An Alabaster Box Part 3

"I must be going along," said Jim.

"Wait a minute. Do you know she bought the whole fair?"

"Yes, I do. You are blinding me with that lantern, Deacon Whittle."

"And she paid good money down. I seen it."

"All right. I've got to get past you."

"Wait a minute. Do you s'pose that young woman is all right?"

"I don't see why not. Nothing against the law of the land for her to buy out a church fair, that I know of."

"Don't you think it looks sort of suspicious?"

"It's none of my business. I confess I don't see why it's suspicious, unless somebody wants to make her out a fool. I don't understand what any sane person wants with all that truck; but I don't pretend to understand women."

Whittle shook his head slowly. "I dunno," he said.

"Well, I don't know who does, or cares either. They've got the money.

I suppose that was what they were after." Jim again tried to pa.s.s.

"Wait just a minute. Say, Jim, I'm going to tell you something. Don't you speak of it till it gets out."

"Fire away. I'm in a hurry."

"She wants to buy this old Bolton place here."

Jim whistled.

"You know the a.s.signees of the Bolton estate had to take the house, and it's been running down all these years, and a lot of money has got to be spent on it or it'll tumble down. Now, this young woman has offered to pay a good round sum for it, and take it just as it is.

S'pose it's all right?"

"How in creation should I know? If I held it, and wanted to sell it, I'd know darn well whether it was all right or not. I wouldn't go around asking other folks."

"But you see it don't seem natural. Folks don't do things like that.

She's offering to pay more than the place is worth. She'll have to spend thousands on it to make it fit to live in. She says she'll pay cash, too."

"Well, I suppose you'll know cash when you see it. I've got to go."

"But cash! Lord A'mighty! We dunno what to do."

"I suppose you know whether you want to sell or not."

"Want to sell! If we didn't want to sell this old shebang we'd be dumb idiots."

"Then, why in the name of common sense don't you sell?"

"Because, somehow it don't look natural to me."

"Well, I must confess that to throw away much money on an old sh.e.l.l like that doesn't look any too natural to me."

"Come now, Jim, that was a real nice house when it was built."

Jim laughed sarcastically. "Running up your wares now, are you?"

"That house cost Andrew Bolton a pile of money. And now, if it's fixed up, it'll be the best house in Brookville."

"That isn't saying much. See here, you've got to let me pa.s.s. If you want to sell--I should think you would--I don't see what you are worrying about. I don't suppose you are worrying for fear you may cheat the girl."

"We ain't goin' to cheat the girl, but--I dunno." Whittle stood aside, shaking his head, and Jim pa.s.sed on. He loitered along the s.h.a.ggy hedge which bordered the old Bolton estate, and a little farther, then turned back. He had reached the house again when he started. In front of the gate stood a shadowy figure, a woman, by the outlines of the dress. Jim continued hesitatingly. He feared to startle her. But he did not. When he came abreast of her, she turned and looked full in his face, and he recognized Miss Orr. He took off his hat, but was so astonished he could scarcely utter a greeting.

The girl was so shy that she stammered a little, but she laughed too, like a child caught in some mischief.

"Oh, I am so glad it is you!" she said.

"Well, taking all things into consideration, so am I," said Jim.

"You mean--?"

"I mean it is pretty late for you to be out alone, and I'm as good as a Sunday School picnic, with the superintendent and the minister thrown in, for you to meet. I'll see you home."

"Goodness! There's nothing to be afraid of in this little place,"

said the girl. "I have lived in New York."

"Where there are policemen."

"Oh, yes, but one never counts on that. One never counts on anything in New York. You can't, you know. Its mathematics are as high as its buildings, too high to take chances. But here--why, I saw pretty near the whole village at that funny fair, didn't I?"

"Well, yes, but Brookville is not a walled town. People not so desirable as those you saw at the fair have free entrance and egress.

It is pretty late."

"I am not in the least afraid," said the girl.

"You have no reason to be, now."

"You mean because you have happened along. Well, I am glad you did. I begun to think it was rather late myself for me to be prowling around, but you will simply have to leave me before I get to my boarding house. That Mrs. Black is as kind as can be, but she doesn't know what to make of me, and on the whole I think I would rather take my chances stealing in alone than to have her spy you."

"If you wanted to come out, why didn't you ask the minister to come with you?" Jim asked bluntly.

"The minister! Oh, I don't like ministers when they are young. They are much better when all the doctrines they have learned at their theological seminaries have settled in their minds, and have stopped bubbling. However, this minister here seems rather nice, very young, but he doesn't give the impression of taking himself so seriously that he is a nervous wreck on account of his convictions. I wouldn't have asked him for the world. In the first place, Mrs. Black would have thought it very queer, and in the second place he was so hopping mad about that fair, and having me buy it, that he wouldn't have been agreeable. I don't blame him. I would feel just so in his place. It must be frightful to be a poor minister."

"None too pleasant, anyway."

"You are right, it certainly is not. I have been poor myself, and I know. I went to my room, and looked out of the window, and it was so perfectly beautiful outdoors, and I did want to see how this place looked by moonlight, so I just went down the back stairs and came alone. I hope n.o.body will break in while I am gone. I left the door unlocked."

"No burglars live in Brookville," said Jim. "Mighty good reasons for none to come in, too."

"What reasons?"