Daniel did his best to appear calm; it was a poor best. At fifty-two one cannot run impromptu hurdle races against time, and show no effects.
“Hey?” he panted. “Matter? Nothin's the matter. I left the store alone for a minute and I was in a kind of hurry to get back to it, that's all.”
The explanation was not entirely satisfactory. Gertrude looked more puzzled than ever.
“A minute,” she repeated. “Left it a minute! Why, John and I have been here fifteen minutes, and Sam was here when we came.”
The captain looked at his watch. “Well, maybe 'twas a little more'n a minute,” he admitted.
Master Bartlett sauntered up to take part in the conversation.
“I got here twenty minutes ago,” he observed, grinning, “and you wasn't here then, Cap'n Dan'l. I was wonderin' what had become of ye.”
Daniel seized the opportunity to change the subject.
“Anybody been in since you came?” he asked, addressing Sam.
“No, nobody special. Abel Calvin was in to see if you wanted to buy some beach plums for puttin' up. He said he had about a bushel of first-rate ones, just picked.”