earned. Always Milt bumbled up, said
cheerful things, and either hauled the Gomez over the pitch by a towline
to his bug, or getting out, pushing on a rear fender till his neck was
red and bulgy, gave the extra impetus necessary to get the Gomez over.

"Would you mind shoving on that side, just a little bit?" he suggested
to Mr. Boltwood, who ceased the elaborate smoking of cigars, dusted his
hands, and gravely obeyed, while Claire was awaiting the new captain's
command to throw on the power.

"I wish we weren't under so much obligation to this young man," said Mr.
Boltwood, after one crisis.

"I know but--what can we do?"

"Don't you suppose we might pay him?"

"Henry B. Boltwood, if you tried to do that---- I'm not sure. Your being
my parent might save you, but even so, I think he'd probably chase you
off the road, clear down into that chasm."

"I suppose so. Shall we have to entertain him in Seattle?"

"Have to? My dear parent, you can't keep me from it! Any of the Seattle
friends of Gene Gilson who don't appreciate that straight, fine,
aspiring boy may go---- Not overdo it, you understand. But---- Oh, take
him to the theater. By the way; shall we try to climb Mount Rainier
before----"

"See here, my good dolly; you stop steering me away from my feeble
parental efforts. Do you wish to be under obligations----"

"Don't mind, with Milt. He wouldn't charge interest, as Jeff Saxton
would. Milt is, oh, he's folks!"

"Quite true. But are we? Are you?"

"Learning to be!"

Between discussions and not making hills, Claire cleaned the spark plugs
as they accumulated carbon from the surplus oil--or she pretended to
help Milt clean them. The plugs were always very hot, and when you were
unscrewing the jacket from the core, you always burned your hand, and
wished you could swear ... and sometimes you could.

After noon, when they had left the Park and entered Gardiner, Milt
announced, "I've got to stick around a while. The key in my
steering-gear seems to be worn. May have to put in a new one. Get the
stuff at a garage here. If you wouldn't mind waiting, be awful glad to
tag, and try to give a few helping hands till the oil cleans itself
out."

"I'll just stroll on," she said, but she drove away as swiftly as she
could. Her father's worry about obligations disturbed her, and she did
not wish to seem too troublesome an amateur to Milt. She would see him
in Livingston, and tell him how well she had driven. The spa