Part 21 (1/2)
--she heered 't there was goin' to be a show up thar' to-night--some play-actor folks. 'Ten Nights in a Ba-ar Room'”--the captain took the pipe out of his mouth and yawned with affected unconcern. ”I've heered o' worse names for a show; but ye know what women-folks is when there 's any play-actin' around. They're jest like sheep next to a turnip patch.”
”Are they?”
”Oh, by clam! ye don't know nothin' 'bout female gra.s.s yit, major--nothin'. Bars can't shet 'em out.” I followed his sad gaze to the west, and we sighed in unison.
”By the way, how 's your show stock gittin' along, major?”
”My show stock?”
”Why, sartin; we thinks all the more on ye, ef that c'd be, for havin'
some business. Ye see, the way my woman found it out, she runs over to Lunette's every mail day and helps her sort the mail, 'nd she said all the letters 't come directed to 'Mr. Paul Henry' had a mess o' wax run onto the fold of every envelope with a pictur' stamped inter it o' a couple o' the cur'osest-lookin' creeturs; said 'twas jest the head an'
necks of 'em an' they looked to be retchin' up ter eat out o' the same soup plate; said 't must be your stock to the circus; for business folks often has their business picturs put on outside their envelopes, ye know, and jedgin' by the cur'osity of 'em, she thought they must be doin' pretty well by ye.”
”Oh, they are, captain,” I sighed; ”yes, they're doing pretty well by me.”
”Wal now, ef you've got a comf'tably good thing, major, be content with it; 'tain't easy to git onto a new job nowadays. Ain't there some pertick'lar spear o' gra.s.s ye'd like t' have set on the back seat with ye?” he continued cheerfully. ”She rides easier for havin'
consid'rable ballast, ye know.”
”I don't know of any. Mrs. Lester is away at her daughter-in-law's.”
”Hain't ye never thought--poo! poo! hohum!--wal, wal--
[Ill.u.s.tration: Music fragment: ”'The blighting wind sweeps o'er, she--']
hain't ye never thought o' Miss Pray?”
”In what way, captain?”
”Wal, as a--poo! poo!--
[Ill.u.s.tration: Music fragment: ”'She--']
as a pertick'lar spear, ye know?”
”No.”
”In course human nature turns natchally to pink and white clover, like Vesty; but I tell ye, major, when it comes to a honest jedgment o'
gra.s.s thar' 's lots o' comfort arter all to be took out o' old red timothy. Old red timothy goes to shutin' right up straight an' minds her own business. She ain't a-tryin' so many o' these d--d ructions on ye. My foot 's some better,” said he, lifting the maimed member; ”but she ain't yit what she use ter be. It 'u'd make a home for ye, 'ithout payin' no board, an' ef ye got red o' payin' yer board ye wouldn't mind ef she didn't treat ye quite so well--for that's the way 'ith all female gra.s.s, clover 'n' all, when they once gits spliced onto ye. But 'ith what ye gits from yer show ye c'd buy a hoss, an' when the wind 's in the nor'-east ye c'd tack away from home on some arrant--see? But don't arsk her, 'less ye means ter stand by it, major, for the women-folks has got to settin' onaccountable store by ye, ye kind o'
humors of 'em so.”
I limped down the lane to invite Miss Pray on our excursion, with light feet. Was it the air again, or was it the new consciousness that I was developing into a beloved and coveted beau?
I stepped into the cottage through the low window, as I often did. At the same moment the cover of the wood-box flew up, and I beheld the rosy, good-natured visage of Miss Pray's orphan girl looking out: she put her finger on her lip.
”s.h.!.+”
”What is it?” I said.
She pointed upward. I saw on the long spike which held the horseshoe over the door a pail of water so delicately hung that whoever first entered there must receive its contents in one fell unmitigated deluge upon the crown.