CHAPTER XIII.
THE SEWING CIRCLE.
So deeply engrossed was Aunt Nancy in the work of making ready for thesupper, that the indignities offered Louis by Bill Dean and his partnerspassed almost unheeded for the time being.
It is true that now and then she would speak of what had been done,announcing her intention of complaining again to Bill's father; but thewords would hardly be spoken before something in the culinary linedemanded her attention, and the subject would be dropped until a moreconvenient season.
Jack labored most industriously, beating eggs, sifting flour, washingpans, and keeping the fire roaring, thus doing his full share in theimportant preparations.
Louis was forced to remain in the kitchen, despite his great desire toget out of doors; and both Jack and the little woman kept strict watchover him, but happily ignorant of the fact that hidden within thefriendly shelter of the alder-bushes were Bill Dean and his chumswatching another opportunity to get hold of the baby as before.
"The sewin' circle is goin' over to old Nancy's termorrer," Bill said ina whisper, "an' we won't be smart if we don't get a chance to square offwith Hunchie."
"What do you count on doin'?" Sam Phinney asked.
"That's jest what we've got to fix up. The old woman will have her handsfull of company, an' it seems as if we might rig somethin' that'll pay.Hunchie won't show himself outside the place, for he knows we're layin'for him, an' our only show is to sneak in while the supper is goin' on."
"We can easy get in the shed an' wait for something to turn up," JipLewis suggested; and the others thought this a very good idea.
"I'll cook up somethin' between now an' then," Bill said confidently."There ain't much chance they'll let that youngster out ag'in, so come,go over on the hill an' see what the fellers there are doin'."
This had the effect of causing the party to adjourn without anythinghaving been accomplished save an agreement between the three that,during the meeting of the sewing circle something should be done towardsettling matters with the boy who insisted upon remaining in town afterthey had warned him to leave.
During the remainder of the day Aunt Nancy and Jack worked withoutceasing in the kitchen, and when night came the arrangements for thecompany were so nearly completed that the little woman said with a sighof relief when she and her crooked-assistant were resting under the oldoak,--
"I declare, Jack dear, it is surprising how much we have done sincenoon! I never could have gotten through without you, and don'tunderstand what I did before you came."
"I wish I could do more. It doesn't seem as if I worked half hard enoughto 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 morethan your company; and as for work, why, you've done twice as much asDaniel Chick's daughter would in the same time, and I should have paidher fifty cents, at least, if you hadn't been here."
"It doesn't seem very much anyhow; but if you're satisfied, why thatsettles it, of course. I wonder if Bill Dean's crowd will try to gethold of Louis again?"
"Not after I've seen his father, and that's just what I intend to dowhen the circle meetin' is over. We had better get old crumple-horn inthe yard now so we can go to bed early, for I count on being at work bysunrise to-morrow."
The chores were quickly done, the house searched once more for possibleintruders, the evening devotions concluded, and Jack went to his tinyroom happy in the thought that he had been of considerable assistance toAunt Nancy.
The finishing touches were completed by noon on the following day, andthe little woman was arrayed in all her antiquated finery to receive theexpected 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 andwater, his hair was combed until every portion of it looked as if it hadbeen fastened in place, and his shoes had a very high polish.
Louis's white frock had been washed and ironed, therefore he was, asAunt Nancy expressed it, "in apple-pie order, and as pretty a baby asever came into Maine."
"I suppose we shall have to put some of the horses in the stable, Jackdear, for a good many of the people will ride, and the question iswhether 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 howthe harness comes off."
"You are smart enough to do almost anything. I'm certain there won't betrouble," Aunt Nancy said in a tone of conviction, and then the rumbleof 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 hecould unharness; and as she alighted he stood by the head of thevenerable animal as he had seen regular grooms do in the city.
From that time until nearly three o'clock the hunchback was kept verybusy attending to the stable work.
Not less than ten horses were driven into the yard, and he was expectedto put them in a barn where were but two stalls, including the one itwould be necessary to reserve for old crumple-horn.
It was some time before he could solve the problem, but it was finallydone by hitching several to the fence outside, and standing theremainder on the thrashing-floor.
The matter of harness and carriages troubled him considerably; but hebelieved the owners of the same would be able to recognize theirproperty, therefore no attempt was made to keep them in regular order.
