nd his whole family--including
Victor--had my permission to migrate in that direction and I wished Old
Nick joy of their company.

Having derived this much satisfaction from my reflections, I went
downstairs. Dorinda was setting the table for supper. She looked at me
as I came in.

"Been visitin', I hear," she observed, wiping an imaginary speck from
the corner of a plate with her "afternoon" apron.

"Yes," said I.

"Um-hm," said Dorinda. "Have a good time?"

I smiled. "I had an interesting one," I told her.

"Um-hm, I judged so, from what Lute said."

"Where is Lute?"

"Out in the barn, beddin' down the horse. That is, I told him to do
that, but his head was so full of you and what you told him you said to
Mr. Colton that I shouldn't be surprised if he's bedded down the hens
and was huntin' in the manger for eggs."

"Lute thinks I've gone crazy," I observed.

"Um-hm. He was all for fetchin' the doctor right off, but I told him I
cal'lated we could bear with your ravin's for a spell. Did you say what
he said you said?"

"I'm afraid I did."

"Um-hm. Well, it didn't do any good, did it?"

"Good? What do you mean?"

"I mean he didn't obey orders--Colton, that is."

"He hadn't when I left."

"I thought not. I never saw any good come from profane language yet;
and, besides, judgin' from what I hear about the way that Colton man
lives, and what he does on Sundays and all, he'll make the port you sent
him to when his time comes. All you need is patience."

I laughed, and she began sorting the plated spoons. We had silver ones,
but Dorinda insisted on keeping those to use when we had company. In
consequence we used them about twice a year, when the minister came.

"Of course," she said, "I ain't askin' you what happened over there or
why he wanted to see you. But I give you fair warnin' that, if I don't,
Lute will. Lute's so stuffed with curiosity that he's li'ble to bust the
stitches any minute."

"I'll tell you both, at supper," I said.

"Um-hm," said Dorinda. "Well, I can wait, and Lute'll have to. By
the way," she added, seeing me about to enter Mother's room, "if it's
anything too unpleasant I wouldn't worry Comfort with it. She'll want to
know, of course, but I'd sort of smooth the edges."

Mother did want to know, and I told her, "smoothing the edges" all I
could. I omitted my final order to "Big Jim" and I said nothing whatever
about his daughter. Mother seemed to think I had done right in re