CHAPTER VII
MRS. HARTWELL-JONES SEES PART OF THE CIRCUS
Mrs. Hartwell-Jones had limped painfully down-stairs from her bright,chintz-hung bedroom at Sunnycrest, to be in readiness for the twoo’clock dinner. She seated herself in one of the comfortable armchairson the veranda to await the return of Mr. Baker and the twins.
Mrs. Hartwell-Jones had found these days of her unexpected visit atSunnycrest very happy ones. She was often lonely, in spite of having herbrain so full of people. Book friends, even when you make them upyourself, are not the same as real, living, loving people. If it werenot that she felt a little in the way, because of her helplessness, shewould have wished to stay longer. Her solitary two rooms in the villagedid not appear very inviting when compared to the busy farm with itsconstant movement of life and industry, its cheerful master and mistressand above all, the sound of children’s voices in the house.
When Mrs. Hartwell-Jones was much younger, many years before thebeginning of this story, a very great sorrow had come into her life; herhusband and dear baby were taken from her by a dreadful accident, andever since her life had been sad and lonely, given up to trying to makeothers happy and in learning to bear her grief bravely and patiently.Since she no longer had a child of her own to care for, she set herselfthe task of making other children happy by writing stories for them. Shewas so successful in this that her readers were always begging for more,and some of Mrs. Hartwell-Jones’s most precious possessions were theletters written to her by little children, to thank her for her stories.
Mrs. Hartwell-Jones was thinking of all these things as she sat on thevine-covered veranda in the soft summer air, and perhaps was planninganother story, when she happened to look down the road. She looked hardfor a moment, then she got up suddenly and walking to the door asquickly as her lame foot would allow, called to grandmother to come andlook, too.
A peculiar procession was turning in at the gate. First camegrandfather, driving alone in the phaeton. Following was a man onhorseback leading three other horses, splendid, strong looking animals;and last of all a girl in a pink cotton dress driving a pair of Shetlandponies harnessed to a tiny, low, old-fashioned basket-phaeton. Besideher on the seat sat Jane like an exalted mouse, while behind, perched ona miniature rumble, Christopher gyrated and squirmed ecstatically.
“It looks as if they had hired the circus to parade out here,” exclaimedMrs. Hartwell-Jones to grandmother, in great astonishment.
The cavalcade drew up at the front steps and grandfather handed thereins to Joshua, who had seen the procession from the stable and hadcome on a run, wondering if Mr. Baker had bought the whole circus.
“Now, children, ‘I choose to tell,’ as you say,” said grandfather asJane and Christopher began to babble in duet. “I thought it wiser, Mrs.Hartwell-Jones, to have you see the ponies for yourself before buyingthem and also to have Joshua examine them to be sure they are sound.”
“Oh!” exclaimed Mrs. Hartwell-Jones from the top of the steps, andlooked more closely at the ponies.
She also looked at Letty without seeming to, and then turned and saidsomething to grandmother in a low tone.
“This,” said grandfather, getting out of the phaeton and going to theside of the pony carriage, “this is Miss Letty Grey, who knows all aboutthe ponies.”
“And isn’t the carriage great!” exclaimed Christopher, who could notkeep still another instant. “I thought Letty would have to drive herchariot, and wouldn’t that have made a hullabaloo going through town!But Mr. Drake had this carriage that Letty used to use in the paradebefore they got the chariot. This is the one Letty used at WillowGrove.”
Mrs. Hartwell-Jones continued to look at the ponies, evidently thinkingdeeply. Jane sat, still and eager, watching Mrs. Hartwell-Jones withbright eyes. How she hoped she would buy the ponies, dear little Punchand Judy. Presently she slipped out of the carriage and mounted theveranda steps.
“They are so nice!” she whispered, tucking her hand into hergrandmother’s. “And Letty drove them because she wanted to see you, Mrs.Hartwell-Jones. She wanted to see you because you write books.”
“Would you mind driving them up or down once or twice?” she asked Letty,who had been fidgeting the reins, overcome with shyness.
Grandfather had gone with Joshua and Mr. Drake to the farmyard, for thepurpose of examining the other horses. Joshua was celebrated all overthe countryside for his knowledge of horses.
“What a nice face that child has!” exclaimed Mrs. Hartwell-Jones tograndmother as Letty guided the ponies at a slow trot around the drive,Christopher still perched on the rumble. “Is she the little girl youspoke to me about?”
“Yes,” replied grandmother. “She does not look like a circus girl, doesshe?”
“She doesn’t want to be a circus girl any more,” spoke up Jane. “Shewants to find some work to do. She hasn’t any home. She wants to work.And I told her,” she added importantly, “that I’d speak to you,grandmother, to ask if you knew of anybody who needed a maid.”
“A maid!” echoed Mrs. Hartwell-Jones, as if she had been given a newthought. “A maid—and no home!” She turned to grandmother. “Why would Inot be the better one to carry out your plan, Mrs. Baker?”
Just then Letty drove up and stopped again. Mrs. Hartwell-Jones began toask her questions about the ponies; whether they were afraid of trains,motor cars, or things like that.
“No, ma’am, they are very gentle,” replied Letty earnestly, overcomingher awe of the “author-lady” in her anxiety to do justice to the ponies.“They have so much sense and intelligence, from being taught things thatthey always listen to reason.”
Mrs. Hartwell-Jones smiled kindly.
“Their intelligence certainly has been cultivated,” she agreed, “but arethey practical? I mean, will they be content to go jogging peacefullyabout country roads with a quiet old lady? They might miss the spangleand sawdust of the circus, you know. Or if they heard a band play, theymight stand up on their hind legs, carriage and all, and begin towaltz.”
