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A STORY OF
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH
; BY
MARY HARTWELL CATHERWOOD
Author of “Rocky Fork,†Secret of Roseladies,†etc.
FULLY ILLUSTRATED
BOSTON
D. LOTHROP COMPANY
WASHINGTON STREET OPPOSITE BROMFIELD
Copyricut, 1892,
BY
D. Lorurop Company,
CONTENTS.
PART I.
WE ARE SEVEN.
(A Story of the Dogberry Bunch.)
PART II.
ROCKY FORK.
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. I
5 a A a a aa ES
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
BY MARY HARTWELL CATHERWOOD.
' CHAPTER I.
THE "SOCIATION.
N the state of Illinois there was
a two-sided village ; in that vill-
age there was a small frame
dwelling; in that dwelling a
large square table; and around
this table sat the Dogberry
Bunch. Like the family of
Wordsworth’s little cotter, they
were seven in all. Seven live
and unlike but strongly-united
brothers and sisters, without
‘father or mother to take care of
them or sit with them at table.
Their parents had been dead
more than a year; and as they
got on comfortably as they
were, and their guardian did not
know what else to do with them,
he let them alone.
Alice at the head of the table, and Ben at the foot,
were the recognized Heads of the House. Alice was
eighteen — more than a year older than he — but her
plump figure scarcely reached to his shoulder.
Being Miss Dogberry, and of age, she had come into
her estate which consisted in plans to get along, and
working as assistant teacher in the schools to help
the Bunch. They owned nothing but this house situ-
ated among shady trees, and an adjoining lot used for
a garden, which their well-wishers prophesied would
sell for a pretty price by and by. I could not enum-
erate the sad and hard-working years which the el-
der Dogberrys spent in saving even this inheritance
for their children, out of sickness and hardship. But
with the little house they left their Bunch a feeling of
true independence. Accustomed to work and to
obey their elders, they now worked on, obedient to
what they had been taught. Ben, a large fine boy,
with a ruddy face and deep-set eyes, was learning to
be acarpenter. Jack, ugly but charming, and full of
Tesources, was messenger-boy in the railroad depot
and general gardener and repairer at home. Lucy
was house-keeper and Maude her assistant. Rheem,
when he and this latter and favorite sister were pot
at school, found “jobs†to do which enriched him
and helped him maintain an honorable place in the
Bunch’s Association. Arthur, the milk-white, big-
browed, three-year-old baby, was the only one of the
family who had not stated duties, :
Around this square table I mentioned, the Bunch
were disposed according to their likes. Although a
firm Bunch, they hung in twos, Maude, colorless,
with long fair hair and black-lashed eyes, of course
sat close by her twin, Rheem, who had more color
and more size; they answered to the names of
Rome and Remus. Ben and Alice were “Ben Boltâ€
and “ Sweet Alice ;’ and Jack and Arthur were uneven
sized mates. Lucy alone went companionless ; but
as she was the house-mother they all belonged to her ;
besides she was so tall the Bunch said she would do
for two anyway. She was indeed the young giraffe of
the flock, Benjamin
being obliged to
stretch after his inches
to keep her down.
They ate their sup-
per with great relish:
it was a comfortable
supper of bread and
milk, apple-sauce and
gingerbread, and, the
season being early
June, a heaping sau-
cer of strawberries
flanked each young
Dogberry’s plate, from the strawberry vines in their
i garden,
“ Sweet ALicr?
2 THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
ee eee ee te ee SS SS SS
“ Wouldn't it be nice,†exclaimed Jack, who appro-
piately first breaks silence in this history, being the
tinkler who usually led the flock, “if we’d all do as |
children do in stories: set out to seek our fortunes!
All start from this house and agree to meet in a year,
or several years,
and every fellow
try to bring back
the most!â€
‘*But who'd
keep house while
we were gone?â€
inquired Maude
“Q, the house
could keep itself
like it always
does !â€
*T guess Loo
to be the case,â€
remarked Ben,. smiling on the housekeeper.
“Jack always thinks the bread makes itself, and
his clothes get clean only with his wearing them — ¥
“O, I’m not denying you're useful, Lucephus,â€
cried gay Jack, “you’re good for a well-rope, and
you'd make a first-rate step-ladder ; and if you only
would take your stand in the garden and stay there
T’d never have to cut a bean-pole.â€
“T don’t think such remarks sound very well, ad-
dressed to your sister,†came the soft contralto of
Alice the teacher, who far from being the young lady
which a city girl at her age would appear, was only a
plump, fair child like the others, but with more grav-
ity, and with longer dresses than Lucy’s. Country
girls mature slowly.
At this instant Rheem started up, exploding the
question :
“How much money has the ’Sociation, now, Treas-
urer?’†Upon this, all the seven faces including
Arthur’s — he always imitating his brothers and sis-
ters— put on a serious look, and the seven voices
inquired cautiously as became the voices of stock-
holders:
6G Why ? �
“ Because, if we’ve got much as six dollars’ and a
half we can buy the nicest pig of Mr. Smith and fat
him for winter!†-
“Rome AND RHEEM.â€
“We need a pig,†admitted Ben, in meditation. |
“The prettiest little fellow,†pleaded Rheem;
“ and [ll take care of him, and Jack will make a pen
if he is as smart as he is at fixing up some othe
things â€â€™â€”
Here Jack winked pleadingly and shook his head
at Remus. 7
“ But isn’t it against our rules,†said Lucy, “ to spend
the Association money on things for our use? I
thought it was to start a—a—â€
“A fund,†said Ben.
“Well, Rome is secretary,†cried Jack. “ Better
get the papers and see.â€
Maude ran accordingly to the candle-box in which
her valuables were stored, and returned with a fistfull
of paper bits.. As she turned these records over, a
desire arose from the family to thoroughly review
their Association; so at their request she read the
following Constitution and By-laws:
THE ASSOCIATION,
We want to Club together to save money because
we are orphans and got to look out for ourselves.
And we do not want to be separated. Each one
must put in what he can, and vote what will be done
with it.
BY-LAWS.
ist. None of this money can be drawn out to
spend for candy.
and. If four of the Association agree to any invest- |
ment, the rest will have to give up.
3rd. Every month we will take ten cents out of our
fund to give to the Lord.
4th, No member can draw the Association money
unless all the others are agreed.
6th. It shall be invested in the best ways we can
find out.
Signed:
BEN?ZAMIN DOGBERRY,
ALICE DOGBERRY,
GFACK DOGBERRY,
LUCY DOGBERRKY,
RHEEM DOGBERRY,
MAUDE DOGBERRY,
his
ARTHUR » DOGBERRY
mark
Maude, Secrerary,
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
Oo
_ “Now, there’s nothing said in these documents
about pigs,†said Jack. .
“But there’s nothing said against them!†cried
Remus warmly.
“Tt says,†repeated Maude in support of her fa-
vorite brother, “if four agree to any investment, the
rest will have to give up. . You made that bylaw
yourself, Mr. Jack!â€
“ But,†objected Alice, “it wouldn’t.be a real
investment to buy something we were going to eat up.
We intended the Association to save for us.â€
“Well, let us vote,†suggested Ben, amicably, “I’m
president. All in favor of putting the Association
money in a pig to fat and kill, hold up the hand!â€
Perhaps this was not a fair way to put the question,
and influence the voters. Remus looked aggrieved as
he thrust up both hands, that nobody but his twin
seconded him.
“Well,†resumed the president: “now all in favor
of wof investing in pig, hold up the hand!â€
All the other hands went up, including Arthur’s
and his milk-cup in it, trickling copiously on his head
as it descended.
“ Now, treasurer,†cried Jack, “count up our cash
and let us see how much we saved out of that pork-
speculation.†,
Lucy went to Aer candle-box, at this suggestion,
and bringing out a tin-case, laid the wealth of the
Association before them. In scrip and pennies and
half dimes they piled it up, counting over each other’s
shoulders.
“ Two dollars!†cried Jack with emphasis, “and
“twenty-five and twenty-five are fifty "—
“Three dollars,†said Ben— .-
“And ten and ten and fifteen are thirty-five †—
“ Just three dollars and seventy-five cents,†decided
Alice, rising from counting and beginning io clear
away the dishes.
The.. Association looked..-around at itself rather
sheepishly.
“Humph! you couldn’t ’a bought that pig if you’d
wanted to!†sneered Remus, the discomfitted fur-
nisher of “points,†with returning triumph.
“Three dollars wouldn’t buy a six dollar pig!â€
added his twin, to strengthen his position.
“Well, we don’t want a pig just yet, anyhow,â€
laughed paternal Ben. “We'll wait awhile and get
one some other way.â€
“T should like to inquire,†said Jack, rising, as the
treasurer with her Treasure and the secretary with
her scrawled Constitution both disappeared to place
their charges again in safety, “if this was a regular
meeting? I was going to call a meeting of the Asso-
ciation to-night, and ask you all to my house!â€
“ You can’t call a meeting: you aren’t President.â€
“But [’m Vice. And the Vice-president has as
much authority as the President in or Association !â€
“Where is your house, Jack?†inquired Lucy, help-
ing to whisk away the remains of the supper.
“T want you all to come and see,†cried Jack.
“ Arty knows. Don’t you tell, Arty! I’ve got it all fur-
nished and finished, and I’m going to begin house-
keeping there right off,â€â€™
Jack’s eagerness having a strong effect upon the
Bunch, it was not long before the girls had their sup-
per-work done, and the house so tidy that any stray
neighbor who might peep in would have to admit that
the Dogberry children did not get onso badly! Then
they all ran out at Jack’s heels, Arthur dragging only
a step behind him, Rome and Remus with arms inter-
laced, “‘hippity-hopping,†Lucy undulating like a
young sapling tossed by a merry wind, and only Ben
and Alice pretending to saunter, and they sauntered
eagerly !
I said it was a two-sided village they lived in: it
was actually known as Old Town and New Town;
the Oid Town having been a pulseless collection of
twenty houses until a railroad, like a great artery
brought it new blood. Then every enterprising citi-
zen dragged his house to, or built a new one beside,
the railroad ; strangers came to live there also, thus
forming a modern village where all the business and
most of the living was done. But there were poor
people and old settled residents who preferred to
make no change, and still remained on the one old
street: this side of the village was therefore called
Old Town, and in ‘spite of the three or four pretty
houses on it was a sad array of tumble-in roofs and
shaky dwellings.
The Dogberry Bunch lived in New Town, on the
eastern side of the railway. Jack led them over the
shady lawn which Nature had planted so plentifully
with trees, and the girls with mounds of verbenas
pansies and all the flowers which give one the dear
delight of digging loam in spring-time and wearing
bloom in summer-time. On one side of the lawn
O70
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4 THE DOGBERRY BUNCH,
SS i a i
was a croquet set which perhaps remains to this day
a monument of Dogberry ingenuity. The mallets
and balls Jack turned himself, and he and Ben set
up for wickets pieces of iron hoops off old tubs. As
a Bunch they were invincibly fond of croquet, and
being forbidden by their circumstances and Guardian
to spend money on the game, they had to achieve it
some other way, and Rome finally sewed little tri-
umphant red-white-and-blue flags to stick on the tops
of the painted stakes. On this victorious field their
voices might be heard nearly every summer evening ;
but Jack now led them past it and down through the
gate upon the bank beside the railroad.
“We don’t want to go to the station, Jack,†cried
Alice hesitating, as the troop filed along.
“-Tisn’t at the station,†declared Jack,
“As like as anyway,†observed Lucy with some
suspicion, “he’s playing a trick on us as he did on
me one day. He told me if I’d run down here I’d
see a Cardiff giantess on one of the gravel-flats, and
he helped me on the car, and when I couldn't see
anything but sand, he says, ‘Why, here you are]
Look at yourself! ‘A Cardiff giantess !’†sniffed Lucy.
“Deed I ain’t playing any trick!†pleaded Jack,
laughing. “Remus has seen my house, It’s only a
little further — right down there.â€
“Like the’ Air-Castle in our yard?†inquired
Maude. ‘“ Have you any steps to go up into it? â€
“Yes, it has steps, but it isn’t a tree.†And div-
ing down the railroad bank, Jack cried: ‘Walk in
ladies and gentlemen of the Dogberry ’Sociation ! This
is the House that Jack made!â€
CHAPTER II.
THE HOUSE THAT JACK MADE, AND THE FIRST
DOINGS IN IT.
Jack’s house was a caboose which had stood un-
used upon a side-track for some weeks. An old
brick-red affair, with windows at the sides and a door
at each end, boarded gaily and coolly, with blue in-
side. This thin coat of blue paint Jack had put on
himself, from a paint pot in the station. The indulg-
ent station-master, seeing the boy always active, let
him amuse himself as he would in the intervals be-
tween business. And the result was that Jack
applied himself to building a pleasure resort as other
men, oppressed by cares, apply themselves to creating
yachts, and country retreats and fancy gardens. The
sky-color extended over the floor also, and the walls
were relieved with heavily framed pictures of scenes
on different railway routes, exquisite prints of the
superior inducements one route offered above others,
and such other works of art as the young connois-
seur could get from the waiting-room in the depot.
That day he had also found time to make ropes of
leaves by fastening them together with pins of their
own stems, and these gala garlands hung in festoons
all around the car. Jack had a sofa, made on a sort
of locker, of two old cushions which used to belong
to his father’s buggy. Several chairs borrowed from
the station stood along the walls, and the whole
place was in such up-and-down order as only bach
elors admire. Jack helped his visitors up the rear
steps of his palace, and hustled them in with great
excitement.
“See, I can put these shutters to,†he cried, “and
darken the room. There’s a lamp in this box, and
there’s the hook on the ceiling to swing it to! Allie,
I want you to make me some white curtains, like we
have at our windows.. When it grows cold, maybe I
can put a stove up in here,†soared Jack.
“Well, what a boy!†commented Allie's low con-
tralto. ;
“ This is quite a fine place,†said Ben, “but if I’d
go and set up in the Air-Castle now, and the girls
and Rheem’d build shingle houses out among the
trees, what would the house and the Bunch come to ?â€
Rome and Remus were in ecstacies with it, and
begged Jack to let them play there every afternoon,
Arthur gallopped up and down until the caboose
shook, and then took-up his station on a chair by one
of the high windows to watch the depot, that haunt
of locomotives which were the delight of his young
soul.
“But what if a train should carry this off?†ex-
claimed Lucy.
“No danger,†replied the master of the house that
Jack made. “Mr. Joyce says it isn’t needed. It
won’t be moved for a long while.â€
They all sat down and tried to fancy themselves
going on a long journey in the caboose. “To Cali-
fornia,†suggested Jack, “and each of us owning a
claim in a big gold mine.†:
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH, 5
“To some place in the mountains,†said Lucy,
“where the scenery would be lovely. And oh! I
wish we could see the ocean!†;
Ben expressed his preference for a city, while Alice
desired a country continually flowering and maturing
into fruit. Arthur, after listening to the others with
wide-spread eyes, did not find his affections weaned
from an imaginary place which he called “ Hiddley-
Giddle ;†he was fond of telling strange tales every
day about what he did in this place with two dream-
play-mates to whom he gave the not very musical
names of “ Deedle†and “ Sipsey.â€â€ Deedle and Sipsey
were anything he wanted them to be. They were boys
or girls, or old men or dogs. If he disobeyed his elders
it was because naughty Deedle or Sipsey “ teased him
to.†They always lived in Hiddley-Giddle, and their
unseen coming and going and his remarkable conver-
sations with them amused the whole family who had
out-grown the fancied play-mates which do seem to
throng around an imaginative child of three years old.
“TLet’s have charades,†said Rome and Remus, and
the suggestion was no sooner made than the family
divided, Ben with Alice and the baby withdrawing to
sit on the railroad bank, the rest closing the shutters
on that side the caboose and setting to work upon a
“scene.†One or two flying trips were made to the
house for accoutrements, and then the audience was
called up on the platform to see “a charade of
two syllables and two scenes ;†and the caboose door,
thrown open disclosed
SCENE FIrst,
which was evidently a picture of William Tell.
Rheem, with several cushions piled under him, made
a brave little Gessler, and Loo beside him, with a
broomstick held erect, a most formidable guard.
“Bring in tke prisoner!†commanded Gessler, dim-
pling in spite of his ferocious character. The guard,
Lucy, at once opened the box and produced Jack,
who gritted his teeth, rolled his eyes, and in several
other ways testified his dislike to the little tyrant.
“What's your name, Tell?†inquired Gessler.
“Tell yourself!†responded the prisoner.
“T told you to tell!â€
“Well, then, Tell.â€
“ Guard, give the prisoner a knock.â€
Guard knocked the prisoner, who howled like a
school-boy, and pranced with great agility. This
supple use of his person evidently reminded the ty-
rant of something which he immediately stated.
“T hear that you are very skillful in using the bow!
T want to see you shoot an apple on your boy’s head.â€
“JT don’t see his head,†objected Tell.
“ Guard, bring the boy and the apple.â€
Maude was brought from behind a chair, placed in
position for supporting the apple, which was only the
hollow gourd used for dipping water in the kitchen.
This fruit being put upon her head, Tell without
more ado produced a pea-shooter and peppered it
heartily until the tyrant expressed himself satisfied,
and the door closed.
