“Come now, git th’ dishes picked up,” called Mrs. Savage, before Dan was quite through. “Ye’ve been long enough. Ye might as well wash ’em too, while ye’re at it. I kin git more work done then.”
Of all the work about the farm or house Dan hated most of all doing the dishes, but there seemed to be no escape from it. With as good grace as possible he began at them, and he had about finished when Mrs. Savage exclaimed:
“There! I haven’t got a yeast cake, Dan; ye’ll have t’ go t’ th’ village an’ git one. Hurry too. Don’t stand gawpin’ along th’ road. Tell Mr. Lee t’ charge it.”
This seemed the last straw. After his hard day’s work to be forced to take a four mile walk before he could go to bed!
“Shall I saddle the horse?” he asked timidly, thinking of how much easier it would be to gallop in on the back of Bess.
“Saddle a hoss? Wa’ll, I guess not! Them hosses has done work enough fer one day.”
Dan thought he had also.
He started off on the errand, vainly wishing Mrs. Savage had discovered the need of a yeast cake when Mr. Savage drove to the village, as he could have brought it back with him. Still, after he was started, walking along the highway in the pleasant summer evening, some of Dan’s weariness left him.
As he neared the cross road, on which Dr. Maxwell lived, he heard some one walking on the hard highway.
“I wonder if that’s the doctor,” he thought. “No, it can’t be. He always rides.”