"_Eh?_" said the Rich Man.
Our Aunt Esta was perfectly delighted with the suggestion.
The Rich Man took her delight coldly.
He glared at my Father. "I don"t think I need any outside help," he said, "in the management of my affairs.--As the Owner indeed of one of the largest stores in the world I----"
"That"s all right," said my Father. "But you never yet have tried to manage the children"s Aunt Esta.--Nothing can stop her!"
Nothing could! She pinned an old plaid shawl around the Rich Man"s waist! She blacked his face! He had to kneel at her feet while it was being blacked! He seemed to sweat easily! But our Aunt Esta blacked very easily too! He looked lovely! Even my Father thought he looked lovely! When he was done he wanted to look in a mirror. My Father advised him not to. But he insisted. My Father got up from making suggestions and came and stood behind him while he looked. They looked only once. Something seemed to hit them. They doubled right up. It was laughter that hit them. They slapped each other on the back. They laughed! And laughed! And laughed! They made such a noise that my Mother came running!
It seemed to make our Aunt Esta a little bit nervous to have my Mother come running. She pointed her wand. She roared her voice.
"Where is the Silver Bird?" she roared.
My Mother looked just as swoone-y as she could. She fell on her knees.
She clasped her hands.
"Oh, Cruel Witch," she said. "I _saw_ the bird! But I couldn"t reach him! He was in the Poplar Tree!--However in the world did you put him there?--Was that what you were bribing the Butcher"s Boy about this morning? Was that----?"
"Hush!" roared our Aunt Esta. "Your Doom has overtaken you! Go hence with the clatter of a Horse"s Hoof until such time as your Incompetent Head may----"
"Oh, it wasn"t my head that was incompetent," said my Mother. "It was my legs. The Poplar Tree was so very tall! So very fluffy and undecided to climb! So----"
"With the clatter of a Horse"s Hoof!" insisted our Aunt Esta. "There can be no mercy!"
"None?" implored my Mother.
"None!" said our Aunt Esta.
She gave my Mother two funny little wooden cups. They were something like clappers. You could hold them in your hand so they scarcely showed at all and make a noise like a horse galloping across a bridge! Or trotting! Or anything! It made quite a loud noise! It was wonderful! My Mother started right away for the village. She had on white shoes. Her feet were very small. She sounded like a great team horse stumbling up the plank of a ferry-boat. "I think I"ll go get the mail!" she said.
"Like that?" screamed my Father.
My Mother turned around. Her hair was all curly. There were laughs in her eyes.
"I _have_ to!" she said. "I"m bewitched!"
"I"ll go with you!" said my Father.
My Mother turned around again. She looked at my Father! At his golden crown! At his white spangled wings! At the pink silk skirt over his arm!
"Like--that?" said my Mother.
My Father decided not to go.
The Rich Man said he considered the decision very wise.
They glared.
Way over on the other side of the green lilac hedge we heard my Mother trotting down the driveway. _Clack_-clack--_clack_--clack sounded the hoof-beats!
"My Lord--she"s pacing!" groaned my Father.
"Clever work!" said the Rich Man. "Was she ever in a Band? In a Jazz Band, you know, with Bantam Rooster whistles? And drums that bark like dogs?"
"In a _what_?" cried my Father. He was awful mad.
Our Aunt Esta tried to soothe him with something worse. She turned to me.
"Now, Ruthy-the-Rabbit," she said. "Let us see what _you_ can do to redeem the ignominy of your impudent giggling!" She handed me the Bright Green and the Bright Red Celluloid fishes. She poked her wand at me.
"Hopping all the way," she said. "Every step of the way, you understand,--bear these two fish to the Head-Waters of the Magic Brook,--the little pool under the apple tree will do,--and start them ex--ex--peditiously down the Brook towards Rosalee!"
"Yes"m," I said.
Our Aunt Esta turned to the Rich Man.
"Foul Menial," she said. "Push my chariot a little further down the Lawn into the shade!"
The Foul Menial pushed it.
My Father pushed a little too.
I hopped along beside them flopping my long ears. Our Aunt Esta looked _ex_-actly like a Witch! The Rich Man"s black face was leaking a little but not much! It would have been easier if he hadn"t tripped so often on his plaid shawl skirt! My Father"s white wings flapped as he pushed! He looked like an angel who wasn"t quite hatched! It was handsome!
When we got to the thickest shade there was a man"s black felt hat bobbing along the top of the j.a.ponica Hedge. It was rather a soft-boiled looking hat. It was bobbing just as fast as it could towards the house.
When our Aunt Esta saw the hat she screamed! She jumped from her chariot as though it had been flames! She tore the scraggly gray wig from her head! She tore the hump from her back! She kicked off her wooden shoes!
Her feet were silk! She ran like the wind for the back door!
My Father ran for the Wood-Shed!
The Rich Man dove into the Lilac Bush!
When the Rich Man was all through diving into the Lilac Bush he seemed to think that he was the only one present who hadn"t done anything!
"What you so scared about, Ruthy?" he said. "What"s the matter with everybody? Who"s the Bloke?"
"It"s the New Minister," I said.
"Has he got the Cholera or anything?" said the Rich Man.
"No, not exactly," I explained. "He"s just our Aunt Esta"s Suitor!"
"Your Aunt Esta"s _Suitor_?" cried the Rich Man. "_Suitor?_" He clapped his hand over his mouth. He burst a safety-pin that helped lash the plaid shawl around him. "What do you mean,--_"Suitor?"_" he said.
It seemed queer he was so stupid.
"Why a Suitor," I explained, "is a Person Who Doesn"t Suit--so he keeps right on coming most every day to see if he does! As soon as he suits, of course, he"s your husband and doesn"t come any more at all--because he"s already there! The New Minister," I explained very patiently, "is a Suitor for our Aunt Esta"s hand!"