“Tt’s ‘tell’ something,†commented Ben. But pres-
ently the
SECOND SCENE,
was uncurtained, and it seemed to be a version of
“Lady Godiva.â€
Jack, with a bedquilt around him to represent lordly
robes, a tall black hat
on his head, the
broom-stick in his
hand, and a hatchet
hanging from his belt,
stalked about frown-
ing, and after him
came Lady Godiva in
her sister Alice’s
longest dress and a
shawl trailing from
her shoulders.
After the pair prom-
enaded the oppressed
“\ populace of Coven-
: try, represented by
Rheem in a pair of
his big brother’s
boots which reached
above his knees and holding a pillow-case and a
towel to his eyes, and Maude weeping under a para-
sol.
“Mr. Godiva,†pleaded my lady, “ please don’t tax
these poor people-so.â€
“J will tax them all I please!†cried Mr. Go-
diva, brandishing his broomstick.
MR. AND MRS. GODIVA.
6 THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
“See how they cry!â€
“Well, let them cry! It’s healthy!â€
_ Here the oppressed populace howled.
“O, Mr. Godiva,†cried my lady, “if you will
promise not to tax the poor people so, I will get on a
horse and ride clear through town!â€
This proposition struck Mr. Godiva very favorably,
and he grasped a chair to be used as my lady’s steed.
“Go ahead —‘T’ll promise,†said he,
~ Godiva then turned and spoke to the populace.
~ “Now, all-of you hide your eyes and don’t look at
me, and’you won’t have to pay any taxes!â€
The populace instantly retired to a corner and
stuck their heads under a cushion, while Godiva
mounted her chair; and her lord divested himself of
bedquilt and hatchet, and mounted another chair to
stare her out of countenance in the character of
Peeping Tom. By the time the lady had galloped
the length of the caboose, the populace, by peeping
themselves, had become aware of his. staring, and
the descent they made on him again closed the door.
_ “Cry? Tax? What is it?†asked Alice of Ben.
“Dear me! We mustn’t let them be so. noisy! All
the people in town will be coming to see what is the
matter !â€
Half a dozen boys, who were happy and ragged in
their Saturday’s release from school, and ready to in-
terest themselves in whatever might turn up, were
pressing up to the rear of the caboose; and resting
their chins on the platform they saw the charade’s
final
TABLEAU.
A peculiar kind of sheep meandered out from
some hiding-place in the caboose, with a buffalo robe
tied around him and Jack’s head appearing at one
end; and after it came a smaller sheep in plaid shawl
fleece and two paper horns over its bright eyes; and
still another sheep, all white, with long blonde hair
hanging over dark eye-lashes. It is impossible to tell
all the pranks these. sheep played.. Their idea of a
tableau was very animated! They bleated and ran
at each other; they skipped, and came down in a
stifflegged jump which was side-splitting. Over their
pasture-fence of chairs they went with perfect disre-
gard of their shins, the small sheep always following
where the large one led. Great tableau, this!
At last, head down, and still frisking with the stiff-
legged jump, they disappeared; and at once a dis-
tracted little shepherdess appeared, her short dress
tucked up, her hat pushed back, and the broomstick
again brought into play as her crook. The word was
without doubt “ Bo-Peep!†Wilhelm Tell’s “bowâ€
(which seemed unfair as he used a pea shooter) and
Tom’s “peep †made the charade.
The town ragamuffins applauded so heartily, and
were so eager to introduce themselves into the
caboose, that they soon excluded Jack’s first guests.
It was growing dusk, and a breathless heat stifled the
landscape.
“We shall have a storm to-night, I believe,- said
one of the Bunch, as they all, excepting Jack, strolled
back to the house.
He came later, while they sat in the Air-Castle and
on the stoop, to tell them he meant to sleep in his
own house that night!
“You better come home, dear,†said Alice, who,
high in the old tree where a seat was fixed, called by
the children their “ Air-Castle,†could see heat-light-
nings play and adark hood of cloud drawing up
from the west. “It’s going to storm to-night.â€
Well, if it stormed cats and dogs, Jack would be
as snug in the caboose as in his bed at home!
So he went back and secured his windows on the
west, leaving only one on the east and a ventilator
ajar for air; and the rest of the Bunch went in and
shut up their house. In the midnight some of them
were awakened by blinding light and by the groans
of trees, and spouts of rain beating as if to wash
the# little dwelling into some universal ocean,
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. 7
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
BY MARY HARTWELL CATHERWOOD.
CHAPTER III.
(0, WHERE, 0, WHERE —â€
HEN Benjamin -arose in the morning and
made the fire in the little back summer
kitchen to heat the kettle for breakfast, he looked
out on one of the most beautiful and burnished Sun-
day mornings this world has ever seen. The air was
clear enough to make fairy spectacles of ; the very
grass blades were strings of brilliants of the first
water; the roads were beaten out as firm and clean as
granite.
One by one the Dogberrys appeared, each looking
as live and burnished as if just out of a storm-bath,
also. Excepting Jack, who did notcome. The table
was laid, and they all sat down on their chairs in a
great circle; and sang one of Philip Phillips’ songs
about the “Home of the Soul,†their souls fairly
dancing on the music because they were such a com-
fortable Bunch. Then all their knees plumped down
on the floor at once, and they said the Lord’s Prayer
as one man, Rome and Remus kneeling opposite
each other at the same chair, and almost knocking
noses with fervor, their eyes being shut. They rose
up and the Treasurer of the ’Sociation, according to
Sunday morning custom, brought pennies from the
fund and laid them on the table ready for Arthur, or
whoever took his turn that day, to carry to Sunday-
school.
Still Jack did not come.
“T D’lieve he’s going to sleep all day,†cried
Rheem.
“Maybe something’s happened!†cried Rome,
spreading her black eye-lashes.
“ Run. and call him,†said Alice.
“And tell him to hurry,†added Loo, the house-
keeper. “We sha’n’t have much time to get the
work done before Sunday-school.â€
You may picture to your mind’s eye this Bunch
starting to Sunday-school in the respectable ways they
had been trained to: all in pairs, or threes, or a group,
all jolly, and somewhat proper in their good clothes,
the mothers of the village looking after them with
pride, and the fathers nodding smilingly.
“J wonder if our young ones would get along as
well,†says Mother Thomas, a large, generous woman,
to her husband, a wizened, gray, ailing man, “if we
had to leave ’em?â€
“T don’t know,†he groans, “if they had my health
all the time, they couldn’t do much.â€
“Good-morning, little Bunch,†says Mother Darling,
the doctor’s wife, a smiling, black-eyed woman, rust-
ling past them with her last baby all dressed in white.
“fT have a nice big mess of peas for your dinner if
some of you will come over and get it directly after
Sunday-school.â€
“Them young ones does beat all!†says big John
White, whittling a fence-rail and talking stock with a
brother stock-shipper, but never failing to laugh a
sort of benediction on the Bunch as they go by.
In this way the neighbors in the village take kindly
notice of them. But to-day different ejaculations
will be heard, for the Dogberry Bunch is broken and
a Berry has dropped out.
Rome and Remus came running from their errand
of calling Jack, like two young hens. Now Rheem
fell down and Rome tumbled over him, and as soon
as she gained her feet, her twin made a dash and
tumbled over her. But neither of them heeded these
mishaps. Sprawled on the floor, they both gasped
out to the astonished family :
“ Fack’s gone!â€
“Gone where?†in chorus.
“Don’t know! He ain’t there!â€
“Did you look in the caboose? â€
“THE CABOOSE IS GONE!â€
All Dogberry-dom now stood up, and let the break-
fast alone, excepting Arthur who was in his high-
chair, and who required a good reason for leaving it.
8 THE DOGBERRY BUNCH,
“Why, where zs the caboose?†asked bewildered
Ben.
“Maybe the lightnin’ struck it!â€
burnt up!†from the twins.
“It’s been taken off somewhere by trains in the
“Maybe it’s
jack ’s GONE!
night!†exclaimed convinced Lucy. “I just told
him so!â€
“Where’s Jack?†cried Alice.
That was the question — where was Jack?
“Just as like as not they’ve poured a whole lot of
grain — or hogs—in on him and smothered him!â€
said Rome beginning to brim with tears.
“Especially the hogs,†observed Ben, “ which
would certainly smother if poured very fast!â€
“T don’t think it’s funny a bit!†cried Rome.
“T don’t either.
And I don’t see how Jack could sleep while the cars
were jarring. Pshaw! maybe itisn’t gone at all! It
blew like anything last night. The caboose may have
rolled farther down the track.â€
They all ran to see. Up and down the rails with
their hands shielding their eyes from the morning
sun, they looked and scampered. Some disabled old
coal-flats and one box car lay on the switch. These,
and nothing more.
Ben ran to Mr. Joyce, the station-master, and the
rest of the Bunch, not knowing what else to do, ran
after him. Mr. Joyce had been kept up late, and
their loud raps at his door lasted some time before
But they don’t load cabooses.
he appeared. He was a pleasant-faced man ana
laughed when he saw how he was besieged.
“Why, what’s the matter?â€
“Where’s Jack, Mr. Joyce?â€
“Home, isn’t he?â€
“No, sir. He.slept in that caboose he fixed up for
his house, last night —â€
“ And it’s gone!†howled Maude.
Arthur by this time began to understand the ca-
lamity which had befallen his house, and having
missed his favorite all the morning, now puckered up
his face and set up a yell which brought the whole |
street to the doors.
Mr. Joyce seized his station key and hurried to the
little freight-house.and depot. He searched every-
where and looked puzzled. He looked up and down
the track, but the red caboose was gone.
“Well, upon my word!†he exclaimed, while a
more doleful note came from the depressed Bunch.
“ Hush, Arty!†soothed Alice, “Jacky isn’t hurt.â€
“Why, no,†cried Joyce, “but I don’t see how it
happened! There was a fearful storm when that last
fre.ght was making up. They had a lot of empty
box cars to take up here. The caboose must have
got run in among them. It was a through Beat for
Cincinnati. I'll inquire along the road.â€
He went to the instrument, and while it clicked the
disconsolate Dogberry Bunch hearkened and thought
of their absent Berry.
“Vou better go home, and don’t be frightened,â€
said Mr. Joyce. “It'll be sometime before I get an
answer. I'll let you know where he is as soon as I
find out, and TP’ll have them search Number 5. If
it made a good run, itll be in Cincinnati this after
noon. Don’t you be scared, Jack can take care of
himself. I’ll send a message to the depot-master of
the C. H. & D. road, and he’ll look after Jack when
he gets there.â€
“Thank you, Mr. Joyce,†said Sweet Alice sol-
emnly, turning the head of the party homeward, and
leading Arthur by the hand.
“Where’s Jack?†cried the poor little fellow con-
tinually. “Iwanthim. I want my Jack!â€
And everybody failing to produce his favorite, he
sat down’on the road and beat the rails with all the
might of his little heels, the angry blood flushing
even his head till it glowed like a eo s through his
hair.
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. 9
“ Get up, Arty,†begged Loo, tremulously: “ Brother
will come back pretty soon,’
“T want him now!†howled the baby.
“Let’s go and hunt Jacky,†volunteered Maude.
“Where?†yielded the youngster, allowing him-
‘self to be stood up, and his petticoats to be brushed.
“Will we go on train? where’s big engine? where we
hunt Jack, Romey ?â€
“O, pshaw ! Jack’s all right,†said Ben easily, as
they trooped under the trees and re-entered their
dwelling.
And beginning to see the whole affair in the light
of a joke, the family at this point broke out laughing,
and sat down gaily to breakfast ; still with the excep-
tion of the little brother in skirts, who asked at in-
tervals; “ Where Jacky gone? where him gone?â€
“Gone off with Deedle and Sipsey,†replied
Rheem, bantering the baby, “gone to Hidley-Gid-
dle.â€
“What’s this?†cried Mother Darling, the doctor’s
wife, running in with the baby half-dressed, its dim-
ples huddled in a shawl ; “ they say Jack got carried
off by a freight train last night. Is it so?â€
“Yes’m,†replied the Bunch, laughing; and Ben
rose to place a chair for the little mother,
“ What’s happened to you young ones ?†exclaimed
brawny Mother Thomas, sailing in with her portly
air.
The story was told over again, and the mothers also
reassured them as Mr. Joyce had done. They held
quite a levee, their neighbors ran in and out so, until
the small bell of the small white church rang for Sab-
bath-school. Mr. Joyce sent a message that he could
find out nothing certain about Jack, but everything
was certainly going well with Number 5, or he would
hear .it over the wires.
The Bunch was broken for the day. They went
straggling.
‘““Where’s Arthur?†inquired Alice, shaking out
her parasol as she and Loo started.
“Gone with Rome and Rheem, I think.â€
Rome and Rheem were walking primly along talk-
ing of the great event which had disturbed the nine-
teenth century that-day. Maude’s finery consisted
principally of a lilac silk mantilla which had belonged
to her mother. Her eyes expanded like two head-
lights over her Sunday gear, when the question of
Arthur’s whereabouts was put.
“Why, didn’t Mrs. Darling take him when she
came along with the baby? Oh, maybe Ze’s lost
too!â€
The idea! But he was not in the little white-
washed church, where the village children were sing-
ing joyfully through their noses. Mother Darling,
when whispered to, did not know anything about
him. Ben, being summoned from the “ Youth's
Bible Class,†ran to every house in search of him,
Then the town was roused.
It was funny for a live, big boy like Jack to be car-
ried off in the night: people could grin at such a
mishap ; but when the three-year-old of the town’s
prize orphans disappeared as suddenly as if dropped
in a pit, the Bunch’s bereavement looked startling.
Several fathers went to work dragging their cis-
terns: a group went to examine Sugar Creek.
There was at one end of the street which formed
Old Town a tottering shell which once served ag a
tavern; but being forsaken by every respectable
creature in the place, was now the haunt of all sorts
of wretches. More than a dozen families crowded
it. It was fit to compare with city tenements ; and
this swarming den was known as the “ Beehive.â€
Tramps passing through the town, made this their
iO - THE DOGBERRY BUNCH,
stopping-place. A stoop composed of rotting boards
was in front of it, and a different colored rag ap-
peared at every window, from which nearly all sash
and glass were broken. ;
John White hurried to the “ Beehive†to ask them
about little Arthur. The Bees, although their neigh-
bors took so little interest in them, felt a lazy interest
in their neighbors, and were generally peeping out of
the “Beehive†or buzzing on the stoop, to see what
might be going on in the town. To-day being Sun- |
day and no trains running, they were out in strong
force, smoking, and blinking their cadaverous eyes _
gaunt, nerveless-looking men, dirty and only half
alive. Women’s voices, scolding, made the inside of
the “Beehive†ring. Some playful young Bees
played marbles and pulled hair at one end of the
stoop.
“How d’ye do,†said easy John White to the men
who pulled out their pipes and listened with calm pat-
ronage to their wealthier neighbor. “ Have you seen
anything of a little fellow around here? The Dog-
berry children have lost their baby — about three
years old — chap in petticoats.â€
“When — did — they — lose — him?†inquired
one of the Bees with a slow drawl: they were above
excitement. ;
“Missed him a couple of hours or so ago, but
don’t remember seeing him since breakfast. One of
them dressed him for Sunday-school before break-
fast; and then one of the boys got run off on a
freight, and it excited them so they forgot about the
little fellow.â€
The Bees pulled their pipes silently, as if they had
all found first-rate honey-tubes.
“ He had on a little linen dress,†continued John ;
“thinnish child ; blue eyes, light: I expect you know
him. I’m afraid he’s found the creek! You haven't
seen anything of him?â€
“ Saw —a— little — young one,†volunteered one
deliberate drone, “ go — past — with —a—woman —
’s morning. Didn’t —stop — here.â€
“ 7 —saw — him,†added another Bee.. “ Thought
— she —was — playin’—with him. Movers —over
— in — the — woods — last — night.â€
“Light child — linen dress?’â€â€™ asked John White.
“Ve—es,†drawled the Bee,
“The Dogberry baby, do you think?â€
“JT — thought — it — was — him.â€
John White made haste to carry this news, and
several men got upon horses and galloped in the di-
rection the movers’ caravan was said to have taken.
As he supposed, the strollers were only agueish. In-
dianians trailing away to some point farther west.
Their wagon was covered with canvas stretched on
hoops, and drawn by horses paired like David and
Goliah, fearfully thin, and Goliah wheezing as if every
breath must be his last. Inside the wagon cowered
the usual hollow-cheeked settler, his care-worn wife
and fifteen children, in various stages of chills-and-
fever. It was too great a satire to suppose such a
man had picked up the missing boy, but the men in-
quired if he had seen a stray child. The settler had
not seen any stray child. His wife, kind soul, was
full of sympathy when she heard a child was lost,
and counted her fifteen over with more thankful
heart. x
They hunted New Town and Old Town, they
dragged the creek above and below the dam, they
searched the woods: the long summer afternoon wore
away and night came, and still little Arthur Dogberry
was not found.
CHAPTER IV.
THE RAILROAD MUTINY.
Wuen Jack awoke in the caboose, he was aston-
ished by a roaring and rumbling and also by the
motion which shook him to and fro. He had heard
the storm in the night, but this.was not the sound of
astorm. His bristling hair fairly stood on end as he
recognized the grinding whirr of wheels. Opening a
shutter, he poked his head into the dark and dodged
back just in time to avoid the scaffolding of a bridge
they were passing.
