"Well--well, 'twas--'twas--" desperately, "'twas the squeakin' and--
and squealin'."
"Squeakin' and squealin'? Gracious king! What are you talkin'
about?"
"Why--the--the mills, you know. The mills and vanes outside on--on
the posts and the fence. They squeaked and--and sometimes they
squealed awful. And he didn't like it."
"Who didn't?"
"Colonel Davidson. He said they'd got to stop makin' that noise
and I said I'd oil 'em every day. And--and I forgot it."
"Yes--well, I ain't surprised to death, exactly. What then?"
"Well--well, you see, they were squealin' worse than usual one
mornin' and Colonel Davidson he came in here and--and I remembered
I hadn't oiled 'em for three days. And I--I said how horrible the
squealin' was and that I'd oil 'em right away and--and--"
"Well, go on! go on!"
"And when I went out to do it there wasn't any wind and the mills
wasn't goin' at all. You see, 'twas his oldest daughter takin' her
singin' lessons in the house with the window open."
Captain Sam put back his head and shouted. Jed looked sadly at the
floor. When the captain could speak he asked:
"And you mean to tell me that was the reason you wouldn't let the
house again?"
"Er--why, yes."
"I know better. You didn't have any row with the Davidsons. You
couldn't row with anybody, anyhow; and besides the Colonel himself
told me they would have taken the house the very next summer but
you wouldn't rent it to 'em.
Pages:
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88