CHAPTER XIV.
AFTER THE STORM.
Jack who had gathered up the fragments and swept the crumbs from thefloor, now looked about him in alarm.
The sense of having been wrongly treated was overpowered by the thoughtthat he was the cause, however innocent, of plunging Aunt Nancy into newtroubles.
It seemed just then as if he was pursued by some unkind fate whichbrought to him and those who befriended him all manner of misfortune.
During fully a minute after Mrs. Souders drifted so majestically fromthe room, not a word was spoken.
Aunt Nancy stood leaning against the table, a vivid red spot glowing oneither cheek, and holding her hand over her heart as if to repress itsbeatings.
The guests gathered around her, each trying at the same time to expressher opinion of what had occurred,--a proceeding which resulted only ina perfect Babel of confusion.
The little woman soon recovered her composure sufficiently to rememberher duties as hostess, and said to Jack in a low tone,--
"Do you think you can harness Mrs. Souders's horse? We mustn't forgetthe courtesy we owe a guest, no matter what has happened."
"I can do it if she will show me which wagon an' harness is hers. Yousee there were so many teams comin' all at once I couldn't keep run of'em."
"Go out and do the best you can. Very likely she will be at the stableby the time you get there."
Jack hurried away feeling rather uncertain as to what the result wouldbe when he was alone with the angry woman, but determined to remainsilent whatever she might say.
On reaching the barn he had but little difficulty in deciding upon thecarriage he believed belonged to Mrs. Souders, and was backing it intothe yard when that lady arrived.
"Are you so stupid that you can't tell one wagon from another?" sheasked sharply.
"Isn't this yours, ma'am?"
"No, it isn't, and you know as well as I do."
"I never saw it but once, an' that was when there were a good many here.If you'll pick it out, an' show me the harness, I'll soon have the horsehitched up."
"I suppose Nancy Curtis told you to get rid of me as soon as possible;what you did in the dining-room wasn't enough, eh?"
"Indeed she didn't; an', if you please, ma'am, I couldn't tell where youwas goin' to step when I had my arms full of dishes."
"You needn't talk to me. If Nancy Curtis is fool enough to put you aboveyour place, it's no reason why you should think others haven't goodsense. That is my carriage, and the sooner it is ready the better I'llbe pleased."
Jack wheeled out the vehicle she designated, and then asked,--
"Now will you tell me which is your harness an' horse?"
"You're a bigger fool than I took you to be," was the reply, as the ladyrushed like a small-sized tornado into the barn, and, after somedifficulty, succeeded in finding the animal, which was hitched with theothers on the thrashing-floor. "Couldn't even find a stall for him! Idon't know what's come over Nancy Curtis since you brats arrived at thisplace!"
Then she examined the pile of harness, expressing her opinion veryforcibly because Jack had laid them on the floor instead of hanging eachset on pegs; but to find her own was more than she could do.
"Take any one of them," she finally said in an angry tone, wiping theperspiration from her flushed face.
Jack obeyed without a word, but, thanks to the efforts of Bill Dean andhis partners, neither he nor Mrs. Souders could gear the horse.
One set of harness was much too large, and another so small a goat couldhardly have worn it, while all were strapped together in the oddestfashion.
This Mrs. Souders believed was owing to Jack's carelessness or ignorancewhile unharnessing the horses, and the more she struggled to fit onewithout regard to ownership the greater became her anger, until it wasalmost beyond bounds.
"My husband shall hear of this," she said wrathfully. "Put that horseright back, and he will come over to undo your wicked tricks. Don'tspeak to me, you little pauper," she cried as the cripple was about toreply; and dealing him a blow on the ear which sent him reeling againstthe animal, the lady walked rapidly out of the barn.
Jack rubbed the injured member an instant, looked about ruefully,wondering what could have happened to the harness, led the horse back tohis place, and went out of the barn just in time to see Mrs. Souderssailing around the corner of the lane into the main road.
He walked slowly to the house, arriving there as the guests had seatedthemselves at the table, and Aunt Nancy, who looked as if she had beencrying, asked,--
"Why didn't Mrs. Souders go with her team?"
Jack told the story of the bewitched harness, adding in conclusion,--
"I took every piece off as carefully as I knew how, and laid them on thefloor, because there wasn't any pegs or nails to hang them on. Now itseems like as if nothing was right, an' in the whole lot we couldn'tfind a single thing which would fit."
The guests looked at each other in surprise and alarm, probably thinkingif Mrs. Souders didn't succeed in getting her team with the entirecollection to choose from, their chances of leaving Aunt Nancy's save bywalking were exceedingly slim.
A flood of questions were poured forth on the hapless Jack, who couldonly repeat his former statement.
The matter was now becoming so serious that Aunt Nancy's inviting mealno longer had sufficient charms to command their attention, and theentire party insisted on visiting the barn at once to ascertain forthemselves the true condition of affairs.
With the baby in her arms, Aunt Nancy led the way.
Bill Dean and his friends, seeing the procession coming, were not at aloss to divine the meaning of this sudden exodus from the house.
"This is gettin' too hot for us," Bill said in a whisper. "With all themold women around we'll be found for certain, an' the quicker we skin outof here the safer we'll be."
His partners were of the same opinion, only a trifle more frightened,and their terror caused them to do a very foolish thing.
Instead of crawling under shelter of the grass until they were at a safedistance, Sam and Jip leaped to their feet, running at full speed towardthe road.
As a matter of course Bill was bound to follow the example, thinking howpleased he would be to have his hands on Jip for a single moment inorder to punish him for his cowardice, and thus the conspirators stoodrevealed.
"I think we can understand now what has happened to the harness," Mrs.Hayes said as she pointed towards the fugitives, "and I for one say it'stime that Dean boy was made to believe it is dangerous to play suchtricks."