“Ves, sir!†said Jack, sitting down to his convic-
tions, “ this caboose has started on its travels, and has
invited Mr. J. Dogberry to go along. Thank you,
ma'am. My health was needing a little trip. I det
they'll laugh at home! Loo’ll never forget it! She'll
keep it to pay me back for the Cardiff giantess with !
She said I’d get run off. I wonder what Arty’ll do?
Which way is this train going?â€
He opened the door at one end, and saw a blank
wall of freight running in front of him; he opened
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. TT
the door at the other end and made out a similar
sight. The landscape was lightening: he could make
out trees and high gravelled banks.
Jack shut the door, and sitting down by an open
shutter, enjoyed his trip. The explanation which Mr.
Joyce had given the children occurred to him: his
caboose was taken up among empty freight cars:
these would be thrown off on some switch or other
track, and he must watch his chances for a return
journey. He heartily enjoyed his adventure.
Toward morning the rattling train ran into a sad,
bedraggled town. The storm was left far behind,
and it is probable that Jack the Nimble would have
climbed to the tops of the freights long before and
made acquaintance with every man having them in
i
JACK,
charge, if the novelty of his position had not kept
him still.
There seemed to be a lock in the progress of the
train, Jack saw the the name “ Pontiac†in large
black letters over the depot door. Several other
trains were massed on switches and tracks leading
to different points of the compass. Pontiac, dark
and draggled as it appeared, was something of a rail-
road centre. The train stood still, but nothing was
loading, nothing cast off.
It was now nearly“ Sunday morning. “ Perhaps this
is the end of the trip,†said Jack, “but I thought our
Number 5 was a through freight for Cincinnati.â€
He stepped down into the coal dust and wandered
along the train. It was naw that very dark hour just
‘not have classed himself with these men.
a
before day-dawn: a knot of men with a lantern were
muttering near the engine. . One, grimed but com-
manding, was certainly the engineer; the others
brakemen of this and other trains massed at Pontiac.
They were complaining bitterly of measures taken
by the Company who owned the road. As Jack heard
them he felt they were half in the right: their money
was overdue ; they were threatened with a reduction
of pay, and they would strike! So far so good.
Young Dogberry silently endorsed all he heard. He
thought right was right, whether on his side or on the
side of the man who employed him. If a man would
not pay for service he ought to suffer inconvenience
and loss by having the service taken from him with-
out warning. But pretty soon some more men came
up, of the very worst sort. Whether they were rail-
road employés or: vagrants, Jack could not make
out. They talked as if they owned the roads and
were masters of the roads’ interests, but Jack con-
sidered himself a railroad employé, and-he would
They had
a lot of oil and matches, and mentioned “ firing †and
“breaking,†and excited the others, excepting one
who went and sat down on the side of a platform.
Jack followed him.
“What they going to do?†he asked.
The brakeman replied rather indifferently that he
didn’t know: raise the old Satan likely.
“ But this freight that came down from Chicago —
oughtn’t it to go on?â€
The brakeman laughed, and said it ought to throw
off half the empty boxes and take on four or five
cars of cattle to run into Cincinnati: “but the engi-
neer is drunk,†he added, “and they’re all on a
strike, him at the head of them. I don’t know how
itll end. I don’t intend to have nothing to do with
it if Ican help it, but if I’m forced in I’ll have to do
as the others do. All that I’m afraid of is that they
are going to make mischief, and destroy property.
The Road Aasm’¢ treated us fair. Still, burning stock
is dirty business.†;
“No, I don’t like that, myself,†said Jack maturely,
‘and 1 think this train ought to be got through. It’s
pretty near Sunday morning. We’ve been here over
an hour.†,
“What train do you belong to?†inquired the
brakeman.
Jack explained his presence, and then added. “If
o THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
all the rest are deserting, don’t you think we could.
get it through ourselves ?â€
The train-hand laughed.
“Well,†exclaimed the boy, “I know all about an
engine. The engineers on our road have taken me
up and down. I ain’t in the railroad business for
nothing, I tell ye! Don’t you suppose I’ve picked up
everything? â€
At this moment a yell was raised by some of the
men in mutiny.
“T wish I was home in the city,†said the brake-
man discontentedly.
“You just wait a bit!†cried Jack, dashing into
the telegraph office. Here a sleepy young, man, dis-
turbed and inefficient, had just finished sending over
the wires to headquarters an account of the disturb-
ances pending.
Jack.seized a telegraph blank and hastened to
write : ;
“Engineer and all but one man of through freight
Number-5, have struck: going to bea fuss. I can
bring it through all right, with orders.
“J. DOGBERRY,â€
“Who sends this message ?†inquired the operator,
eyeing the young man.
“ Dogberry, sir.â€
In the midst.of the impending riot which Pontiac’s
small muster of police could never quell, the operator
did not inquire minutely about Dogberry, but secretly
commending him for keeping out of sight, sent his
message. Before the last click, a frowsy man rushed
in.
“Tt’s all up,†he exclaimed, “we can’t get out of
here unless the Company sends me another engineer,
and there'll be worse mischief yet before one can
come! Got my orders?†,
“Have ’em in a few minutes,†replied the opera-
tor. “Man here offered to take your train through.â€
From this conversation Jack understood that the
man was the conductor of Number s, and he waited
as breathlessly as the conductor for orders. In afew
minutes the answer came. The conductor was or-
dered to put Engineer Dogberry in the cab and to
proceed at once. Dogberry’s orders were minute.
The conductor seized them.
“There’s his fireman over there,†said the operator,
pointing to Jack.
——
-The conductor thrust the orders into his hand.
“There’s one brakeman I can rely on,†he ex-
claimed, “he and I will attend to the coupling. In
ten minutes we want to pick up these cattle cars and
be out of here!â€
He ran in one direction, Jack in the other. The
boy leaped into the cab, piled fuel in his furnace, and
made a quick examination of his locomotive. The
orders were very brief and plain; he had them by
heart in a moment.
A few faint streaks began to appear in the east,
and a general light diffused itself. Jack ran his en-
gine and the cars attached, forward, and at a signal
backed upon a switch and took up the waiting stock.
These movements were so sudden and unexpected,
that he was really under way before the groups of
rough men saw that a train was moving out. Some
of them were talking of heaping the freights and set-
ting them on fire. The engineer who forsook Num-
ber 5, came leaping along beside the train, flushed
with anger and drink. He caught sight of the little
fellow in his engine cab and yelled at him. He
looked so furious and all the running men looked so
furious that J. Dogberry was roused through every
molecule of his blood. These men might try to throw
things under the wheels and so ditch the train: a
shot was fired, the ball splintering.a panel of the cab ;
I only do Jack justice when I say he hardly thought
of the ball — his mind was taken up with the results
of a disaster if disaster there should be. He put on
a full head of steam, and the empty freights and cat-
tle cars sailed away! He was now accountable for
the train—he a mere boy!— when the Company
probably thought they were entrusting it to a man
and a licensed locomotive engineer. The thing he
had undertaken with the best but unconsidered im-
pulses, now looked very startling. Still, Jack knew
what he was about, and his iron horse in a twinkling
was out of Pontiac and sailing along over the open
country. The Road was certainly a mismanaged
one, but at that time discontent among the em-
ployés was not general. There were no other
strikes on the line, and safe out of Pontiac, the men
having the train in charge anticipated no other
trouble than stoppages caused by their delay.
Morning advanced. Jack stood up to his business,
his determined eye watching the road ahead, his hand
testing the steam gauge, or with the whistle warning
RE ee
to
se oe
wet
ineiieicnetmiaons
SE ee RE ne Rn ey
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. : 13
distant stray animals off the track. Through forest
and across highways, as the day grew brighter around
him, over river bridges, and along green corn-fields,
he roared on and on! _
Everything going smoothly, the conductor left the
rear, ran along the tops of the cars, leaping gaps be-
tween them, dropped into the tender and entered the
engine-cab. .
He looked all around, holding back the congratula-
tory speech ready on his lips.
“Hullo, fireman, where’s Dogberry?â€
“ Here, sir.â€
“The engineer, I mean.
Pontiac?†;
“Tm the man,’ says Jack, examining the steam
gauge again. Upon which. the conductor sat down.
“You little rat!†said he at last. “I£ you hadn’t
been so plucky I’d pitch you and your cheek off the
train!â€
Man that run us out of
CHAPTER V.
“ONE BY ONE BEYOND RECALL.†—Sovg.
AW me! what as become
of the child!†whispered
Mother Dr. Darling in an
awe-struck voice, as she
tossed her own white clean
baby among the panic-
filled Dogberrys who were
left. She and Mrs.
Thomas and a few other
neighbors were talking
apart. Ben and Sweet
Alice sat by the table ;
she with her head down,
he looking dazed and pale.
Loo stood by the window
shaking with sobs, while
Rome and Remus were
making the air melodi-
in the kitchen,
It was Monday evening, and the townspeople had
given Arty up. They agreed that le had been carried -’
away. The old Bee of the “ Beehive,†who claimed
to have seen the child with a woman, when closely
questioned was not sure of anything. It was alla
paralyzing mystery. Joyce kindly telegraphed both
ends of the road inquiring for a stray child. They
could not find him in Sugar Creek or the mill pond.
At thought of the little fellow down in the slime or
gravel, his rigid hands clinched on dead leaves, the
elder Dogberrys were frantic. It was also maddening
to think he might be in the hands of some evil-
minded person who abused him—he might be hungry
‘or sick.
“Is Ben, or is Miss Alice in?†asked Mr. Joyce,
stepping upon the door-stone.
Ben and Alice were both at the door, and under
their elbows pressed the twins, while Mothers Thomas
and Darling pressed at their backs.
“ Have you heard anything?†inquired Alice, wip-
ing her eyes. It was poor little Arty’s funeral with-
out his body left as a visible sign of consolation.
“Pve got a telegram from Danport, “said Joyce.
“There was a child picked up there to-day — hurt on
the streets.†.
Rome and Remus uttered a mournful howl ; they
had no doubt the hurt child was Arthur.
“Name not known,†continued Joyce ; “the child
was run over and unconscious. Taken to the house
of a lady named Greenoff.â€
“Aunt Greenoff!†exclaimed the five Dogberrys
in awe.
Alice turned to Ben.
“We'd better go and see if it’s Arty,†said Ben.
“ Of course !†cried Mother Darling eagerly, “take
our buggy! the Doctor is riding horse-back now.â€
“And put our sorrel into it,’ added Mother
Thomas ; “he’s a good traveller. Thomas isn’t using
him for anything.â€
Now Danport was an old rich town, lying only
twelve miles distant ; its railroad connection with the
new village, however, was roundabout and included
several delays and changes of cars. People seldom
thought of going to Danport, therefore, otherwise
than by their own conveyances.
“Yes, and just you get ready right away,†added
one of the neighbors, “and we’ll get some supper for
you.â€
td THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
The neighborly hands made themselves busy, some
preparing the meal, others putting Alice into her best
dress, her black alpaca, and making up a bundle of
such things as the young Heads of the house might
need. It was now her vacation, so she could leave
the school. Presently Ben drove up the Doctor’s
buggy and Thomas’ stiff, old sorrel. Then he hurried
into his Sunday suit, and the shattered family sat
down to a quick meal, Mother Darling and Mother
Thomas waiting on them as if they were so many
babies, and these good women were particularly fond
of babies.
“ We'll be back as quick as we can,†said Alice to
the three Berries left. “Rheemie and Maud, you
mind Loo, and all take care of yourselves.â€
Just as Ben gathered the lines off old sorrel’s back, .
and began to drive off, John White came running,
waving his hand to stop them. He drew out a very
large pocketbook before reaching the buggy.
“Going to Danport to see if Arty’s there, eh? Ben,
you'll need some money. How much have you?â€
Ben colored. He didn’t know, but guessed he had
about a dollar and a half in his purse.
“ Pshaw! that won’t pay a livery bill, to say noth-
ing of other expenses you may have. I want to loan
you ten dollars. Take both bills: if you don’t need
’em you can bring ’em back, you know. ‘That’s all.
I won’t stop you any longer.â€
“ How good everybody is!†said Allie, leaning back
on the stuffed cushions of Dr. Darling’s old carriage,
as if it was the full heart of humanity beating under
her; “we hadn’t time to draw my money, and I
didn’t even think of it.â€
The mothers of the town withdrew to their own
homes, and Lucy and the twins sat down on the front
stoop, forlorn and watching.
“T wonder if ‘twas Arty?†questioned Rheem.
“He’s hurt awful bad!†snuffed Maude.
“T don’t believe ’#was Arty. Aunt Greenoff,†said
the boy, handling his strange relative’s name with
great respect, “ would send us word.â€
“ She wouldn’t know Arty,†said Loo sadly.
never saw him in her life.
about any of us.â€
“What makes her our aunt?†propounded Rome.
“ She isn’t. She’s a cousin, or something, of moth-
er’s. We’ve always been poor and her folks were
always rich, That’s why she never came to see us,â€
“ She
She doesn’t know much
explained Lucy simply, and without the least bitter-
ness.
Next morning while the three children sat at
breakfast, Mr. Joyce stepped up on the stoop with
more telegraphic news.
He looked puzzled. :
“ There’s a child exactly answering Arty’s descrip-
tion,†said he, “up in Carver City. A tramping
woman brought him in.â€
“ What’ll we do?†cried Loo. “Ben and Alice are
gone to Danport.â€
“Let me go to Carver City,†said Remus.
“And me,†added Rome.
“ Lucy had better go,†suggested Mr. Joyce, “ and
you two little fellows keep house. - There’s the half-
past eight passenger coming. JI can put you on that |
and you'll get back on the four o’clock accommoda-
tion. They stop here half an hour for breakfast.â€
In half ‘an hour, therefore, Lucy, the house-mother,
forsook her charge and set out in search of that
other charge. The Dogberrys had been steadily
decreasing like John Brown’s little Indians, and now
the twins sat by themselves, too anxious to play
heartily, in a sort of Sabbath day of expectancy.
Rome got some dinner of bread and butter, berries
and cold beef, which Remus solemnly helped her
despatch. And shortly after a very little fellow from
the “ Beehive †peeped around the door-post.
“ Say!†saluted the urchin.
“Ffullo, Jacey ! Come in,†said the host.
“No, I don’t want to. Come out here.â€
What is that free-masonry among boys which refuses
roofing? Your brother’s chum comes and whistles
for him, and, obedient as a dog, he springs from his
place and runs out to answer the whistle. If Julia
or Dora should stand on the pavement and whistle for
you, how you would resent the girl’s breeding and im-
pertinence ! “ Does she think I’m going to run to her?
Indeed ! let her ring the bell, or come in at the side
door!†Brother Tom, however, will gallop half a
square to encounter his signal-giver. And although
Rheem was not intimate with Jacey Dixon from the .
“ Beehive,†that request to see him out of doors
struck home at once, aud he went out to consult
Jacey.
“You found yer little brother?†asked Jacey, by
way of introducing the subject, and wiping his nose
along the whole length of his arm as he spoke.
BIG TOE. 1s
“No. Ben and Alice have gone to Danport and Maude came to the door and joined in the consul-
Loo’s gone to Carver City —†tation. And the result was that the little house was
‘“‘Well, he ain’t neither place. I bet I know just | left alone, without one Dogberry in it, standing silent
where he is!†and lonesome in the pleasant sammer afternoon, A
“T bet you don’t!†cried Remus, becoming ex- | barren stem —the Berries all rolling away.
cited. : (TO BE CONTINUED.)
BIG TOE.
BY ELLA M. BAKER,
But Vl tell you what then ;—
* You sha’n’t do so again,â€
O you know old Big Toe?
He’s the head of the row,
So it’s his place to show
Every fat, smaller toe.
How to be good and grave,
And just how to behave.
But this naughty Big Toe,
I must say, don’t do so ;
He is wilful and bold,
Don’t stay where he is told ;
Just as papa’s pigs do,
He tries to get out, too.
One-day company came,
And — think what a shame!
This same naughty Big Toe
Not keeping, you know,
Jn nice shoe and stocking,
Crept out — O, how shocking ! —
And put his head through
A window in the shoe,
As saucy as could be!
Everybody could see,
Aud poor mamma was so
Mortified at Big Toe!
She said to bad Big Toe.
She went right and bought, O!
Such stout copper toes!
If he gets out of those,
That shut him in, tight
And snug, out of sight
With the other toes small,
The right place for them all,
I am sure I don’t know
What she'll do with Big Toe!
16 THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
By Mary HarTWELL CATHERWOOD.
CHAPTER VI.
LOO GETS OUT OF, AND BEN AND ALICE GET INTO,
SOCIETY.
Ue LEN My. Joyce put
Loo upon the train
for Carver City he
had in his hand
a message from
Jack, but the new
interest concern-
ing Arthur put it
he forgot even to
mention it to her.
The message said:
“Mr. Joyce: I
got carried off in
the caboose. Am
inCincinnati. Tell
our children am
coming back just as soon as possible.
“Jack DOoGBERRY.â€
Loo had in her pocket the money she made selling
strawberries and which she had been saving for a
new dress. But when the train started and the con-
' ductor came to her and spoke about her little lost
brother, and she produced her worn portmonnaie, he
said it “was all right.†Joyce was sending her up
on his pass; and he, the conductor, would speak to
the conductor of the return train about her. Loo
thanked him and sat still, feeling awed by the unac-
customed rush at which she was going, and fixing in
her mind the course Mr. Joyce told her to take when
she reached Carver City. She was to inquire of the
station-master the way to the Dubbs House, and at
the Dubbs House for a little boy about three years
out of his mind so’
old, taken by the authorities from a tramping woman
to be held until. called for by his friends.
