Three Little Women's Success Part 16

"A thin slip of a girl like a new morn" exactly described her. Though Jean was not thin. She was simply lithe and supple.

"Just on one of my strolls up the mountain. Great old mountain! Fine view up there! Wonderful place for a residence!" replied Forbes, devouring jumbles at an alarming rate and quenching his thirst with gla.s.s after gla.s.s of lemonade.

"Great if you have an idea of perfecting an aeroplane. Personally, I'd not relish rambling up there twice daily, and at present the trail leaves something to be desired for vehicles which navigate upon this mundane sphere," laughed Hadyn.

"How do you know that Mr. Forbes hasn't already invented an air-ship?"

asked Constance. "I hear he goes up there very often, and he may have ways and means of which we are ignorant."

"Only Shank's mare," answered Forbes, stretching out a pair of long, dusty legs. "Jove! I am a sight. I didn't know I was so disreputable.

Beg your pardon, Mrs. Carruth, for intruding upon you like this. Truth is, I hurried down that trail like an avalanche, for I'd spent more time at Mammy's counter than usual. By the way, Miss Constance, Mammy asked me to look up an address for her. Will you please give it to her for me?"

"Certainly."

"Tell her it is 620 Westbank Road."

"Six-twenty Westbank Road!" repeated Constance, in a surprised voice.

"Why, that is Katherine Boggs' address, and I am almost sure that Mammy knows it. Why did she ask for Katherine's address, I wonder?"

"Don't know, I'm sure, for Mammy's ways and wishes are beyond the ken of the average mortal," laughed Forbes, as he rose to take leave. As he was about to descend the steps he turned to Eleanor.

"By the way, if you haven't anything special on hand for to-morrow afternoon, won't you come for a stroll with me?" he asked.

"Now, don't you do it, Eleanor," broke in Hadyn. "He means to drag you clear to the top of that mountain, and these July days are over-warm for violent exertion. Can't you see, Forbes, that the very thought of it is making her cheeks flush?"

"Here, eat another jumble, quick!" cried Constance, catching up the plate and rushing to the hammock.

Eleanor and Forbes had sauntered off down the terrace. Hadyn took a jumble, and with a laugh crowded the whole cake into his mouth, his eyes dancing with mischief.

At that moment Mammy popped her head out upon the piazza to ask:

"Is yo' chillen all got 'nough jumbles?"

"One of them has more than he can manage," was Constance's merry reply.

"Look at him, Mammy. It was the only way I could close his mouth when he was inclined to say more than was wise."

"Don' believe dat, nohow. Ma.r.s.e Hadyn ain' never is ter say wha' he no b'isness ter," a.s.serted Mammy.

"Hah! I've _one_ champion, anyway," choked Hadyn.

"Two," corrected Jean.

"Oh, Mammy," called Constance after the retreating figure. "Mr. Forbes says the address you wanted is 620 Westbank Road."

"Huh? Wha' yo' say?" cried Mammy, whirling about and coming out upon the piazza again, her face a study.

"Yes, Miss Boggs' address, Mammy. Why did you ask Mr. Forbes about it? I could have given it to you, you know."

"My Lawd!" was Mammy's brief retort, and, turning as quickly as she had come, she hurried indoors once more.

"I shall never understand Mammy if I live to be a hundred years old"

said Constance. "I often believe I've solved her riddle, then presto!

here comes a new phase."

"Leave her alone, Constance. Don't try to solve it. Just take her as she is, and make sure that her 'chillen' come first in her thoughts," said Hadyn. "But, by the by, will you come for a ride to-morrow afternoon?"

"Gladly."

CHAPTER XVI

MAMMY A SHERLOCK HOLMES.

During the following week Independence Day was celebrated, and such had become the fame of both Mammy's luncheons and Constance's candies, that these two busy women found every moment filled more than full.

