"So," continued Paul, "they move my bed into another room, and take up many things for her, because the man thinks it sure."
"Well," cried Tom, coming out in force, ""what can"t be cured must be endured," as par says. There may be a ladder about Mrs. Allen"s premises. To-morrow morning, when I come after you, we"ll just take a survey there. About that cuffy friend of yourn, I want to have some talk with him. When there"s ladders to be used, I"m afraid you and I couldn"t come quite up to the scratch."
"But Jube, Jube he come right up to old scratch for us--very strong Jube--very brave, like lion."
"You"re sartin that cuffy would do it; that he wouldn"t slump through?"
"What, Jube? oh, yes, he do any thing I say; very good Jube, never slump."
"Well, then, we"re a hull team, you and I and the n.i.g.g.e.r. Yes, and a hoss to let. If we don"t get Katy Allen out of that end window, I don"t know what"s what; but, then, what are we to do with her when that"s done?"
Paul shook his head in sudden despondency.
"Oh, dear, where can we go?"
Tom folded his arms and drooped his head. Here was a difficulty which he hadn"t thought of before.
All at once Paul brightened up.
"We will take her to New York. If David Rice is there he"ll be very good, and so glad Jube and we did it for his sister."
"Yes," cried Tom, "That"s a genuine idee. I"ll hook par"s yaller wagon and drive down to the sloop atween two days, they"ll never think of searching aboard a sloop. But oh, golly, golly, here"s a fix. It takes money to travel in that ere genteel way, and I haint got more"n a ninepence on earth."
"Money?" cried Paul, eagerly. "What you call gold with the king"s head on it?"
"I don"t know about gold, never saw none of that ere money. What I mean is silver with a spread-eagle on one side and a woman"s head on t"other."
"I am sure that gold is money," said Paul, recovering from his first look of disappointment, "for Jube gave it to the people as we came along, and they gave him back silver like that you speak of, more pieces than the gold, oh very much."
"And how much have you got?"
Paul put his delicate hands together.
"So much full, three, four, five times."
Tom emitted a low whistle. "Oh, golly, that"s up to chalk, and you"re sartin the tavern keepers and captains gave you silver money for it?"
"Sure I saw."
"And Jube will sh.e.l.l out--no mistake about that, ha?"
"Jube what?"
""ll hand over," persisted Tom, counting imaginary gold into his palm.
"What, give the money?"
"Yes; c.h.i.n.k!"
"Oh, yes--sure."
"Then we"re sot up in business. Three stout fellers, saddles lying about loose in some barn or other, yaller wagon standing ready, harness chucked under the seat, horses whinnering to be druv, and that ere poor gal ready to jump out of the window when we say the word. Now, Paul, this is just what you must do. Get the n.i.g.g.e.r--I mean our friend Jube--for when a darkey has his double hands full of c.h.i.n.k to do as he pleases with, he"s got a right to be treated like folks, for that makes him an individual; get him ready to toe the mark when we give the word.
Jest tell her that Tom--she knows me--is on hand, and working for her like sixty, and just the minute she"s well enough to cut, we"ll have her out of that winder. Then you sleep with one eye open, and tell me every word that officer says."
"Yes," said Paul, "I"ll do every thing; but hadn"t we better say something to madam?"
"Do you mean Mrs. Allen?" answered Tom, dropping his chin into the hollow of one hand, in a thoughtful way. "No; I should rather say not.
She"s got strict notions about things, and might put the wrong spoke into our wheel. Now, if I was going to tell anybody, it would be the doctor; he"s clear grit, he is, and wouldn"t stop us if we run through his own home lot with that ere gal. Ketch him telling."
