like
her--but she doubtless had a good reason for that, too.

"Why don't you talk to her yourself, Captain?" he asked.

"Me! Me talk to her! I have, and what good has it done? She won't listen
to me any more. I don't mean she ain't kind to me and lovin' and all
that--she wouldn't be Gertie if she wasn't that--but when it comes to
Chapter business she's all on her ma's side."

"Why not talk to her mother, then?"

Daniel straightened in his chair. "To Serena!" he repeated. "Talk
against Chapter to Serena! John, you don't know what you're sayin'.
One time--just one--I did talk that way. I biled over and I damned that
Chapter and the gang in it, cussed 'em in good plain United States. But
I'll never do it again. Once was enough."

He was so very serious that his companion fore-bore