登陆注册
37808200000012

第12章 CHAPTER III(1)

The white house on Phinney's Hill looked desolate and mournful when the buggy containing Judge Baxter and his two companions drove into the yard. The wagon belonging to Mr. Hallett, the undertaker, was at the front door, and Hallett and his assistant were loading in the folding chairs. Mr. Hallett was whistling a popular melody, but, somehow or other, the music only emphasized the lonesomeness. There is little cheer in an undertaker's whistle.

Captain Gould, acting under the Judge's orders, piloted his horse up the driveway and into the back yard. The animal was made fast to the back fence and the three men alighted from the buggy and walked up to the side door of the house.

"Say, Judge," whispered the Captain, as they halted by the step, "you don't cal'late I can find out who loaded up that music-box chair on me, do you? If I could meet that feller for two or three minutes I might feel more reconciled at bein' fool enough to come over here."

Mrs. Hobbs answered the knock at the door--she invited them in.

When told that they had come to see Mary-'Gusta she sniffed.

"She's in her room," she said, rather sharply. "She hadn't ought to be let out, but of course if you want to see her, Judge Baxter, I presume likely she'll have to be. I'll go fetch her."

"Wait a minute, Mrs. Hobbs," said Baxter. "What's the matter? Has the child been behaving badly?"

Mrs. Hobbs' lean fingers clinched. "Behavin' badly!" she repeated.

"I should say she had! I never was so mortified in my life. And at her own father's funeral, too!"

"What has she done?"

"Done? She--" Mrs. Hobbs hesitated, glanced at Captain Shadrach, and left her sentence unfinished. "Never mind what she done," she went on. "I can't tell you now; I declare I'd be ashamed to. I'll go get her."

She marched from the room. Zoeth rubbed his forehead.

"She seems sort of put out, don't she," he observed, mildly.

Baxter nodded. "Susan Hobbs has the reputation of getting 'put out' pretty often," he said. "She has a temper and it isn't a long one."

"Has she been takin' care of Marcellus's girl?" asked Zoeth.

"Yes. As much care as the child has had."

Captain Shad snorted. It was evident that the housekeeper's manner had not impressed him favorably.

"Humph!" he said. "I'd hate to have her take care of me, judgin' by the way she looked just now. Say," hopefully, "do you suppose SHE was the one fixed that chair?"

They heard Mrs. Hobbs on the floor above, shouting:

"Mary-'Gusta! Mary-'Gusta! Where are you? Answer me this minute!"

"Don't seem to be in that room she was talkin' about," grumbled Shadrach. "Tut! Tut! What a voice that is! Got a rasp to it like a rusty saw."

Mrs. Hobbs was heard descending the stairs. Her face, when she reentered the sitting-room, was red and she looked more "put out" than ever.

"She ain't there," she answered, angrily. "She's gone."

"Gone?" repeated Zoeth and Shadrach in chorus.

"Gone?" repeated the Judge. "Do you mean she's run away?"

"No, no! She ain't run away--not for good; she knows better than that. She's sneaked off and hid, I suppose. But I know where she is. I'll have her here in a minute."

She was hurrying out again, but the Captain detained her.

"Wait!" he commanded. "What's that you say? You know where she is?"

"Yes, or I can guess. Nine chances to one she's out in that barn."

"In the barn? What's she doin" there--playin' horse?"

"No, no. She's hidin' in the carriage room. Seems as if the child was possessed to get out in that dusty place and perch herself in the old carryall. She calls it her playhouse and you'd think 'twas Heaven the way she loves to stay there. But today of all days! And with her best clothes on! And after I expressly told her--"

"Yes, yes; all right. Humph! Well, Zoeth, what do you say? Shall we go to Heaven and hunt for her? Maybe 'twill be the only chance some of us'll get, you can't tell," with a wink at Baxter.

"Hush, Shadrach! How you do talk!" protested the shocked Mr. Hamilton.

"Let's go out to the barn and find the young-one ourselves," said the Captain. "Seems the ******st thing to do, don't it?"

Mrs. Hobbs interrupted.

"You don't need to go at all," she declared. "I'll get her and bring her here. Perhaps she ain't there, anyway."

"Well, if she ain't there we can come back again. Come on, boys."

He led the way to the door. The housekeeper would have accompanied them, but he prevented her doing so.

"Don't you trouble yourself, ma'am," he said. "We'll find her. I'm older'n I used to be, but I ain't so blind but what I can locate a barn without a spyglass."

