I didn't like that man,but some of the others seemed to find him amusing.Maybe it was because I had nothing to do but sit and watch him,and so I saw more of him than the ones who came and went all the time.As long as there was any one in the room,he complained dreadfully about his sore foot,and then cheered up and talked,and he could tell interesting things.He was young,but he must have been most everywhere and seen everything.He was very brave and could stand off three men who were going to take from him the money he was carrying to buy a piece of land in Illinois.The minute the grown folks left the room to milk,do the night feeding,and begin supper,he twisted in his chair and looked at every door,and went and stood at the back dining-room window,where he could see the barn and what was out there,and coming back he took a peep into father's and mother's room,and although he limped dreadfully when he came,he walked like any one when he went over and picked up father's gun and looked to see if it were loaded,and seemed mighty glad when he found it wasn't.Father said he could load in a flash when it was necessary,but he was dubious about a loaded gun in a house full of children.Not one of us ever touched it,until the boys were big enough to have permission,like Laddie and Leon had.He said a gun was such a great "moral persuader,"that the sight of one was mostly all that was needed,and nobody could tell by looking at it whether it was loaded or not.This man could,for he examined the lock and smiled in a pleased way over it,and he never limped a step going back to his chair.He kept on complaining,until father told him before bedtime that he had better rest a day or two,and mother said that would be a good idea.
He talked so much we couldn't do our lessons or spell very well,but it was Friday and we'd have another chance Saturday,so it didn't make so much difference.Father said the traveller must be tired and sleepy and Leon should take a light and show him to bed.He stayed so long father went to the foot of the stairway,and asked him why he didn't come down and he said he was in bed too.The next morning he was sleepy at breakfast and Laddie said it was no wonder,because Leon and the traveller were talking when he went upstairs.The man turned to father and said:
"That's a mighty smart boy,Mr.Stanton."Father frowned and said:"Praise to the face is open disgrace.I hope he will be smart enough not to disgrace us,anyway."The traveller said he was sure he would be,and we could see that he had taken a liking to Leon,for he went with him to the barn to help do the morning feeding.They stayed so long mother sent me to call them,and when I got there,the man was telling Leon how foolish it was for boys to live on a farm;how they never would amount to anything unless they went to cities,and about all the fun there was there,and how nice it was to travel,even along the roads,because every one fed you,and gave you a good bed.He forgot that walking had made his foot lame,and I couldn't see,to save me,why he was going to spend his money to buy a farm,if he thought a town the only place where it was fit to live.
He stayed all Saturday,and father said Sunday was no suitable time to start on a journey again,and the man's foot was bad when father was around,so it would be better to wait until Monday.
The traveller tagged Leon and told him what a fine fellow he was,how smart he was,and to prove it,Leon boasted about everything he knew,and showed the man all over the farm.
I even saw them pass the Station in the orchard,and heard Leon brag how father had been an agent for the Governor;but of course he didn't really show him the place,and probably it would have made no difference if he had,for all the money must have been spent on Sally's wedding.Of course father might have put some there he had got since,or that money might never have been his at all,but it seemed as if it would be,because it was on his land.
Sunday evening all of us attended church,but the traveller was too tired,so when Leon said he'd stay with him,father thought it was all right.I could see no one wanted to leave the man alone in the house.He said they'd go to bed early,and we came in quite late.The lamp was turned low,the door unlocked,and everything in place.Laddie went to bed without a candle,and said he'd undress and slip in easy so as not to waken them.
In the morning when he got up the traveller's bed hadn't been slept in,and neither had Leon's.The gun was gone,and father stared at mother,and mother stared at Laddie,and he turned and ran straight toward the Station,and in a minute he was back,whiter than a plate.He just said:"All gone!"Father and mother both sat down suddenly and hard.Then Laddie ran to the barn and came back and said none of the horses had been taken.
Soon they went into the parlour and shut the door,and when they came out father staggered and mother looked exactly like Sabethany.Laddie ran to the barn,saddled Flos and rode away.
Father wanted to ring an alarm on the dinner bell,like he had a call arranged to get all the neighbours there quickly if we had sickness or trouble,and mother said:"Paul,you shall not!
He's so young!We've got to keep this as long as we can,and maybe the Lord will help us find him,and we can give him another chance."Father started to say something,and mother held up her hand and just said,"Paul!"and he sank back in the chair and kept still.
Mother always had spoken of him as "the Head of the Family,"and here he wasn't at all!He minded her quickly as I would.
When Miss Amelia came downstairs they let her start to school and never told her a word,but mother said May and I were not to go.
