We found several broken twigs on the top branches, and guessed
that Alfred had used a long pole with a hook at the end with which to
shake down the fruit. After what had passed on the road this action
looked so much like defiance that the old Squire was nettled. He did
nothing about it at the time, however.
Another year passed. Then at table one night Ellen remarked that Harvey
Yeatton had come to visit Alfred again. "Alfred brought him up from the
village this afternoon," she said. "I saw them drive by together."
"Now the pears and plums will have to suffer again!" said I.
"Yes," said Ellen. "They stopped down at the foot of the hill, and
looked up at those two pear-trees in the old pound; then they glanced at
the house, to see if any one had noticed that they were passing."
"Those pears are just getting ripe," said Addison. "It wouldn't astonish
me if they disappeared to-night. There's no moon, is there?"
"No," said grandmother Ruth. "It's the dark of the moon. Joseph, you had
better look out for your pears to-night," she added, laughing.
The old Squire went on eating his supper for some minutes without
comment; but just as we finished, he said, "Boys, where did we put our
skunk fence last fall?"
"Rolled it up and put it in the wagon-house chamber," said I.
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