Before he left the house, however, there came a knock at the door. On opening it, Mr. Jacob Woodhull stepped in, with a large pail in his hand.
"How are you, George? How do you do, Mrs. Branford? Fine day! I was going up town, and thought I would bring you along a pail of milk," he said, extending the pail he carried to George. "When you have three or four of those fellows," and he pointed at the cradle, "milk always comes in handy."
"Indeed, it does; and you don't know how thankful we are for it," Betsy answered, while George went into the pantry to empty the pail.
"Perhaps I do now," the old gentleman replied, with a smile.
A moment later the husband and wife were alone. They looked at each other a few moments, and then George slowly repeated the words: "Call upon me, and I will answer thee," "God has begun to answer us already, Betsy," he said, gently and reverently. Then kissing her and the sleeping child, he left the house.
He had no difficulty in securing the boat, and soon was pulling rapidly down the bay. An hour later he landed on Long Point, and, as the tide was already well out, he took his basket and hoe and began his search for the delicious bivalves. The tide proved to be a favorable one, and his basket was nearly full, when a voice suddenly exclaimed:
"You have done well, George; but I'll show you a quicker way yet, and we'll fill your basket. Then you must come up to the house and take dinner with me."
It was Ray who spoke, and with a six-tined fork in his hand he came down the bank to meet his brother. They shook hands cordially, and then Ray, with a few turns of his fork, threw out enough to fill the basket to its utmost capacity.
"There, now, pull your boat up, and secure it against the incoming tide, George, while I cover these clams over with rock weed and set them up there in the shade. Then we'll go up to the house," said Ray.
As they walked along, Ray questioned George as to the family, and soon learned the condition of things at the old home. He also learned for the first time of the threatening placards that had been put out, and the probability that the mills would not start, after all.