Part 10 (1/2)
Chapter VIII
A PECK OF TROUBLE.
”Where is uncle?” was Edna's first question when she reached home.
”Listen to the dear,” replied Ellen. ”She doesn't know that the two of them has gone away suddint.”
”Why, where?” asked Edna, in astonishment.
”To Mr. Horner's sisther's, darlin'; wurred came by the bhy from the telegraph office thot the poor leddy's tur'ble low, and would they come right away? So the madam t'rows a bit o' their clothes intil a bag, an' says she, 'Ellen, we'll be back the mornin; ye must look out for the childer.'”
”O,” cried Edna, ”then we can eat supper in the kitchen; and you'll let me pour out, won't you?”
”Will I thin? av coorse I will, an' I'll make ye a bit o' short cake.”
”O, that will be fine,” replied Edna, ”I'm going up stairs to take off my wraps, and then I'm coming down into the kitchen.”
”Moind ye change yer dhress,” called Ellen; ”an' put on an ap.r.o.n, so ye'll not get yer clothes hurted.”
Edna was down again in a twinkling, the cause of the sudden departure of her uncle and aunt lost sight of in this ”happening” of a cosy time.
[Ill.u.s.tration: MOGGINS.]
There was something particularly cheery and comfortable about the clean kitchen. Louis was already there playing with Moggins; the little kitty was whisking around after a string, his prancings and sidewise jumps making the children laugh merrily. Edna left this play to make a little short cake from some dough which Ellen gave her. She baked it on top of the stove, and, although it was neither very clean nor well baked, and was rather ragged looking, it was heartily enjoyed by the children and Moggins, who was a little cat ready to taste anything offered to him.
Edna poured out the cambric tea and mixed it with great gravity, giving Louis plenty of sugar in his, while the amount of short cake and syrup indulged in would have been considered shocking by Aunt Elizabeth. But the children had never so enjoyed a meal in that house.
Edna's doll, Ada, occupied a place at the table, being mounted upon a firkin placed upon a chair, and as Edna had to eat both her own and her doll's share of the short cake it was no wonder that the supply was more than she could manage.
Louis took Moggins under his care, but Moggins, it must be confessed, did not behave so well as Ada, for he slyly whipped off with his paw pieces of food from Louis' fork, and began lapping the cambric tea from his neighbor's cup, so finally he was sent from the table, a disgrace which did not affect him in the least, as it gave him a chance to scamper around after his tail, and race about without restraint.
”O, Louis,” said Edna, when bedtime came, ”aren't you afraid to sleep down here alone?”
Louis flushed up. ”What did you say that for?” he replied. ”I wasn't going to think about it, and now you've made me. I'm not exactly afraid, but it is a long way up to you and Ellen if anything should happen.”
Ellen stood thoughtfully considering the question, one hand on her hip, and the other stroking her puckered-up lips. ”Thrue for ye,” she said. ”I promised the mistress to hev an eye on ye, an' how can an eye pinitrate through the two flures? I'll bring a cot down for mesilf to your aunt's room, an' Edna shall sleep in the big bed, whilst I take the cot, so we'll all be commojus and neighborlylike.”
There was much fun and laughter getting the cot down stairs, and Edna thought it a great experience to sleep in her aunt's big bed, while Louis was very glad not to be so far removed from the others, although he professed great indifference upon the subject after his first confession.
The next morning the school children began to gather. Nine o'clock came and no teacher, for, strange to say, even Miss Ashurst did not make her appearance. A note from her did arrive, but as it was addressed to Professor Horner no one opened it, and the cause of her absence was not explained.
”O, fun!” cried one of the girls. ”No school to-day. We'll have a holiday.”
”We'd better wait a little while,” said Agnes Evans, who was the eldest as well as the brightest pupil in the school. ”Professor and Mrs. Horner may come in any minute; we'll wait till ten o'clock. Come here, little sobersides,” she said to Edna. ”What are you so solemn about? What word did your aunt and uncle leave?”
”They left word that they would be back this morning,” replied Edna.
”Of course they supposed Miss Ashurst would be here, and that she would be able to get along till they came. Don't you think--” and Edna looked up hesitatingly.
”What, monkey dear?” said Agnes, pa.s.sing her arm around the child.