"It won't be any trouble," protested the lady.

"I know, but it might be. We'll go alone."

When the three were in the back yard, and the discomfited housekeeper was watching them from the door, he added:

"I don't know why that woman rubs my fur the wrong way, but she does. Isaiah Chase says he don't like mosquitoes 'cause they get on his nerves. I never thought I wore my nerves on the back of my neck, which is where Isaiah gets skeeter-bit mostly, but anyhow, wherever they be, that Hobbs woman bothers 'em. There's the barn, ain't it? Don't look very heavenly, but it may seem that way after a spell in t'other place. Now where's the carriage room?"

The door of the carriage room was open, and they entered. A buggy and the muslin draped surrey were there, but no living creature was in sight. They listened, but heard nothing.

"Mary! Mary-'Gusta!" called Baxter. "Are you here?"

No answer. And then, from beneath the cover of the surrey, appeared a fat tortoise-shell cat, who jumped lightly to the floor, yawned, stretched, and blinked suspiciously at the visitors.

"Humph!" grunted Captain Shadrach. "There's one stowaway, anyhow.

Maybe there's another; I've had 'em come aboard in pairs."

The Judge walked over to the surrey, and raised the cover. From behind it came a frightened little squeal.

"Oh, there you are!" said Baxter. "Mary-'Gusta, is that you?"

There was a rustle, a sob, and then a timid voice said, chokingly, "Yes, sir."

"Come out," said the Judge, kindly. "Come out; here are some friends who want to meet you."

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 我的女友不是神

    我的女友不是神

    魔域第一教的教主是世上最年轻的强者,竟被手下反水,死后遇史前妖神,被赐天机来到天域,开启了改变世界的征程……
  • tfboys我们在一起

    tfboys我们在一起

    “我王俊凯喜欢辛雨沁,我会永远爱她”“我王源喜欢江米涵,我会永远爱她”“我易烊千玺,会永远守护白沐言”。
  • 浮生峥嵘

    浮生峥嵘

    天道峥嵘,余者浮生,人道了了,匍行合归?寻道问长生,求仙卜来世,轮回不可知,长路应可为!何以为仙?天地问道!破落家族为何一夜惨遭屠戮?世间为何再无仙?遗子寻仙,揭露了一幕隐藏千年的隐秘...
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 烽火篮球

    烽火篮球

    热爱篮球,学会在不变中改变,学会篮球的团结,,,
  • 末世纪年尘荒

    末世纪年尘荒

    游园惊梦,一梦醒来,却发现深陷仙侠网游世界。四魂器散落尘荒大陆,谁才能通关这个由数据组成的异世大陆。在这个看似荒诞的生存游戏后,隐藏了怎样一段不为人知的秘密,和开发者怎样的野心“那我还欠你多少”他对她说:“一辈子。”“这里很美呢,只是美的并不真实。”---------------------第一部小说,网穿文,大概是看了刀剑神域吧,不过这是仙侠风的,还是有很多不同的。
  • 重生之双料影后复仇记

    重生之双料影后复仇记

    影后白薇,有颜值有实力有演技,凭着自己辛苦打拼在娱乐圈好不容易闯出一片天地,只可惜雷厉风行的麻辣女皇,偏偏长了一颗恋爱脑,十二年的青春都浪费在了苏起这人渣身上。辛辛苦苦赚的血汗钱都给他成立了影视公司,自己心甘情愿半隐退做他的贤内助。结果这男人在外面养小三不说,还把孩子抱回来让她收做养子!直到死的那一刻白薇都悔恨不已,如果老天给她一次机会重来她一定不会活成这样!是的,老天大概是看她可怜,真的给了她这个机会……
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 凤妃天下:狂傲女神很嚣张

    凤妃天下:狂傲女神很嚣张

    做为一名只宅在家里玩游戏宅女,只是追求精神上的刺激而已,可本宅女没说要自己亲身体验这刺激的东西啊!!!为嘛老天你一个闪电雷劈把我劈走了?劈去古代那也就算了,可是你见过古代有这么高科技的枪吗?而且还能修习那神马内力?这是古代还是未来?还是古代跟未来的结合的怪时空?某女嗷嗷大叫:“神啊!赶紧把我劈回去吧!”(本文纯属虚构,请勿模仿!若有雷同,纯属巧合!)
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!