Part 5 (2/2)

Slowly she turned to climb the zigzag stairway to the Interpreter's hut.

CHAPTER III

THE INTERPRETER

The young woman announced her presence at the open door of the hut by calling, ”Are you there?”

The deep voice of the Interpreter answered, ”Helen! Here I am, child--on the porch. Come!” As she pa.s.sed swiftly through the house and appeared in the porch doorway, he added, ”This is a happy surprise, indeed. I thought you were not expected home for another month. It seems ages since you went away.”

She tried bravely to smile in response to the gladness in her old friend's greeting. ”I had planned to stay another month,” she said, ”but I--” She paused as if for some reason she found it hard to explain why she had returned to Millsburgh so long before the end of the summer season. Then she continued slowly, as if remembering that she must guard her words, ”Brother wrote me that they were expecting serious labor troubles, and with father as he is--” Her voice broke and she finished lamely, ”Mother is _so_ worried and unhappy. I--I felt that I really ought not to be away.”

She turned quickly and went to stand at the porch railing, where she watched the cloud of dust that marked the progress of Bobby and Maggie through the Flats.

”I can't understand father's condition at all,” she said, presently, without looking at the Interpreter. ”He is so--so--” Again she paused as if she could not find courage to speak the thought that so disturbed her mind.

From his wheel chair the Interpreter silently watched the young woman who was so envied by the people. And because the white-haired old basket maker knew many things that were hidden from the mult.i.tude, his eyes were as the eyes of the Master when He looked upon the rich young ruler whom He loved.

Then, as if returning to a thought that had been interrupted by the unwelcome intrusion of a forbidden subject, Helen said, ”I can't understand how you tolerate such dirty, rude and vicious little animals as those two children.”

The Interpreter smiled understandingly at the back of her very becoming and very correctly fas.h.i.+oned hat. ”You met my little friends, did you?”

”I did,” she answered, with decided emphasis, ”at the foot of your stairs, and I was forced to listen to the young ruffian's very frank opinion of me and of all that he is taught to believe I represent. I wonder _you_ did not hear. But I suppose you can guess what he would say.”

”Yes,” said the man in the wheel chair, gently, ”I can guess Bobby's opinion of you, quite as accurately as Bobby guesses your opinion of him.”

At that she turned on him with a short laugh that was rather more bitter than mirthful. ”Well, the little villain is guessing another guess just now. I sent Tom to take them for a ride in the car.”

”And why did you do that?”

She waited a little before she answered. ”I don't know exactly. Perhaps it was your Helen of the old house that did it. She may have been a little ashamed of me and wanted to make it up to them. I am afraid I really wasn't very kind at first.”

”I see,” said the Interpreter, gravely.

”There might possibly have been the shade of another reason,” she continued, after a moment, and there was a hint of bitterness in her voice now.

”Yes?”

”Yes, it is conceivable, perhaps, that, in spite of the prevailing opinions of such people, even _I_ might have felt a wee bit sorry for the poor kiddies--especially for the girl. She is such a tiny, tired-looking mite.”

The old basket maker was smiling now, as he said, ”I have known for a long time that there were _two_ Helens. Little Maggie, it seems, has found still another.”

”How interesting!”

”Yes, Maggie has discovered, somehow, that you are really a beautiful princess, living on most intimate terms with the fairies. She will think so more than ever now.”

The young woman laughed at this. ”And the boy--what do you suppose _he_ will think after his ride with Tom in the limousine?”

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