When the visitors ceased to arrive, and Aunt Nancy told him she did notthink any more were coming, he went to the pump for a thorough wash, andwhile thus engaged heard a certain portion of the conversation whichcame from the "fore-room" where the members of the circle were supposedto be working very hard to relieve the poor and distressed by supplyingthem with garments, each fashioned according to the fancy of its maker.
Not for a moment would Jack have thought of deliberately playing thepart of eavesdropper; but hearing reference made to Louis and himself,it was only natural he should linger longer than was absolutelynecessary.
Mrs. Souders was speaking when he first came near the house, and heheard her say quite sharply,--
"Why, Nancy Curtis, are you thinkin' of adoptin' a couple of children atyour time of life, an' one of 'em a worthless cripple that'll always bea bill of expense? It seems as if you'd lived long enough in the worldto 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 areg'lar invalid, an' besides I've always heard it said they are terriblyconceited."
"Then this one is an exception. I never had a girl on the farm thathelped me as much as he does, and as for the baby--"
"That's it exactly," Mrs. Souders interrupted. "It seems that thecripple isn't enough, but you are determined to make your cross heavierby 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 saidagainst it," Aunt Nancy replied mildly. "I only wish it might bepossible for me to keep the little fellow as long as I live."
Then Jack heard that which told him Aunt Nancy was kissing the baby, andhe said to himself,--
"If these people think Aunt Nancy has no business to keep me here, Is'pose they are right, an' I oughter go away."
"Of course you've the privilege of doing as you please, Nancy Curtis,"Mrs. Souders continued, "but I must maintain that it is wrong for you tobe obliged to support two helpless children when it is hard work to makeboth ends meet. I am only sayin' this for your own good, Nancy, an' bothMrs. Hayes an' myself decided it was the duty of some one to talk withyou about it."
The little woman made no reply to this, and Jack was forced to leave thepump, since his toilet had been completed.
"They've m
ade her believe it," he said to himself as the tears wouldpersist in coming into his eyes, "an' it's my place to tell her I'll go.Then she won't have any more trouble with Bill Dean's crowd."
He firmly believed it was necessary he and Louis should leave the farm,and the knowledge that Aunt Nancy depended upon him during this day, atleast, was a positive pleasure.
It had been agreed he should wait upon the table.
Such dishes as could not well remain on the overladen board were to beleft in the small summer kitchen, and the little woman had arranged asystem of signals by which he could understand what she wanted.
Although it was yet too soon for supper, he went to his post of duty inorder to be ready at the earliest moment Aunt Nancy should require hisservices, and there stayed, thinking mournfully of what he had heard.
In the mean while the stable was unguarded, for Jack had no idea dangerwas to be apprehended from that quarter, and at about the same time heentered the kitchen, Bill Dean said to his companions who had followedhim into the shed,--
"I did have a plan for some fun, fellers; but now there's a bigger showthan we ever struck. I don't reckon Hunchie knows very much aboutharnessin' horses, an' even if he does we'll set him wild."
"How?" Sam asked in a whisper.
"It ain't likely anybody will go out to the barn till after supper, isit?"
"Of course not."
"Then all we've got to do is to sneak around back of the stable. I knowhow to get in from there, an' we'll mix them harnesses up in sich shapethat even Mike Crane himself couldn't put 'em together in less'n oneday."
"You're a brick, Bill, at fixin' things. Let's hurry, for it'll takequite awhile."
With decidedly more care than was necessary, the conspirators crept outof the shed, and, going around by the rear of the buildings, entered thebarn where Jack had left the harness.
There was not one in the party who would not have grumbled loud and longhad he been obliged to work as rapidly and hard as was necessary inorder to effect their purpose; but since it was mischief instead ofuseful labor, neither so much as dreamed of complaining.
The harness belonging to the teams driven by Mrs. Souders and Mrs. Hayesreceived the greater portion of their attention.
On them nearly every strap was shortened or lengthened, and other partsinterchanged, until one not thoroughly familiar with both could hardlyhave recognized the original set.
Each in turn was overhauled, and when the mischief-makers left the barnthere was no question but that Jack would have great difficulty inuntangling the snarl, even if he should ever be able to do so.
