to do with
an engine than the man in the moon. She treats brother Richard with
proper respect then, I can tell you."

Walter smiled.

"And Mrs. Crowninshield?"

"She? She's all right! You'll like her and she'll like you--that is,
if you get on with the pups. Dogs are her hobby. What she don't know
about raisin' 'em ain't worth knowin'. But I just warn you not to
think that because she's so pleasant she's easy goin', 'cause she
ain't. Slip up on your job and she'll be down on you like a thousand
of brick. She's a fair-weather sailin' craft--that's what she is;
floats along nice as anything until something goes wrong and then--my
soul--but she kicks up a sea. Yet with all that you'll like her. We
all do. Almost everybody on the place would get down and let her walk
on 'em. She has a kind of way with her that makes you itch to please
her. Tim would let her cut his head clean off if she wanted to and I
ain't sure I wouldn't. Have a smart sore throat once and see the
things she'll do for you. And she'll do 'em herself, too--not set
other people on the job. I believe that woman has the biggest heart in
the world."

"And--and--Mr. Crowninshield?" ventured Walter.

"The boss?" Jerry cleared his throat and for the first time hesitated.
"You've got to understand the boss, my son," said he earnestly. "He
ain't like other men. And in order that you may, I better give you a
pointer or two for it will most probably save you trouble. The boss
is something like a big dog that barks fit to murder you and don't
mean a thing by it. You've seen the kind. To hear him go on when he's
roused you'd believe he was going to have your blood. My, how he does
orate!" Jerry smiled and shook his head indulgently. "I've seen the
men stand up before him with their knees shaking until you'd expect
'em to give way every second. And the master would rage and rage
because they'd done something he didn't want done. And then, like a
hurricane that's blown itself out, he'll calm down and the next you
know he's given you a smile that's made you forget all the rest of it.
That's him all over. Learn not to be afraid of him, that's the only
thing to do. He wouldn't hurt a fly really. He just gets to blusterin'
and tearin' round from force of habit. It don't mean nothin'--not a
thing in the world. And with all his money he ain't a mite cocky. To
see him you'd scarce dream he had a copper in his pocket. Yet he could
paper the house with thousand-dollar bills