"I won't hurt you for nothin', sis," he said, heartily. "It's all right and don't you fret about it. Accidents will happen even in the best regulated--er--funerals; though," with a broad grin, "I hope another one like that'll never happen to ME. Now don't you cry any more."
Mary-'Gusta raised her head and regarded him steadily.
"Won't I be put in jail?" she asked, more hopefully.
"Indeed you won't. I never put anybody in jail in my life; though," with an emphatic nod, "there's some folks ought to go there for frightenin' children out of their senses. Did that Mrs. Hobbs tell you I was goin' to--what was it?--knock your head off and all the rest?"
"Yes, sir, she did."
"Well, she's a--she's what she is. What else did she say to you?"
"She--she said I was a bad, wicked child and she hoped I'd be sent to the--the orphans' home. If she was to have the care of me, she said, she'd make me walk a chalk or know why. And she sent me to my room and said I couldn't have any supper."
Zoeth and the Captain looked at each other. Baxter frowned.
"On the very day of her father's funeral," he muttered.
"Can't I have any supper?" begged Mary-'Gusta. "I'm awful hungry; I didn't want much dinner."
Zoeth nodded. His tone, when he spoke, was not so mild as was usual with him.
"You shall have your supper," he said.
"And--and must I go to the orphans' home?"
No one answered at once. Zoeth and Captain Shad again looked at each other and the Judge looked at them both.
"Must I?" repeated Mary-'Gusta. "I--I don't want to. I'd rather die, I guess, and go to Heaven, same as Mother and Father. But Mrs.
Hobbs says they don't have any dolls nor cats in Heaven, so I don't know's I'd want to go there."
Baxter walked to the window and looked out. Captain Shadrach reached into his pocket, produced a crumpled handkerchief, and blew his nose violently. Zoeth stroked the child's hair.
"Mary-'Gusta," he said, after a moment, "how would you like to go over to South Harniss and--and see me and Cap'n Gould a little while? Just make us a visit, you know. Think you'd like that?"
The Captain started. "Good land, Zoeth!" he exclaimed. "Be careful what you're sayin'."
"I ain't sayin' anything definite, Shadrach. I know how you feel about it. I just wanted to see how she felt herself, that's all.
Think you'd like that, Mary-'Gusta?"
Mary-'Gusta thought it over. "I guess maybe I would," she said, "if I could take my dolls and David. I wouldn't want to leave David.
Mrs. Hobbs don't like cats."
And at that moment Mrs. Hobbs herself appeared in the doorway of the carriage room. She saw the child and her eyes snapped.
"So she was here," she said. "I thought as much. Mary-'Gusta, what did you run away from that room for? Didn't I forbid you leavin' it? She's been a bad girl, Judge Baxter," she added, "and I can't make her behave. I try my best, but I'm sure I don't know what to do."
Captain Shadrach thrust both hands into his pockets.
"I tell you what to do," he said, sharply. "You go into the house and put some of her things into a valise or satchel or somethin'.
And hurry up as fast as you can."
Mrs. Hobbs was astonished.
"Put 'em in a satchel?" she repeated. "What for? Where's she goin'?"
"She's goin' home along with me and Zoeth. And she's got to start inside of half an hour. You hurry."
"But--but--"
"There ain't any 'buts'; haven't got time for 'em."
Mr. Hamilton regarded his friend with an odd expression.
"Shadrach," he asked, "do you realize what you're sayin'?"
"Who's sayin'? You said it, I didn't. Besides takin' her home with us today don't mean nothin', does it? A visit won't hurt us.
Visits don't bind anybody to anything. Jumpin' Judas! I guess we've got room enough in the house to have one young-one come visitin' for--for a couple of days, if we want to. What are you makin' such a fuss about? Here you," turning to the housekeeper, "ain't you gone yet? You've got just thirteen minutes to get that satchel ready."
Mrs. Hobbs departed, outraged dignity in her walk and manner.
"Am--am I goin'?" faltered Mary-'Gusta.
Zoeth nodded.
"Yes," he said, "you're goin'. Unless, of course, you'd rather stay here."
"No, I'd rather go, if--if I can take David and the dolls. Can I?"
"Can she, Shadrach?"
Captain Shad, who was pacing the floor, turned savagely.
"What do you ask me that for?" he demanded. "This is your doin's, 'tain't mine. You said it first, didn't you? Yes, yes, let her take the dolls and cats--and cows and pigs, too, if she wants to.
Jumpin' fire! What do I care? If a feller's bound to be a fool, a little live stock more or less don't make him any bigger one. . . .
Land sakes! I believe she's goin' to cry again. Don't do that!
What's the matter now?"
The tears were starting once more in the girl's eyes.
"I--I don't think you want me," she stammered. "If you did you--you wouldn't talk so."
The Captain was greatly taken aback. He hesitated, tugged at his beard, and then, walking over to the child, took her by the hand.
"Don't you mind the way I talk, Mary-'Gusta," he said. "I'm liable to talk 'most any way, but I don't mean nothin' by it. I like little girls, same as Zoeth said. And I ain't mad about the jig-tune chair, neither. Say," with a sudden inspiration; "here we are settin' here and one of our passengers has left the dock. We got to find that cat, ain't we? What did you say his name was--Solomon?"
"No, sir; David."
"David, sure enough. If I'd been up in Scripture the way Zoeth--Mr. Hamilton, here--is, I wouldn't have made that mistake, would I?
Come on, let's you and me go find David and break the news to him.
Say, he'll be some surprised to find he's booked for a foreign v'yage, won't he? Come on, we'll go find him."
Mary-'Gusta slowly rose from Mr. Hamilton's knee. She regarded the Captain steadily for a moment; then, hand in hand, they left the barn together.
Judge Baxter whistled. "Well!" he exclaimed. "I must say I didn't expect this."
Zoeth smiled. "There ain't many better men than Shadrach Gould," he observed, quietly.