"I reckon that will make all hands mad, an' Hunchie's the one who isbound to get the blame," Bill said with a chuckle of satisfaction asthey stood for an instant at the rear of the barn. "Now where'll westay to watch the fun?"
"Out by the cow-yard. The grass is so tall nobody'll ever see us."
This appeared to be a good idea, and the three adopted it at once,although all believed it must be several hours before Jack would becalled upon to harness the horses.
In the kitchen the deformed boy, with a heart so heavy it seemed as ifhe could never smile again, waited patiently until a bustle from the"fore-room" told that the guests were making preparations to discussAunt Nancy's supper.
"They are getting ready to come," the little woman said excitedly, asshe entered the kitchen hurriedly. "Help me fill these plates withbiscuit, and then cover the rest over and leave them in the oven tillthey are needed. I was afraid I should have bad luck with my bread; butit seems to be all right."
"Them biscuit couldn't be better if the Queen of England had made 'em,"Jack replied emphatically.
"I'm sure I don't know what kind of a breadmaker she may be; but Iwouldn't like to have it said that even a queen could do better than I,taking it the whole year through, an' allowing for the trouble thatyeast will sometimes cause."
Aunt Nancy was ready to go into the main kitchen, which on this occasionhad been converted into a dining-room, and Jack followed close behindwith his hands full of plates.
It so chanced that the guests had not waited to be summoned, but camefrom the "fore-room" under the pretence of assisting the little woman,and Jack, who was walking quite rapidly, intent only on carrying thedishes without accident, ran directly into Mrs. Souders.
That lady had never been celebrated for curbing her temper, and to-dayshe appeared to be in a very ill-humor, probably because of somethingwhich may have been said by her friends in the "fore-room."
Therefore, instead of treating the matter as an accident, andacknowledging she had no business to be standing in the way of those whowere working, she wheeled suddenly and gave the cripple a resoundingblow on the ear, which sent him headlong, scattering plates and biscuitin every direction.
"You little beggar!" she screamed, as her face grew crimson with rage."I didn't come here to have any of your low tricks played on me. IfNancy Curtis hasn't got spirit enough to give you a lesson, I'll do itmyself."
She stepped quickly toward poor Jack, who stood silent and motionlesssurveying the wreck of Aunt Nancy's best crockery, never for a momentthinking the guest had any idea of inflicting further punishment, andseized him by the coat collar.
Jack involuntarily threw up his arm to ward off the blow; but the heavyhand descended twice in rapid succession, and then it was grasped frombehind as the little woman's voice, trembling with suppressed rage, washeard,--
"Sarah Souders, aren't you ashamed to strike a cripple?"
"Indeed I'm not when it is one like this, whose place is at the poorfarm rather than in decent people's houses"; and the lady would haverepeated the blow but for the fact that Aunt Nancy clung to her withnervous desperation.
"Don't you _dare_ strike that child again, Sarah Souders!" she cried. "Iam trying hard to rule my spirit, but the struggle may be too much formy strength, and then I shall say that which would make me sorryafterward."
"You should be sorry now when you reject the advice of your bestfriends," Mrs. Souders replied; but she released her hold of Jack'scollar, and he began gathering up the fragments of crockery and bread.
"If you mean that I ought to throw these children, who have made my lifehappier than it has been for many years, out on to a world of suchhard-hearted people as you, then it is time you tried to understand themeaning of the word 'charity,'" the little woman said with a slighttremor of the voice as she stepped back a few paces from her angryguest. "The fault was yours, so far as his running into you wasconcerned. He was doing his work, and you were in his way."
"I didn't suppose your foolishness had gone so far that you would upholdthe crooked little beggar when he deliberately insults one who has beenyour best friend."
"He had no intention of insulting you, and I do not want him called abeggar, for he isn't. Even though he was, I have yet to learn thatpoverty is a crime."
"I see plainly this is no place for me. The most you can do now is toturn me out of doors."
"I do not wish to do anything of the kind, but feel called upon toadvise that you think the matter over before speaking again."
"That is sufficient, Nancy Curtis, quite sufficient. Jane Hayes, willyou go with me, or do you prefer to remain?"
"I shall stay here," Mrs. Hayes replied; and with a fling of her skirts,which was probably intended to express both indignation and injuryreceived, Mrs. Souders sailed out of the room.