Jane and Christopher shouted with laughter at that suggestion. EvenLetty laughed, and then reddened with embarrassment.
“I don’t believe they would do that,” she answered politely.
“If they’re anything like Letty, they’ll be glad to get away from thecircus,” added Christopher. “Isn’t Letty funny, not to like the circus?I should think it would be bully—specially with such jolly little beastsas Punch and Judy to show off.”
“Those are the ponies’ names, you know,” put in Jane. “They are twins,grandmother, twin brother and sister, the same as Kit and me.”
It was grandmother’s and Mrs. Hartwell-Jones’s turn to laugh now. Thenthere were a great many more questions to be asked about the ponies, andeverybody was so interested and excited that they forgot all aboutdinner—even Christopher—until Huldah came out the second time to sayeverything would be spoiled. Christopher was sent to the stable to fetchJo Perkins to look after the ponies and grandmother invited Letty tostay for dinner.
“You must be very hungry,” said Jane, as she led Letty up-stairs to washher hands. “I am always starved when I’ve been to the village. Huldahcooks awfully good dinners.”
It was impossible for any one to feel shy very long in that cheerfulhousehold, and Letty soon began to enjoy herself very much, although shewas very quiet.
Mrs. Hartwell-Jones’s mind was still busy over that new idea that Jane’sspeech had given her and she watched Letty very closely without seemingto do so.
“She is a very sweet-mannered child,” she reflected. “I find it hard torealize that she is only a little circus girl. She must have had awonderfully good mother. I must manage to have a long talk with her.”
After dinner the real business began. Joshua examined the poniescarefully while the twins looked on with bated breath. Suppose Joshuashould find something wrong with those delightful, charming littleanimals!
“But he couldn’t, oh, he couldn’t!” whispe
red Jane to herself over andover.
And Joshua didn’t.
Then the price must be settled upon. As this subject did not interestthe children, and as they were forbidden to drive the ponies againbecause they must be rested for the return trip to the circus field,they carried Letty off to show her Juno’s puppies, the orchard, andtheir treasures and playgrounds generally.
“If I’d a-thought the lady would surely take the ponies,” said Mr. Drakewhen the transaction was satisfactorily concluded, “I’d a-druv over withanother horse, so’s Letty an’ me could of got back and I could of leftthe ponies right now. But I guess my wife’ll be glad to have one moregood sight of ’em. It’s strange how fond we all are of them ponies, mem;something like they was pet dogs. The little un,” pointing with histhumb in the direction in which Letty had disappeared, “she’ll most cryher eyes out, I guess. Poor little un, I’m afraid there’s a good manytroubles ahead o’ her.” And he shook his head regretfully. He had a kindheart under his rough jacket.
“I was given to understand that the girl is to leave you?” said Mrs.Hartwell-Jones thoughtfully. “Is she no relation at all to you or yourwife?”
“No, mem, none at all. Her big brother Ben was our prize tight-ropewalker. A wonder, he was. But he fell an’ broke his neck; dreadfulaccident, mem. It happened only last summer. The little un took ondreadful. She always lived with her big brother; all her folks are deadand she hasn’t any friends but us. Folk ain’t very cordial to circusfolk and their kin, for some reason, though you couldn’t find a nicerspoken child than Miss Letty there. After the accident we kept her onwith us. She’s most astonishin’ helpful. My wife she sets great store byher, but Letty don’t seem to care for the rovin’ life. I guess she won’tmind parting company, ’cept for bein’ sorry to leave my wife an’ thekid. But it’s powerful uncertain what’s to become of her. My wife’ll dothe best she can for her when we get to the city.”
“I was thinking,” said Mrs. Hartwell-Jones slowly, “that perhaps I couldfind a position for the girl. But I should like to talk to your wifefirst.”
“Yes’m?” replied the man hopefully. “I guess my wife could suit you allright about Letty’s character, mem. We’d like first-rate to see Lettyget a good place of some sort, where she was treated kind and not workedtoo hard.”
“Mr. Baker,” said Mrs. Hartwell-Jones, turning to grandfather, “I’d liketo ask a favor of you. Might Joshua drive the phaeton into thevillage—to where Mr. Drake has his tents—to bring me home? I think Ishould like to take a drive behind my new ponies to see how I am goingto like them and the little carriage.” For the basket-phaeton had beenbought, too.
Grandfather was only too delighted to put any carriage at all at Mrs.Hartwell-Jones’s disposal, and word was sent to Joshua at once, whileMrs. Hartwell-Jones limped into the house to consult with grandmother.
When Jane and Christopher learned that Letty was to drive Mrs.Hartwell-Jones into the village in the pony carriage they were veryeager to go too, of course, but grandmother said no, they might not go.They would make too big a load in the pony carriage for so long a drive,and would crowd Mrs. Hartwell-Jones too much in the phaeton coming back.Christopher had a dozen or more arguments and different arrangements bywhich he and Jane could dispose of themselves for the excursion.
“I could drive the ponies, Jane could sit in the rumble and Letty couldsqueeze in between Josh and Mr. Drake in the phaeton,” he exclaimed, ina positive tone, as if no possible fault or objection could be found toso excellent an arrangement.
But grandmother was firm. The fact was that Mrs. Hartwell-Jones hadconfided her plan to grandmother and in order to think of carrying itout that lady required to have a long talk alone with Letty and withMrs. Drake, the wife of the circus manager.
The “lady who wrote books” felt very hard hearted as she was helpedcarefully into the low pony carriage, at thus leaving Jane andChristopher behind. They took such a long, affectionate farewell of theponies and Letty, and stared so wistfully at the little rumble! But shecomforted herself with the thought that if her plan worked out properly,the children would have many opportunities during the summer for longdrives and games.