"I wish, they were smashed," said Daddy, emphatically.
"So do I," echoed Recta. "I"d like to sarve "em as the heathen do their idols when they git converted to Christianity."
"Be you a Christian, Recta."
Recta looked down confusedly, twirled her thumbs, and finally answered in a constrained tone, "I belong to the church."
"Du ye? well, may be I"ll jine it tu. I promised f.a.n.n.y fur tu tend tu that are matter when I got my lectur done, but I hed fur to tend tu gittin married fust."
"Your what done, Philip?"
"My lectur, I writ one on temperance when I was sick. I calculate fur tu go round deliverin of it next winter when we git settled. "Tween you and me, I may clare a little money on it. Lecturers are apt tu, I"ve heern say."
"You had better lectur on cabbages if you want tu make money on it,"
was the wise response.
CHAPTER x.x.xIII.
THE OLD BROWN HOUSE DESERTED--THE PEARL AND DIAMOND RING--MR.
AND MRS. MARSDEN"S CONJECTURES.
The old brown house was desolate; the doors bolted, the shutters closed, and not a sound to be heard within its walls. The stable too, was deserted, for now Black Hawk freely roamed in the pastures of his former master.
But in more ways than one had he done our heroine good service. Day after day, during that unhappy Spring she had, while striving to banish thought, ridden him through the wildest of wild forest paths, reckless alike of her own safety and his. The n.o.ble animal forded swollen streams, floundered through treacherous sloughs, leaped over fallen trees and climbed rocky precipices, and had not heaven ordained it otherwise, both horse and rider must have fallen a prey to the dangers of the way.
Although indulging in this abandonment of feeling, Little Wolf neglected none of her duties. Indeed, she seemed determined never to let a moment escape unoccupied. While Daddy was confined to his room, and Mrs. Peters lived, she faithfully supplied their wants, but after the former became convalescent, and started for his wife, and the latter went to her last rest, blessing her benefactress with her latest breath, she had no one but f.a.n.n.y on whom to bestow her care, except, indeed, Mrs. Peters" grandson Charley, for whom she soon obtained a desirable situation.
About this time, she received repeated and pressing invitations from her much loved school friend, Miss Marsden, to accompany herself and brother on a tour to California, upon which they expected to set out sometime in June. The marriage of Sorrel Top, with whom she had made arrangements for f.a.n.n.y Green to remain, until such times as Daddy and his wife should return and take possession of the old homestead, and the charge of the child was most opportune: for she was now at liberty to avail herself of the change so affectionately urged upon her.
In addition to the allusions before made to Alfred and Annie Marsden, we will here simply state, that the brother and sister were orphans, and heirs of considerable property, a part of which consisted in an elegant city residence. Here they had lived since the death of their parents, which occured a short time previous to the period when Little Wolf and their daughter left school together.
The son, a bachelor of about thirty, had, a number of years before, visited Minnesota in quest of health. His proclivity for hunting and fishing led him to the vicinity of Chimney Rock, and he it was, who, when she was a small child, rescued Little Wolf from the hands of b.l.o.o.d.y Jim.
But this was his own secret most carefully guarded from our heroine, who, during her former visit had learned to regard him in the light of an elder brother; but, as will be seen hereafter his feelings towards her were of a warmer character.
Having, therefore, paid a flying visit to St. Paul, and wept her adieus upon the bosom of her sympathizing friend, Mrs. Tinknor, having pouted at Tom, and made her financial arrangements with the Squire, we now behold Little Wolf in the embrace of one, who had so long stretched forth her arms to receive her.
The first raptures over, we hear Miss Marsden saying, "we will never part with our Little Wolf again, will we, brother?"
The response is, "Not if I can help it."
We know not why, it may have been that these words of affection, brought suddenly to her mind all that she had loved and lost, or she might have intuitively divined young Marsden"s sentiments towards her, we only know that her lip quivered, and she trembled and grew pale and sank helpless upon the sofa.
Her extreme agitation created in her friends no little alarm, but it soon pa.s.sed off, and as they could not but observe that any futher allusion to the matter was annoying to her, the brother and sister exchanged expressive glances which, being interpreted, signified, "resolved that the subject be indefinitely postponed." But it was again mooted on the first occasion of the absence of their guest; Miss Marsden being the first to bring it under consideration.
"O, it was only fatigue," said her brother, in reply to her various surmises.
"No, it was not fatigue," she insisted with an arch smile. "It is my opinion she was laboring under some powerful emotion. I once saw her almost as much agitated in one of our school exhibitions, in which she was to act a prominent part; but she went through it splendidly, the determined little thing."
"O well, it might have been excess of joy at meeting you."
"At meeting _me_, do you say, sir? Now brother, don"t try to crawl out of it, for I have determined to extort the truth from you. Was she not overjoyed at meeting _you_?"
"Well, then, my dear sister, the truth is, I think not. You must have noticed she takes special pains to address me as brother, and always to treat me as such, and you young ladies rarely faint at the sight of a brother."
"O, but you are only an adopted brother,"--slyly.
"That"s all," sighed the young man.
"I think her father"s death has changed her a little. She appears more thoughtful and womanly: don"t she brother?"
"I wouldn"t be surprised if she were in love," suggested the other.
"O fie, brother, she"s not in love, unless it be with you; or she would have confided it to me. Moreover," she continued, seeing an incredulous smile playing upon her brother"s lips, "you must yourself admit that it would be a very strange freak for a young lady in love to voluntarily put the ocean between herself and the object of her affections. I verily believe our Little Wolf is more anxious if possible, to start on the tour than we are."
"Yes, so do I," admitted her brother, "and I can"t account for it."
"O, it is simply to run away from Mr. Alfred Marsden," was the ironic reply.
"I do a.s.sure you, sister, that you greatly mistake our mutual sentiments."
"Not yours, certainly, brother, and I think not hers; but I"ll find out."
"For Heaven"s sake, don"t broach the matter to her, sister," said young Marsden in alarm, "It would spoil all the pleasure of our trip.
Indeed, I know she would not go at all."
"Nonsense, brother, do you think me a goose? I would not be so indelicate; no indeed. There are more ways than you have dreamed of, for ferreting out a love secret."
"O yes, I know such secrets develope themselves in a thousand forms, and if there is anything of that nature in her breast it will transpire in due time."
"It was not long before the young man"s prediction came near proving true, and thus it happened.
"The two young ladies, Annie and Little Wolf were out shopping, and becoming wearied, they stepped into a fashionable place of resort for rest and refreshment. While waiting, a small party, two ladies and a gentleman, came in and were seated at a table not far removed from their own. Little Wolf"s back was to the party, but Annie, being opposite her friend, faced them.
At the first sound of their voices, Little Wolf turned partly round, and behold there was Edward Sherman with his wife and sister. Her movement not having been observed, she was unrecognized by the trio.
But so violently did she tremble and so deathly was her countenance, that Annie would have betrayed her by an exclamation of alarm, had not a warning gesture from Little Wolf stayed the word upon her lips.
In a moment Little Wolf recovered herself sufficiently to write upon her tablets, "Do not speak to me, Annie, I do not wish to be known by the party opposite."
"Annie read the request, and returned the answer, "You will faint, let me order wine."
"No, I shall not faint," wrote Little Wolf"s trembling fingers, and her erect little figure involuntarily drew itself up.
"Poor things, they are mutes;" said Louise, compa.s.sionately regarding the means of communication between the silent young ladies.