buxom, matronly-looking woman, with a usually bright,
pleasant face. But now it was stern, and her dark eyes were filled
with anger as she noted her husband's silence and confusion. Presently
she turned to her son who was standing near.

"What have you to say, Eben? Your father seems to have lost his tongue
all of a sudden. What have you two been doing?"

If his mother had asked him such a question that morning he would not
have hesitated about telling the truth. But the thought of the
expression upon his father's face when he had told about throwing the
stone, deterred him. He looked at his mother uncertain what to say.

"Have you lost your tongue, too?" she impatiently demanded. "Dear me,
there must be something wrong when you too are afraid or ashamed to
speak. Things have come to a pretty pass, Sam'l, when you an' Eben
conspire against me. Haven't I cooked for you, washed and mended your
clothes all these years, and been a good wife to you, Sam'l?"

"Indeed ye have, Martha. Ye've done yer duty, all right."

"An' haven't I been a good mother to your children?"

"Sure, sure, ye have, Martha. Ye done yer duty to them, too."

"Well, then, Sam'l, why is it that you've treated me in such a manner?
Why have you set my only son against me?"

"I haven't set him aginst ye, Martha. Eben's got a tongue which he's
at liberty to use. I s'pose he knows it's no use to speak, fer if ye
won't believe me ye won't believe him, so thar. Ye needn't git on yer
high-horse about nuthin'."

Mrs. Tobin looked at her husband in surprise, for seldom had he ever
spoken to her in such a manner.

"And you've done nothing wrong?" she asked. "Are you sure?"

"No, we ain't done nuthin' wrong 'ccordin' to our way of thinkin'. We
sailed by without stoppin', I acknowledge. But is that any crime?
Bizness is bizness an' must be attended to."

Captain Tobin felt quite pleased at his own boldness, and for his
victory over his wife. He had no idea that she would calm down so
soon. Had he made a mistake in always giving in to her? he asked
himself. Perhaps if he had been a little more assertive it might have
been better for his welfare.

"I suppose the cabin's in a terrible mess." His wife's words suddenly
aroused him.

"No, no, Martha, it's in great shape," he hastened to assure her. "I
scrubbed the floor meself when we was held up down river."

"Then it must be in great shape, Sam'l. I've seen your scrubbing
before.