w. I don't see as you are to blame; you can't help the
way you're made. But your grandfather can't help bein' made his way,
either. He can't see with your spectacles and you can't see with his."

He stirred rebelliously. "Then we had better go our own ways, I should
say," he muttered.

"No, you hadn't. That's just what you mustn't do, not now, anyhow. As
I said before, there's been enough of all hands goin' their own ways in
this family and look what came of it."

"But what do you expect me to do? I will not give up every plan I've
made and my chance in the world just because he is too stubborn and
cranky to understand them. I will NOT do it."

"I don't want you to. But I don't want you to upset the whole kettle
just because the steam has scalded your fingers. I don't want you to
go off and leave your grandma to break her heart a second time and your
grandpa to give up all his plans and hopes that he's been makin' about
you."

"Plans about me? He making plans about me? What sort of plans?"

"All sorts. Oh, he don't say much about 'em, of course; that ain't his
way. But from things he's let drop I know he has hoped to take you in
with him as a partner one of these days, and to leave you the business
after he's gone."

"Nonsense, Rachel!"

"No, it ain't nonsense. It's the one big dream of Cap'n Lote's life.
That Z. Snow and Co. business is his pet child, as you might say. He
built it up, he and Labe together, and when he figgered to take you
aboard with him 'twas SOME chance for you, 'cordin' to his lookout. Now
you can't hardly blame him for bein' disappointed when you chuck that
chance away and take to writin' poetry pieces, can you?"

"But--but--why, confound it, Rachel, you don't understand!"

"Yes, I do, but your grandpa don't. And you don't understand him. . . .
Oh, Albert, DON'T be as stubborn as he is, as your mother was--the Lord
and she forgive me for sayin' it. She was partly right about marryin'
your pa and Cap'n Lote was partly right, too. If they had met half way
and put the two 'partlys' together the whole thing might have been right
in the end. As 'twas, 'twas all wrong. Don't, don't, DON'T, Albert, be
as stubborn as that. For their sakes, Al,--yes, and for my sake, for I'm
one of your family, too, or seems as if I was--don't."

She hastily wiped her eyes with her apron. He, too was greatly moved.

"Don't cry, Rachel," he muttered, hurriedly. "Please don't. . . . I
didn't know you felt this w