"I found it blowing around up on the little hill there," she said,
pointing. "It was blowing real hard and I had to run to catch it
before it got to the edge of the water. I'm--I--I'm sorry I gave
it to Uncle Jed for a sail. I didn't know--and--and he didn't
either," she added, loyally.
"That's all right, my dear. Of course you didn't know. Well,
Rayburn," turning to the lieutenant, "there's your plan. You see
it did blow away, after all. I think you owe this young lady
thanks that it is not out in mid-channel by this time. Take it
back to the office and see if the holes in it have spoiled its
usefulness to any extent."
The lieutenant, very red in the face, departed, bearing his
precious plan. Jed heaved a sigh of relief.
"There!" he exclaimed, "now I presume likely I can attend to my
chowder."
"The important things of life, eh?" queried Major Grover.
"Um-hm. I don't know's there's anything much more important than
eatin'. It's a kind of expensive habit, but an awful hard one to
swear off of. . . . Hum. . . . Speakin' of important things, was
that plan of yours very important, Mr.--I mean Major?"
"Rather--yes."
"Sho! . . . And I stuck it on a stick and set it afloat on a
shingle. I cal'late if Sam Hunniwell knew of that he'd say 'twas
characteristic. . . . Hum. . . . Sho! . . . I read once about a
feller that found where the great seal of England was hid and he
used it to crack nuts with.
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