By this time the boys were chilled through with standing in the wet and cold. Tom"s teeth chattered in his head as he uttered this encomium on the doctor, who was the most popular person among the juveniles in all the neighborhood, and Paul shivered in his garments like a tropical bird brought into the midst of a foreign winter. Besides, the boys had conquered the brook, which was storming its way to the river over a pile of stones and rubbish, which he triumphantly p.r.o.nounced the finest dam that had ever been built on this side of creation; and Tom, though a philosopher, philanthropist, and hero, loved fun above all. So away he started, shouting hurrah, and made a rush clear through the turbulent waters of the brook, just to let the boys know that he hadn"t been shirking; but amid all the noise and fun, he resolved to be faithful to his young confederate, and only hold council with the true-hearted negro.
As Paul went toiling up the hill that day, he saw Jube coming toward him--a circ.u.mstance that often happened on his way from school. How his beautiful face kindled up at the sight of his friend. His pace quickened, and the trouble went out from his eyes as he held out the little, cold hand, in its wet mitten, for Jube to lead him home, as usual.
Jube drew off the mitten, and took the chilled hand in his broad palm, caressing it as if it had been a bird.
CHAPTER x.x.xVI.
MRS. MASON AT HER STUDIES.
Several months had pa.s.sed since the arrival of Mrs. Mason at the minister"s house, in Bays Hollow.
During that time she had not been idle. When she placed herself under the quiet lady"s instruction, she had announced that she wished to make all the progress possible and turn every moment to account--truly, she had done so.
Had the woman kept some good design in view, the a.s.siduity with which she labored would have done her honor--as it was, vanity took the place of any better motive and perhaps was the strongest incentive which a nature like hers could have felt.
The facility with which she gained a knowledge of things astonished the minister"s wife, whose education was thorough and solid, yet Mrs. Mason made far more show with her little accomplishments than her instructress could with all her learning. She had an excellent verbal memory, was quick to seize every movement or expression, and as Mrs. Prior was a true lady she could not have had a better model.
Among the gifts with which Thrasher had presented Mrs. Mason, there were many articles of which she did not know the use or even the name, but n.o.body would ever have dreamed it--she gained the knowledge so adroitly from Mrs. Prior, that the little woman had an unpleasant feeling that the wealthy Southerner considered her very ignorant, and desired to enlighten her.
She did wonders in her French lessons--she promised to make a showy, dashing performer upon the piano, and her quick ear taught her speedily to regulate any little inaccuracies of speech by the correct, although sometimes formal language, of her companion.
Yet she carried it all off with so lofty an air, that her teacher often felt that she was the only person instructed. She corrected herself with so much a.s.surance and dignity that Mrs. Prior would color modestly, almost inclined to believe that it was she who had been guilty of false syntax, and that the stately lady opposite had set her right with good-natured insolence.
In the box of books which Thrasher sent Mrs. Mason, there were a large number of novels, princ.i.p.ally French, and those she read with great avidity, although there were many, after she began to read the language with ease, which she did not think proper to display to the criticism of her hostess.
The little parlor had a.s.sumed quite a different aspect since the introduction of the piano and various articles of furniture which Mrs.
Mason ordered from New York. Her own rooms were furnished with a degree of elegance she had never seen equaled, yet from her manner one would have thought she only endured their meagreness with the condescension of one accustomed to a very different state of affairs.
Little Rose grew prettier every day, and made herself happy, as was natural at her age. She became a great favorite with Mrs. Prior, and even with the dreary clergyman. But beyond a certain point, Mrs. Mason would not permit any intimacy to extend. She was jealous of Rose"s affection for the worthy pair, as she would have been at the idea of sharing love with any one.
Neither the minister nor his wife were able to understand the character of their inmate, but they felt a sort of repulsion in regard to her which it was impossible to overcome, although they reproached themselves as if they had been guilty of a deadly sin, but after all their struggles they sunk back into the same unpleasant state of mind.
The minister really felt uneasy while going through family worship in her presence; not that she appeared irreverent, on the contrary, she was as strict in her performance of such duties as the rest of the house, but she acted all the while as if she were doing a great favor to all concerned, even to the Being to whom she prayed.