“Oh, if I only had a father—like him!”
But there was no time now to indulge in dreams or disappointments. He felt that he must get at once into the house and to bed.
He went up the side path, and around to the woodshed, where he left the hatchet. Max, the dog, came whining and crouching at his feet, begging for notice and caresses. Dannie paid little heed to him, but hurried on. As he turned the corner of the house by the kitchen porch, he came face to face with his grandfather.
“Why, Dannie!” exclaimed the old man, “what routed you out so early this morning?”
For a moment Dannie was at a loss for an answer.
“Oh!” he stammered at last, “I—I just thought I’d come out and look around.”
“That’s just what I thought I’d do, too,” was the response. “I kind o’ want to see where those stakes are set. I want to know how much o’ my land, an’ what part of it, I’m expected to present to the railroad company. Would you like to come along, Dan?”
“Yes, Gran’pap, I would.”
They passed out at the gate and down the road, and Dannie led the way to the potato field.