Both the girls started nervously, and Ella began to laugh.
"Missy Mara, you fergits some cake in de oben from de way it smell," and Aun" Sheba drew out cookies as black as herself instead of a delicate brown.
Mara looked at them ruefully, and then said, "I must make some more, that"s all." "Wot"s de matter wid you bofe, honeys?" the old woman asked kindly.
"Politics," Ella blurted out.
"Polytics! No won"er you"se bofe off de handle. Dere"s been only two times wen I couldn"t stan" Unc. nohow. De fust an" wust was wen he get polytics on de brain, an" belebed dat ole guv"ner Moses was gwine ter lead de culud people to a promis" lan". I alus tole him dat his Moses "ud lead him into a ditch, an" so he did. De secon" time was wen he got sot on, but you knows all "bout dat. You"se bofe too deep fer me. How you git into polytics I doan see nohow."
"There, Aun" Sheba, don"t you mind Ella"s nonsense. We"re no more into politics than you are."
"You"se inter sump"in den."
"Yes," said Ella, "we"re still carrying on the war."
"Please don"t talk so, Ella."
"Oh, Mara! I must have my nonsense. You"ve got the "storied past"--that"s how it"s phrased, isn"t it?--to sustain you, and I"ve only my nonsense."
"Well, puttin" in aw-spice double is nonsense, shuah nuff," said Aun"
Sheba, looking at the girl keenly. "Wot you want spicin" so fer all"t once, Missy Ella? You peart, an" saucy as eber. I ony wish I could see Missy Mara lookin" like you."
"You are getting old and blind, Aun" Sheba. I have a secret sorrow gnawing at my "inards," as you term those organs which keep people awake o"
nights, gazing at the moon."
"Yes, honey, Aun" Sheba gittin" bery ole an" bery blin", but she see dat dere"s sump"in out ob kilter wid de inards ob you bofe. Well, well, I s"pose it"s none ob de ole woman"s business."
"Ann" Sheba," cried Ella, with an exaggerated sigh, "if you could mend matters I"d come to you quicker than to any one else, you dear old soul!
Well now, to tell you the honest truth, there isn"t very much the matter with me, and there"s a certain doctor that"s going to cure me just as sure as this batter (holding up a spoonful) is going to be cake in ten minutes."
"Who dat?"
"Doctor Time--oh, get out!" At this instant an irate b.u.mble-bee darted in, and Ella, in a spasmodic effort of self-defence, threw the spoon at it, and both went flying out of the window. The girl sat down half-crying, half-laughing in her vexation, while Aun" Sheba shook with mirth in all her ample proportions.
"Dat ar cake"s gwine to be dough for eber mo", Missy Ella," she said.
"I"se feerd you"se case am bery serus. Yit I worries mo" "bout Missy Mara.
Heah now, honey, you jes dun beat out. You sit down an" Missy Ella an"
me"ll finish up in a jiffy. I reckon Missy Ella ony got a leetle tantrum dis mawnin, but you"se been a wuckin" an" tinkin" too hard dis long time."
"Yes, Aun" Sheba," cried Ella, "that"s the trouble. Let"s you and I take the business out of her hands for a time, and make her a silent partner."
"She too silent now. Bofe oh you gittin" ter be silent par"ners. In de good ole times I"d heah you chatterin" as I come up de stars, an" to-day you was bofe right smart ways off from dis kitchen in you mins. Mum, mum, tinkin" deep, bofe ob you. Eysters ud make a racket long ob you uns dis mawnin"."
"There, Aun" Sheba," said Mara, kindly, "don"t you worry about us. This is July, and in August we"ll take a rest. You deserve and need it as much as either of us. I"ll get well and strong then, and you know it makes people worse to tell them they don"t look well and all that."
Aun" Sheba gave a sort of dissatisfied grunt, but she helped the girls through with their tasks in her own deft way, and departed with Vilet, who was always very quiet and shy except when at home.
"Well," said Ella, giving herself a little shake, when they were alone, "I"m going to get over my nonsense at once."
"What"s troubling you, Ella?"
"Oh, I hardly know myself. What"s troubling you? We both seem out of sorts. Do let us be sensible and jolly. Now if we both had a raging toothache we"d have some excuse for melancholy. Good-by, dear, I"ll be up with the lark to-morrow, and we"ll make a lark of our work;" and she started homeward, with her cherry lips sternly compressed in her resolution to be her old mirthful self. In the energy of her purpose she began to walk faster and faster. "There now, Ella Bodine," she muttered, "since it"s your duty to ostracize and bake, _ostracize_ and _bake_, and be done with your ridiculous fancies." And she swiftly turned the corner of a street, as if, under the inspiration of a great purpose, she was entering upon a new and wiser course. The result was, she nearly ran over George Houghton. Looking up, she saw him standing, hat in hand, with a broad, glad smile on his face.
"You almost equal that express-wagon," he said. "Are you going for the doctor?"
Her mouth twitched nervously, but she managed to say, "Good-morning, Mr.
Houghton, I"m in haste," and on she went. He saw her head go down. Was she laughing or crying? The latter possibility brought him to her side instantly.
"Are you in trouble?" he asked very kindly. "Isn"t there something--oh, I see you are laughing at me," and his tones proved that his feelings were deeply hurt.
Her mirth ceased at once. "No, Mr. Houghton," she replied, looking up at him with frank directness, "I was not laughing at _you_, but I could not help laughing at what you said. I"m in no trouble, nor shall I be if--if--well, you know what I told you. We must be strangers, you know,"
and she went on again as if her feet were winged.
"I don"t know anything of the kind," he muttered, as he turned on his heel and slowly pursued his way to his father"s counting-rooms. Entering he paused an instant and looked grimly at Bodine, whose head was bent over his writing. "I"ll tackle you next, old gentleman," was his thought.
Punctually to a minute he called on Mrs. Willoughby when the week had expired. She looked into his resolute face and surmised before he spoke that time and reflection had not inclined him to a prudent withdrawal from a very doubtful suit. Nevertheless she said: "Well, you"ve had a little time to think, and you probably see now that your wisest course will be to give up this little affair utterly."
"Pardon me, Mrs. Willoughby, I"ve had an age in which to think, and it"s not a little affair to me. I did not quite understand myself when I last saw you--it was all so new, strange, and heavenly. But I understand myself now. Ella Bodine shall be my wife unless she finally rejects me, unless she herself makes me sure that it"s of no use to try. What"s more, it will take years to prove this. As long as she does not belong to another I"ll never give up."
"She belongs to her father."
"No, not in this sense. She has the right of every American girl to choose her husband."
"Do you mean to defy her father?"
"No, I mean to go to him like a gentleman, and ask permission to pay my addresses to his daughter. I mean to do this before I say one word of love to her."
"Since you are so resolved upon your course you do not need any more advice from me."
"I don"t mean that at all. Isn"t this the right, honorable course?"
"Oh, your royalty wishes me to applaud your decrees and decisions," she said laughing.
"Now please don"t be hard on me, Mrs. Willoughby. I"ve followed your advice with all my might for a week."
"Done nothing with all your might?"
"Yes, and you couldn"t have given me a harder task."
"Are you of age?"
"Yes, I am. I"m twenty-two, however immature I may seem to you."
"Miss Bodine is not of age."
"Well, I"ll wait till she is."
"Wouldn"t that be better? Wait till she is of age, and more capable of judging and acting for herself. Time may soften her father"s feelings, and your father"s also, for, believe me, you are going to have as much trouble at home as with Captain Bodine, that is, supposing that Ella would listen to your suit."