Part 11 (1/2)
She put her hand to her head.
”I must try to sleep if I can in this hideous place. Then to-morrow I may be able to think.”
Locking the door, she drew the bureau against it; then she undressed and fell into bed. Her youth and exhaustion did the rest. She slept until morning.
CHAPTER VI
The Dwarf
”You, Pete,” said his master, approaching the pump where the boy was performing his morning ablutions, ”what was the noise I heard in Miss Melody's room last night?”
”Dunno,” sullenly.
”Well, you'd better know. I'll skin you alive if anything happens to her.”
”How--how could I help it if she jumps out the winder?”
Carder smiled. ”You're thinkin' of somebody else. _She_ went to the hospital. If Miss Melody hurts herself, we'll keep her here. She won't do that, though, and I hold you accountable for anything else she does.
Night and day, remember. You've got to know where she is all the time.
You understand?”
The dwarf grunted and combed his thick, tousled hair with his fingers.
”Watch yourself now. You'll pay if anything goes wrong. What was that noise I heard? Out with it!”
The dwarf grunted his reply. ”She moved the furniture ag'in' the door, I guess.”
”Oh, that was it.”
Rufus laughed and turned toward the house.
The hired men had had their breakfast and gone to the fields and the drudge in the kitchen was prepared for the arrival of her son and his guest.
Geraldine came downstairs fresh from sleep and such a cold bath as was obtainable from the contents of a crockery pitcher. Rufus's eyes glittered as he beheld her.
”Well, my little--I mean my lady, you look wonderful. I guess there was some sleep in the little old bed after all; but you shall have down to sleep on if you want it.”
Geraldine regarded him.
”I don't see how you expected I could sleep when you let a dog lie outside my door, a dog with the nightmare, I should judge, snoring and snorting. Be sure he is not there to-night. He frightened me.”
”Too bad, too bad,” returned Rufus; ”but you see you slept, or you couldn't look like a fresh rosebud as you do this morning; and you'll get used to good old Sport. He's a splendid watchdog.”
Geraldine turned to her hostess.
”I don't know what your hours are, Mrs. Carder--whether five, or six, or seven is over-sleeping, but I'm ashamed not to have been down here to help you get breakfast. It shan't happen again.”
”Don't fret about that,” said Rufus, ”Sleep as long as you want to, little girl. It's good for your complexion.”