CHAPTER XVIII.
A DISASTER.
Not for several moments was Aunt Nancy able to decide what should bedone, and then, as the song died away leaving only the deacon's words tomingle with the reverberation of the surf, she said in a voice whichsounded strained and harsh,--
"It must be done. You shall bring him here, and I will tell the storymyself. When he comes, take Louis and walk down by the beach for awhile."
The little woman could say no more, for at that moment Deacon Downsasked in his blandest tones,--
"Do you think it would be possible to make a leetle more coffee, SisterCurtis?"
Aunt Nancy had never been known to refuse a request which involved onlyher own discomfort or labor, and on this occasion there was no exceptionto the rule.
"It will be ready in a few minutes, Deacon," she replied in a tremblingvoice, at the same time keeping her face turned from the party lestthey should see the tears in her eyes.
Jack understood there was no necessity of any further conversation,therefore walked slowly away, feeling very much like a fellow whovoluntarily goes to receive unmerited punishment.
He now had no fear of Bill Dean and his friends. The present trouble wasso much greater than any they could cause him that it was as if thisparticular trio of boys never existed.
Not until he had walked to and fro for half an hour did he begin torealize it might not be possible to find the farmer amid the throng.
Each succeeding train brought additional worshippers or visitors to thegrove, and the walks were so densely lined with people that he mighthave passed within ten feet of Mr. Pratt without seeing him.
Having made up his mind to that which he considered a sacrifice, he wasimpatient to have it finished, and walked rapidly until the afternoonwas more than half spent; but all in vain.
It seemed more than probable he had gone home, or at least Jack soargued to himself, and returned to the tent looking as if suffering fromsome grievous disappointment.
Aunt Nancy was at the flap of the canvas house with an expression ofanxiety on her face, but the baby was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's Louis?" Jack asked in alarm.
"Mrs. Hayes is taking care of him. I thought it best he shouldn't beseen when Mr. Pratt came. Will he be here soon?"
"I couldn't find him; he must have gone home."
The little woman's face lighted up wonderfully as she cried,--
"O Jack dear, I know it is wicked to say, but I am _so_ glad! It is onlyright I should bear the burden I myself have caused; but the thought oflosing you and the baby almost broke my heart."
Then she kissed him on both cheeks, and again did he feel the moistureof her tears.
"Well, Aunt Nancy, you haven't lost us yet awhile, an' if Mr. Pratt hasgone home that settles the matter for a while."
"Yes, Jack dear, but the sin is yet to be atoned for; it is only apostponement of the evil day."
"Any way there's no need of worryin' about it now. If, when we get home,you feel that he should know the truth, it won't be much of a job for meto walk over to his house, an' then," Jack added with a feeble attemptat a smile, "they won't have so far to carry me when I'm taken to thepoor farm."
"Don't talk in such a manner, my dear, for I am hoping it won't evercome to pass."
Jack made no reply.
He felt quite confident the farmer would insist on his going to the homefor paupers, but no good could be done by further distressing the littlewoman.
"I declare I'd entirely forgotten you and I have had no dinner," shesuddenly said with a nervous laugh. "I'll get some cold meat and bread,if there is any left; but it is astonishing how strong people'sappetites are at the seashore, especially during camp-meeting time. Wemust get along without coffee, for the deacon fairly swam in that secondpot I made."
"I don't feel so terribly hungry," Jack replied; "but I'll sit down forthe sake of seeing you eat. As to the coffee, that don't trouble me;water is good enough for boys."
"It is more wholesome I admit; but there's nothing good enough for adear heart like yours."
Then the little woman bustled around as Jack had seen her do at home,and in a few moments a most appetizing lunch was spread, the amount offood contradicting her fears that all the provisions had been consumed.
The two made a hearty meal, considering all their troubles, and when itwas concluded Jack helped Aunt Nancy set the tent to rights generally,so when the remainder of the party returned from afternoon serviceseverything was in proper order.
Mrs. Hayes brought Louis with her, and after delivering him to Jack shesaid with a sigh of relief,--
"I declare, Sister Curtis, it is a real pleasure to come to camp meetingwith you. It takes the care off of one entirely. I only wish I had yourknack at going ahead. Now look at me; I'm almost worn out looking afterthe baby, and don't feel as if I could do a stitch toward gettingsupper."
