"What on airth makes you look so?" "Father's lost." "Lost--where's he lost? What d'ye mean?" "Went to get a load of wood for Doctor Prescott this mornin', an' 'ain't got home." "Now, I want to know! Didn't I see his team go up the road a few minutes ago?" Jerome nodded. "Met it, an' he wa'n't on," said he. "Lord!" cried the man, and stared at him. He was a middle-aged man, with a small wiry shape and a gait like a boy's. His name was Jake Noyes, and he was the doctor's hired man. He took care of his horse, and drove for him, and some said helped him compound his prescriptions. There was great respect in the village for Jake Noyes. He had a kind of reflected glory from the doctor, and some of his own. Jerome pulled his shoulder away. "Got to be goin'," said he. "Stop," said Jake Noyes. "This has got to be looked into. He must have got hurt. He must be in the woods where he was workin'." "Ain't. I've been there," said Jerome, shortly, and broke away. "Where did ye look?" "Everywhere," the boy called back. But Jake followed him up. "Stop a minute," said he; "I want to know. Did you go as fur 's the pond?" "What should I want to go to the pond for, like to know?" Jerome looked around at him fiercely. "I didn't know but he might have fell in the pond; it's pretty near." "I'd like to know what you think my father would jump in the pond for?" Jerome demanded. "Lord, I didn't say he jumped in. I said fell in." "You know he couldn't have fell in. You know he would have had to gone in of his own accord. I'll let you know my father wa'n't the man to do anything like that, Jake Noyes!" The boy actually shook his puny fist in the man's face. "Say it again, if ye dare!" he cried. "Lord!" said Jake Noyes, with half-comical consternation. He screwed up one blue eye after a fashion he had--people said he had acquired it from dropping drugs for the doctor--and looked with the other at the boy. "Say it again an' I'll kill ye, I will!" cried Jerome, his voice breaking into a hoarse sob, and was off. "Be ye crazy?" Jake Noyes called after him. He stood staring at him a minute, then went into the house on a run. Jerome ran to the place where he had left his father's team, untied the horse, climbed up on the seat, and drove home. He could not go fast; the old horse could proceed no faster than a walk with a load. When he came in sight of home he saw a blue flutter at the gate. It was Elmira's shawl; she was out there watching. When she saw the team she came running down the road to meet it. "Where's father?" she cried out. "Jerome, where's father?" "Dun'no'," said Jerome. He sat high above her, holding the reins. His pale, set face looked over her head. "Jerome--haven't you--seen--father?" "No." Elmira burst out with a great wail. "Oh, Jerome, where's father? Jerome, where is he? Is he killed? Oh, father, father!" "Keep still," said Jerome. "Mother 'll hear you." "Oh, Jerome, where's father?"