"He said his father said so," Nora explained.

"That will have to be looked into," Mr. Phillips remarked. "Now you
children climb into the buggy and I will take you home. I want to have a
talk with your mother."

"She's not to home," said Chris.

"Mebbe she'll be back," observed Nora, looking at the sun. "It's gettin'
on towards supper time."

"We'll see," was Mr. Phillips' only comment as he placed Jerry on the
front seat and helped Celia Jane in beside him.

Danny and Chris and Nora, in the meantime, had climbed into the back
seat. Mr. Phillips clucked to the horses and they trotted off into town.

Jerry felt greatly comforted to be riding home with this big, pleasant
man, and the cruel edge of Darn's words began to wear off. He felt that
this new friend's words, "That will have to be looked into," meant
almost as much as though he had said, "I'll see that nothing of the sort
happens."

His body was still shaken, at longer and longer intervals, by shuddering
sobs, but when the Mullarkey home was reached, they had subsided and he
was enjoying the unaccustomed buggy ride.

Mrs. Mullarkey was home, and she came running out to see why her
children were being brought back in a buggy.