Mary-'Gusta Part 12

"Eh? Why--why they're right there on the stove, Cap'n Shad."

"Want to know! Then suppose you put 'em on the table. I'm hungry and I'd like to eat one more square meal afore somethin' else happens to finish me altogether. By fire! if this ain't been a day! First that chair, and then that will and letter of Marcellus's, and then this. Humph! Come on, all hands, let's eat supper. I need somethin' solid to brace me up for tomorrow's program; if it's up to this, I'll need strength to last it through. Come on!"

That first supper in the white house by the sh.o.r.e was an experience for Mary-'Gusta. Mrs. Hobbs, in spite of her faultfinding and temper, had been a competent and careful housekeeper. Meals which she prepared were well cooked and neatly served. This meal was distinctly different.

There was enough to eat--in fact, an abundance--fried cod and the fried potatoes and hot biscuits and dried-apple pie; but everything was put upon the table at the same time, and Mr. Chase sat down with the others and did not even trouble to take off his ap.r.o.n. The tablecloth was not very clean and the knives and forks and spoons did not glitter like those the child had been accustomed to see.

Even Mr. Hamilton, to whom most of the things of this world--his beloved store excepted--seemed to be unessential trivialities, spoke of the table linen.

"Seems to me," he observed, in his gentle and hesitating way, "this tablecloth's sort of spotted up. Don't you think so, Shadrach?"

Captain Shad's reply was emphatic and to the point.

"Looks as if 'twas breakin' out with chicken-pox," he replied. "Ain't we got a clean one in the locker, Isaiah?"

Mr. Chase's face a.s.sumed an aggrieved expression.

"Course we have," he answered, "but I didn't know you was goin' to have company."

"Neither did we. But we could stand a clean table-cloth, even at that."

"I've got somethin' to do besides changin' tablecloths every day."

"Every day! Every Thanksgivin' Day, you mean. This one--"

"Now, look-a-here, Cap'n Shad; you know well as I do that Sarah J.

never come to do the was.h.i.+n' last week. She was down with the grip and couldn't move. If you expect me to do was.h.i.+n' as well as cook and sweep and keep house and--and shovel snow, and--"

"Shovel snow! What kind of talk's that? There ain't been any snow since February."

"Don't make no difference. When there was I shoveled it, didn't I? It ain't no use; I try and try, but I can't give satisfaction and I might's well quit. I don't have to stay here and slave myself to death. I can get another job. There's folks in this town that's just dyin' to have me work for em."

Captain Shadrach muttered something to the effect that if Isaiah did work for them they might die sooner. Mr. Chase rose from his seat.

"All right," he said, with dignity. "All right, this settles it. I'm through. After all the years I sailed cook along with you, Shad Gould, and after you beggin' me--yes, sir, beggin' on your knees, as you might say, for me to run this house for you long as you lived--after that, to--to--Good-by. I'll try not to lay it up against you."

He was moving--not hastily, but actually moving--toward the kitchen door. Zoeth, who was evidently much disturbed, rose and laid a hand on his arm.

"There, there, Isaiah," he pleaded. "Don't act so. We ain't findin' any fault. Shadrach wasn't findin' fault, was you, Shadrach?"

"No, no, course I wasn't. Don't talk so foolish, Isaiah. n.o.body wants you to quit. All I said was--Come back here and set down. Your tea's gettin' all cold."

To Mary-'Gusta it seemed as if the tea had been at least cool to begin with. However, Mr. Chase suffered himself to be led back to the table and attacked his supper in injured silence. Mary-'Gusta offered a suggestion.

"I guess I could wash a tablecloth," she said. "I always wash my dolls'

things."

Her three companions were plainly surprised. The Captain was the first to speak.

"You don't say!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, sir, I do. And," with a glance at the silver, "I can scour knives and forks and spoons, too. I used to help Mrs. Hobbs scour 'em sometimes."

Even Shadrach had no remark to make. He gazed at the child, then at Zoeth, and drew a long breath.

As soon as supper was over the Captain and Mr. Hamilton hastened up to the village and the store.