The smoky houses, dirty suburbs and pert city af-
fectation of the town of Carver soon appeared. Be-
wildered Lucy was helped off the train politely by
the conductor and followed the other passengers into
the depot. After some inquiry she found the person
who had charge of the depot, and he sent an em-
ployé to show her to the Dubbs House. Entering
that lordly brick pile, amid the sounding of dinner-
gongs and the rush of cheerful people more at home
away from home than she, Loo stood anxiously in a
vestibule while the messenger inquired at the clerk’s
office. Presently a waiter led her up-stairs to a par-
lor.
“When was that little child left here?†was the in-
quiry passed from the clerk’s office to the proprietor,
and from the proprietor to his various assistants.
Into the very parlor where Loo sat huddled up on
a stiff sofa, a little boy came bouncing, and immedi-
ately after him a woman with her hat and gloves in
her hand. She seemed unable to let the child get
out of her sight, and called him shrilly when he
peeped out upon the balcony. As she was drawing
on her gloves a very pleasant gentleman appeared and
walked up to Loo.
“Yes,†said he, “here you are. This is the little
boy, and he has just been claimed by his friends who
are taking him away.†7
Loo looked hard at the child. There was no sign
of Arty about him. He had bluff blue eyes and dark
hair, and was fat and boisterous. She wondered ‘if
she wasn’t forgetting how Arty looked—he had been
lost so long! She took out her handkerchief and
wiped her eyes and then noticed that the child’s
mamma was regarding her keenly, as if suspicious
that s#e might be another vagrant after that precious
little son.
“This young Miss’s brother has been lost or
stolen, also,†explained the kind proprietor of the
THE DOGBERRY BUNCn.
-
Dubbs House.
eh?â€
“Sunday morning,†sobbed Loo.
“T am very sorry we haven’t him here, too,†said
the proprietor, and then a waiter called him out. |
As soon as the recovered child’s mamma understood
the state of the case she went and sat by Loo, ask-
ing a thousand questions, even shedding tears with
her own calamity so fresh in mind. She went away
reluctantly and had her boy kiss Loo.so many times at
parting, that the youngster lost patience and roared
indignantly until he was out of hearing.
Hours must pass before Lucy could return home.
She did not think of dinner, but walked out of the
Dubbs House and wandered about the streets, won-
dering if Ben and Alice also had found somebody
else’s child.
“Lost since yesterday- morning,
Ben and Alice hastened along in Dr. Darling’s
buggy, drawn by Thomas’ good old sorrel, which put
the miles behind him as fast as any sorrel need to.
The lamplighter was just touching up the street gas
in Danport as they drove in, looking each out at a
side of the conveyance and timid about what they
ought to do,
“Do you know where Mrs. Greenoff lives?†in-
quired Ben of the lamplighter, as that cantering gen-
tleman mounted a lamp on the curb at which he drew
up sorrel. ,
“ Right there,†answered the man, indicating a res-
idence whose face he had just illuminated, and so
saying he cantered on.
It was a brown-stone front with a flight of broad steps
guarded by lions in stone. Lace drapery shaded the
lights within. If Ben and Alice had not been so
anxious about Arthur, their simple country feet must
have felt shy on the steps of this palace. Ben tied
sorrel to a ring in the pavement and mounted to the
coor with his sister.
A very neat girl opened the door to. them, and
showed a vast expanse of hall melting away into a
flight of velvet-covered stairs.
“Is Mrs. Greenoff at home?â€
voice.
“T believe she is,†replied the servant doubtfully.
“We have come to see if a little child we heard was
hurt here, was our little brother.â€
Inspecting them quickly and with surprise, the girl
trembled Ben’s
17
Se I Se a
showed them into a small room on the left side of tie
hall, which was evidently Mrs. Greenoff’s morning-
room and library. Black walnut shelves filled two op-
posite sides of the room, where books stood shoulder
against shoulder in rich array. The top of the shelves
glistened with china; there were rare old cups, so
thin that their closely wrought pictures seemed painted
on air; green and brown majolica in pug dogs and
tall, glistening vases; fanciful faiénce, and pitchers
of purest porcelain; and on a round table was a
brown-red chocolate téte-4-téte set, which looked as
if it had been used within the hour; in fact, it was
Mrs. Greenoff’s habit to order chocolate into the 1.-
brary every evening before dinner-time. There were
easy-chairs of every description. The padded floor
drowned every step. And, stooping from the centre
of the high frescoed ceiling, a bronze Hymen held
out two torches of gas; one a mere star, the other a
clear flame, which revealed fully the names of the
books in the cases, the pictures, and a marble copy
of the Medicean Venus.
“Do you think Artie is 4ere?†whispered poor
Sweet Alice.
“T—don’t— know,†was all Ben Bolt could reply.
They waited some minutes. Ben squatted on a
camp-stool, balancing himself carefully, Alice sinking
deeper and deeper into a velvet chair.
“Isn’t it lovely here?†said Alice again,
must be so rich, Ben!â€
The door opened and “she†entered: Mrs. Greenoff,
widow.
with eyes which were black aud keen when she wished
to be penetrating, and brown and soft when she
wished to be winning. Her silk garments clung close
and statuesque around her, without trailing and with-
out much rustle. Her white, fine hands glittered
with the liquid white of diamonds. Her eyes were
black and penetrating as she looked at the children
when they rose up before her. Ben’s camp-seat rose
part of the way with him and tumbled back in a col-
lapse. His face turned red, but he stood up finely
and holding his hat in his hand, made his bow,
“We are the Dogberry children,†said Ben.
“She
“Indeed,†said Mrs. Greenoff.
“Yes, ma’am. And Arty, our youngest, got lost
Sunday morning; and Mr. Joyce, that’s the agent in
New Town, got a telegram that there was a little boy
| here. So we came to see if it was he.â€
38
Ben used his best grammar and held himself as
became the Head of the Bunch. Inwardly he was
slightly nettled at the lady’s manner, and though he
admired her intensely he wished her to see he came
on business and for nothing else.
But Mrs. Greenoff now came forward and took
both children by the hand.
“T have not seen you since you were babies,†said
she, “but I am glad to see Sarah Dogberry’s chil-
dren. I have often thought of looking after you,
but matters of one kind or another always prevented
me. Yes, there was a little child hurt on this street
‘this morning, and I have him up-stairs. I do not
know your little brother, but I am afraid— I do not
know whether to say I am afraid, or I hope, it is he.
Come up with me quietly and you may see him, But
don’t agitate him. He is asleep now. An omnibus
ran over him,†continued Mrs. Greenoff, leading them
up the padded stairs and along another vast, dimly-
lighted hall, “ but, fortunately, he was only knocked
down and bruised a little. Still, he is such an ex-
citable child the doctor says he must be kept quiet
as possible, or the strong emotions he has been under
will produce fever.â€
She opened a door into a cool, high room which
suggested glaciers and mountains and cascades to a
travelled mind, but to Ben and Alice it suggested
mothing but Arty.
A quiet woman
with a broad lap,
in a black dress,
and white apron,
rose, obeying a
sign from Mrs.
Greenoff, and
drew the curtain
back off a large
crib standing in
the middle of the
room. There he
lay. It was Arty!
His delicate face
was flushed and
every hair on his
head glinted in
theold way. Bless
the wax-like
hands folded on the counterpane !
Ir WAS ARTY!
Bless his dear
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
eA .
mouth! Bless his downy, golden eyebrows and the
lashes flaring so from his lids! Alice could scarcely
keep from flying at him and squeezing him to her
heart’s content. Now that he was alive and safe
and not badly hurt, his youug foster-parents realized
what a huge weight of suspense they had carried.
Ben groaned joyfully. The nurse, understanding the.
case, smiled sympathizingly; and two crystal tears
rolled from Alice’s full eyes down her clear cheeks.
“She is quite a pretty little thing,†thought Mrs.
Greenoff. She motioned them to follow her out again
and they reluctantly descended the stairs after her.
“He is really doing very well,†said she. “Iam
exceedingly glad he was brought to this house.â€
“When can we take him back?†asked Ben,
Mrs. Greenoff laughed.
“My dear boy, I don’t intend to let that baby go
away under a week. Indeed, the doctor says he
must not be farther moved and excited. Now, let
me make you comfortable. How did you come?â€
“In Dr. Darling’s buggy. It’s hitched out in
front.â€
Mrs. Greenoff went across the library and pulled a
silk tassel which hung from the ceiling.
“Well then,.ma’am,†pursued Ben, “we thank you
very much indeed; and if you and the doctor think
he had better be let stay, Allie and I would better go
right back and tell the other children, and we can
keep coming to see him till he comes home.â€
A respectful man entered and stood for orders ; to
whom Mrs. Greenoff turned and said :
“‘ Michael, there is a buggy at the door which you
will attend to.â€
Michael having passed out, the lady further con-
tinued :
“My dears, don’t shame me because I have been
so tardy about showing interest in you. You will
remain with me to-night —and perhaps to-morrow —
at anyrate. You can write a message at once and I
will have it sent to the family. Go in there if you
want to.wash your hands. Dinner will be ready
shortly.†She pulled a curtain one side and showe¢
them a cunning room with marble basins and plenty
of towels, where water followed the turn of a-faucet.
This bath-room communicated with Mrs. Greenoff’s
own apartment, and was. the connecting and rejuve
nating link which united her morning hours to her
morning-room, .
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. â„¢)>
“ My patience, Ben!†murmured Alice as she rinsed
her fingers and watched the water curl away, “how
does she stand it till this time without dinner? â€
“T guess it’s the same as tea,†replied Ben, “ only
she calls it dinner.â€
It was not the same as tea, however, as they found
when they were ushered into the dining-room. It
Was an exquisite meal in courses, containing dishes
of which the children had never heard. There were
five plates laid. Mrs. Greenoff placed the children
at her left hand, Ben nearest her, Allie toward the
front of the table, and waited an instant with her
hand on the back of her chair until an old lady, lean-
ing on a woman’s arm, entered and took the place
opposite the children, the woman standing back of
~ her chair to wait upon her,
“Mrs. Wiley,†said the hostess, “let me present
hese young people to you. They are children of my
cousin, Sarah Dogberry.â€
“Eh?†said Mrs, Wiley, lifting her wrinkled brows.
“Young people, I hope you are well.â€
Ben and Alice opened their napkins. and returned
her good wishes. She was an old lady, much like
the fairy godmother in children’s stories, but with-
out that prized individual’s sprightliness. She had a
crook in her nose, a crook in her back, a cap which
would get into steeple-shape, and a black cane; she
also had very penetrating black eyes,
“This lady is Mr. Greenoff’s grandmother,†ex-
plained the hostess to the children,
The door-bell. rang and a few minutes afterward
a young gentleman of eighteen or nineteen entered
the dining-room. I say young gentleman, for, at that
age, he had a full-fledged mustache and the air of a
man. In appearance he was ten years Ben’s senior,
yet there were scarcely three years between them. He
had a warm, brown complexion, and, though his head
was as freshly clipt as a florist’s bouquet, the black
hair showed its disposition to turn into rings and
waves. His temperament seemed genial, his pres-
ence magnetic. He was certainly a bright, hand-
some young fellow, with some polish. Alice looked
up at him steadily, and the kindly feeling flowing
from his eyes reassured her. He spoke first to his
grandmother, bowed to the Strangers, and then said
to his mother, as he took his seat:
“You must pardon my being a little late, mother,
€ had some trouble getting the balance right.â€
“Certainly, Joslyn. Let me introduce the children
of my cousin, Sarah Dogberry. You never saw them,
and I confess I have not seen them since they were
quite small.â€
- Joslyn bowed again. A quizzical smile played
over his face at the mention of “children,†and Alice
could not help reflecting his smile as they looked
at one another once more. But as for Ben, his face
flared red. He did not mind being mentioned as a
child to the old grandmother; but when it came to
being presented as a juvenile to a youth older than
himself only in advantages, he mentally resented it,
Mrs, Greenoff saw this and continued with ready
tact, addressing Ben and Alice while she indicated
Joslyn:
“And this is my child, very little your senior.
Your mother thought him a fine baby when last I
saw her.â€
The fine baby pulled his mustache and, addressing
Alice, said he thanked Cousin Sarah Dogberry for
that pretty compliment; and Alice liked him very
much indeed for calling her mother Cousin Sarah.
She thought, also, that if she had known Arty was
safe here she would have taken more pains with her
dress, and have been surer of her best hem-stitched
cuffs and collar. She was afraid Ben would eat
with his knife, or pour his coffee out and set his cup
-on the cloth, in the free-and-easy way he did at
home.
That hour, a desire for refinement and refining
associations as the means of the best culture, rose
strongly in her. She found these strange kindred
kind and genial and pleasing without any effort to
appear so. Among the bluff New Towners she had
heard polish sneered at, as a sort of insincere, social
veneering which hid contemptible faults. “Stiil it
is nicer than rudeness, even when it is shallow,â€
thought she; “but O! when it goes all through, how
beautiful social culture must be !â€
CHAPTER VII.
WHAT THE ELDEST DOGBERRYS DID IN SOCIETY.
Mrs. Witey said very little, but she watched the
children sharply. When all rose from the table she
disappeared with her servant.
20 THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
“Do you like music?†asked Joslyn, turning at
once to Alice.
“Oh, very much indeed
“Then let me take your brother and you to the
music-room.â€
Alice hesitated.
“T want to go. But could you wait a moment un-
til I run and see if my little brother is awake ?â€â€™
Joslyn would readily wait. He wanted to look
over the evening paper in the library; they would
find him there.
With Ben creeping softly beside her, Alice ran
again up-stairs. Mrs. Greenoff was required by even-
ing callers, so they went by themselves. Nurse
Tucker answered their mutfled rap at the chamber
door.
“Come in, dears. He’s awake and has had his
supper, and is just as peart and sweet as he can be.â€
“Arty, darling, do you know Allie? And here’s
brother Ben. Bless the precious !â€
For answer, and to demonstrate his sweetness, the
Precious lifted one little leg and kicked violently at
-his relatives. s
“Go ’way!†he howled. “I'll séap ye! I’m’s
want my Jack!â€
“Jack will come, baby.
dearie, do.â€
' The nurse came to him with some sweet soothing
mixture; and he let himself be raised, and lay
propped quietly among pillows.
“He’s very sore yet,†said Mrs. Tucker, “A
massy it hadn’t smashed his brains out, poor little
love! There’s the black and blue bruises on his lit-
tle body would make ye cry.â€
“ Arty, do you know Benny?â€
“No. I’m don’t know ye!â€
“ Darling, how did you come here?â€
Arthur closed his eyes and panted a little while.
His sister’s eyes filled.
“TJ runned off,†he deigned to reply.
called Jacky and he wouldn’t come.
Big wagon runned over me—all over me.
runned on you’ dolling boy!â€
“ Poor little darling boy! He was hunting Jack.
‘Where did you think Jacky was, Precious?â€
“ Hidley-giddle.â€
* And who brought you to Hidley-giddle ? â€
“ Deedle an’ Sipsey.â€
1â€
Be quiet; there’s a
* And ’en I
And I cried.
Ey
And that is all they learned of Arthur’s journey.
From hints which his memory furnished afterwards,
it appeared that he had been assisted over his twelve.
mile jaunt by various persons who considered him
lost; but he skillfully gave everybody the slip who
interfered with his search after Jack. He talked of
riding in carriages, and of big men and big wagons,
but he was sure of nobody except Deedle and Sip-
sey.
“Will it hurt him to talk?†asked Alice, while
Ben got down and made a sheep of himself to bring
out a smile on the little brother’s face.
“‘ Best not to worry him, dears.â€
“ Will he need anybody to sit with him to-night?â€
“Oh, no; just his medicine reg’lar. I'll take good
care of him, don’t you be afraid.â€
“TJ ought to have thought of bringing clothes for
him,†said Alice, ruefully.
“Oh, don’t you fret. There’s lots of gowns in the
house, and his little suit has been all brushed and
cleaned up. It was that covered with dirt and dust!
You leave him to me. I know all about children,â€
laughed Nurse Tucker.
They thanked the good soul and still lingered a
minute; Alice to kiss the plump round of his cheek
just as his eyes were closing, and, for answer, she got
a smart pat from his prompt little hand.
“Tt’s a good sign,’ laughed Mrs.
“ Crossness, cure certain.â€
“Y’m will kiss ye, Allie,†repented Arthur. And
giving her a melting kiss, he dropped off into a deep
sleep before she left the room.
Tucker.
Joslyn was reading in the library beside a drop-
light. He showed Ben where writing materials were,
with which to write a note to the children. This Ben
wrote and addressed to Loo, with a plea on the outside
to the postmaster to hasten its delivery: and Joslyn sent
it off by Michael to catch the evening mail. Then he
led them to the music-room ; an octagon with a whole
ceiling of skylight, through which, in daytime, the
sunshine came tempered by the soft brown colors of
the glass, :
This room was still in twilight, though no burners
were lighted ; and the rest of the house, not so illu-
minated, was quite dark. Joslyn drew some matches
and touched them to what seemed to be two whole
clusters of wax candles, supported by two St. Ceci¥
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. 21
‘ias, who stood*at opposite sides of an organ. In-
stantly the whole room sprung into great beauty.
