"Pen!" cried Irene.
"He'll be well enough to go up on the ten o'clock boat,"
said the mother sharply.
"I think papa works too hard all through the summer.
Why don't you make him take a rest, mamma?" asked Irene.
"Oh, take a rest! The man slaves harder every year.
It used to be so that he'd take a little time off now and then;
but I declare, he hardly ever seems to breathe now away from
his office. And this year he says he doesn't intend to go
down to Lapham, except to see after the works for a few days.
I don't know what to do with the man any more! Seems
as if the more money he got, the more he wanted to get.
It scares me to think what would happen to him if he
lost it. I know one thing," concluded Mrs. Lapham.
"He shall not go back to the office to-day."
"Then he won't go up on the ten o'clock boat,"
Pen reminded her.
"No, he won't. You can just drive over to the hotel as soon
as you're through, girls, and telegraph that he's not well,
and won't be at the office till to-morrow. I'm not going
to have them send anybody down here to bother him."
"That's a blow," said Pen. "I didn't know but they
might send----" she looked demurely at her sister--"Dennis!"
"Mamma!" cried Irene.
"Well, I declare, there's no living with this family
any more," said Penelope.
"There, Pen, be done!" commanded her mother.
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