Jessica Trent: Her Life On A Ranch Part 16

"Now, Aunt Sally, come! You must be hungry yourself, after your long ride," urged Mrs. Trent, hospitably, and with sincere pleasure lighting her gentle face. Living so far from other women made the presence of even this uncouth one a comfort, and experience had proved that Mrs.

Benton was, in time of need, that "rough diamond" which she claimed herself to be.

"All right, honey; in a minute. I'll just step out to the kitchen and pa.s.s the time of day with Wun Lung. Besides----"

Jessica caught Aunt Sally around her waist--as far as she could reach--and tried to prevent her leaving the room, but was lightly set aside, with the remark:

"Face is next door to the mouth. Guess I want to see what sort of food that heathen's got ready for us, 'fore I touch it!"

"Oh, Aunt Sally! In my house--can't you trust me?" asked the hostess, with mild protest. Though she knew before she spoke that her will as opposed to Mrs. Benton's, at least in minor matters, was powerless.

So she quietly brought a book and offered it to Mr. Hale, with the suggestion that he make himself content for the present.

"The dinner will be delayed and there will be a rumpus in the kitchen.

But the dinner will be all the better for waiting and the rumpus will end in Wun Lung taking another rest while Aunt Sally does his work.

Fortunately, she is a prime cook, and we shall fare sumptuously every day. I'd be glad to keep her here, always, if I could."

"Old Ephraim Marsh did not appear to share your sentiments," and he described "Forty-niner's" behavior and remarks at first sighting Mrs.

Benton's wagon.

"Then you found him. He's come back with you? Oh! I am so thankful.

Sobrante wouldn't seem itself without that straightforward, honest old man."

"You are certain he is that?" asked, rather than a.s.serted, the other.

"As certain as that there is honesty anywhere. What can you mean? Why do you seem so doubtful?"

"I don't wish to be a talebearer, but another of your adoring _proteges_ is in dire trouble. Elsa has been robbed and accuses this unfortunate person of being the culprit."

"Such a thing would be impossible."

"So it seemed to me. Yet that old Wolfgang finally got it through his head--he appeared duller of wit than his wife--that to lose sight of Ephraim was to lose the money forever. Your little daughter promised to produce him when needed, and after considerable opposition they allowed him to come away. I fancy they began to suspect me even. I fear, madam, I have visited Sobrante at an unfortunate time."

Mrs. Trent was paying but slight attention to his words. Her mind was already disturbed by many inexplicable things and would revert to Antonio's insinuations which, without Jessica's knowledge, she had also overheard. After a moment, recalled by high voices in the kitchen, she rallied, and apologizing for so doing, hastily left the dining-porch.

There were several gleaming pots and pans upon the oil cooking-stove and behind these stood Wun Lung, tenaciously grasping a meat dish and glaring unutterable things out of his beady eyes upon the excited woman who faced him, demanding:

"Give me that platter, monkey-face! Suppose I'll put your dirty victuals into my clean mouth or anybody else's? I've tasted your stuff before. A burnt bairn dreads the fire. Hand it over. I'll see if it's fit. There! That rice is boiling over."

The dish of savory lamb stew had been most daintily and carefully prepared after his mistress' own minute directions, but Wun Lung now slammed it upon the table with much violence and seized the pipkin of rice from the stove. With undue emphasis he placed this beside the stew and, advancing toward Mrs. Trent, made several profound salaams.

"Lat m'loman come--me glo. Good-by."

And for many a day thereafter Wun Lung served no more in that, his own beloved kitchen.

Not a whit disturbed was Aunt Sally. Revolution had become as the breath in her nostrils. Wherever she went old orders were reversed and all things became new. At a little town, with an unp.r.o.nounceable Spanish name, which it suited her to call "Boston," she had her home-room in the house of a long-suffering woman cousin, whose ill-health afforded her infinite employment, therefore enjoyment. The invalid endured these ministrations because Aunt Sally also supported her, as well as ruled her; but she appreciated the rest which followed whenever the itching of Mrs. Benton's feet called their owner elsewhere. Between "Boston" and Sobrante the patriotic wagon vibrated, like a long-distance pendulum, and departing from either point carried everything belonging to its proprietor within it. "Boston" having become wearisome it was now Sobrante's turn.

"I haven't been so happy since I first trod shoe leather. Now, honey, you'll have good, clean fixings, with no opium nor rat tails in 'em,"

she gleefully announced, returning to the table.

"Aunt Sally, hus.h.!.+ What an opinion you'll give our guest of my housekeeping!" laughed Mrs. Trent.

