"I never received your letter, Mr. Francis. Eben," asked Mr. Antis, "did you go to the office last night?"
Eben started and coloured. The last mail came in about seven, and it was Eben's duty to go for the letters and papers and carry them down to Mr. Antis's house.
"I am very sorry, indeed, Mr. Antis," said he, "but the truth is, I forgot all about it."
"Oh you forgot all about it, did you?" said Mr. Francis, in his usual sarcastic tones. "Then let me tell you, sir, that if you were my boy you should have something to make you remember it next time. I suppose this is your paragon—your Phœnix—Mr. Antis, that you wrote to me about?"
"This is Eben Fairchild," said Mr. Antis, briefly. "He is a good boy in general, but he forgets sometimes like other boys, and men, too, I might say."
"Humph! Well, Eben Fairchild, since that is your name, perhaps you will take care of my horse. Have the goodness not to forget either to feed or water him."
Eben thought there was no danger of his doing either. Jeduthun followed him out on pretence of looking to see if the horse had not a shoe loose, and took the opportunity of whispering:
"Now, Eben, I expect the old man is going to make things fly round. He's awful cantankerous sometimes, but do you mind and keep your own temper, and answer him respectfully, whatever he says. Remember, he is the boss, and an old man besides. He does rile me awfully sometimes, and I feel as if I needed to pray for patience whenever I see him a-coming in one of his tantrums. I can tell what kind of a humour he is in just as quick as I can see the top of his hat."
"I'll take care," said Eben, "but I wish he had come at any other time, or that I hadn't been such a fool."
"And so do I, but there is no help for it now. We must make the best of it. The machinery is all in order, that's one comfort."