Philip laughed. "Oh, I don't ask you to run it differently. I am going to do the running and you will take orders from me. Of course, my father had to turn things over to you while I was away, but now I am home, naturally I will take charge." Philip looked Abe squarely in the eye and the old man endeavored to return his stare, but his eyes finally fell before Philip's clear gaze.
"I am going to ask you, Uncle Abe, to call me Mr. Philip. It makes no real difference to me where you are concerned, but I feel that it will make a difference to the hands on the farm. I have no idea of allowing any familiarity from them and I am sure if you set the pace for politeness that they will follow you. It will make things easier all around if you begin immediately to call me Mr. Philip."
"Ye-ye-yes, sah!" hesitated Old Abe.
"Not only are you to speak to me respectfully, but you are to speak of me respectfully. This is important and I am going to trust you to attend to it. Tell Young Abe and Little Abe and any of the others who expect to work on the farm at any time, I am not going to put up with any impertinence."
"Sho', Mr. Phup, th'ain't nobody gonter sarse you nor none er the Bollin's. We'd have my
