nterfere with their enjoyment," Henry
replied. "I'm ready to go at any time."

The next day Witherspoon said: "Henry, if you have decided to go,
there is no use of my leaving home."

"Now there's no need of all this sacrifice," Mrs. Witherspoon
protested, "for the truth is I don't want to go anyway. During the hot
weather I am never so comfortable anywhere as I am at home. My son,
you shall not go on my account; and as for Ellen, she can go with
some of our friends. But, father, I do think that you need rest."

"Very true," he admitted, "but unfortunately we can't drop a worry and
run away from it."

"But what is worrying you now?"

"_Everything_. Nothing goes on as it should, and every day it seems
that a new annoyance takes hold of me."

"In your time you have advised many a man to be sensible," said Henry,
"and now if you please, permit a man who has never been very sensible
to advise you." Witherspoon looked at him. "My advice is, be
sensible."

In a fretful resentment Witherspoon jerked his shoulder as if with
muscular force he sought a befitting reply, but he said nothing and
Henry continued: "This may be impudence on my part, but in impudence
there may lie a good intention and a piece of advice that may not be
bad. The worry of a strong man is a sign of danger. The truth is that
if you keep on this way you'll break down."

"None of you know what you are talking about," Witherspoon declared.
"I'm as strong as I ever was. I'm simply annoyed, that's all."

"Why don't you see the doctor?" his wife asked.

"What do I want to see him for? What does he know about it? Don't you
worry. I'm all right."

His fretfulness was not continuous. Sometimes his spirits rose to
exceeding liveliness, and then he laughed at the young man and joked
him about Miss Miller. But a single word, however lightly spoken,
served to turn him back to peevishness. One evening Henry remarked
that he was compelled to leave town on the day following and that he
might be absent nearly a week.

"Why, how is this?" Witherspoon asked, with a sudden change of manner.
"The other day you almost swore that it was impossible for you to
leave home, and now you are compelled to go. What do you mean?"

"I have business out of town, and it demands my attention."

"_Business_ out of town. The other day you despised business; now
you've got business out of town. I'll take an oath right now that you
are the strangest mortal I ever struck."

"I ad