"Pooh, child! Anybody that looks at you'll know you hate dirt. Now, eat, all. Only--you, Mr. Hale, I must insist you take a dose of this saffron tea. I steeped it while I was having that set-to with the Chinaman, for I thank my stars I can always do two things at once. And if I know the signs--Gabriella Trent, if that man hasn't got the janders or s.h.i.+ngles, or malary fever, don't you tell me a thing!"

"I certainly shall not tell you any such thing as that, dear soul. The trouble is, Mr. Hale, Aunt Sally is never so happy as when she has a sick person to nurse. If n.o.body is ill she does her utmost to make somebody so, with her uncalled for doses and stews. But--once be ill! Ah! dear Aunt Sally, I know how tender is your touch and how faithful your watch.

G.o.d bless you!"

Not often was the gentle mistress moved to such emotion, and Mrs. Benton now put on her spectacles and regarded her hostess over them with a critical air.

"Land, honey! You must be coming down with something yourself! I never heard that janders was catching, but, heart of grace, it might be! Yes, in-deedy, it might be!"

The delight of her tone was equaled only by the sparkle of her eye. To have come to Sobrante, guided merely by the itching of a foot and to find two patients ready to hand, what mortal could ask more?

Possibly, with the intention of helping on their timely disorders, she heaped her neighbors' plates with the savory dinner, which was wholly due to Wun Lung's skill, and not, as she fancied, to her brief supervision.

When the meal was over, Aunt Sally retreated to the kitchen, after forcing Mrs. Trent to lie down and rest, "whether or no;" and to aid the lady's slumbers, there presently arose from without the l.u.s.ty cries of two small lads who had returned from some prank, late as usual, and as usual, desperately hungry.

"I will have my dinner, so there, you old Aunt Sally! I will go tell my mother--I won't be spanked--I won't I--I--I----"

"Wonbepanked!" screamed another childish treble.

"Yes, you will, the brace of you. Spare the rod and spoil the child.

That's what Gabriella does, all the time, soft-hearted dear that she is. A good, sound spanking once in six months is all that keeps you in a state of salvation. If it wasn't for me I don't know what in reason you little tackers would grow up to be. One thing I do know, though, and so do you, and that is--that while your old Aunt Sally is at Sobrante ranch you'll never be late to your victuals again."

In this events proved that the speaker was right, as, indeed, she had often been before on similar occasions.

Knowing that this little family jar would result in no serious harm to her idolized son, Mrs. Trent lay still and thought, but did not sleep.

How could she? What a subtle thing is suggestion!

Poor, overburdened Gabriella Trent had known and trusted old Epbraim Marsh for many years; yet the words of Antonio, and now of this stranger within her gates, lingered in her memory and would not then leave.

Up in his pleasant guest chamber Mr. Hale felt within himself the increasing vigor of returning health, tempered for the moment, it may be, by a little indiscretion of diet; yet the a.s.sertion of that noisy old woman below stairs, that he was, despite all, on the verge of some serious illness, so worked upon his still weakened nerves that he could neither sleep nor forget them.

The result in both cases was unfortunate.

That evening Mrs. Trent forbade her daughter the rifle practice for which, promply on his return, Ephraim had made special preparation. Her refusal hurt the old fellow, already sensitive from a previous injury, and he reflected, bitterly, as he once more sought his monkish chamber:

"After all, whoever dismissed me was right. I'm too old for use. I'd better never have come back."

As for Mr. Hale, brooding and an unwise exposure to the night air on the previous evening, did bring on a slight fever. Worriment increased this and, like many men, he was impatient under suffering; so that when his bell rang sharply, demanding attention, he was in a fair way to require all that Aunt Sally or any other had to give.

Meanwhile, down at the adobe quarters, other suspicions were rife.

"What is that man doing here, any way? He don't tell his business, and he's asked a power of questions. He's wormed out of one and another of us all there is to learn about this ranch, and he hasn't let on a single thing about himself, except that he's a lawyer from New York.

New York's a big village and all lawyers can lie. I'm bound to sound that chap before I'm many hours older," said Joe Dean, bringing his hands down heavily upon the table.

"I know a trick worth two of that. Set mother on him!" cried John Benton, gayly. "She'll ask more questions to the square inch than any other human being I ever met, and she'll have all his business, family history, and present undertakings out of him before he can say Jack Robinson. Lucky for us she got that itching foot just when she did."

So it was agreed; and thus, primed to the fullest investigation, Aunt Sally and her curiosity established themselves within their victim's sickroom. When they emerged from it, at daybreak, the one had been fully satisfied--with horror; and the ruddy face of the other had grown white and heartbroken as no single night of watching should have left it.