"It's the medicine," said the nurse. "She sleeps most of the time. But even when she's awake, nothing troubles her." "Nothin' ever did," returned Old Captain. "But then, there's some that worries _too_ much." They met Barney in the road above the dock. Jeanne held out her hand. Big, raw-boned Barney gripped it with both of his, squeezed it hard--and fled. "You tell him," said Jeanne, with the little twisty smile that was not very far from tears, "to come to dinner tomorrow--that _I_ invited him and am going to make him a pudding. Poor old Barney! We've got to make him feel comfortable. Tell him I bought a fork--no, a _knife_ especially for him." "Barney's as good as gold," returned Old Captain. "But, for a man of forty-seven, he's too dinged shy. 'Barney,' says I, more'n once, 'you'd ought to get married.' 'There's as good fish in the sea as ever come out,' says Barney. 'Yes,' says I, 'but ain't the bait gittin' some stale?'" * * * * * "Is it _really_ September?" asked Jeanne, one morning, studying the little calendar she had found in her work-box. "Today's the fourteenth," replied Old Captain. "What of it?" "I'm worried," said Jeanne. "I came to make a _visit_, but I haven't heard a word from Aunt Agatha or my grandfather about going back, or _anything_. Of course, I _ought_ to be in school." "There's a good school here. You have clothes--an' can get more." "I don't _want_ to go back to Aunt Agatha, you know. I'm sure she's _very_ angry at me for running away. It took her a long, long time to get over it after I went swimming in the fountain. I suppose this is worse." "Well, this here weren't exactly your fault." "I'm bothered about my grandfather, too. I've written to him four times and I haven't heard a _word_." "You told them about your father--" "No," confessed Jeanne, "I didn't. I _couldn't_ write about it to Aunt Agatha--she despised him. And I heard James say that any bad news or _anything_ very sudden would--would bring on another one of those strokes. Of course they think I'm with daddy--I didn't think of that. I didn't _mean_ to deceive anybody." "Well," said Old Captain, "I guess your idee of not startling your gran'-daddy was all right. But you'd better write your Aunt Agathy, some day, an' tell her about your father. There's no hurry. I'd _ruther_ you stayed right here." "And I'd rather stay." "Then stay you do. But before real cold weather comes we gotta fix up some place ashore for you, where there's somebody to keep a good fire goin'. Maybe me and Barney can build on an addition behind this here car--say two good rooms with a door through from here. But there's no need to worry for a good while yet. We're cozy enough for the present and October's sure to be pleasant--allus is. About school, now. I guess you'd better start next Monday. Whatever damage there is, for books or anything else, I'll stand it. An' if there was music lessons, now--"