Mary-'Gusta Part 7

"It won't be any trouble," protested the lady.

"I know, but it might be. We'll go alone."

When the three were in the back yard, and the discomfited housekeeper was watching them from the door, he added:

"I don't know why that woman rubs my fur the wrong way, but she does.

Isaiah Chase says he don't like mosquitoes 'cause they get on his nerves. I never thought I wore my nerves on the back of my neck, which is where Isaiah gets skeeter-bit mostly, but anyhow, wherever they be, that Hobbs woman bothers 'em. There's the barn, ain't it? Don't look very heavenly, but it may seem that way after a spell in t'other place.

Now where's the carriage room?"

The door of the carriage room was open, and they entered. A buggy and the muslin draped surrey were there, but no living creature was in sight. They listened, but heard nothing.

"Mary! Mary-'Gusta!" called Baxter. "Are you here?"

No answer. And then, from beneath the cover of the surrey, appeared a fat tortoise-sh.e.l.l cat, who jumped lightly to the floor, yawned, stretched, and blinked suspiciously at the visitors.

"Humph!" grunted Captain Shadrach. "There's one stowaway, anyhow. Maybe there's another; I've had 'em come aboard in pairs."

The Judge walked over to the surrey, and raised the cover. From behind it came a frightened little squeal.

"Oh, there you are!" said Baxter. "Mary-'Gusta, is that you?"

There was a rustle, a sob, and then a timid voice said, chokingly, "Yes, sir."

"Come out," said the Judge, kindly. "Come out; here are some friends who want to meet you."

Another sob and then: "I--I don't want to."

"Oh, yes, you do. We won't hurt you. We only want to see you and talk with you, that's all. Come, that's a good girl."

"I--I ain't a good girl."

"Never mind. We want to see you, anyway. I guess you're not very bad."

"Yes, I--I am. Is--is Mrs. Hobbs there?"

"No. Come now, please."

A moment's wait, then, from beneath the cover, appeared a small foot and leg, the latter covered by a black stocking. The foot wiggled about, feeling for the step. It found it, the cover was thrown aside and Mary-'Gusta appeared, a pathetic little figure, with rumpled hair and tear-stained cheeks. Rose and Rosette, the two dolls, were hugged in her arms.

Judge Baxter patted her on the head. Zoeth and Shadrach looked solemn and ill at ease. Mary-'Gusta looked at the floor and sniffed dolefully.

"Mary-'Gusta," said the Judge, "these two gentlemen are old friends of your father's and," with a pardonable stretching of the truth, "they have come all the way from South Harniss to meet you. Now you must shake hands with them. They like little girls."

Mary-'Gusta obediently moved forward, shifted Rosette to the arm clasping Rose, and extended a hand. Slowly she raised her eyes, saw Mr.

Hamilton's mild, gentle face and then, beside it, the face of Captain Shadrach Gould. With a cry she dropped both dolls, ran back to the surrey and fumbled frantically with the dust cover.

Baxter, surprised and puzzled, ran after her and prevented her climbing into the carriage.

"Why, Mary-'Gusta," he demanded, "what is the matter?"

The child struggled and then, bursting into a storm of sobs, hid her face in the dust cover.

"I--I didn't mean to," she sobbed, wildly. "I didn't mean to. Honest I didn't. I--I didn't know. I didn't mean to. Please don't let him.

PLEASE!"

The Judge held her close and did his best to calm her.

"There, there, child," he said. "No one's going to hurt you."

"Yes--yes, they are. Mrs. Hobbs said she shouldn't wonder if he knocked my--my head right off."

"Knocked your head off! Who?"

"Him."

She raised her hand and pointed a shaking finger straight at Captain Shadrach.

All three of her hearers were surprised, of course, but in the case of the Captain himself amazement was coupled with righteous indignation.

"Wha-what?" he stammered. "Who said so? What kind of talk's that? Said I was goin' to knock your head off? I was?"

Baxter laughed. "No, no, Mary-'Gusta," he said; "you're mistaken. Mrs.

Hobbs couldn't have said any such thing. You're mistaken, dear."

"No, I ain't," with another sob; "she did say so. She said he would knock my head--ah--ah--off and--and put me in jail, too. And I didn't mean to do it; honest, truly I didn't."

The Judge looked at his companions and shook his head as if the conundrum was beyond his guessing. Captain Shad groaned.

"By fire!" he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed. "All hands have gone loony, young-ones and all. And," with conviction, "I'm on the road myself."

Zoeth Hamilton stepped forward and held out his hands.

"Come here, dearie," he said, gently; "come here and tell me all about it. Neither me nor the Cap'n's goin' to hurt you a mite. We like little girls, both of us do. Now you come and tell me about it."

Mary-'Gusta's sobs ceased. She looked at the speaker doubtfully.

"Come, don't be scared," begged Zoeth. "We're goin' to be good friends to you. We knew your father and he thought everything of us. You ain't goin' to be afraid of folks that was your Pa's chums. You come here and let's talk it over."

Slowly Mary-'Gusta crossed the room. Zoeth sat down upon an empty box near the door and lifted the girl to his knee.

"Now you ain't afraid of me, be you?" he asked quietly.

Mary-'Gusta shook her head, but her big eyes were fixed upon Captain Shadrach's face.

"No-o," she faltered. "I--I guess I ain't. But you wasn't the one I did it to. It was him."

Judging by the Captain's expression his conviction that all hands, himself included, had lost their reason was momentarily growing firmer.