“Oh, no; it’s in all of ’em—in all of us, if you only know how to get at it,” he returned softly.
Then he faced the silent people, who were blinking hard their blurry eyes. He ran the brim of his worn hat around and around between his fingers with an air that was almost embarrassment.
“Neighbours!” There was a bit of catch in his throat. “Esther wanted me to tell you that the little school teacher has found a new mother to-night.”
He went out through the entry-way, and the old dog waddled down off the platform and followed at his heels.
“Phineas!” Sylvena Willard caught him on the little platform of the school house. “How are you going to return to the village?”
“I was reckoning to foot it, Eli and I.”
“The boy brought me in our team. Won’t you ride with me? I want to talk it all over with you.”
He was about to accept, when out of the gloom to which their eyes were as yet hardly accustomed came a blur of lighter colour. It was the lining of King Bradish’s Goddard buggy, and Bradish leaned out and spoke to her, “I sent the boy home with your hitch, Sylvie. I’ve been waiting for you.” He climbed out and “cramped” the wheel. “Was your experience meeting worth all the time you put into it?” he inquired with a bit of satire.
“You sent my carriage home?” she demanded indignantly.
“Why, it was the most natural thing in the world to do. There was no need of keeping the boy here when you are going to ride back with me.”