The floor was of polished oak, and the walls were
-~wainscoted half-way up.
over an etagére of his music. Beethoven and Sebas-
tian Bach also appeared above racks devoted spe-
‘ciallytothem. There were castsof the heads of Verdi
~ and Haydn and many more wonderful men, completely
fascinating to Allie when Joslyn in his enthusiasm told
about them, giving sketches of their lives and de-
scriptions of their works. There were several instru-
ments in the room. Allie looked up with some awe
at the organ with large blue pipes, built into one side
of the room.
“That must hae cost a considerable lot of money,â€
remarked Ben.
“Two thousand five hundred dollars,†replied Jos-
lyn smiling, “and worth its price, every cent.â€
While Ben was calculating how long it would take
to earn two thousand five hundred at his trade, and
how much the said two and five hundred would do
for the children, young Greenoff picked up some
rounded sticks and struck several taps on a large,
flat drum.
“This is a tom-tom,†said he.
Answering it, as if it were an accustomed signal, a
boy entered the room through a door opposite the
one leading to the front of the house, and went be-
hind a screen at one side of the organ.
Joslyn opened the instrument and, placing his
guests in seats, began playing for them. He was
quite a musical amtaeur for one so young. Alice
trembled with delight as the volume of the organ was
for the first time revealed to her. She stood up and
remained, like one of the St. Cecelias, wrapt in the
sense of hearing. Joslyn was not a very tripping,
light-fingered performer, but he had a gift for shading
his music by combinations of stops. The enthusiasm
of listeners always helped him, too; so he enjoyed a
quarter of an hour of his own playing as much as Alice
did. Ben stepped around the pile and took in its
mechanical capacity, and watched the little blower
pumping. Joslyn showed him how the bellows
worked, and the effects of the stops and pedals.
“ How did you ever learn it?†cried Allie.
“Oh, I have just begun,†said Joslyn. “I took les-
sons during the winter that we spent in Milan. I saw
AVerdi bring out his opera of ‘Aida’ there. It was
Then I had lessons in Germany, and
Some day, maybe, I
fine, I tell you!
I practice when I have leisure.
can play!â€
Allie felt sure he was one of the finest performers
in the country; but suppressing her conviction, she
asked, timidly :
“ Flow long did you stay in Europe?â€
‘“‘ We were there three or four years wandering up
and down. That is, I wandered considerably with
my uncle, Mr. Thorn; but mother, on Grandmother
Wiley’s account, stayed a great deal in Paris. My
grandmother is fond of foreign countries, but does
not like travel and change. She is very old.â€
“What is your business?†inquired Ben.
“J am learning banking with Uncle Thom,†re-
plied Joslyn.
“ T should think it was nice clean work,†observed
Ben.
“Tt is,†laughed Joslyn, “when the dirty accounts
don’t get mixed. What’s your work?â€
“J’m acarpenter,†said Ben, “and I think I’m go-
ing to like it first-rate. My notion is to get to bea
master-builder, and even plan houses and other build-
ings. J think building is one of the most useful —
and — and — important businesses in the country.â€
“So itis!†cried Joslyn, who loved enthusiasm in
anybody. “ How many children are there of you?â€
he added, after a pause.
“Seven. And Allie teaches ; Jack is learning rail-
roading; Loo takes care of the house ; and the three
little ones are growing nicely,†said Ben, with family
pride.
“T wish I’d found you. out before,†said Joslyn.
“JT lke you. I am sure mother would have taken
great interest in you if somebody had brought you
under her notice ; but she always has to have things
put under her notice before she will attend to them.
I bring the accounts of the family expenses to her
and set her down to them. All women are alike,â€
glancing quizzically at Alice, “ they have no idea of
the value of time, and can’t account for how they
spend it.â€
“Tf I had such a music-room as this,†said she,
“T could account for some hours I should spend.â€
“Don’t you play? Let me hear you.â€
“Oh,no!’ Allie flushed scarlet. “She could not
play, but she wanted to.â€
“ She does,†cried Ben. “She plays the organ for
Z
22 THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
Sunday-school in New Town and leads the singing !â€
She was then constrained to sing and she did,
choosing instead of the great organ she admired, and
the square piano which she was not sure of, a small
cabinet organ. She sung in a sweet contralto, and
Ben dutifully stood by her and roared out his Sunday
bass, which, as his voice was not yet heavy, sounded
uncertain in parts. Joslyn leaned against the wain-
scot and watched her kindly. She really had a great
deal of attraction for him,
“T should like to practice with you. It is’n’t so
tar to New Town. Couldn’t you come over some-
times and learn the organ if we send?â€
Simultaneously with this wonderful vista the door
from the, front hall was opened, and Mrs. Greenoff
looked in.
“Joslyn, Professor Guilder and Rose and the
McKnights are here. And Mrs. Wiley has sent
down to ask you,†to Ben and Alice, “if you will
come to her room a little while.â€
“This way, please,†said Mrs. Wiley’s woman to
the children as Joslyn followed his mother.
She led them into a hall branching from the main
entrance on the ground floor, and ushered them into
what seemed to be a suite divided by curtained
arches. The first room was a parlor, dimly lighted,
furnished in heavy old-fashioned. furniture; but the
second room was bright and cosy, pale buff colors
predominating in it. There was a variety of easy-
chairs, and in the largest and most pliable of them
sat Mrs. Wiley, her wrinkled hands resting on the
top of her black cane and her two very small feet rest-
ing on a velvet foot-stool. . She looked more than ever
like the fairy god-mother, and eyed the children as
they took the seats to which she motioned them as if
she had half a mind to lift that ebony cane, touch
each of them and change them into a Prince and
Princess of the most approved fashion. She, was
above eighty years old and some of her faculties
were impaired; but her memory and her sense of
her own dignity were as fresh as when, a beautiful
woman, she- had life all before her as these enue
had.
“Wiley,†said she to her attendant, “bring some
bon-bons.â€
The woman, who had the same name as her mis-
tress, but was unmistakably of good Irish stock, went
to a rosewood cabinet, and opening it revealed its use
as a cupboard of sweets. She was so. neat-handed,
so attentive and kind, that Allie Joved her honest
face. She piled three small china plates with cun-
ning French confections of fruits, and added to each
a bunch of hot-house white grapes ; for this old lady
had never lost her sweet tooth, and she picked dain-
tily at her bon-bons while Ben and Alice sat before
her, properly, but with great relish, tasting theirs.
““ How old are you?†she asked Alice,
“ Kighteen, ma’am.â€
“You seem a mere child. Sixty-three years ago I
was eighteen, President Madison lived in the White
House then, and I wore a silver tissue dress to one
of his receptions. I was lighter on my feet than you,
my dear. You have a pretty face.†She put up her
eye-glasses and, leaning forward, looked closely at Al-
lie, the latter bearing the inspection with innocent
gravity. “I want you to realize what your youth is,
Enjoy it while it lasts. By and by you will be an
old woman, and then you can only sit and think of
the past as I do. It is a sin against God when the
youth of any child is overshadowed. Are you happy?â€
“O yes, ma’am !†4
“Sarah Dearborn was a fair, prettygirl. I remem-
ber seeing her often with my grandson’s wife. Dear,
dear! so she has borne children and passed away.
How many did she leave?â€
“ Seven, ma’am.â€
“Seven. And well brought up and provided for, I
dare say.â€
“We are doing for ourselves, ma’am,â€
sturdily. ‘ We’ve been taught how to.â€
The old grandmother eyed him sharply and asked
Allie:
“What do you do?â€
“JT teach.â€
“Oh, you instruct the other children. That is very
pretty of you and saves expense. I used to interest
myself in the lessons of my brothers and sisters.
They are gone, now, all gone! Where is your watch,
my dear? You should wear your watch and consult .
it, so you can avail yourself of the best use of your
time.â€
Allie smiled with pure amusement.
“My watch! Why, I never had a watch!â€
Grandmother Wiley looked at her some time be-
fore she accepted conviction of this fact. The
without comment, she turned to Wiley.
said Ben
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. 23
“ Wiley, bring me my brass-bound case.â€
Wiley brought a square box, very strong on the
outside, but very rich in the inside with white satin
and velvet and precious stones. It shot out rain-
bows and vivid colors, as, placing it on her lap and
applying a key, the old lady opened it. Ben and Al-
ice could not for their lives help stooping near to
look at this little Valley of Diamonds. There were
two or three watches in two or three white nests,
their chains meandering out. Mrs. Wiley selected a
heavily enameled one with a chased “A†on the
case. ~
~“TJ bought this myself in Geneva, for a little girl
who died. Her name was Alice, too—did I not
hear your brother call you Alice? She never got her
watch, so I will give it to you.â€
Allie drew back, though her largé eyés were start-
ing with delight.
“O, I couldn’t think of taking. anything so beauti-
ful!â€
“Why couldn’t you?†said Mrs. Wiley sharply.
“Ym afraid I oughn’t—it’s so lovely! I’m sure
I never could do anything to pay you—â€
“ Hoity-toity! Can’t I give a child a bauble?
Bend your head.†She dropped the long chain
around the girl’s neck and tucked the watch into her
dress,
“ Keep it to remember what an old woman has said
to you. Isuppose, sir,†she added, looking up sharply
at Ben, who stood grinning with amazed joy, “that
you are jealous and in a rage because I didn’t find
a trinket for you instead of her !â€
Ben’s grin ran over and sounded aloud at the very
idea.
“Why, ’d lots rather Allie’d have things than
have ’em myself, anytime! I think that’s the pretti-
est thag I ever saw, and I don’t know how we’ll
thank you!â€
“You’re a good boy,†said Mrs. Wiley, removing
her scrutiny. ‘‘ Now I will detain you no longer. I
retire very early and you will want to be among the
young people.â€â€™
She extended her hand to Ben, and, obeying some
gracious instinct which was born in him, the boy
stooped and kissed the back of it, wich was like
shriveled rose leaves.
“Very well, my son; I thank you. for this visit,â€
neous attention. Then she drew Allie down and
touched the girl’s cheek with her lips. Wiley showed
them into the main hall, and they went along it arm
in arm.
“Ben, I’m afraid I oughtn’t to keep this,†said
Alice. ~ :
Ben harbored misgivings, but the watch was so
pretty he could not in his heart bear to think Allie
ought not to Keep it.
“We're poor, you know, Ben, and she’s — she’s so
kind; but shé’s very old, and never saw us before
to-day, and Mrs, Greenoff might think —â€
“Yes, so she might,†said Ben ruefully.
thought of that myself.â€
“Tl speak about it,†concluded Alice, “and offer
it back, That’s sure to be the best way.â€
The great organ in the music-room was at this mo-
ment in a state of high musical gymnastics, and a
girl’s sweet soprano executing trials and crescendos.
“T'd like to speak right away,†said Alice.
Still they both hesitated about re-entering the music-
room where the strangers now were ; so they went to
the library, where Joslyn found them ten minutes
later, when he rushed in for a book of musical refer-
ence. He carried them back with him and intro-
duced them to Professor and Miss Guilder and the
66. T
McKnights. The Professor was on the organ-bench,
and it was Miss Guilder’s voice theyhad heard. She
was a tall blonde, very stylish, very unbending. She
nodded to the two country children, continuing the
remark she was making toone of the McKnights. The
McKnights were cousins, Joslyn told Allie after-
wards, and both of them warm admirers of Miss
Guilder.
One was tall, sarcastic and exquisite, with very
glittering teeth; the other a short, good-natured
young man, with a voice like Punch’s, and a hearty
interest in every human being the world contained.
The tall McKnight stood between Miss Guilder and
Mrs. Greenoff, talking gracefully to both.
Allie saw there was no opportunity of speaking
with her hostess, so she gratefully let the short
McKnight give her a seat and turn over her opera
librettos for her, and tell her in intervals between
the music, in the most genial way, as if he had known
her always, his last summer’s yachting experiences,
and his general preference for active sports. When
Said the old grandmother, pleased by this sponta- ; his tall cousin was present he was eclipsed, and Miss
24 THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
Se
Guilder’s presence lost to him ; but he seemed to en- | in the drawing-rooms striking eleven. What hours for
joy “ playing second fiddle.†young folks who slept with the birds! This re-
When the Professor began playing again, however,
Allie could do nothing but watch ; and as for Ben,
with folded arms and eyes quite popping out, he
stood by himself contemplating that spectacle with
astonishment. The Professor was one of those
performers who are said to “play all over.â€
Now his shoulders galloped with his hands
down the octaves, and his feet in a mad stam-
pede thundered among the pedals. Then he
raised himself as if to leap headlong among
the blue pipes and butt his brains out; but,
making a quick dash to the left, he pulled out
a handful of stops, jumped violently to the
right as if he had made up his mind to surprise
the blower at his tricks and thrash him, and
only changed it in time to grab another hand-
ful of stops and climb the banks of keys again.
He was improvising, Joslyn told Allie: that
is, making up music as he went along. She
could only wish he wouldn’t.
minded Allie of her watch, however, and as soon as.
Mrs. Greenoff had bowed the party out she ap-
proached her timidly. Joslyn was in the music-room,
re-arranging his music sheets,
“TI think,†she observed gravely, “he could
find some that is prettier already written
out, and it wouldn’t be so hard to play —don’t
you?â€
For reply to this innocent speech Joslyn’s eyes
flashed a thousand twinkles, and he went over by one
of the etagéres where she could see his shoulders
quake, as if he were laughing to himself, and enjoying
the remark to which he could make no reply.
“Professor Guilder is a great organist,†murmured
the short McKnight, “and Miss Guilder has a very
rare voice — a pure soprano.â€
Miss Guilder did sing exquisitely. Her voice, un-
like herself, was pliant and richly tender. For the
first time in their lives Ben and Alice heard really
good singing. Handel’s “Angels ever bright and
) fair†opened a world of goodness and delight right
close to their senses; and selection after selection
thrilled them with new feelings, It was in part a
church rehearsal, the Professor, Miss Guilder and
Joslyn, being members of a choir. Ben and Alice
could have wished it to last all night, but when the
callers departed they were dismayed to hear a clock
IN THE MUSIC-ROOM.
“We went up to see Mrs. Wiley,†she began, tak-
ing the watch-chain in her thumb and finger, “ and
she was very kind.â€
“She has taken a fancy to you, I see,†said Mrs.
Greenoff, smiling at the chain standing out in relief
against the girl’s black dress,
“But I wished to ask you—†There Allie paused
greatly embarrassed. Whén she came to do it, she
found it indelicate to hint to the hostess that the el-
der lady might be in her dotage, and a present from
her ought, perhaps, to be returned. Mrs. Greenoff
understood her hesitation as delicately as she ex-
pressed it. ,
“Mrs. Wiley has paid you a compliment which
you must appreciate,†she said heartily. “She sel-
dom takes sudden fancies to young people. Cer-
tainly you will keep the watch, my dear. Let me see
if it agrees with mine about the time. Ves. Well, now
you will be shown to your rooms, and to-morrow I
want to have a talk with you about your mother and
all the children.â€
(0 BE ConTINUED. )
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. 25
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
By Mary HartTweLtL CATHERWOOD,
CHAPTER VIII.
IN WHICH JACK RISES AND THE TWINS FALL.
N Monday morning
Jack sat at breakfast
in the cosy St. Nich-
olas, and opposite
him sat a portly gen-
tleman who was Gen-
eral Agent for the
road on which J.
Dogberry, the day
« before, made his
debut as engineer.
He tucked his nap-
kin under his chin as
he saw the agent do,
and settled down to
breakfast like a
man. Jack was hun-
gry. Sunday had
been a partial fast;
and in the evening,
after his arrival in
Cincinnati, he had no appetite. He was all eyes.
The agent cut up the steak and broke his eggs,
watching the boy all the time with amusement and
approval.
“So you brought the train through, did you? And
saved it, too! Those fellows made a wreck of some
of the freights in Pontiac. I’m going to come down
pretty severe on Green, the engineer you relieved,
and some more of them.â€
“Ves, sir, they didn’t act right. But I think the
ones who did the damage weren’t railroad boys, I
don’t think you ought to be too hard on them.â€
“You're a clannish sort of a young man.â€
“Well, when I’m in a business, I want to stand by
the folks that employ me and the folks I’m working
with. I don’t believe that engineer would have acted
so if he hadn’t been drinking. He oughtn’t to driv’,
you know.â€
“Certainly not.â€
“Our Bunch of children,†pursued Jack, “ sort
of clan together at home. And so it comes natural
to me, when I’m ina business, to stand up for it and
for the other people in it !â€
“How long have you been in the railroad busis
ness?†inguired the agent smiling broadly.
“Well, about two years. I sweep out the depot,
and carry the messages, and take down the market
reports, and do everything Mr. Joyce wants me to. I
get ten dollars a month. It isn’t much, but it’s lots
better than nothing; and then I’m learning tele-
graphing and all about it.â€
“ Board yourself?â€
“Yes. I board at home. I would have fifteen
dollars a month ; but I’m too young to carry the mails,
they think, so I pay a man five dollars a month to do
that. That is, they give him the money. they’d give
me if I could do it.â€
“ How did you learn to run a locomotive?â€
“QO, I want to find out everything I can, so I'l]
know the whole business. I love an engine and the
engineers taught me on the road.â€
The agent kept smiling, so Jack thought he was as
pleasant a man as he had ever seen.
