"Um-hm. Well, it didn't do any good, did it?"

"Good? What do you mean?"

"I mean he didn't obey orders--Colton, that is."

"He hadn't when I left."

"I thought not. I never saw any good come from profane language yet;
and, besides, judgin' from what I hear about the way that Colton man
lives, and what he does on Sundays and all, he'll make the port you sent
him to when his time comes. All you need is patience."

I laughed, and she began sorting the plated spoons. We had silver ones,
but Dorinda insisted on keeping those to use when we had company. In
consequence we used them about twice a year, when the minister came.

"Of course," she said, "I ain't askin' you what happened over there or
why he wanted to see you. But I give you fair warnin' that, if I don't,
Lute will. Lute's so stuffed with curiosity that he's li'ble to bust the
stitches any minute."

"I'll tell you both, at supper," I said.

"Um-hm," said Dorinda. "Well, I can wait, and Lute'll have to. By
the way," she added, seeing me about to enter Mother's room, "if it's
anything too unpleasant I wouldn't worry Comfort with it. She'll want to
know, of course, but I'd sort of smooth the edges."

Mother did want to know, and I told her, "smoothing the edges" all I