Part 14 (1/2)
”In order to get rid of him I had to turn round an' come back,” narrated Jane, paying no heed to the interruption. ”Then we tried to bury it, but afterward we dug it up for fear Martin might plow it up sometime an'
get----”
”'Twould 'a' been an almighty good joke if he had!” again piped Ellen.
”So there didn't seem to be any other way,” concluded Jane with dignity, ”but to drop it in the brook; an', as you never seemed to use this end of your pasture, we decided to sink it here.”
The narrative was true, every word of it. Ellen knew that. No one who looked into Jane Howe's frank face could have doubted the story.
But Ellen was an ungenerous enemy who saw in the present happening an opportunity to put a screw upon those who had been thus compelled to throw themselves upon her mercy.
”So! That's how you lie out of it, is it?” she cried scornfully. ”An' you expect me to believe a yarn like that! Do you s'pose I don't know this country's at war, an' that the authorities are on the lookout for folks concealin' gunpowder in their houses? How do I know you weren't goin' to make the stuff into bombs, or carry it somewheres an' blow up somethin' or other with it?”
”Indeed, oh, indeed we weren't,” Mary cried, thoroughly alarmed.
”Oh, what shall we do!” Eliza sobbed, wringing her hands.
”Nonsense,” cut in Jane. ”You know perfectly well, Miss Webster, we ain't no German plotters. I'm sorry----”
”You're sorry I caught you before you had a chance to drop that bag in my brook,” said Ellen, a twinkle in her eye. ”I'll bet you are. Have you thought that I can have you arrested for trespa.s.sing on my land?”
”Oh, Jane!”
The horrified voices of Mary and Jane greeted with concern this new danger. Ellen was exulting in her triumph.
”You can, of course, have us arrested if you wish to,” said Jane.
”Well, I ain't a-goin' to--at least I ain't, on one condition. An' I'll promise not to give you over to the police as spies, neither, if you do as I say.”
”What do you want us to do?” inquired Mary and Eliza breathlessly.
Jane was silent.
”Mebbe _you'd_ like to know the condition,” sneered the old woman, addressing Jane.
She waited for a reply, but none came. Ellen looked baffled.
”You'd better accept the chance I give you to buy yourself off,” she said.
”That is my affair.”
”Do, Jane! Do promise,” begged Mary and Eliza. ”Please do, for our sakes.”
”Very well,” Jane returned. ”But I only do it to protect my sisters. What is the condition?”
With head thrown back she faced Ellen coldly.
”The condition is that you take that bag of gunpowder back home to your brother Martin an' tell him Ellen Webster sent it to him with her compliments. He can use it blastin' out stones to fix up his stone wall.”