Mary-'Gusta Part 13

Mary-'Gusta's head and those of the dolls were in a row upon the pillow.

It was a strange sight in that room and that house.

"I declare!" whispered Zoeth. "And this mornin' we never dreamed of such a thing. How long this day has been!"

"Judgin' by the state of my nerves and knees it's been two year,"

replied Shadrach. "I've aged that much, I swan to man. Humph! I wonder if Marcellus knows what's happened."

His tone was not loud, but it or the lamplight in her face awakened Mary-'Gusta. She stirred, opened her eyes and regarded them sleepily.

"Is it mornin'?" she asked.

"No, no," replied Zoeth. "It's only ten o'clock. Captain Shadrach and I was goin' to bed and we looked in to see if you was all right, that's all. You must go right to sleep again, dearie."

"Yes, sir," said Mary-'Gusta, obediently. Then she added, "I said my prayers to myself but I'll say 'em to you if you want me to."

The embarra.s.sed Captain would have protested, but the girl's mind seemed to be made up.

"I guess I will say 'em again," she said. "There's somethin' in 'em maybe you'd ought to hear." She closed her eyes. "Please G.o.d bless Father--Oh, I forgot--bless Mrs. Hobbs and Cap'n Gould and Mr. Hamilton.

I thought I'd ask him to bless you, you know, because I'm visitin'

here. And bless David and Rose and Rosette and Emma and Christobel and Minnehaha. They're my dolls. And please, G.o.d, forgive me for breakin'

the music chair and makin' it go off, because you know I am very sorry and won't do it again. And--and, Oh, yes!--bless Mr. Chase, Amen. You don't mind my puttin' you and Mr. Chase in, do you?"

"No, dearie, not a mite," said Zoeth.

Captain Shad, looking more embarra.s.sed than ever, shook his head. "Good night," said Mary-'Gusta. Zoeth hesitated, then he walked over and kissed her.

"Good night, little girl," he said.

"Good night, Mr. Hamilton," said Mary-'Gusta. Then she turned expectantly toward the Captain. Shadrach fidgeted, turned to go, and then, turning back, strode to the bed, brushed the soft cheek with his rough one and hastened out into the hall. Zoeth followed him, bearing the lamp. At the door of the Captain's room, they paused.

"Well, good night, Zoeth," said Shadrach, brusquely.

"Good night, Shadrach. This--this is queer business for you and me, ain't it?"

"I should think 'twas. Humph! You said this morning that maybe Marcellus was alongside of us today. If he is he knows what's happened, don't he?"

"Perhaps he knows that and more, Shadrach. Perhaps he can see what'll happen in the future. Perhaps he knows that, too."

"Humph! Well, if he does, he knows a heap more'n I do. Good night."

CHAPTER V

Mary-'Gusta awoke next morning to find the sun s.h.i.+ning in at the window of her bedroom. She had no means of knowing the time, but she was certain it must be very late and, in consequence, was almost dressed when Isaiah knocked at the door to tell her breakfast would be ready pretty soon. A few minutes later she appeared in the kitchen bearing the pitcher from the washstand in her room.

"What you doin' with that?" demanded Mr. Chase, who was leaning against the door-post looking out into the yard.

"I was goin' to fill it," said the child. "There wasn't any water to wash with."

Isaiah sniffed. "I ain't had no time to fill wash pitchers," he declared. "That one's been on my mind for more'n a fortni't but I've had other things to do. You can wash yourself in that basin in the sink.

That's what the rest of us do."

Mary-'Gusta obediently washed in the tin basin and rubbed her face and hands dry upon the roller towel behind the closet door.

"Am I late for breakfast?" she asked, anxiously.

"No, I guess not. Ain't had breakfast yet. Cap'n Shad's out to the barn 'tendin' to the horse and Zoeth's feedin' the hens. They'll be in pretty soon, if we have luck. Course it's TIME for breakfast, but that's nothing. I'm the only one that has to think about time in this house."

The girl regarded him thoughtfully.

"You have to work awful hard, don't you, Mr. Chase?" she said.

Isaiah looked at her suspiciously.

"Huh?" he grunted. "Who told you that?"

"n.o.body. I just guessed it from what you said."

"Humph! Well, you guessed right. I don't have many spare minutes."

"Yes, sir. Are you a perfect slave?"

"Eh? What?"

"Mrs. Hobbs says she is a perfect slave when she has to work hard."

"Who's Mrs. Hobbs?"

"She's--she keeps house--that is, she used to keep house for my father over in Ostable. I don't suppose she will any more now he's dead. She'll be glad, I guess. Perhaps she won't have to be a perfect slave now.

She used to wear ap.r.o.ns same as you do. I never saw a man wear an ap.r.o.n before. Do you have to wear one?"

"Hey? Have to? No, course I don't have to unless I want to."

Mary-'Gusta reflected.

"I suppose," she went on, after a moment, "it saves your pants. You'd get 'em all spotted up if you didn't wear the ap.r.o.n. Pneumonia is a good thing to take out Spots."

Isaiah was surprised.

"What is?" he asked.

"Pneumonia. . . . No, I don't think that's right. It's pneumonia that makes you sick. Somethin' else takes out the spots. I know now; it's am-monia. It's very good for spots but you mustn't smell the bottle. I smelled the bottle once and it went right up into my head."

"What on earth are you talkin' about? The bottle went up into your head!"

"No, the ammonia smell did. It was awful; like--like--" she paused, evidently in search of a simile; "like sneezin' backwards," she added.