Each had reason to remember another July Fourth, and Mary Willing most reason of all. The Mary Willing of this year bore little resemblance to the Mary Willing of that one, and a happier girl it would have been hard to find. f.a.n.n.y was now staying with Mary, sharing with her the pretty little room in Mrs. Carruth's home, and had quite won her way into Mrs.

Carruth's heart by her sweet, gentle ways.

During the spring poor, shiftless Jim Willing had taken himself and his family out West, thanks to Hadyn's influence in securing for him a position upon a large farm in Minnesota, where he was not only compelled to work, but where also, thanks to Hadyn, he could not loaf and drink, for the man whom he served was not to be trifled with. In May the family had emigrated, to the intense satisfaction of those most deeply interested in Mary and f.a.n.n.y, and the boundless relief of their neighbors.

In the course of the week which followed her suspicions concerning Katherine Boggs, Mammy began to lay her plans, and, as usual, with her accustomed shrewdness. She did not wish Constance to suspect her interference, but she was fully resolved to get to the bottom of the matter. Mammy had already formed her opinion, and Mammy was not often wrong. Fate seemed to favor her, for one morning, when she happened to be at her counter, Elijah Sniffins entered the Arcade, and going to the cigar stand bought a cigar, which he lighted and began to smoke. He then strolled down toward the candy counter. It was a warm, sultry day, with scarcely a breath stirring. The window giving upon the street in the Arch was open, as was the door leading from Constance's little office, to a short hall communicating with the side street. From her counter Mammy watched Sniffins until he entered the candy Arch, and then slipping out of the rear door of the Arcade made her way around the block and entered Constance's office by the side door.

For greater protection Constance had hung China silk curtains across the grillwork, which divided her office from the counter, but these, while affording her perfect seclusion, did not cut off the sound of a customer's footfalls.

Under ordinary circ.u.mstances, Mammy would have scorned to resort to such measures to obtain her end, but she felt pretty sure that her Miss Constance was being tricked for some purpose, and felt herself justified in fighting fire with fire.

With exceptional wisdom for her years Constance had arranged with Charles and Mammy a little code of signals on the electric b.u.t.tons beside her desk and under the counter in her Arch. The signals had served to good purpose, as has already been shown, for old Charles had come most opportunely when needed one morning. The code was simple: One ring meant, "Are you there?"; two, "Come to my counter"; three, "Please 'phone up to Mr. Porter that Miss Carruth needs him at once." This last call was clearly an emergency call and had never been put to the test; but both Mammy and Charles, as well as the young colored boy who served at Mammy's counter, knew that it must not be disregarded for one instant if it did come. Constance never knew why she had added it to the simple little code, for she certainly never antic.i.p.ated any special need for it. Still, it was a comfort to the young girl to feel that, should anything serious occur, she could instantly turn to Mr. Porter.

Mammy entered the office unheard by the two people in the Arch, the rumble of vehicles in the street drowning all sound of her footfalls.

Sniffins was standing at the counter in earnest conversation with Miss Boggs. Presently Mammy overheard these words:

"Lige, I _can't_! I just can't any longer. She's too lovely to me."

"Ah, shut up that stuff. What does she do for you, anyway! Nothin' mor'n anybody else would, an' she gets enough out o' you for seven dollars a week. Gosh, she's makin' seventy if she's makin' a cent. Here, lemme see that last memorandum of sales made."

"I haven't got it here," was the low-spoken reply.

"Then where have you got it? I want it, do you understand."

"I don't see why you want it. I don't see what good it does you, anyway, to know how much candy is sold here," was the querulous answer.

"Ah, what do you know, anyway? You never did have enough sense to go in out of the rain. _I_ know what I want it for. When I'm sure this business is makin' the right-sized pile, I'm goin'-well, never mind what I'm going to do. But what I want you to do right now is to strike for ten dollars a week-see? You've been here six months on seven dollars, an' that's long and plenty. Now we're going to have more of the profits."

Katherine merely shook her head stubbornly.

"Does that mean that you won't?" asked Lige, in an ugly tone.