It was all too much for Aunt Polly and she unrolled her knitting and set the needles to their accustomed task. Eventually Mary-Clare would come to the inn and simply tell her story--full well Polly knew that. It was Mary-Clare's way to keep silent until necessity for silence was past and then calmly take those she loved into her confidence. But there were disturbing things going on. Aunt Polly could not blind herself to them. At this moment Northrup's step sounded outside. He came hastily, but making little noise. "What's up?" he asked, starting back at the sight of Aunt Polly. "Just me, son. Your dinner is scorched to nothing, but I wanted to tell you where the cookie jar is." Northrup came over to the sofa and sat down. "You deep and opaque female," he said, throwing his arm over the little bent shoulders. "Own up. It isn't cookies, it's a switch. What have I done? Out with it." Aunt Polly laughed softly. "It's neither cookies nor switches when you come down to it," she chuckled. "It's just waiting and not knowing why." Northrup leaned back against the sofa and said quietly: "Guessing about me, Aunt Polly?" "Guessing about everything, son. Just when I thought I was nearing port, where I ought to be at my age, I find myself all at sea." "Same with me, Aunt Polly. We're part of the whole upheaval, and take it from me, some of us are going to find ourselves high and dry by and by and some of us will go under. We don't understand it; we can't; but we've got to try to--and that's the very devil. Aunt Polly, I've been on the Point, talking to some of the folks down there--there is a fellow called Twombley, odd cuss. He told me he's tried to earn his living, but found people too particular." "Earn his living, huh!" Polly tried to look indignant. "He's a scamp, and old Doctor Rivers was the ruination of him. The old doctor used to quote Scripture in a scandalous way. He said since we have the poor always with us, it is up to us to have a place for them where they can be comfortable. Terrible doctrine, I say, but that was what the old doctor kept the Point for and it was after Twombley tried to earn his living--the scamp!" Northrup saw that he had diverted Aunt Polly and gladly let her talk on.