Mary-'Gusta Part 8

"ME?" he gasped. "You done somethin' to me and I--well, by Judas, this is--"

"Hush, Shadrach! What was it you done, Mary, that made you afraid of Cap'n Gould? Tell me. I won't hurt you and I won't let anybody else."

"YOU won't let--Zoeth Hamilton, I swan, I--"

"Be still, Shadrach, for mercy sakes! Now, what was it, dearie?"

Mary-'Gusta hesitated. Then she buried her face in Mr. Hamilton's jacket and sobbed a confession.

"I--I made it go," she cried. "I--I broke the--the catch--and it was wound up and--and it went off. But I didn't know. I didn't mean--"

"There, there, course you didn't. We know you didn't. What was it that went off?"

"The--the music chair. It was in the corner and Mr. Hallett took it and--and I couldn't say anything 'cause Mrs. Hobbs said I mustn't speak a word at the funeral. And--and he set in it and it played and--Oh, don't let him put me in jail! Please don't."

Another burst of tears. Mary-'Gusta clung tightly to the Hamilton jacket. Judge Baxter looked as if a light had suddenly broken upon the darkness of his mind.

"I see," he said. "You were responsible for the 'Campbells.' I see."

Shadrach drew a long breath.

"Whew!" he whistled. "So she was the one. Well, I swan!"

Zoeth stroked the child's hair.

"That's all right, dearie," he said. "Now don't you worry about that.

We didn't know who did it, but now we do and it's all right. We know you didn't mean to."

"Won't--won't he knock my head off?"

"No, no, course he won't. Tell her so, Shadrach."

Captain Shadrach pulled at his beard. Then he burst into a laugh.

"I won't hurt you for nothin', sis," he said, heartily. "It's all right and don't you fret about it. Accidents will happen even in the best regulated--er--funerals; though," with a broad grin, "I hope another one like that'll never happen to ME. Now don't you cry any more."

Mary-'Gusta raised her head and regarded him steadily.

"Won't I be put in jail?" she asked, more hopefully.

"Indeed you won't. I never put anybody in jail in my life; though," with an emphatic nod, "there's some folks ought to go there for frightenin'

children out of their senses. Did that Mrs. Hobbs tell you I was goin'

to--what was it?--knock your head off and all the rest?"

"Yes, sir, she did."

"Well, she's a--she's what she is. What else did she say to you?"

"She--she said I was a bad, wicked child and she hoped I'd be sent to the--the orphans' home. If she was to have the care of me, she said, she'd make me walk a chalk or know why. And she sent me to my room and said I couldn't have any supper."

Zoeth and the Captain looked at each other. Baxter frowned.

"On the very day of her father's funeral," he muttered.

"Can't I have any supper?" begged Mary-'Gusta. "I'm awful hungry; I didn't want much dinner."

Zoeth nodded. His tone, when he spoke, was not so mild as was usual with him.

"You shall have your supper," he said.

"And--and must I go to the orphans' home?"

No one answered at once. Zoeth and Captain Shad again looked at each other and the Judge looked at them both.

"Must I?" repeated Mary-'Gusta. "I--I don't want to. I'd rather die, I guess, and go to Heaven, same as Mother and Father. But Mrs. Hobbs says they don't have any dolls nor cats in Heaven, so I don't know's I'd want to go there."

Baxter walked to the window and looked out. Captain Shadrach reached into his pocket, produced a crumpled handkerchief, and blew his nose violently. Zoeth stroked the child's hair.

"Mary-'Gusta," he said, after a moment, "how would you like to go over to South Harniss and--and see me and Cap'n Gould a little while? Just make us a visit, you know. Think you'd like that?"

The Captain started. "Good land, Zoeth!" he exclaimed. "Be careful what you're sayin'."

"I ain't sayin' anything definite, Shadrach. I know how you feel about it. I just wanted to see how she felt herself, that's all. Think you'd like that, Mary-'Gusta?"

Mary-'Gusta thought it over. "I guess maybe I would," she said, "if I could take my dolls and David. I wouldn't want to leave David. Mrs.

Hobbs don't like cats."

And at that moment Mrs. Hobbs herself appeared in the doorway of the carriage room. She saw the child and her eyes snapped.

"So she was here," she said. "I thought as much. Mary-'Gusta, what did you run away from that room for? Didn't I forbid you leavin' it? She's been a bad girl, Judge Baxter," she added, "and I can't make her behave.

I try my best, but I'm sure I don't know what to do."

Captain Shadrach thrust both hands into his pockets.

"I tell you what to do," he said, sharply. "You go into the house and put some of her things into a valise or satchel or somethin'. And hurry up as fast as you can."

Mrs. Hobbs was astonished.

"Put 'em in a satchel?" she repeated. "What for? Where's she goin'?"

"She's goin' home along with me and Zoeth. And she's got to start inside of half an hour. You hurry."

"But--but--"

"There ain't any 'buts'; haven't got time for 'em."

Mr. Hamilton regarded his friend with an odd expression.

"Shadrach," he asked, "do you realize what you're sayin'?"