'Most everybody I know laughs when they make jokes, but you don't, you look as if you were going to cry.That's why I don't laugh sometimes right off," she explained, politely."If you was really feeling so bad it wouldn't be nice to laugh, you know."Jed laughed then, himself."So Petunia would feel bad if I didn't go to Sam's, would she?" he inquired.
"Yes," solemnly."She told me she shouldn't eat one single thing if you didn't go.She's a very high-strung child."That settled it.Jed argued that Petunia must on no account be strung higher than she was and consented to dine at the Hunniwells'.
The day before Thanksgiving brought another visitor to the windmill shop, one as welcome as he was unexpected.Jed, hearing the door to the stock room open, shouted "Come in" from his seat at the workbench in the inner room.When his summons was obeyed he looked up to see a khaki-clad figure advancing with extended hand.
"Why, hello, Major!" he exclaimed."I'm real glad to-- Eh, 'tain't Major Grover, is it? Who-- Why, Leander Babbitt! Well, well, well!"Young Babbitt was straight and square-shouldered and brown.
Military training and life at Camp Devens had wrought the miracle in his case which it works in so many.Jed found it hard to recognize the stoop-shouldered son of the hardware dealer in the spruce young soldier before him.When he complimented Leander upon the improvement the latter disclaimed any credit.
"Thank the drill master second and yourself first, Jed," he said.
"They'll make a man of a fellow up there at Ayer if he'll give 'em half a chance.Probably I shouldn't have had the chance if it hadn't been for you.You were the one who really put me up to enlisting."Jed refused to listen."Can't make a man out of a punkinhead," he asserted."If you hadn't had the right stuff in you, Leander, drill masters nor nobody else could have fetched it out.How do you like belongin' to Uncle Sam?"Young Babbitt liked it and said so."I feel as if I were doing something at last," he said; "as if I was part of the biggest thing in the world.Course I'm only a mighty little part, but, after all, it's something."Jed nodded, gravely."You bet it's somethin'," he argued."It's a lot, a whole lot.I only wish I was standin' alongside of you in the ranks, Leander....I'd be a sight, though, wouldn't I?" he added, his lip twitching in the fleeting smile."What do you think the Commodore, or General, or whoever 'tis bosses things at the camp, would say when he saw me? He'd think the flagpole had grown feet, and was walkin' round, I cal'late."He asked his young friend what reception he met with upon his return home.Leander smiled ruefully.
"My step-mother seemed glad enough to see me," he said."She and Ihad some long talks on the subject and I think she doesn't blame me much for going into the service.I told her the whole story and, down in her heart, I believe she thinks I did right."Jed nodded."Don't see how she could help it," he said."How does your dad take it?"Leander hesitated."Well," he said, "you know Father.He doesn't change his mind easily.He and I didn't get as close together as Iwish we could.And it wasn't my fault that we didn't," he added, earnestly.
Jed understood.He had known Phineas Babbitt for many years and he knew the little man's hard, implacable disposition and the violence of his prejudices.
"Um-hm," he said."All the same, Leander, I believe your father thinks more of you than he does of anything else on earth.""I shouldn't wonder if you was right, Jed.But on the other hand I'm afraid he and I will never be the same after I come back from the war--always providing I do come back, of course.""Sshh, sshh! Don't talk that way.Course you'll come back.""You never can tell.However, if I knew I wasn't going to, it wouldn't make any difference in my feelings about going.I'm glad I enlisted and I'm mighty thankful to you for backing me up in it.
I shan't forget it, Jed."
"Sho, sho! It's easy to tell other folks what to do.That's how the Kaiser earns his salary; only he gives advice to the Almighty, and I ain't got as far along as that yet."They discussed the war in general and by sections.Just before he left, young Babbitt said:
"Jed, there is one thing that worries me a little in connection with Father.He was bitter against the war before we went into it and before he and Cap'n Sam Hunniwell had their string of rows.
Since then and since I enlisted he has been worse than ever.The things he says against the government and against the country make ME want to lick him--and I'm his own son.I am really scared for fear he'll get himself jailed for being a traitor or something of that sort."Mr.Winslow asked if Phineas' feeling against Captain Hunniwell had softened at all.Leander's reply was a vigorous negative.
"Not a bit," he declared."He hates the cap'n worse than ever, if that's possible, and he'll do him some bad turn some day, if he can, I'm afraid.You must think it's queer my speaking this way of my own father," he added."Well, I don't to any one else.Somehow a fellow always feels as if he could say just what he thinks to you, Jed Winslow.I feel that way, anyhow."He and Jed shook hands at the door in the early November twilight.
Leander was to eat his Thanksgiving dinner at home and then leave for camp on the afternoon train.
"Well, good-by," he said.
Jed seemed loath to relinquish the handclasp.
"Oh, don't say good-by; it's just 'See you later,'" he replied.
Leander smiled."Of course.Well, then, see you later, Jed.
We'll write once in a while; eh?"
Jed promised.The young fellow strode off into the dusk.Somehow, with his square shoulders and his tanned, resolute country face, he seemed to typify Young America setting cheerfully forth to face--anything--that Honor and Decency may still be more than empty words in this world of ours.
