"How do you suppose?" growled Aaron. "Think I went in swimming with my
clothes on? I fell in, or rather, I jumped in to save my life, when Jed
Muggs' horses ran away."

"Ran away!" exclaimed Mr. Rushton. "I never heard of their doing
anything like that before. What made them run away? Did you get hurt?"

"Nothing but my feelings and my clothes," said Aaron. "But if you want
to know what made them run away, ask that precious son of yours there."
And he shot a vicious glance at Teddy, who colored as the eyes of his
father and mother turned toward him.

"Teddy!" exclaimed Mrs. Rushton. "What did he have to do with it?"

"What didn't he have to do with it, you mean. He had everything to do
with it. He hit one of the horses with a baseball--aimed deliberately at
him, mind you--and the horses took fright and ran away. They came within
an ace of killing the driver, and, as it is, you'll have a pretty penny
to pay for the damage to the coach and horses. As for me, I might have
been killed in the smash-up, if I hadn't had the gumption to jump before
we came to the bridge."

"Oh, Teddy," moaned Mrs. Rushton, "how could you do a thing like that?"

"Go into the house, sir," commanded his father sternly. "I'll attend to
your case later."

Teddy obeyed with alacrity, glad to escape for the moment from the
sharpness in his father's voice and the sadness in his mother's eyes.

His despondency was lightened somewhat by the savory smells from the
kitchen. He made his way there, to see what they were going to have for
supper. It was behind the regular time, and he was ravenously hungry.

Appetizing odors came from the dishes, already taken up and ready to be
conveyed to the dining-room.

"Um-yum," he gloated. "Chicken--and green peas--and strawberries--and
peach pie. Bully!"

The colored cook, Martha, who was whipping up some cream for the
strawberries, turned and saw him.

"Laws sakes, honey, wut's keepin' the folks? I'se just tuckered out
tryin' to keep things hot."

"It's Uncle Aaron," explained Teddy. "He's just come."

"Umph,", sniffed Martha, none too well pleased. She had no liking for
unexpected company, and least of all for Uncle Aaron, whom she disliked
heartily.

Martha was an old family servant, who had been with Mrs. Rushton from
the time of her marriage. She was big and black and good-natured,
although she did not hesitate to speak her mind at times when she was
ruffled. She was devoted to her master an