“So you’re determined to mount the whole lad-
der?â€
“Why, yes, sir, if I can. I think the railroad busi-
ness is splendid. There’s so much gitwp about it.
It keeps a man all alive, and that’s the way I want to
be.â€
“Jt’s very lively, then, up in New Town?â€
“Q, course it isn’t like a big city; but there are
two mail trains a day and one express, besides the
freights.â€
“T should like to see such a stirring town,†said
the agent. “ Perhaps I’ll run up there before long.â€
36 THE DOGBERRY BUNCH,
“Do!†exclaimed Jack, “and come and have din-
ner at our house. We have got one of the best gar-
dens in town; and I bet our raspberries will be ripe
before anybody else’s!â€
“That is very tempting.
give me your full address.â€
He took out a pencil and memorandum book and,
at Jack’s dictation, wrote his name, town and state,
“ Now, what else shall we order? You are my
guest and I mustn’t starve you.â€
“O, I’ve had a splendid breakfast, and I don’t
want anything more, sir.â€
“Well, we will meet here at two o’clock, my din-
ner hour. You will want to look about town. If
you get tired of that, come down to the office on
Vine street—next street to this, running north and
south. And, by the way,†concluded the agent as he
took up the check and opened his pocket-book,
“here is an advance on the little testimonial we
intend to give you for your services, Mind, young
man, I don’t say I quite endorse rashness and ven-
turesomeness ; but the way matters resulted, you
saved us some money.â€
Jack flushed as the ten dollar bill was laid before
him.
“Why, here you’re giving me my meals,†said he,
“and I didn’t want anything for bringin’ that train
down. I did it just as if it had been my own, you
know!â€
“Yes, I know. And that’s what we like. Take
this now and say no more. You'll want to get some
little presents for that family of yours.â€
Jack thought of Arty; and, putting the money with
great importance and eager thanks into his porte-
monnaie, he went out on the shady side of Fourth
street. To a country boy the fine old street was a
valley of. wonders. The melancholy “Tay-tine-all-
toe!†cry of the old-clothes man, the street-cars, the
books and pictures and dry goods and wood-carving
in the windows, the brisk boys and girls, the rush of
people, the confused rumble and roar, kept him in a
state of excitement which was Jack’s idea of beati-
tude.
He went into the stores and looked at the pretty
dresses — Jack had an eye for pretty dresses — and
hesitated a long time over a made suit, which he had
a mind to buy for Arty; but on learning that it was
valued at twenty dollars he decided not to take it.
Now, while I think of it,
Then he rambled out and found at another place a
huge rocking-horse, strong enough to hold himself,
and with main and tail of real hair, and fiery nostrils
and head erect. And after ascertaining that it was
amply within his means, and meditating fondly for
the last time on his green bill with the X’s on it, he
bought the horse and ordered it sent to the depot
from which he was to start for home in the evening.
The spell which hangs on concentrated money
being broken, Jack now acted the young prodigal
and flung it about with a lavish hand. He got a pair
of books for Rome and Remus, a silk handkerchief
which cost exactly ninety-five cents for Benjamin,
and a pair of real kid gloves apiece for Allie and
Loo. Not knowing the sizes they wore, he was at a
loss when the clerk asked him what numbers. But
Jack was not to be balkéd. He described his sis-
ter’s: . Oa
“Loo is tall as a tree,†said he, “that is, pretty
near; and has a long slim hand. She never has had
but one pair of kid gloves, but she’s dreadful partic-
ular about the way they fit. Her hand sort of gives
ze and squeezes up. Allie’s smaller, but it’s broader
across than Loo’s, and her fingers don’t run to such
a fine point. She’s had several pairs; and I notice
she gets black ones most always, but I think she’d
like those pale sort of pinky-gray ones.â€
“The lavender?â€
“Yes, if that’s what you call it,
long black ones for Loo.â€
I may mention here that Jack came to grief on
the presentation of these gloves to Loo. Allie’s fitted
with a nicety and a perceptible lightening of their
color which delighted her heart, and she wore them
with great care, keeping them in intervals of disuse
in a seal-skin glove-box, presented by Joslyn Green-
off. But the tips of Loo’s long black gloves hung off
her fingers like eagle-claws. Her slight hand roamed
around in them and found no test, and she saw,
through tears of vexation, that they were sevens and
ahalf! Jack didn’t mind in the least when she ran
and cuffed him with them; but declared he had
described her accurately at the glove counter, and
the clerk asked if she was that young person gener-
ally known as the Cardiff giantess !
Disposing of his parcels around his person, Jack
now wandered off up Vine street; and here he found
the bronze Woman of the Fountain, standing above
And some awful
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. 27
the esplanade and shedding from her outstretched
hands continuous sprays of blessings. He never
had seen anything so beautiful. He walked all
around the square to see her from every point. He
approached the great fountain and examined every
figure surrounding it. The child dancing by its
mother’s side and holding up joyful hands to catch
the rain drip from above, the boy riding the dolphin,
the old man in a toga—not one piece of the groups
escaped him.
“My goodness! I wish Arty and the rest could
look at it! *Twould fill all our front yard and the
grove. And there she stands, winter and summer.
I bet the ragged young ones like to come out and
look at her. Seems as if she was mothering every-
body in town. O, you pretty thing! It would spoil
me to live here. I’d want to get on a rail and watch
you from morning till night ; and then who’d sweep
out the depot, and take the market reports, and help
Mr. Joyce!â€
Speaking of rails made him look around to see if
there were any; but the only ones to be seen were
street-car rails, A little car drawn by two jaded
horses came jingling along, and reminded Jack that
he meant to try the street-cars and hadn’t done it
yet. The red vehicle stopped on a crossing and
Jack bounced in. After it started it seemed to
travel on elbow roads, and went just opposite the
direction Jack thought he was taking. Still his
bump of locality was full, and he was not afraid of
getting lost. He crossed a canal bridge and the
aspect of the city changed, the road grew steep;
and on each side of it stood up the quaintest build-
ings, with galleries hung on the outside far up in the
air, and nearly every name above the store doors
was in German. It was the German part of the old
city, where good foreigners and their children keep
up the good ways of Vaderlandt, and nothing is
changed from generation to generation. When Jack
paid his fare, with great shrewdness and business
dispatch, he asked for a round trip ticket and how
far the road went?â€
“Going up the incline?†inquired the conductor.
“The what?â€
“Why, the inclined plane —there it is,â€
Jack looked in the direction indicated and saw a
railroad in the air, with its terminus at the top of
what seemed to his prairie-accustomed eyes a very
high hill. There seemed to be a double track; and
up one a black speck was sliding, and down the
other came a similar black speck,
“Do folks go up and down that thing?†thought
he. “I’m going to try it if the rest do.†So he
said “ Yes, up the incline,†pocketed his ticket, and
watched his destination with rather a shaky heart as
he neared it.
The car paused, another horse was added, and
these tugged the load up to a small house, which
seemed to be the “Inclined Plane†station. The ful]
car was soon emptied and Jack followed his compan-
ions into the station, where a man tore off a coupon
from his ticket and put him into an open door which
seemed to give entrance to another street-car. A
signal sounded two or three times, then the door was
shut and locked, and Jack felt the sensation of rising
in the world. The people appeared perfectly calm;
windows were open all around. Jack crowded upon
the front platform and saw that a cable of iron wire
was drawing them up; and down came the other car
rushing past them! The roar of the engine on the
hill filled his ears; and how nimbly that cable ser-
pent leaped over the revolving groves of wood which
made its path. He grabbed his hat with both fists to
keep it from skurrying away on the wind, and wanted
to yell with delight. The great city with its mantle
of smoke drawn over its head, its spires glinting, its
river shining away to the south, rolled out below him.
Too soon was it over. The car went more slowly—
it dréw up to its station—a man waiting there
clicked the door open and the people poured out.
“ve got the trip back, though,†thought Jack. So
he delayed that ecstasy, wandering around the build-
ing, and looking down a circular hole at the station-
ary engine which worked the cars up and down the
“Incline.†Having still a coupon of his ticket left,
he explored Mt. Auburn Street, and gazed upon its
various residences with approval; also upon its airy
height and untarnished greenness.
“This is.a very fine place for women,†thought
Jack. “T wish all our girls lived in that house with
the slim pillars and such a lot of porches! Come to
think, maybe they’d like this cunnin’ place all over
vines best. But, as for me, I like to live down in
town right in the middle of everything. I don’t mind
the suft; but Loo and Allie would make a dreadful
fuss about the washing down there.â€
28
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
He reached the terminus of the road and'took a
ticket back; and it is a fact, which Jack was after-
‘wards ashamed to own to his family, that he spent
_ a long time whizzing up and down that “ Incline.â€
When he returned to the St. Nicholas it was long
past two; but a waiter who had evidently been set
to watch for him, beckoned and placed him at a
table.
Very different from his sensations, as he sat with
just such a luxurious dinner before him as a boy
likes, and an attentive man at his elbow to help him
to what he couldn’t reach, were the sensations of
“Rome and Remus as they fastened the front door of
‘the Dogberry house and started off with Jacey Dixon.
Jacey lopped along, sawing from side to side in his
accustomed lazy way, his hands buried deep in his
}pantaloons pockets, but whether to support his pants
tor his hands nobody could ever decide. He never
thad suspenders, but tied a tow string around his waist.
THe was a very light-eyed youth, about the twins’
age; hollow in the chest, hollow in the temples, and.
very lean-limbed. He had an active imagination,
and a great love for the marvelous and startling.
The three trotted down a slope which led to a
deep ravine west of Old Town. ‘As they sunk into
this valley it was easy to see toward what point they
were making. Here stood what had once been a
tannery, a weather-beaten old frame which all the
children considered “booggerish!†not only because -
“it looked deserted, and was full of old tan-vats into
which one might fall and be drowned, but because,
also, Billy Greer lived there, the terror of New Town
children after dusk.
He was a rag-picker of strange habits. Bent
half double, with his great sack on his back, he grov-
elled over New and Old Towns picking up shreds
and trash He made monthly journeys to other
places, either to dispose of his pickings or add to his
treasures. Danport was known to be one of his
beats, the twelve intervening miles. being nothing to
Billy Greer. In the daytime, when he jabbered around
the gutters, many boys were rude to him, and, conse-
quently, in the dark they respected him. Billy, in
his personal appearance, was a sight that made small
children cry. He was not social, and desired to
reside undisturbed in his mansion the tannery.
warm and excited, “or else that I’d brought a para.
sol, Why can’t the sun carry an umbrella? Look
at those three or four great big clouds standing
round the sky doing nothing, when they might be
shading us!†‘
“T think,†said Jacey solemnly, “you'd better be
thinking about your little brother down in this here _
tannery!â€
“What do you b’leeve Billy Greer’d do with him
if he had him?†inquired Rheem, in a voice which
betrayed his doubt of Billy’s having him.
“What do I b’leeve he’d do with him? W’y, I
b’leeve he’d put him in a vat and tan him as black
as leather and then sell him!â€
“ But Arty’d drown!†shuddered Maude.
“ And who’d he sell him to?â€
“W’y, to those Italians with harps and fiddles, or
the gipsies.. There was a woman came to our house
and she wanted to stay all night, and she had seven
children. Some was boys and’some was girls, and
some was bigger ones! And she had a hand-cart
and there was a bar’l in it. I thought they looked
sort of funny; some was light brown, and some was.
coffee-color, and some was purty nigh black. So in
the night I heard her call them up, and I got up, too,
and watched. And she’d ketch one by the hair of
the head and dip him in the bar’l, and he’d come out
all drippin’ with somethin’ like ink; then she’d ketch
another and dip #zm. The girls they cried, but the
boys never said ‘boo’; but one, he got his mouth
full and sputtered it out, and I was squattin’ right
behind the bar’l and it hit me on the head. There’s
a black spot on my head yit.â€
Jacey pulled off his cap and offered his scalp fer
inspection; but there were so many black spots it
was difficult to say where the dye marked him.
“That scared me so I crept off. But next
mornin’ J said to the woman when she started:
‘Missis, what you got in that bar’l?’ and she says, ©
‘Brine for pickles. I’m gatherin’ pickles to sell.’
And then I knew she’d stole the children and was:
a-colorin’ them for the gipsies or Italians.â€
Rome’s hair bristled, but Rémus said:
~“T don’t believe that !†:
. “Well, you needn’t,†retorted Jacey doggedly,
“but I can show yoy. the very room where the
woman slept! I ain’t goin’ no farther. I don’t want
“T wish the sun wouldn’t shine so!†cried Maude | Billy Greer to know I told you he had Arty.â€
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH: : 29
“When did you see him with Arty?â€
“Didn’t I see Arty’s little linen dress stickin’ out
of his bundle? And last night, when I came along
a-past the tannery, I heard the mournfullest noise
that ever was, like somebody about Arty’s size was
gettin’ whaled to death; and I crept up close to the
house and laid my ear close to the ground, and
heard old Billy trampin’ round among the vats, and
every little bit I could hear the licks and then a
- sousin’ like he was dippin’ the little fellow again. I
bet his skin’ll be so black you won’t know him by
this time!†;
Credulous as Rome and Remus naturally were,
and much as their eurdling blood resented such a
state of things, they could not gwée credit all Jacey
said, and halted to parley further with him, when a
sound rose from the tannery which turned the burn-
ing afternoon into a nightmare. Jacey took to his
heels, but the shriek which drove him drew the
twins, trembling but decided, straight to the low tan-
nery door. Remus knocked with all his might and
then kicked with his boot. A humming and purring
inside ceased. Remus doubled the-knocks. - The
door opened so suddenly that he precipitated himself
into the room while kicking it, and, in a wink,
Maude was whisked in also by the collar of her
apron. The strong door banged to, and Billy Greer
stood over them, like some great giant, in the twi-
light. It was never light-in there. .
“T want my little brother!†said Remus, with
some little defiance left.
Billy stooped down and looked at the boy and
girl. He drew. his mouth around one side of his
face almost to his ear; then he let go there and drew
it to the other ear; then he opened it like a. cavern |
and advanced on the cowering twins. - Rome began
to scream at the top of her voice; but Rheem only
stepped back, turning pale, and taking care to ‘keep
his arm before his sister,
“You can’t scare me /†he declared in a trembling
tone. “You tell us where Arty is or we'll go off
and raise the town!†.
It seemed likely that they would go off!
_The boy’s defiance roused the giant of this cas-
tle to greater exhibitions of rage. He began to chop
his teeth, these being large and powerful, with a. reg-
- ular clip which reduced even Remus to a whimper.
Then he grabbed them both-again and dragged them»
between two piles of rags he was sorting. These
unfortunate children might as well have been in a
wild beast’s den as in the grip of this strange
creature. He had not spoken a word to them; but
now, as he raked a covering of boards aside with his
foot, he uttered a prolonged, triumphant yell. Rome
and Remus joined in fully, but with different feel-
ings; for in the earthen floor he uncovered a tan-
vat, and they looked down into it, seeing the brown-
ish, horrid liquid about to swallow them up.
Plunge!
Rheem landed still struggling, but Maude fell
unconscious.
Why, the vat was dry! There was nothing in it
except heaps and heaps of rags, ill-smelling, but
not so choking as water. The children caught their
breath. The boards were replaced over their heads.
Billy had shut them in. They grabbed hold of each
other to be stayed and twin-supported in that dread-
ful place.
“Don’t be scared, Rome,†whispered Remus, “I
ain’t going to let him do anything more with us.â€
Between the cracks of the boards now came a
sound more blood-curdling than anything before —
of Billy cracking his jaws and grinding his teeth, and.
saying unctuously —as if he could hardly wait to
finish his work before he tasted them —
“Tlove you! Oh,I love you! How I love you!â€
“Do you think he’s chopped Arty up?†sobbed
Rome under her breath. :
““Po—h! No. He da’sn’t!â€
“But where is Arty?†-
“Well, I shouldn’t wonder if he threw him down
here. When Jace was talkin’ I didn’t more than
half believe he’d got Arty, but now I believe he
has.â€
“How I love you!†gritted Billy at regular inter-
vals, bending to the rags he sorted.
The twins grovelled among the rags in the vat.
It was not a fragrant work. Dust rose and nearly
stifled them ; but still with the energy of desperation
‘they poked and dug, and felt down deeper and
deeper for the missing baby.
“Rheem, why doesn’t he cry?â€
“Like’s not he’s pretty near choked—this is
enough to do it, or maybe he’s asleep.â€
Rome put her face down among the nauseating
rags and projected through them:
390 ‘THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
“Arty!â€
Remus did likewise:
“ Arty!â€
Duet and chorus:
“ Arty! you down there?â€
“Say, Arty! Rheemie’s here!â€
“Arty, O, Arty! Arte—e—e!†in a long, cau-
rious, whispered cry.
“T believe he zs dead!†whimpered Maude. °
“Feel and poke round,†urged Remus, “till we hit
something.â€
“How I love you!
Billy.
' “Rome, there’s something hard down there!â€
“Way under the pile? O, pull it out quick!â€
“T can’t get holt! I can just touch it with the
end of my foot!†|
“Let’s make the hoie bigger and go down in it.â€
ffow I love you!†howled
They made the dust fly like two young war-horses,
sneezed, choked, but continued to dig until Remus
pulled up a box in his hands. It was not heavy, but
it weighed like lead on the children’s little hands,
and was evidently made of very strong wood. They
felt its angles and knobs, and tried without sight to
estimate its size.
