I am thankful that the well was partially covered and that I was able to keep Marion from sliding into it. "Paul!" she cried in horror, "oh, Paul!"
I hastened to follow her lead. "Paul," I said, with fierce sternness, "what do you mean, sir?"
"I mean," he replied accusingly, "that it's all spoiled. They've taken fright at your squabbling and put out their lamps."
Again we stared at each other in questioning silence. What had taken fright we knew not, but we did know that we had squabbled.
"Where did you hear that dreadful word?" demanded Marion.
"Darn?" queried Paul, with innocent pride. "I heard William Wedder say something when the coal-oil barrel rolled on his foot, and when I asked him 'I beg your pardon?' he couldn't remember what he had said, then when I kept on asking him to try to remember he said it must have been an exclamation called darn. I think it's ever so much nicer than bother or good gracious."
"It's a vulgar word, and only vulgar people use it," I commented reprovingly.
"Why, father, William said that when Joe Wrigley's horse stood up on his hind legs you said——"
"Paul," I interrupted hurriedly, "you said something took fright, and——"