The red spots came on Aunt Nancy's cheeks again as she gazed after theretreating figures, and from the nervous working of her fingers Jackunderstood she was using every effort to "rule her spirit."
As she stood silent and motionless, heeding not the fact that Louis waspulling her ringlets out of shape, some of the other ladies continued onto the barn, and a single glance at the mismated harness convinced themit was useless to attempt straightening matters.
"It is foolish to stand here while the biscuit are getting cold," Mrs.Hayes finally said. "Let us go and get supper, after which there will beplenty of time to think over what should be done."
The majority of the party shared this opinion, and Aunt Nancy wasliterally led back to her own home, while the guests divided theirattention between the bountiful supper and a discussion as to how BillDean and his associates could best be suppressed.
None of the party had had more than three cups of tea when Mr. Soudersarrived looking very warm because of his long walk, and decidedly angryin consequence of the report made by his wife.
He first demanded an interview with Jack, who was sitting in the kitchenfully occupied with his mournful thoughts; but when the ladies began toexplain matters relative to the mischief done, he could not but believethe hunchback was innocent of the charges brought against him by Mrs.Souders.
"I'll take Bill Dean in hand myself," he said with an ominous gesture."There is plent
y of time for that; but I reckon fixing things in thebarn will last longer. Can you lend me the cripple for a while, AuntNancy?"
The little woman called Jack, explained that he was to assist thegentleman, and as the two went toward the barn she said feelingly,--
"It makes very little difference what people may say, although I wouldrather have the good will of a dog than his ill will; but if I canprevent it that boy shall not leave this farm unless relatives comeforward to claim him."
Several united with Aunt Nancy in praising Jack, and since the othersremained silent there was no opportunity for a disagreeable argument.
It did not require many seconds for Mr. Souders to see that the harnesshad been tampered with, and he said in a cheery tone, which was adelightful contrast to the one used a short time previous by his wife,as he pulled off his coat,--
"I reckon you an' I have a big contract ahead of us, my boy. It wouldpuzzle a lawyer to fix all these as they should be, and the most we canhope for is to put the sets together so the old women may go home. We'llbegin with mine, an' see what can be made of the job."
It was a long and tedious task, and before it had been half completedJack was so well pleased with the gentleman that he saidconfidentially,--
"Mr. Souders, I don't want you to think I tried to insult your wife. Itwas an accident which I couldn't prevent, an' you see for yourself Iwasn't to blame for this muss."
"Don't worry about it, my boy. Mother is a leetle hot-headed with apowerful dislike to youngsters 'cause she hain't got any of her own; butI'll venter to say she's sorry as a cat this very minute for what's beensaid an' done. If you knowed her little ways you wouldn't mind anythingabout it; but I'm put out to think she laid her hands on a poor cripplelike you."
"It wasn't that which made me feel so bad as to have her think I wouldact mean."
"She don't believe a word of what she said by this time, an' for thatI'll go bail. There's no use talkin' 'bout it now; I allow you'll seeher ag'in mighty soon. Have you been havin' a great deal of trouble withBill Dean?"
Jack was not disposed to tell very much lest it should be thought he wascomplaining; but Mr. Souders finally succeeded in drawing from him afull account of the threats made.
"You sha'n't be troubled any more, my boy, that I'll answer for. Bill ispretty wild, but I reckon we can tame him down a bit before another daygoes by."
"I wouldn't like any of the fellows to say I'd been carryin' tales,sir."
"Neither have you. Aunt Nancy's life is bein' worried pretty nigh out ofher, an' that's enough to give me a right to interfere."
Jack did not think it proper to tell anything more regarding hisexperiences with the village boys, and, as a matter of fact, would havepreferred saying nothing whatever to Mr. Souders until he had talkedwith Aunt Nancy.
Before the gentleman left the barn he so far sorted out the harness thatit was possible to gear up his own team, and Jack thought best to geteach one ready while he had the opportunity to call upon such a valuableassistant.
When the two returned to the house the supper was ended, and one of theladies held Louis in her arms while Aunt Nancy and several of the guestswashed the dishes.
Then Jack milked old crumple-horn, and when the last of the visitorsdeparted all of the chores had been done, therefore nothing prevented heand Aunt Nancy from discussing the events of the day.
"I can't say I'm sorry William Dean cut up as he did," the little womansaid, "for it has given Mr. Souders a chance to see what he really woulddo, and there is reason to believe the boy will be obliged to mend hisways."
Jack had very little interest in Bill Dean at that moment.
He was thinking only of the conversation he heard from the "fore-room,"and had determined the matter should be settled finally before heretired.
"It seems as if most of the folks think I oughtn't to stay here makin'you feed me," he began.
"Bless my soul, what has put that idea into your head, my child?"
"I heard what Mrs. Souders said in the front-room before supper."
Aunt Nancy looked around quickly as a shade of displeasure passed overher face.
"I'm sorry you did hear it, Jack dear; but you must not be so foolish asto let it worry you. I am old enough to attend to my own affairs, and,even if I wasn't, Sarah Souders is not the one to whom I should go foradvice."
"But, Aunt Nancy, my being here makes trouble for you with yourneighbors, and I have been thinking it would be better for Louis an' Ito go away at once."
"Your being here has very little to do with the trouble I may have. Itis my own wicked self. I began by telling a lie to that man fromScarborough, and one sin surely leads to others. You are of greatassistance to me, and I should be more sorry than I can say if you wentaway."
Jack was about to make some reply, but before the words could be spoken,Aunt Nancy checked him by laying her hand on his shoulder as she said,--
"Don't argue the matter, Jack dear. We are all tired enough to go tobed, and we'll make ready by searching the house again. After what hashappened since noon it wouldn't surprise me the least little mite, if wefound half a dozen burglars in hiding."