“Tain’t as Jong as Arty,â€
betraying her unspoken fear. ,
“What are these round-headed nails on top?â€
“Run your finger over ’em.â€
“They’re letters.â€
“What letters?â€
“T can’t find out.â€
“Let me try.â€
Remus investigated thoroughly with-his fingers.
“A.D. That’s what they are, A. D.â€
At this Rome very nearly broke into a howl.
“O, Rheemie! A. D. stands for Arty’s name;
Arty Dogberry! Oh, he’s put him in here and put
his name on it!†wept Maude, with the clear and log-
ical convictions of childhood.
“OQ, po—h!†began her twin though his chin was
shaking.
Outside, however, an interruption was begun which
caused them to listen with their breath in their teeth.
A heavy hand and persuasive foot wete at work on
the tannery door. -
“Come, I want to see you, Billy,†said John
- White. John White was always coming to the res-
whimpered Maude,
temarked John,
cue of the Dogberry Bunch in one way or another,
This second interruption at his work made Billy
Greer so furious, he would have harmed the stock.
farmer if it were possible. He rushed out at John
shaking his fists and uttering rapid words.
“QO, come, now, Billy, I know you get teased and
touzled, but you must know your friends from your
foes. Quiet down, now. All I want is the children
in here.- Where did you store them?â€
Doubling in his,accustomed attitude, and aes
under the sane sound man’s control, old Billy Greer
at once conducted him between one piles of rags to
the tan-vat.
“Nice roomy place you’ve got for your business,â€
glancing up the dim walls, cobwebby
and smoked.
Billy removed’ the boards from the-vat and the
heads and shoulders of the terrified twins appeared.
“QO, pshaw, now!†said John with disapproval.
“Tut, tut, man! this won’t do. Don’t play tricks on
such little codgers. Come, reach up, young ones,â€
“Make him tell where Arty is,†said Rheem, when
his twin and he were out of the vat. Maude still
held the lettered’ box under her apron. Mr. White
lifted her out by taking hold of her shoulders.’ She
hid behind him and carried the box, convinced
strongly that she had some clue to Arty in it.
“Tlave you anybody else bottled under ground?â€
inquired: John.
Billy Greer earnestly protested that he had not.
The children ran as fast as they could when they saw
the daylight, and John walked out after them laugh-
ing. They were still confused and half-smothered by
the rag heap; and Maude forgot everything but the
instinct of flight, even with John White to guard the
rear, until she fell up-hill and the box was brought
to sight as well as memory.
“We're obliged “to you, Mr. White,†said Remus, ©
dropping back with some regard for appearances,
“ How did,you know he had us in there?â€
“Jacey Dixon came tearing up to me, and told me °
you and-your little better part had gone to Billy’s to
hunt for Arty, and Billy came out with an ax and cut
you both in half, and was splitting you into fine kind-
ling while he came for help.â€
“Well, he was pretty rough. I didn’t tind aiaaly,
but I hated to have him frighten Maude,â€
“Hold on, little Dosbery†called John as he saw
~
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. 3r
Rome sprawl, “the danger’s all over. I guess you
two, had better go home with me to Priscilla, and let
her put you in the smoke-house and fumigate you
with something to sweeten that pest-rag smell you
got in Billy’s vat.â€
Rome looked into John White’s face as Remus
helped her up. His countenance reminded one of a
turnpike of granite. No down there. Hewas never
known to wear a beard; but mica-like sparkles of
the best looking and pleasantest man in town!
“Tf you haven’t brought that box!†cried Rheem.
“ What box?†asked John.
“The one we dug up in that vat.
brought it with her.â€
Maude dared not own the secret convictions
which made her bring it; so she stood trembling and
wiping the dust of Billy’s heap from nose, eyes and
ears, with her long apron, while John White picked
Maude’s
fun and good-will shone over it. She thought he was | up the box and looked at it curiously.
a
32
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
BY MARY HARTWELL CATHERWOOD,
CHAPTER IX.
THE GATHERING OF THE CLAN,
OME people are always having adventures,
They find what nobody else does; or they go
on a journey and miss a train, to mount some delight-
ful train of odd happenings. But Loo was not an
individual to whose lot adventures fall. She really
did not like unusual occurrences. So, wandering
about the streets of Carver City until it was time to
take the return train, she was not preyed upon or
smashed ; nor did she encounter any rich old rela-
tive, who, looking upon her sweet, womanly, young
face with favor, decided to make her his heiress.
The only face she recognized among hundreds of
strangers was that of Lawyer McKay, the Bunch’s
guardian.
Loo was standing outside a bookstore, looking at
prints in the window, and occasionally wiping a tear
off her pensive nose, when a hearty voice beside her
exclaimed :
“Well, Lucy, how do you do? The other children
with you?â€
She looked up and gave her hand to Mr. McKay.
“No, sir. I came alone.â€
“Crying ? What’s the matter, child? Anything
Wrong at home? Were you going to my office ? â€
This ge..*leman was an old friend of the family,
A man grizzle? and brisk and talented. The first
jurist in his county, and second only to ne Presideut
in the eyes of the Dogberry Bunch.
f }
‘Il
Loa.
It did not take him long to gather from Loo what
had happened. He looked at his watch, though: a
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. 33
moment, and then told her he would go back home
with her.
So Lucy came on the afterncon train, just as she
expected to do, and with her came the guardian.
Dogberrydom stood brown and still in the even-
ing sunshine, meditating about its emptiness. I
suppose the little old house said:
“Where are all my children? Are the boys at
work? Is sweet Alice in the school-room? But
Lucy’s feet do not pat about, and I cannot see Rome
and Arty on the croquet field. I don’t like this.
Come home, young ones! I shall die without some
life in me! Why, this is a pretty way to treat your
old home, that has sheltered you since you could
chipper! Here’s a strange cat sneaking along one
of my back window sills, to find a broken pane and
get into the cupboard. I don’t believe I could
stand this all night. I want to hear your little noses
snoring. You haven’t gone off to stay, have you?
I'd willingly have my roof raised by a good noise ;
though in times past I dd complain that you shook
me considerably.â€
Now, to the old house’s joy, Ben and Alice drove
up to the fence, and, tying Thomas’ sorrel, hastened
up the lawn.
“Why, the door’s locked, Allié! †exclaimed Ben,
trying it. They felt for the key on a nail under the
step (this was a family secret ), and entered.
“We—ell!†breathed Alice, slowly, looking
around the silent and empty place, “where are the
children?â€
“That’s what I want to know!†cried Jack, burst-
ing in from the station where he had just arrived.
‘““Where’s Arty? Has he been found, yet?â€
“Yes, he has,†said Alice, hugging Jack and shak-
ing hands with him. “ And you've a nice boy to get
carried off while you are in bed, and travel all over
the country without a clean shirt on!â€
“Where have you been?†inquired the older
- brother, pumping Jack’s hand.
Pat, pat, came a pair of shoes and a pair of boots
on the steps, and Rome and Remus, with their brass-
nailed box, scampered in.
“Why, here’s Jack!â€
“And Ben and Allie!â€
““Where’s Arty?â€
A Babel of sounds now ensued.
“Arty isin Danport!†— “Where you been?†-—
“Billy Greer put us in a tan vat!â€â€” “In Cincin-
nati!’’— “Was he hurt badly?†— “No, only
bruised ! — He was run over!— He is at Mrs. Green-
off’s !—We’ll bring him home in a day or two!†— “J
had a splendid time, and you can’t guess what I’ve
got for you!†—“O, I’m so glad the baby is safe!â€
“What's that box you put on the table, Maudie?†—
“My gracious! what a noise! Don’t; we'll raise
the neighbors!†— “Seems like we’d been gone a
year !†—“ We've all been seekin’ our fortunes |� —
“Whew! Allie, where did you get that big gold
chain ?â€â€â€” “Why, where’s Loo?â€
“There’s a new candidate coming before this con-
vention!†shouted John White, looking in from the
stoop. “It’s your gardeen, Lawyer McKay. Quict
down, or he might get a hickory and lick a few of
you.â€
The Berries, now re-assembled, ran to the door
and met their guardian and Lucy there.
“Any news from the baby?†he inquired directly.
With irrepressible eagerness they began all talk-
ing together again, when John White stuck his fin-
gers in his ears and took a leap off the stoop.
“That’s what I came in to ask,†he cried. “I
saw the horse and buggy tied down here. But you
might as well go to ask the time of day of Niagara
Falls 1â€
Ben grabbed a crayon of chalk from his pocket,
and made a bulletin board of the front door, chalk-
ing out:
“ARTY
IS
FOUND!â€
“Where did you find him?†inquired Mr. McKay,
moving like oil among the troubled waters.
Ben and Allie related their experience.
“We sent a letter,†they added, “and thought the
children would know all about it by this time; but
I guess they all ran off and forgot to go to the post-
office.â€
“ Didn’t Maude and Rheem stay here?†inquired
Lucy.
“TI guess we didn’t /†the twins hastened to assure
their friends, “ when we thought old Billy Greer had
Arty, dipping him in tan-dye to make him a little
gipsy! Jacey Dixon said so!â€
‘And we went right down there!â€
34 THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
“And he grabbed us and put us into a hole among
the rags !â€
“ And he gritted his teeth and said he loved us!â€
“JT bet you’d never seen ws again, if it hadn’t
been for Mr, White !â€
“My goodness! what children!†murmured Alice.
“Faven’t I told you many a time not to go with
Jacey Dixon, and to stay away from Billy Greer’s old
tan-house?â€â€™ So she embraced them, and wiped the
‘dust off their noses.
“We'll have to go back there and take this box to
Billy,†said Rheem.
The Jawyer picked up the box. It was of mahog-
any. There was a key-hole in one side. He took a
key out of his pocket and opened it. To save their
lives the Bunch could not help huddling just a little
nearer to see what might be in it. Mr. McKay took
‘out one paper after another, examining them sharply
as he did so.
“Where did you get this box? â€
Rome, being constrained by her lawful guardian,
was obliged to stand up and confess. She told why
she brought it, and Rheem added to her testimony,
as to where they found it.
“Well, I have taken a lucky trip, to-day!†said
Lawyer McKay. “The Durand heirs have been
‘searching for this very box, two years and a half,
Whether the rag-picker stole it, or it was carelessly
thrown out in his way, it is a treasure to them.
Here are deeds and bonds worth thousands of dol-
lars to the heirs. And I will see that you haven't
marched on Billy and fought and suffered for noth-
ing!â€
“Mr. McKay!†cried Jack, who could keep back
his own bonanza no longer, “look at that!â€
Guardian looked at it. It was a cheque for a hun-
‘dred dollars.
“I'd better invest it, hadn’t I?’ bustled Jack.
“And they gave me ten more, besides. But I don’t
‘think half as much of that as I do of what the agent
‘said about the company’s promotin’ me right along !
And it was all for nothin’, but runnin’ a train when
another engineer was misbehavin’! â€
“These young ones does beat all!†exclaimed
John White, withdrawing himself from the stoop.
“You never can tell what they’ll be up to, next ; and
_throw ’em in, deep as you please, they always kick
out top of the pile!â€
CHAPTER X.
WHAT THE NEIGHBORS SAID ABOUT IT,
Now Mother
Darling came
running in, with
the baby under
one arm, and a
pan of light bis-
cuit, wrapped in
a sweet, clean
napkin, under
the other. She
thought, as the
children had all
been wandering,
and in such a
hurly-burly, the
bread might be
used up in the
bin. Of course
she knew Arty
MOTHER DARLING, was fo un d ie
Everybody in town knew that by this time. Mother
Thomas and the other neighboring women followed
in her footsteps. You might have supposed the
Bunch were their own children, they mothered them
SO.
John White went home about dusk, to his wife
Priscilla. His farm lay a mile from the centre of
New Town, and, when he was not riding or driving,
he could stretch his long legs over that distance with
wonderful speed. Priscilla had supper all ready,
He could see it on the table through the telescope
formed by the porch, the sitting-room and the dining-
room. So he went around, at once, to the spring-
room, where living water bubbled out of a pepper-
mint-surrounded spot, and flowed away through a
stone trough, and where clean towels and clean
basins always abounded, and washed his hands and
face ready for the evening meal. He came to the
dining-room door as Priscilla emptied her hot spiced
cookies from a pan, and, while he rubbed his wet
hair into dry bristles, he said :
‘““ They’ve found the little fellow, Priscilla.â€
Priscilla knew immediately whom he meant.
They had no children at their house, and she was
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH, 35
not as much interested in the Dogberrys as John;
but she had a habit of knowing what John meant,
every time he used pronouns referring to people
whom he had not mentioned before.
“Yes, I s’posed they would find him,†said Pris-
cilla. “ He wasn’t hurt any way, was he?â€
“Sound as a dollar, except a little bruising. - They
found him over at Danport with some of their oid
kin-folks. Seems that he ran off. by himself.â€
“ Did they bring him home?†-
“No, they haven’t brought him yet. But the rest
are all there, yelling and prancing like so many
cats. Jack’s had big adventures ; and the two young
‘ones went down to Billy Greer’s and hauled up some
old -deeds that Lawyer McKay says are worth a pile
o’ money.†:
“Tt isn’t their money, is it?†.
“No.
Durand ; but I s’pose they'll get something for it,
though I don’t know whether they'll take it or not,
the whole tribe are such independent little things.
Ilent Ben ten dollars to go to Danport with, and he
brought back the same bills, and asked the favor of
doin’ a little job for nothin’ for me sometime, to
show his gratitude!’
is Well †said Priscilla, “sit down, and let’s have
supper.â€
About the same time, Mr. Thomas was Bintiag
weakly across the table at his wife, while she gave
him “ the particulars†of the news.
Comment by: Mr.
» choly sigh:
“Well, it’s better to be born lucky than rich, they
say, and I s’pose them children was born. lucky.
Ours wouldn't fare that way, I know.†.
“Don’t call it luck!†says Mother Thomas, ener-
getically. “It’s only that children without fathers
and mothers is seez zo, that’s all. And I believe ours
would fare just as well if we was to die— and they
behaved themselves.â€
“Then, we’d better die,†siched Father Thomas.
“They'd be better off!†~
“Well, ’m goin’ to mother my own as long as I
can,†laughed she, “and when I’m Bone, then it’ll be
somebody else’s turn.â€
“T think if their rich relations has lived Within
- twelve miles of ’em ever since they came home from
--Yerrup, three or four years ago, and hasn’t took any
It belongs to some heirs by the name of.
Thomas, made with | a ‘aelate
notice of them till now, they didn’t want to see them
very bad,†continued Father Thomas, lucidly.
“O, pshaw, now! poor folks ain’t such a takin’
sight that they're to be run after. They say people
live all their lives just a little ways from Niagara
Falls, or the big mountains, and never go to see
them, just because they can do it anytime. And
’tisn’t much wonder they let relations alone that
they’ve hardly ever seen, and take no sort of interest.
in. These folks seem to like the children, now that
they’ve sort of been forced to notice them.â€
‘The children won’t get any money from that fam-
ily, though.â€
“Well, do they want it?†aried Mother Thomas,
impatiently. “The children are doing very well.
It’s better for them to take care of themselves and
learn how, seeing they have to. But it won’t hurt
em to have rich friends, and to find out how the
rest of the world, outside of their own town, lives,â€
“Ttll spoil ’em,.â€
“Well, then, they’ll have to get unspoiled again,
if they’re so simple as that!â€
Jacey Dixon, who came in the evening and jumped
astride the Dogberry gate-post, and whistled the
reluctant Rheem down the lawn, viewed the recent
circumstances in an Oriental light; his painted fan-
_cies rising cloud-capped to the very skies.
“You got us into a pretty scrape, telling us Arty
was down there!†began Remus, indignantly, as
soon as he came within talking distance of the
whistler. :
“Yes, 1 sh’d think I did! I wisht I’d gone in
myself! And I would, too, if ’d known old Billy
had a box full o’ money there, savin’ up for anybody
that wanted it! I heard you got enough to start a
bank with, and was going in Bastoets with your other
rich relations!â€
“O, pshaw!†snuffed Rheem,
“Ts it so, that Allie brought home a gold watch
apiece for every one of you? I heard, too, that
Jack was goin’ to be President of the railroad, and
give you all free passes for the rest of your lives.â€
“Who tells such things?†cried Remus.
“Well, JI wish’t somebody would adopt me and
take me to Yerrup, like they say them folks in Dan-
port is goin’ to do all you! .Lemmy see your
watches! Hain’t you got a little one you don’t
want?â€
(To BE CONTINUED.)
+46 fa 4 THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
BY MARY HARTWELL CATHERWOOD.
CHAPTER XI.
THE, CATHEDRAL CHILDREN,
NE other trip was made to Dan-
port before Arty came home.
», But at last he was brought
in the Greenoff carriage, in
Mrs. Tucker’s charge and
under the general guardian-
ship of Joslyn, who was to
stop a day or two with the
Bunch.
with: thanks and smiles, and
the Berries all clustered around their. baby and their
Strange cousin. Joslyn examined each critically, but
. with sympathetic enthusiasm. Mrs. Wiley had sent
her love to her favorite Allie; his mother a note to
her favorite Ben. Jack, asa young traveller, was
ready to affiliate with their travelled guest, and the
younger children were not shy of him after they saw
Arty galloping over him.
