Chicken Little Jane Part 18

Alice guessed Katy had been up to mischief purposely.

"Nonsense, Katy's just talking about the little flower fairies. Get your Grimm and I'll show you all sorts. Of course, fairies are not all alike any more than little girls. I'm sure you and Gertie will make darling fairies, so don't you worry."

But Alice decided to give Katy a lesson, that young lady boasting a year and a half's advantage over Chicken Little and Gertie was rather too fond of lording it over them. She bided her time and did not have long to wait. Katy came over a few days later proud as a peac.o.c.k over a minute pair of kid gloves, the first she had owned. Jane and Gertie followed, admiring and not a little envious.

"See, Alice," Katy struck an att.i.tude with both hands spread out ostentatiously.

Alice saw and hardened her heart.

"What's the matter with your hands, Katy?"

Katy's face lost its satisfied smirk, but she held her hands for a closer inspection.

"Kid gloves, aren't they scrumptious? Don't you wish you had some, girls? I'd a lot rather have kid gloves than be in your old cantata."

Chicken Little started to protest, but Alice antic.i.p.ated her.

"They make your hands look awfully big, Katy!"

Katy's face fell. She had lovely tiny hands and was proud of them. She looked anxiously at the gloves then took one off and put the bare hand beside the gloved one, surveying them critically.

"I don't think so," she said pluckily after a moment gulping down her disappointment.

Alice couldn't bear that hurt look in the child's face even in a good cause and speedily relented.

"Neither do I, Katy, those gloves are fine! I was only teasing. But, Katy, that's the way you talked to Jane and Gertie about being fairies.

'Twasn't real kind was it, Katy? You know how it feels yourself now."

Katy didn't say anything but she understood and she remembered. She was a shrewd child and a generous one when her sympathies were aroused.

One morning, a few days later, Alice was dusting the sitting room and talking with Mrs. Morton who was seated by the window sewing. Suddenly Mrs. Morton, glancing up, saw a man entering the front gate.

"Why, I do believe it's Mr. Ga.s.sett."

Alice came to the window to verify the fact.

There was no room for doubt. It was Mr. Ga.s.sett ponderously climbing the steps of the terrace.

"Dear me," said Mrs. Morton, "I suppose he has come about those papers.

I do wish Dr. Morton were here. I never could understand business matters. Go to the door, Alice; he is ringing."

Alice felt a little shaky as she opened the door to confront the family enemy. She was a trifle rea.s.sured to discover that Mr. Ga.s.sett also looked embarra.s.sed.

"Ah, Alice, how fortunate--you are the very person I wished to see."

"Will you step into the sitting room, Mr. Ga.s.sett?"

"Ah--umm, it is hardly worth while. I can explain my errand here."

Mr. Ga.s.sett was not eager to encounter any member of the Morton family.

But Alice was shrewd enough to realize that it would be just as well to have someone else present at this interview so she politely insisted.

At sight of Mrs. Morton, Mr. Ga.s.sett removed his hat, which he seemed previously to have forgotten.

"How do you do, Madam, a beautiful winter day. I am sorry to disturb you--I just had a little matter of business with your servant."

Alice's eyes flashed at the word servant and Mrs. Morton looked annoyed.

Despite her firm belief in cla.s.s distinctions, she had grown fond of Alice and "servant" seemed unnecessarily offensive. She drew herself up coldly.

"Yes, Mr. Ga.s.sett?"

Mr. Ga.s.sett opened his errand rather haltingly. Mrs. Morton's dignity oppressed him.

He had been told, he said, that some stolen stock certificates had been found with the silver, which he understood Alice was keeping under the mistaken idea that she had some claim to them because her father had not endorsed them over to Mr. Ga.s.sett personally. The bank had waited some weeks hoping she would find out her mistake and return them to their rightful owner, himself. She had not done so and it was his painful duty to come and demand his property.

Mr. Ga.s.sett shifted his weight from one foot to the other and looked at Mrs. Morton.

Alice also looked as Mrs. Morton, who motioned her to answer for herself.

"Mr. Ga.s.sett, I shall not give up those certificates till you have proved your right to them."

"But, my girl, don't you understand those certificates were stolen from my house? I should think my word would be sufficient," said Mr. Ga.s.sett pompously.

"I am not denying they were stolen from your house, Mr. Ga.s.sett, but I wish you to explain how my father's certificates came to be in your possession."

"Explain nothing!" Mr. Ga.s.sett's temper was rising. "If you knew anything about business you could see that your father had signed away his claim to them by putting his name on the back."

"There is nothing to show that he signed them over to you, Mr. Ga.s.sett.

My father died believing he owned that stock--he told my mother so.

After his death we hunted high and low for it, but it could not be found. My mother asked you if the certificates were in the store safe, but you denied all knowledge of them--yet you had them all the time and they did not appear in the settlement of Father's estate. It looks very queer if they were yours that you did not say so to my mother at the time. No, I shall not give them up until you prove your right to them."

Mr. Ga.s.sett's face was a very expressive one. It was red with wrath by the time Alice had finished her little speech.

"Hoighty-toighty, my girl, you'd better think twice before you go to insulting your betters. Your mother's dead and what you remember as a half-grown girl won't go very far in a court of law. Your father made over those certificates to me as security for a debt. It was none of your mother's business whether I had them or not. They were endorsed in blank because he hoped to pay the debt and get them back, I suppose."

"You mean he had paid the debt, but carelessly left those valuable papers in the store safe supposing you were an honest man!"

Alice spoke hastily, scarcely daring to hope herself that she had hit the truth.

If Mr. Ga.s.sett's face had been red before, it was purple now. He fairly glared at Alice.

"You shall answer for this, you minx. You'll not find it so pleasant being dragged into court. I'll give you one more chance to hand over those papers peaceably--and if you don't, I'll have the law on you. As for you," including Mrs. Morton in his rage, "I'm surprised that you should encourage your servant to insult a gentleman in your own home."

"This is Alice's affair, Mr. Ga.s.sett," replied Mrs. Morton coldly. "She has a perfect right to say what she thinks. I did not arrange to have this interview take place here you will remember."

It was plain to the others that Mrs. Morton was on Alice's side.

This unspoken sympathy acted like a tonic on the girl. She drew herself up in a remarkably good imitation of Mrs. Morton's grand manner.