“Eh? Why not?”
“Because the first thing you know he'll be startin' for Canada to enlist. He's been crazy to do it for 'most a year.”
“He has? How do you know he has?”
“Because he's told me so, more'n once.”
Her employer looked at her.
“Humph!” he grunted. “He seems to tell you a good many things he doesn't tell the rest of us.”
The housekeeper nodded. “Yes,” she said gravely, “I shouldn't wonder if he did.” A moment later she added, “Cap'n Lote, you will be careful, won't you? You wouldn't want Al to go off and leave Z. Snow and Company when him and you are gettin' on so much better. You ARE gettin' on better, ain't you?”
The captain pulled at his beard.
“Yes,” he admitted, “seems as if we was. He ain't any wonder at bookkeepin', but he's better'n he used to be; and he does seem to try hard, I'll say that for him.”
Rachael beamed gratification. “He'll be a Robert Penfold yet,” she declared; “see if he isn't. So you musn't encourage him into enlistin' in the Canadian army. You wouldn't want him to do that any more'n the rest of us would.”