"You better go to bed pretty soon, Mary-'Gusta," said Zoeth. "You're tired, I know. Isaiah'll make your bed for you. We'll be on hand and see you first thing in the morning. Isaiah'll go up with you and blow out your light and all. Good night."

The Captain said good night also and the pair hurried out.

When at ten o'clock they returned they found Mr. Chase up and awaiting them. Isaiah had a story to tell.

"I never see a young-one like that in this world," declared Isaiah. "You know what she done after you left? Helped me do the dishes. Yes, sir, by time, that's what she done. And she wiped 'em first-rate, too; good enough to satisfy ME, and you know that means somethin' 'cause I ain't easy to satisfy. And talk! Say, I never had a child talk same as she does. How old is she, for the land sakes?"

Zoeth told them the visitor's age.

"Well, maybe so," went on Isaiah, "but she don't talk seven; nigher seventeen, if you ask me. Pumpin' me about funerals, she was, and about folks dyin' and so on. Said she cal'lated she'd have a doll's funeral some time. 'For mercy sakes, what for?' I says. 'Can't you think up anything pleasanter'n that to play? That kind of game would give me the blue creeps!' She, thought that over--she generally thinks about a thing for five minutes afore she talks about it--and says she, 'I know,' she says, 'but a person must go to funerals and so it's better to get used to 'em and know how to behave. I shouldn't want my dolls,' she says, 'to do things at funerals that make people feel bad and laugh.' I couldn't get that through my head. 'If they felt bad they wouldn't laugh, would they?' says I. 'THEY wouldn't--the ones that felt bad wouldn't,' says she, 'but others might laugh at them. And that would make the person who was to blame feel TERRIBLY.' Now what was all that about? Can you make any sense of it?"

Captain Shadrach smiled sheepishly. "I cal'late me and Zoeth have an idea what she was drivin' at," he said. "Go on, Isaiah; what else did she say?"

"What didn't she say? Wanted to know if I thought G.o.d would knock anybody's head off that had done wrong, even if they didn't mean to.

Yes, sir, that's what she said---if G.o.d would knock anybody's head off.

Mine pretty nigh come off when she said that. I told her that, fur's I knew, He wasn't in the habit of doin' it. She said that Mrs. Hobbs told her that if she wasn't punished for her wickedness in this world she would be in the next. She was real kind of scared about it, seemed to me. Now what's she done that's wicked, a little critter like her?"

Zoeth said nothing, but he looked vexed and disturbed.

"I'd knock SOMEBODY'S head off if I had my way," observed Shadrach. "Or if I didn't, I'd like to. Where is she now, Isaiah?"

"She's up in the spare room, asleep I cal'late. And she's got her dolls along with her, three on one side and two on t'other. Wanted me to be sure and wake all hands of 'em up on time in the mornin'. He, he! She undressed them dolls, every one of 'em, afore they turned in. Oh, yes, and she helped me make the bed, too. She CAN make a bed, blessed if she can't. And all the time a-talkin', one minute like a child and the next like a forty-year-old woman. She's the queerest young-one!"

"I guess she's had a kind of queer bringin' up," said Zoeth.

"Where's that--where's Saul--er--Elijah--what's his name--David?" asked the Captain. "Where's the cat?"

"He's out in the barn, locked in. She had to go out along with me when I toted him there, and kiss him good night and tell him not to be frightened, and goodness knows what all--you'd think she was that cat's mother, to hear her. How long's she goin' to stay?"

"Don't know," replied Shadrach, hastily. "That ain't settled yet."

"How'd you come to fetch her over here? You're the last ones I ever thought would be fetchin' a child to visit you. Say, you ain't cal'latin' to keep her for good, are you?"

Zoeth hesitated. Shadrach's answer was emphatic.

"Course not," he snapped. "What do Zoeth and me know about managin' a child? Keep her for good, the idea!"

Isaiah chuckled. "'Cordin' to my notion," he said, "you wouldn't have to know much. You wouldn't have to manage her. If she wasn't managin'

you--yes, and me, too--inside of a month, I'd miss my guess. She's a born manager. You ought to see her handle them dolls and that cat."

When the two partners of Hamilton and Company went upstairs to their own bedrooms they opened the door of the spare room and peeped in.