The other ladies in the party appeared to be in the same condition ofprostration, and the little woman, tired though she was from the laborof preparing and serving dinner for so many, meekly replied that she wasperfectly willing to give them a rest by performing all the work.
Jack heard the compliment paid by Mrs. Hayes, and understood that it hadbeen given only for the purpose of getting the little woman to continueon while the others enjoyed their leisure.
"I'm goin' to help you, Aunt Nancy," he said in a low tone as he wenttoward the stove where she was making ready to bake some biscuit. "It'stoo bad for you to do all this work while the others are havin' a goodtime."
"Oh, I don't mind it, dear, so long as I can be of service to some one.We are put in this world to help others, and it should be a pleasure."
"But you're doin' all instead of helpin'. Now tell me what I can do, ifyou're bound to wait on the whole crowd."
"Take care of the baby, that will be enough."
"He'll stay around here all right," Jack replied as he placed the littlefellow on the grass, giving him some smooth stones to play with.
Then he set about assisting Aunt Nancy, working so industriously thatDeacon Downs said in a tone of faint approbation,--
"That there little hunchback seems right handy if he wants to, an' if hewasn't so given to fightin' it might be a good thing for Aunt Nancy tohave him around; but when once a boy gets as quarrelsome as this one, itain't much use trying to make anything out of him."
The majority of the party were of the same opinion, and from that timeforth it was believed, at least by those who were present when thedeacon spoke, that Jack was a boy who would fight under the slightestprovocation.
Not until the bell had rung as a signal that the evening services wereabout to begin did Jack and Aunt Nancy cease their labors.
The other occupants of the tent had already departed, and the littlewoman and her assistant were so tired it seemed almost too great anexertion to walk to the auditorium.
"Why not go to bed?" Jack asked. "I'll take care of Louis until he getssleepy, an' then bring him to you."
"No, it would be wrong to remain here when so many truths will bepresented, simply because I chance to be tired."
"Then we'll all go"; and Jack lifted Louis in his arms.
Aunt Nancy enjoyed the services so much that Jack was very glad she hadcome; but as for himself he believed the time would have been quite asprofitably spent in sleeping.
On the following morning at daybreak Deacon Downs aroused the hunchbackwith a harshly spoken command to build the fire and awaken Aunt Nancywhen it was burning.
"Are you goin' to make her do all the work?" Jack asked as he started tohis feet.
"Don't be impudent!" the deacon said sternly, raising his canethreateningly. "Learn to do as you are bidden, and in silence."
Jack made no reply, but felt that the little woman whom he loved sodearly was being imposed upon.
As for Aunt Nancy, she appeared to have no such idea.
Jack awakened her as he had been told, and she arose from the bed ofstraw on which sh
e had lain without undressing, uttering no word ofprotest.
"I would have let you sleep till noon, but the deacon told me to, an'was kinder mad when I asked if you'd got to do all the work," Jack said,his tones proving there was yet anger in his heart.
"You shouldn't have said anything about it, my dear, for it is apleasure to me."
"You try to think it is, but I know it's nothin' more than hard work,while the others are enjoying a long nap."
"We won't say any more about it, Jack dear. Don't you think you couldget me some water?"
"Of course I can"; and Jack labored with a will, relieving thetired-looking little woman whenever it was possible.
The second day at camp meeting was spent by these two in much the samemanner as the first, as regards work, and Louis received very littleattention.
Jack, in obedience to Aunt Nancy's request, looked again for Mr. Pratt,but with no better success than before; and after dinner he washed thedishes in order that the little woman might attend the afternoonservices.
It was a decided relief to him when the day came on which they were toreturn home.
He knew Aunt Nancy had worked too hard, and the bustle and confusiontired him almost as much as the labor.
Gladly he helped gather up the empty baskets, and when the three were onthe cars being whirled rapidly toward home, the little woman said with asigh of relief,--
"What a comfort it will be to find ourselves on the farm once more, Jackdear! I believe I am getting too old to go to such places, and a week'srest wouldn't be too much to make me feel like myself again."
"If you had gone alone, without tryin' to run a boardin'-house for themwho didn't care whether you had any fun or not, it would have beendifferent."
"You don't look at the matter in the proper light, my child. They'vealways been accustomed to having Aunt Nancy go at such times, and Icouldn't disappoint them as long as I was able to hold up my head."
