"Well, sir?" Susan stood at attention, her arms akimbo.

"Susan, I--I insist--that is, I wish---"

"You was sayin'--" she reminded him coldly, as he came to a helpless
pause.

"Yes. That is, I was saying--" His eyes wavered and fell to the table.
"Oh, hash--red-flannel hash! That's fine, Susan!"

But Susan was not to be cajoled. Her eyes still regarded him coldly.

"Yes, sir, hash. We most generally does have beet hash after b'iled
dinner, sir. You was sayin'?"

"Nothing, Susan, nothing. I--I've changed my mind," murmured the man
hastily, pulling out his chair. "Well, Keith, will you have some of
Susan's nice hash?"

"Yes, sir," said Keith.

Susan said nothing. But was there a quiet smile on her lips as she
left the room? If so, neither the man nor the boy seemed to notice it.

As for the very obvious change of attitude on the part of the man--
Keith had witnessed a like phenomenon altogether too often to give it
a second thought. And as for the doggerel that had brought about the
situation--that, also, was too familiar to cause comment.