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Built that house last summer； as far as it's got； but I don't believe
it's goin' to git much fa'tha。〃
〃Why； what's the matta？〃 demanded Mrs。 Lander in an anguish of interest。
The man in the hay…field seemed to think it more dignified to include
Lander in this inquiry； and he said with a glimmer of the eye for him；
〃Hea'd of do…nothin' folks？〃
〃Seen 'em； too；〃 answered Lander； comprehensively。
〃Well； that a'n't Claxon's complaint exactly。 He a'n't a do…nothin'；
he's a do…everything。 I guess it's about as bad。〃 Lander glimmered back
at the man； but did not speak。
〃Kind of a machinist down at the Mills； where he come from；〃 the farmer
began again； and Mrs。 Lander； eager not to be left out of the affair for
a moment； interrupted：
〃Yes； Yes！ That's what the gul said。〃
〃But he don't seem to think't the i'on agreed with him； and now he's
goin' in for wood。 Well； he did have a kind of a foot…powa tu'nin'
lathe； and tuned all sots o' things； cups； and bowls； and u'ns for fence…
posts； and vases； and sleeve…buttons and little knick…knacks； but the
place bunt down； here； a while back； and he's been huntin' round for
wood； the whole winta long； to make canes out of for the summa…folks。
Seems to think that the smell o' the wood； whether it's green or it's
dry； is goin' to cure him； and he can't git too much of it。〃
〃Well； I believe it's so； Albe't！〃 cried Mrs。 Lander； as if her husband
had disputed the theory with his taciturn back。 He made no other sign of
controversy； and the man in the hay…field went on。
〃I hea' he's goin' to put up a wind mill； back in an open place he's got；
and use the powa for tu'nin'； if he eva gits it up。 But he don't seem to
be in any great of a hurry； and they scrape along somehow。 Wife takes in
sewin' and the girl wo'ked at the Middlemount House last season。 Whole
fam'ly's got to tu'n in and help s'po't a man that can do everything。〃
The farmer appealed with another humorous cast of his eye to Lander； but
the old man tacitly refused to take any further part in the talk； which
began to flourish apace； in question and answer； between his wife and the
man in the hay…field。 It seemed that the children had all inherited the
father's smartness。 The oldest boy could beat the nation at figures； and
one of the young ones could draw anything you had a mind to。 They were
all clear up in their classes at school； and yet you might say they
almost ran wild； between times。 The oldest girl was a pretty…behaved
little thing； but the man in the hay…field guessed there was not very
much to her； compared with some of the boys。 Any rate； she had not the
name of being so smart at school。 Good little thing； too； and kind of
mothered the young ones。
Mrs。 Lander； when she had wrung the last drop of information out of him；
let him crawl back to his work； mentally flaccid； and let her husband
drive on； but under a fire of conjecture and asseveration that was
scarcely intermitted till they reached their hotel。 That night she
talked along time about their afternoon's adventure before she allowed
him to go to sleep。 She said she must certainly see the child again；
that they must drive down there in the morning； and ask her all about
herself。
〃Albe't；〃 she concluded； 〃I wish we had her to live with us。 Yes； I do！
I wonder if we could get her to。 You know I always did want to adopt a
baby。〃
〃You neva said so；〃 Mr。 Lander opened his mouth almost for the first
time； since the talk began。
〃I didn't suppose you'd like it；〃 said his wife。
〃Well； she a'n't a baby。 I guess you'd find you had your hands full；
takon' a half…grown gul like that to bring up。〃
〃I shouldn't be afraid any；〃 the wife declared。 〃She has just twined
herself round my heat。 I can't get her pretty looks out of my eyes。
I know she's good。〃
〃We'll see how you feel about it in the morning。〃
The old man began to wind his watch； and his wife seemed to take this for
a sign that the incident was closed； for the present at least。 He seldom
talked； but there came times when he would not even listen。 One of these
was the time after he had wound his watch。 A minute later he had
undressed； with an agility incredible of his years； and was in bed； as
effectively blind and deaf to his wife's appeals as if he were already
asleep。
II。
When Albert Gallatin Lander （he was named for an early Secretary of the
Treasury as a tribute to the statesman's financial policy） went out of
business； his wife began to go out of health； and it became the most
serious affair of his declining years to provide for her invalid fancies。
He would have liked to buy a place in the Boston suburbs （he preferred
one of the Newtons） where they could both have had something to do； she
inside of the house； and he outside； but she declared that what they both
needed was a good long rest； with freedom from care and trouble of every
kind。 She broke up their establishment in Boston； and stored their
furniture； and she would have made him sell the simple old house in which
they had always lived； on an unfashionable up…and…down…hill street of the
West End； if he had not taken one of his stubborn stands； and let it for
a term of years without consulting her。 But she had her way about their
own movements； and they began that life of hotels； which they had now
lived so long that she believed any other impossible。 Its luxury and
idleness had told upon each of them with diverse effect。
They had both entered upon it in much the same corporal figure； but she
had constantly grown in flesh； while he had dwindled away until he was
not much more than half the weight of his prime。 Their digestion was
alike impaired by their joint life； but as they took the same medicines
Mrs。 Lander was baffled to account for the varying result。 She was sure
that all the anxiety came upon her； and that logically she was the one
who ought to have wasted away。 But she had before her the spectacle of a
husband who； while he gave his entire attention to her health； did not
audibly or visibly worry about it； and yet had lost weight in such
measure that upon trying on a pair of his old trousers taken out of
storage with some clothes of her own； he found it impossible to use the
side pockets which the change in his figure carried so far to the rear
when the garment was reduced at the waist。 At the same time her own
dresses of ten years earlier would not half meet round her； and one of
the most corroding cares of a woman who had done everything a woman could
to get rid of care； was what to do with those things which they could
neither of them ever wear again。 She talked the matter over with herself
before her husband； till he took the desperate measure of sending them
back to storage； and they had been left there in the spring when the
Landers came away for the summer。
They always spent the later spring months at a hotel in the suburbs of
Boston； where they arrived in May from a fortnight in a hotel at New
York； on their way up from hotels in Washington； Ashville； Aiken and
St。 Augustine。 They passed the summer months in the mountains； and early
in the autumn they went back to the