"Nolla, I will need all of this one for myself; Anne and you will have to share the other one between you," remarked Barbara.
"I thought you were leaving on the early train to-morrow?" teased Eleanor, quickly.
To avoid another quarrel, Anne hastily said: "Oh, I forgot about the trunks. What shall I tell Mr. Brewster?"
"Tell him anything you like about Nolla"s, but leave mine where the man can pick them up readily, to-morrow, when I leave," returned Barbara, in a nonchalant manner.
"How about the price of the ticket to Chicago? You know we haven"t more than a dollar between us?" suggested Eleanor, dryly.
Barbara had evidently forgotten the fact, but she was equal to the emergency. "I"ll telegraph to the bank, the first thing in the morning, and have them wire me the money."
During this animated argument in the guest-chamber, a family gathering formed on the porch of the house.
"Mary, what shall we do with those seven huge trunks?" asked Mr.
Brewster, quizzically watching Polly.
"Seven! Why, Paw!" exclaimed Polly, instantly picturing the wonderful things those trunks held. Creations such as she had pored over in the "Farm Journal Fashion Notes."
"I don"t know, Sam, unless we leave them in the wagon until the girls decide what they wish done with them?" replied Mrs. Brewster.
Sary overheard the conversation and now ran out to see whether there really could be seven trunks!
"Laws me! Ah never see"d sech quare-shaped trunks--all bulgy at one side, and all them bra.s.s locks!"
"They are wardrobe trunks, Sary," remarked Mrs. Brewster.
Sary deigned no reply to the information but vented a bit of her ire against the new-comers by shrugging her great shoulders and saying: "Ef Ah w"ar you-all, Miss Brewster, Ah"d sh.o.r.e pitch them trunks clar over th" line inta Wyomin" state whar th" Injuns kin scramble fer th" fancy duds!"
"Oh, Sary, I smell the cherry-dumplings scorching!" cried Mrs.
Brewster, suddenly, knowing the quickest way to rid herself of Sary.
Anne Stewart now came out and saw the group looking at the wagon. "The girls won"t bother to unpack to-night, Mr. Brewster, so we may as well leave the trunks in the wagon and take them to the barn."
Jeb was sent to the barn with the wagon and contents, and Mr. Brewster retired to the lean-to back of the kitchen where he washed his face and hands in a tin basin. He had dried his hair and face, when Sary called to her mistress that the meal was ready.
Polly and her mother added the last touches to the table, when Mr.
Brewster came to the door saying: "Well, Ah"m ready, Maw!"
"Run and call the girls, Polly; I think Anne went to tell them about the trunks," said Mrs. Brewster.
Unwillingly, Polly obeyed and rapped on the door. "Supper"s waiting."
While Polly was absent on her errand, Jeb came into the kitchen, took a home-spun towel from its peg on the back of the door, and his hair-brush from a small cabinet in the corner. With these toilet articles he went out again to the lean-to where the crude oak bench held the basin and soap. The pump was nearby, and Jeb filled the basin quickly and proceeded to immerse his whole head. Unfortunately, at the moment the city maidens reached the kitchen door leading from the living-room, Jeb was guggling loudly. Then he stood up and snorted as he shook his mane free from the streaming water.
Eleanor turned toward Anne with a smile of amus.e.m.e.nt on her face, but Barbara expressed her disgust with an emphatic "Ugh!"
Polly saw and heard, but failed to understand, as she had been gradually accustomed to Jeb and his uncouth ways. But Mrs. Brewster comprehended the shock it must have been to the city girls and tried to cover the unfortunate incident.
"Anne, will you seat your friends at that side of the table? Polly and I will sit on this side. Mr. Brewster always sits at the head, you know, and I leave the other end for Sary as it is nearest the stove where she can reach it without walking so far."
Jeb came in and immediately pulled out a chair and sat down in his accustomed place, regardless of the standing ladies. Barbara looked on in amazement but said nothing. She was past words!
As they all sat down, Eleanor happened to catch her sister"s eye and expression, and turned suddenly to Anne. Anne, too, had seen the horror on Barbara"s face as Jeb reached over the table for a spoon Sary had forgotten to place beside his plate.
Eleanor raised the napkin to hide her laughing face, but Mr. Brewster construed the act to be one of reverence, and he approved of such tendencies in the young. Consequently, he hastened to say grace.
Barbara sat stiff-necked throughout the lengthy prayer because she felt so rebellious at everything and with everything, that she wouldn"t pay heed to the usual courtesy at prayer-time.
The moment Mr. Brewster said "Amen," Sary carried the large soup-pot from the stove and was about to ladle the soup into the bowls when Barbara said icily: "None for me, thank you!"
Jeb was tying his napkin about his neck, but at such a surprising refusal he gaped at the stranger. However, the fact that his own soup-plate was now placed before him ended the speechless shock.
He began eating at once, and the three boarders watched him scoop up the liquid as if his life depended upon finishing the work. The amount of noise he made while accomplishing the feat was a revelation to the Maynard girls and mortifying to Mrs. Brewster.
Sary concluded her serving and sat down to enjoy her own meal. She used the blade of her knife as a shovel and the fork-p.r.o.ngs as a pick. When she was not spearing or loading food upon either, she was using the silver as an eloquent means of expressing her conversation--which was voluble.
The moment supper ended, Mr. Brewster remarked: "The trunks are safe in the barn. Whenever you need them you can tell Jeb, and he will see that they are carried in for you."
"Thank you, but I shall have them taken back to Oak Creek to-morrow as I have no idea of remaining to spoil my summer," returned Barbara haughtily.
Mr. Brewster made no reply but excused himself and went out to the wide steps of the front porch where he sat down to watch the peaceful twilight as it crept slowly over the mountain peaks.
Here, the rest of the family soon joined him, and the wonderful western night, as the brilliant stars sparkled seemingly so near to earth, had its soothing effect on the perturbed hearts and minds of all present.
When Mrs. Brewster finally mentioned that it was bed-time the individuals in the group felt more amiably disposed towards each other.
Anne Stewart was awake bright and early in the morning and, finding the sisters sleeping soundly, crept out to enjoy the invigorating breezes blowing down from the mountain-peaks.
Some time later, Eleanor sat up and rubbed her eyes, at a loss to remember where she was. After a moment, however, she saw the sofa and laughed merrily.
"Oh, won"t you be quiet! What is the matter with you?" complained Barbara, sleepily.
"Nothing--I feel so alive! Get up and hear the birds sing," replied Eleanor, springing out of bed and running over to the window.
"Oh, Bob! Look at the dazzling mountain-peaks, over there! I suppose these cool breezes come straight from those ice-tops," exclaimed Eleanor.
"I may as well get up or you"ll cause a riot of noise," answered Barbara, querulously.
"Of course I will. I slept so well that I could dance on a trapeze just now. How did you sleep?"
"Why--what does it matter to you?" countered Barbara peevishly.
"Matter? Why, that bed removes one of the obstacles to your remaining here," laughed Eleanor, triumphantly.
Barbara would not admit that she had never slept better nor would she prevaricate, so she merely said: "I am going to Oak Creek the moment we finish breakfast and wire father"s bank for money."
"Might as well find out, first, if you can use the team and wagon. Jeb only goes to town when anything has to be had here or shipped away by train. A trip of twelve miles is not a trifle every day in the week,"
remarked Eleanor.
"I"ll ride a horse to Oak Creek myself. I"ll not stand this awful place another day!" declared Barbara.