"Law sake! I haven't the leastest idea," answered the old man. "Thomas is
a smart boy, and knows enough to keep out of trouble."

"That's what I say," added John, who had unlimited confidence in his
brother's ability to take care of himself.

"I'll tell you what _I_ think, John," said Mrs. Somers, throwing herself
into her chair with an air of desperation.

But she did not tell John what she thought: on the contrary, she sat
rocking herself in silence, as though her thought was too big and too
momentous for utterance.

"Well, what do you think, mother?" asked John, when he had waited a
reasonable time for her to express her opinion on the exciting topic.

Mrs. Somers rocked herself more violently than before, and made no reply.

"What were you going to say?"

"I think the boy has gone off to Boston, and gone into the army," replied
she, desperately, as though she had fully made up her mind to commit
herself to this belief.

"Do you think so, mother?"

"I feel almost sure of it."

"I don't think so, mother. Tom wouldn't have gone off without saying
something to me about it."