Part 22 (1/2)
”I wish I could do more. It doesn't seem as if I worked half hard enough to pay for what you've done to help Louis an' me.”
”Bless you, child, I'd be paid a dozen times over if I had nothing more than your company; and as for work, why, you've done twice as much as Daniel Chick's daughter would in the same time, and I should have paid her fifty cents, at least, if you hadn't been here.”
”It doesn't seem very much anyhow; but if you're satisfied, why that settles it, of course. I wonder if Bill Dean's crowd will try to get hold of Louis again?”
”Not after I've seen his father, and that's just what I intend to do when the circle meetin' is over. We had better get old crumple-horn in the yard now so we can go to bed early, for I count on being at work by sunrise to-morrow.”
The ch.o.r.es were quickly done, the house searched once more for possible intruders, the evening devotions concluded, and Jack went to his tiny room happy in the thought that he had been of considerable a.s.sistance to Aunt Nancy.
The finis.h.i.+ng touches were completed by noon on the following day, and the little woman was arrayed in all her antiquated finery to receive the expected guests.
Jack had only the suit of clothes he had worn at the time of leaving the ”Atlanta,” consequently very little could be done on his part toward ”dressing up”; but his face shone from repeated applications of soap and water, his hair was combed until every portion of it looked as if it had been fastened in place, and his shoes had a very high polish.
Louis's white frock had been washed and ironed, therefore he was, as Aunt Nancy expressed it, ”in apple-pie order, and as pretty a baby as ever came into Maine.”
”I suppose we shall have to put some of the horses in the stable, Jack dear, for a good many of the people will ride, and the question is whether you could unharness them?” Aunt Nancy said as she sat in the ”fore-room” awaiting the coming of the guests.
”I never did such a thing; but it can't be hard if a feller watches how the harness comes off.”
”You are smart enough to do almost anything. I'm certain there won't be trouble,” Aunt Nancy said in a tone of conviction, and then the rumble of wheels on the lane told that the first of the ”company” was coming.
The newcomer was Mrs. Souders, who drove a horse Jack felt confident he could unharness; and as she alighted he stood by the head of the venerable animal as he had seen regular grooms do in the city.
From that time until nearly three o'clock the hunchback was kept very busy attending to the stable work.
Not less than ten horses were driven into the yard, and he was expected to put them in a barn where were but two stalls, including the one it would be necessary to reserve for old crumple-horn.
It was some time before he could solve the problem, but it was finally done by hitching several to the fence outside, and standing the remainder on the thras.h.i.+ng-floor.
The matter of harness and carriages troubled him considerably; but he believed the owners of the same would be able to recognize their property, therefore no attempt was made to keep them in regular order.
When the visitors ceased to arrive, and Aunt Nancy told him she did not think any more were coming, he went to the pump for a thorough wash, and while thus engaged heard a certain portion of the conversation which came from the ”fore-room” where the members of the circle were supposed to be working very hard to relieve the poor and distressed by supplying them with garments, each fas.h.i.+oned according to the fancy of its maker.
Not for a moment would Jack have thought of deliberately playing the part of eavesdropper; but hearing reference made to Louis and himself, it was only natural he should linger longer than was absolutely necessary.
Mrs. Souders was speaking when he first came near the house, and he heard her say quite sharply,--
”Why, Nancy Curtis, are you thinkin' of adoptin' a couple of children at your time of life, an' one of 'em a worthless cripple that'll always be a bill of expense? It seems as if you'd lived long enough in the world to be more sensible.”
”I'd like to know, Sarah Souders, why you think Jack is 'worthless'?”
the little woman asked in a tone of indignation.
”Because he can't be anything else. A hunchback isn't any better than a reg'lar invalid, an' besides I've always heard it said they are terribly conceited.”
”Then this one is an exception. I never had a girl on the farm that helped me as much as he does, and as for the baby--”
”That's it exactly,” Mrs. Souders interrupted. ”It seems that the cripple isn't enough, but you are determined to make your cross heavier by taking care of a baby, when it would be better to think of restin'
your old bones.”
”If it is a pleasure to me, it would seem as if nothing should be said against it,” Aunt Nancy replied mildly. ”I only wish it might be possible for me to keep the little fellow as long as I live.”