Jack realized it was useless to continue this conversation, so far asconvincing the little woman that she had been imposed upon wasconcerned, and he remained silent.
Never before had the farm looked so beautiful, either to Jack or thelittle woman, as when they arrived home that night, and during theevening devotions Aunt Nancy's thankfulness was made apparent by thefervently spoken words.
The hunchback's first care, after opening the house, was to visit thebarn to assure himself old crumple-horn had been well taken care of; buthe could not gain much information in the darkness.
The animal was lying in her stall, and appeared to be in good condition.
Notwithstanding the fact that the house had been closed four days, thesearch for burglars was made before retiring, and then Jack, afterseeing Louis tucked snugly in Aunt Nancy's bed, went to his cosey littleroom feeling confident he would never again have any desire to attendanother camp meeting.
When the morning came he went out with a light heart to milk the cow,but to his great surprise still found her lying down.
All in vain did he urge her to get up; she refused to move, nor wouldshe pay any attention to the tempting lunch of sweet clover he placedin front of her.
Running back to the house he summoned Aunt Nancy, and both spent fullyan hour alternately coaxing and petting the animal.
"She is very sick, Jack dear, there can be no question about that," thelittle woman said as her eyes filled with tears. "It would grieve me ifshe should die, for I have owned her a long while."
"How many years?"
"I hardly know; but it can't be less than eighteen."
"Then she must be dying of old age."
"I will go right over to Daniel Chick's and ask him to come here. He's amaster hand at doctoring animals."
Then before Jack could offer to go in her steady Aunt Nancy started downthe lane bareheaded, which showed how deeply she felt the possible lossof her pet.
In a short time Mr. Chick arrived with the little woman, and his verdictbrought no relief to Aunt Nancy's heart.
"All you can do is to knock her in the head, for she'll never get upagain. It's kinder tough on you, I'll admit, for that cow has been apowerful help, 'specially when the summer boarders are here; but itwon't do any good to fret."
Aunt Nancy made no reply, but walked slowly to the house as if desirousof being alone.
"She feels mighty bad I allow," Mr. Chick continued, speaking to Jack."I've said many times I didn't know how Aunt Nancy would get along if itwasn't for the cow, an' now I reckon she'll be eatin' her bread withoutbutter."
"What will she do when the boarders come?"
"That's what I don't know"; and Mr. Chick walked away as if he had nofurther concern in the matter.
Jack sat down where he could watch crumple-horn and at the same timethink over this disaster which had come to the little woman.
While he was trying to form some plan, the poor old cow laid her head onthe sweet-scented clover, gave a few short gasps, and ceased breathingas if from sheer weariness.
Jack stood over her a moment, and then returned to the house, arrivingthere just as Aunt Nancy was emerging with Louis in her arms.
"I wouldn't go out there"; and he motioned toward the barn.
Aunt Nancy looked at him an instant, appearing to understand what hemeant, for she re-entered the house, leaving Jack on the doorstep in aprofound study.
He could hear Louis's voice from the "fore-room" now and then, thereforeit was not necessary to tell him the little woman had gone there to hideher grief.
"I must do something" he said to himself, "an' what I first thought ofseems to be the only show."
Then going to the door of the "fore-room" and knocking gently, he saidin a low tone,--
"Aunt Nancy, could you spare me a little while?"
"Where are you bound, Jack?"
"I'd like to run down to Treat's store if you don't care."
Aunt Nancy opened the door, and Jack noticed her eyes were red fromweeping.
"What is your idea of going there?" she asked in surprise.
"I've got some business that I'd rather not explain till I get back."
"There's nothing to prevent, my child, and I can trust you not to doanything wrong."
"I should hope you could," Jack replied emphatically. "You shall knowall about it when I come home."
"Don't try to walk too fast, but return as soon as your business isfinished."
Jack promised to do so, and was hurrying up the lane when the littlewoman stopped him with these words:--
"I wish you would call at Daniel Chick's and tell him what has happened.It will be necessary to bury poor old crumple-horn, and he must attendto it."
"I'll ask him to come over right away"; and Jack resumed his journey,wondering whether he was on the point of doing that for which Aunt Nancywould censure him.
"It doesn't make any difference whether she does or not," he said tohimself. "If I told her she wouldn't let me go, so this is the only wayto fix it."