The Corner House Girls Part 9

"Yes, Missie; I 'lowed you'd be glad tuh see me. Das what I tol' my darter, Pechunia--"

"Petunia?"

"Ya-as. Pechunia Blossom. Das her name, Missie. I been stayin' wid her ever since dey turn me out o' yere."

"Oh! I suppose you mean since Uncle Peter died?"

"Ya-as, Missie," said the old man, following her into the sitting room, and staring around with rolling eyes. Then he chuckled, and said: "Disher does seem lak' home tuh me, Missie."

"I should think so, Uncle Rufus," said Ruth.

"I done stay here till das lawyer man done tol' me I wouldn't be wanted no mo'," said the colored man. "But I sho' does feel dat de ol'

Co'ner House cyan't git erlong widout me no mo' dan I kin git erlong widout _it_. I feels los', Missie, down dere to Pechunia Blossom's."

"Aren't you happy with your daughter, Uncle Rufus?" asked Ruth, sympathetically.

"Sho' now! how you t'ink Unc' Rufus gwine tuh be happy wid nottin' to do, an' sech a raft o' pickaninnies erbout? Glo-ree! I sho' feels like I was livin' in a sawmill, wid er boiler fact'ry on one side an' one o' dese yere stone-crushers on de oder."

"Why, that's too bad, Uncle Rufus."

"Yo' see, Missie," pursued the old black man, sitting gingerly on the edge of the chair Ruth had pointed out to him, "I done wo'k for Mars'

Peter so long. I done ev'ryt'ing fo' him. I done de sweepin', an' mak'

he's bed, an' cook fo' him, an' wait on him han' an' foot-ya-as'm!

"Ain't n.o.body suit Mars' Peter like ol' Unc' Rufus. He got so he wouldn't have no wimmen-folkses erbout. I ta' de wash to Pechunia, an'

bring hit back; an' I markets fo' him, an' all dat. Oh, I's spry fo'

an ol' feller, Missie. I kin wait on table quite propah-though 'twas a long time since Mars' Peter done have any comp'ny an' dis dinin'

room was fixed up for 'em.

"I tak' care ob de silvah, Missie, an' de linen, an' all. Right smart of silvah Mars' Peter hab, Missie. Yo' sho' needs Uncle Rufus yere, Missie. I don't see how yo' git erlong widout him so long."

"Mercy me!" gasped Ruth, suddenly awakening to what the old man was getting at. "You mean to say you want to come back here to _work_?"

"Sho'ly! sho'ly!" agreed Uncle Rufus, nodding his head a great many times, and with a wistful smile on his wrinkled old face that went straight to Ruth's heart.

"But, Uncle Rufus! we don't _need_ you, I'm afraid. We have Mrs.

McCall-and there are only four of us girls and Aunt Sarah."

"I 'member Mis' Sarah very well, Missie," said Uncle Rufus, nodding.

"She'll sho'ly speak a good word fo' Uncle Rufus, Missie. Yo' ax her."

"But-Mr. Howbridge--"

"Das lawyer man," said Uncle Rufus, "he neber jes' understood how it was," proposed the old colored man, gently. "He didn't jes' see dat dis ol' Co'ner House was my home so long, dat no oder place seems jes'

_right_ tuh me."

"I understand," said Ruth, softly, but much worried.

"Disher w'ite lady yo' got tuh he'p, _she'll_ fin' me mighty handy-ya-as'm. I kin bring in de wood fo' her, an' git up de coal f'om de cellar. I kin mak' de paf's neat. I kin mak' yo' a leetle bit gyarden, Missie-'taint too late fo' some vegertables. Yo'd oughter have de lawn-gra.s.s cut."

The old man's catalog of activities suggested the need of a much younger worker, yet Ruth felt so sorry for him! She was timid about taking such a responsibility upon herself. What would Mr. Howbridge say?

Meanwhile the old man was fumbling in an inner pocket. He brought forth a battered wallet and from it drew a soiled, crumpled strip of paper.

"Mars' Peter didn't never intend to fo'get me-I know he didn't," said Uncle Rufus, earnestly. "Disher paper he gib me, Missie, jes' de day befo' he pa.s.s ter Glory. He was a kin' marster, an' he lean on Unc'

Rufus a powerful lot. Jes' yo' read dis."

Ruth took the paper. Upon it, in a feeble scrawl, was written one line, and that unsigned:

"Take care of Uncle Rufus."

"Who-whom did he tell you to give this to, Uncle Rufus?" asked the troubled girl, at last.

"He didn't say, Missie. He warn't speakin' none by den," said the old man. "But I done kep' it, sho'ly, 'tendin' tuh sho' it to his relatifs what come yere to lib."

"And you did right, Uncle Rufus, to bring it to us," said Ruth, coming to a sudden decision. "I'll see what can be done."

CHAPTER VII

THEIR CIRCLE OF INTEREST WIDENS

Uncle Rufus was a tall, thin, brown negro, with a gently deprecating air and a smile that suddenly changed his naturally sad features into a most humorous cast without an instant's notice.

Ruth left him still sitting gingerly on the edge of the chair in the dining-room, while she slowly went upstairs to Aunt Sarah. It was seldom that the oldest Kenway girl confided in, or advised with, Aunt Sarah, for the latter was mainly a most unsatisfactory confidante.

Sometimes you could talk to Aunt Sarah for an hour and she would not say a word in return, or appear even to hear you!

Ruth felt deeply about the old colored man. The twist of soiled paper in her hand looked to Ruth like a direct command from the dead uncle who had bequeathed her and her sisters this house and all that went with it.

Since her last interview with Mr. Howbridge, the fact that they were so much better off than ever before, had become more real to Ruth.

They could not only live rather sumptuously, but they could do some good to other people by the proper use of Uncle Peter's money!

Here was a case in point. Ruth did not know but what the old negro would be more than a little useless about the Corner House; but it would not cost much to keep him, and let him think he was of some value to them.

So she opened her heart to Aunt Sarah. And Aunt Sarah listened.

Indeed, there never was such a good audience as Aunt Sarah in this world before!

"Now, what do you think?" asked Ruth, breathlessly, when she had told the story and shown the paper. "Is this Uncle Peter's handwriting?"

Aunt Sarah peered at the scrawl. "Looks like it," she admitted.

"Pretty trembly. I wouldn't doubt, on'y it seems too kind a thought for Peter to have. He warn't given to thinking of that old negro."

"I suppose Mr. Howbridge would know?"