Arthur was a trifle more of a despot, being
_ numored’ so much by his nurse; but le sat upon the
xocking-horse Jacky brought him, and rejoiced
greatly to be home once more.
Lucy and Alice got into a corner of the kitchen
and consulted together after this great arrival. The
outcome of their mingled wisdom was sucha supper
as taxed the deepest resources of Dogberrydom. As
to lodging, that was easily arranged. They gave up
their own room to the guest, and went up-stairs to
the boys’ room, while the boys adjourned to the
Darn. ;
It was another Saturday night, but the June
weather suddenly changed with one of the freaks of
this northern climate. The air took a cold chill ;
the clouds huddled together and rained a sleetlike
drizzle; and at dusk a howling wind came down
Mrs. Tucker went
back in the carriage covered -
from the north and shook everybody’s house about
his ears. It was November in the heart of summer.
Mother Darling, when Loo, with a shawl over her
head, ran to take her the neighborly compliment of
a plate of their best baking for company, bewailed
her doctor’s being out in such a night, for every. -
body else in New Town huddled, in-doors,
Ben made a wood fire in the open. Franklin stove,
which stood in one corner ‘of the sitting-room ; and
Allie pulled the muslin curtains close, resolving to
send all the extra comforters out with the boys when
they retired. Jack and Rome and Remus studied
the brilliant Joslyn, who sat in a stuffed arm-chair
before the fire with Arty on his foot. The perfume
_of the supper the girls were preparing came in through
the mosquito netting of the kitchen-door. It was
delicious comfort ; yet it put Joslyn in mind of noth-
ing he had ever experienced before, Everything was
so homely, ye: so— what Wiley, his grandmother’s
Irishwoman, would call “heartsome.†‘The atmos-
phere of the house suited his spiritual lungs better _
than the atmosphere at home. Here were so many
boys and girls, loving and needing each other so ©
truly, yet with so little dribble of sentiment! Here :
were such possibilities, and such needs to develop >
them! Who could tell what might work out of this
little brown house! The mysteries of the ’Socia-
tion, revealed. for his financial judgment, shook him
with pleasant laughter. Yet he saw, in the bank of
three dollars and odd cents, a great power, a sort of °
collar clasping into one all the Dogberry necks,
Rome and Remus brought out their corn-popper
and their pop-corn ; their tongues and Jack’s kept
popping, too, And Arthur, on Joslyn’s boot, popped -
laboriously, but conscientiously, into the conversa-_
tion, to entertain their guest with such apropos
remarks as, ©
“Old engines go ‘chug, chug, chug,’ when ‘ev.
draw trains!†-
And, -
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. ; 37°
faishey an’ I feed ve other pigs ben: ey in the
pen!†—
Or else, with visions of his favorite tein “The
Three Bears,†floating before his mind, he dabbed
out a sketch:
“ An’ ere ’ey stood with ’ey gloves on, an’ ’ey par-
’sols in ’ey hands, an’ Big Bear says, ‘Who’s been
eatin’ my porridge !’â€
“You're an odd little “old gentleman, aren’t you? a
said Joslyn, looking down at the baby’s glinting hair,
big velvety eyes, and three-cornered, elfish face.
“Vou pursue your own lines of thought undis- |
turbed by the rest of the world. I wonder now,
really, that they fitted that golden-colored wig on
such an elderly person. . Perhaps it was the largest
une they had, however, and the only one. tliat would
stretch over that full cranium. ‘Take it off and let
us examine. it,†said Joslyn, bending forward and tak-
ing hold of Arty’s scalp-lock.
“Tt’s fast!†protested Arty, staring at the young
‘ gentleman. .
“Humph ! now don’t try to aa on us.
you wear a wig?â€
. © Cousin Jos’n says I wear a wig!†said Arty,
, staring aside at his brothers and Sisters:
“And, while you are about it,’ * pursued Joslyn,
“let us examine that glass eye of yours, and these
india-rubber ears ‘that are such a. fine imitation!
* Just look at the curves and: lines*of these ears.
They are as natural-as life!â€
““ My eye ain’t glass /†protested Arty.
“You'll be claiming next that you haven’t a cork
leg! and that this. nose of yours doesn’t come off!
- Pull it off and let us see how it is made. Really,
you are a very well put up old gentleman ! {8
Don’t
“Jt doesn’t come 2 off | 1†asserted Arty, with bulging
eyes. ie 3
“My dear .old fellow! we know all about that.
_Your work has been done so well that two-thirds of
the world suppose you are real. But—do you take
yourself to pieces when you go to bed? Suppose
you should get your leg on in a hurry some morning,
so that the foot turued backwards instead of for-
wards! Why, then, one half of you would walk one
. way and the other half the other way, and you'd tear
_ yourself’ in two! Now that you show your teeth I
The
_ must remark that they are a very good set.
; lower ones false, too?â€
“My leg doesn’t come off!†cried Arty, feeling
| doubtfully one of the little warm limbs which
bestrode Joslyn’s boot. ‘ You mustn’t say ’at!â€
“QO, of course, we’ll not say anything to outsiders ;
but I really should like to see how you look when
you are taken apart and put in glasses of water and
hung around on pegs. It is no wonder you ran off
to hunt up Jacky, if Jacky is your valet, for you are a
helpless old gentleman without him!â€
“Tl run off ’gain!†cried Arthur, beginning to -S
feel a personal grievance from these remarks,
let wagons run over me!â€
“QO, that would merely knock you into pieces, and
you'd be easily enough put together again. I do
wonder, though, at your reckless extravagance in
pegging all the way to Danport on that cork leg |
If it had worn down what must have become of
«7H
you?â€
“You're real nugy/†said Arty, now thoroughly. us
on the defensive, and bristling at his teasing senior “=<
as boy will bristle against boy.
“You're a Metempsychosis,†laughed Joslyn.
“Several thousand years ago you were a little trian-
gle-faced Egyptian, and you used to play hide-and-
seek around the pyramids.â€
Arthur pondered this. His ear was sensitive to
-sounds, and the strange name which Joslyn: called†:
him pleased it. He told Allie when she put him
to bed that he was a ’tempychosis ; but his legs did
not come off, and “ Cousin dos'a was just as nugly as
nugly could be.â€
At the supper table Joslyn was far from ugly.
He sat at Alice’s right hand and helped her pass the
cups, and told so many stories and jokes that the
table would have been boisterous if the girls had not
been such natural little ladies.
All the children sat up straight, trying to remem-
ber their best manners; and Allie’s eye marked with.
approval that the twins— snuggling together as
usual —did not smear their napkins or upset their-
cups, so the very best table linen might last while the
guest remained. :
They had a tender chicken, broiled deliciously,
and Loo’s best biscuit, and old Mott’s butter — the
finest butter of the best old cow in New Town—
and mother’s cut-glass fruit dish, bearing a floating -
island of honey in an amber sea, and cake in the:
old-fashioned solid basket which had been Grand
38 : : , THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
mother Dearborn’s, and. Loo’s master-pieces in
various jellies, quivering in various lights, and choco-
late—with a great deal of milk in it for the young
ones —and finally flowers —in a tall vase — seeming
almost tropical on a night when the wind screamed
around all the corners “November!†-The girls
knew better than. to throw these delicate and tempt-
ing dishes helter-skelter on the table, too. Their
mother, and their own observations, had trained
~ them to be artists, and Joslyn felt a pleasant thrill,
like that which is given by an unexpected harmony
in music, as he looked over their arrangement.
THE MAGNETISM OF THE KEY-STONE, ,
The lively young man was made — aw hour afterward
— the key-stone of an arch before the crackling Frank-
lin stove, Metempsychosis, on his rocking-horse
beside his Jacky, forming one extremity of that arch,
and Sweet Alice, fair and pleasant, the other. Rome
and Remus so owned his attraction that they
allowed him to separate them, and hung on each side
of him, and Ben Bolt and Loo sat next to them, on
either side.
The arch said they wished they could see all the
countries on the earth; and the key-stone told them
wonderful tales about Spain, and Germany, and Pal-
estine, and England, and France, and Switzerland.
Their eyes stuck out with delight, and they leaned
forward so as almost to destroy the arch, the tnagtehs
_ ism of the key-stone was so great.
' The arch then said they. did wish they could hear
some real good music; and the key-stone said his
head was full of music, and it sounded something
like this; :
“Once there was a family of seven children, and
they lived in a wooden cathedral with gold pillars at
the front of it. They had lovely terraces of ivory
for their play-ground ; and they had also a very decr
friend who frequently called them to this play-ground,
and made. them'and himself happy with exercisé.
He never thought which one he loved best; for he
‘could not love one without loving all, and each was
different from all his brothers and sisters. If you
caught one alone, you knew
him from the rest of the fam-
ily; yet, at the same time, he
never appeared to better ad-
vantage than when with. the
rest.
“Now the cathedral they
lived in was a queer place,
full of arches and crannies:
and shifting chambers. But
the brothers and sisters had
a lovely time in it; and,
though they did not realize
it, people by the thousand —
-I might almost say ‘an in-
numerable multitude ’—came
in front of their. cathedral
house-to hear them as they
skipped around -on the
ivory terraces. For, as they moved, they made har- .
monies. These they-could not hear themselves; but
they moved according to certain laws of their natures
and as their friend led them, :
“These seven cathedral children never had deep
disagreements, but gave and took freely among each
other; and the friend, who delighted in playing with
them on the ivory terraces, loved them more and
More every day of his life. He spent days and
months planning a beautiful movement for them.
The more he loved them the more he desired to
make them give out deeper meanings.
“There was no jealousy among them.
“They were well united,
“They were so unlike that one was necessary to
all the rest.
“But what do you think they did, when their
gnawing under the basement.
out at the front and saw, by the dim daylight, that
folks,
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. ee
friend brought his majestic movement for them to
play? ‘They hid in the cathedral and eluded him,
although he pulled‘all the door knobs and pounded
at the basement. ~These children shrunk from what
was tragic and sorrowful; and the friend had to
catch them, and pull one at a time upon the terrace,
‘each one wailing in remonstrance.
“He felt desperately sad, and lay down with his
head on the lowest of the ivory terraces. The cathe-
dral was very still. You might have heard a mouse
The children peeped
other people beside their master were lingering in
sight of the cathedral, in a restless or heart-broken
way. A lady in black clothes sank down in a large
space far below the cathedral and covered her face:
with her hands. The children could -hear her cry in
a smothered voice :
“*Oh, I am dying with pain which still does not
kill me! Oh, my little baby! your loss strangles my
life! You went out of my sight, and they.say you
are dead, and I must submit! JI cannot submit!’
** Poor lady !’ whispered the children in the cathe-
dral. ‘Can’t we comfort her?’
““What! with some gay movement?
never do |’ ,
“See that ragged little girl slipping in.
eager her face is!’ What is she saying? .
“*O, I wisht and I wisht!’ said the little girl.
“Sometimes I wisht so bad I can’t stand it, but I
That would
How
don’t know what it’s for, only for better an’ better!
Mebby I oughtn’t to:-keep a wishin’ for what I don’t
know how to come at, but somehow I can’t help
itl?
“¢The poor little creature’s soul is alia up and
shaking itself, and looking round,’ whispered one of
the cathedral children. ‘O, I wish we could play
some movement which would fill her with joy and
resolution for the rest of her life !’
“Not one of our most brilliant performances would
do that. They are for diversion, for giving pleasure.
The master’s new movement, which’ we hated..to
learn, perhaps would have given us-the key of these
Now there is a man gnawing his beard and
folding his ams. What’s wrong with him ?’
“‘The whole world is a den of selfish thieves,’
muttered the man. ‘Every fellow preys on his
brother, Pooh! talk about honesty, talk about love!
‘a friend of the master’s, approaching him.
There is nothing but self-interest! The human race:
is a very mean race —’
“*Ahl? cried the cathedral children, shaking
their heads. ‘Nothing brilliant would put better
thoughts in that man’s mind! If we knew some-
thing which would touch his heart and make it more
TRAGIC AND SORROWFUL,
tender! Why, how many people there are that we
can’t touch because we hated to learn any painful
. lesson!’
““*Come! what’s the matter vith you?’ exclaimed
‘Call out
those children you love so well.’
“
lesson,’ sighed the master.
““What! you, their friend ?’
ete
* as
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
8 “They have been gay and Ais It is natural for.
_them to remonstrate against having the sorrow of
~ the world expressed through them.’
“
-Do they not know they can be. nothing to, and do
~ nothing for, the human race, if they never learn its
‘troubles?’
“The cathedral children’s friend raised up his
head, and opened the doors again. Then he called
~ with all his power to the children, and they replied
to him as they had never done before. Docile and
" sweet and trembling with earnestness, they did his
‘bidding. They moved on the terraces, calling one
to another with a closeness of brotherhood which
even the man who despised men felt keenly —like
-. a sharp point of truth in a strong parable. They
_.. fell down with their faces on their arms, like the
bereaved woman; but, above the pain passing
through. them, then master made them call to God
who heals pain. Then they marched on, at first in
blind and confusing ways, like those in which the
' ragged girl was lost; but a triumphal march grew
out of this gonfusion: and at last they entered a
‘world†of such delicious’ harmony that words can’
never give ita description.
“The woman went away. The man. went away.
The girl went, too. But the cathedral children had
spoken deep things which were never to be forgot-
‘ten, to these three, and perhaps to many more. , The
pillars of their great dwelling glittered dimly in the
night, and they slept. The gates were shut upon
the ivory terraces, and even their friend was gone.
But wiser and stronger for having felt and borne
part of the woe of the world the seven lay silent in
the cathedral ; and.the echoes of that movement will
stay there as tae as the seven children do.â€
“Well, that’s an odd story!†remarked Jack,
-when Joslyn stopped speaking.
“Tell ‘ Three Bears,’ †suggested Arthur, fixing on
an entertainment more to his mind.
“ Tt’s something about the seven notes in music,’
said Allie, hesitating.
“You get it!†laughed Joslyn. \
“And it somehow seems,†she added, -* to mean
us seven children, too.â€
““We never had a knock-down fight in our lives 1.â€
cried Jack. “We get along pretty well-together ! â€
“But when we grow up and have troubles,†mur-
mured Loo, “ I wonder how we'll get along?â€
“T tell you, now, I would hate to see any of the
girls come to grief!†cried Ben, who understood
Joslyn’s fiction as-a parable, “ whether they ought to
enjoy it alongside of other folks or not.†|
“O, Ldstand by you, Rome!†cried Remus.
“And. Ld stand by you /†she responded.
And “I’d stand by you!†“I’d stand by you !**
resounded all along the arch.
Before they knew what they were doing, the
Bunch were all standing by each other and shaking
hands with each other, reassuringly.
“O, wed all stand by each other,†sg Allie,
laughing, “and if by each other by everybody else
who needed it!â€
“You ave a Bunch!†said fase: rising also ‘and
laughing and shaking himself. “Well, hang closé!
But it’s nearly twelve o’clock, and I believe my fur-..
ther hints and admonitions to you now will have toâ€
be curtailed with ‘Good- meh Dogherry, Bunch !’â€
CEND OF PART I.)
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. 41
slsieiels a 18) ©) E130 tel el Ue lee
PART
Ulls
BY MARY HARTWELL CATHERWOOD,
CHAPTER I.
“NO HOME!â€
T isatact in our, existence that some days or
I weeks, crowded with events, seem longer and of
more importance than months or even years of quiet
living. During the years, however, we are growing
ready to burst into the flower of new events.
For two years after Arthur's journey the Dogberrys
went on pretty much as usual; on a new plane to be
sure, and improving themselves, but. without any
important adventures. j
The Greenoff family did not forget them. Joslyn
gave Alice music lessons, and the whole Bunch, in
instalments of two or three berries at a time, were
taken to visit in Danport. But Allie’s every-day life
was one of school work and planning out the chil-
dren’s clothes.
The Durand heirs were so glad to get their brass-
bound coffer that they very readily sent the twin dis-
coverers of it a couple of hundred dollars apiece ;
and this great. property Rome and Remus solemnly
turned over to their guardian to be invested at ten
per cent, along with Jack’s hundred. They felt that
they were mighty capitalists. In seven years, if the
interest remained untouched, their fortune would
double. Their heads often swam with considering
how they might use it to the best advantage in life.
On first coming into their estate they proposed divid-
ing it equally among the family; but all the Bunch
except themselves scouted the very idea. Now they
were thrust into the enviable position of heirs! and
Rheem never met Jacey Dixon anywhere without
taking care to act with humility, for fear that highly
imaginative boy should think he was proud.
During: this time they thought much about enlare-
ing their house. Their tastes and ideas were grow-
ing. So Ben and Alice took tithes from their earn-
ings, and Jack and the twins turned over their two
years’ interest to the fund, and Ben himself built a
wing, raised the roof of the summer kitchen, and fin-
ished the latter room with a rough plaster. They
had now a parlor, a dining-room and a kitchen, a
guest-room and two roomy chambers for themselves.
There was so much consultation and so much wait-
ing before these rooms could all be furnished and
arranged according to their satisfaction, that it was
quite six months after the beginning that they got to
the outside of the house. It needed a new coat of
paint, and they all went out and looked at its brown
and weather-beaten sides.
‘“‘Let’s paint it white,†said Jack.
O, no! For Allie couldn’t endure white.
“ And white lead costs like fun,†said Benjamin.
“ And a white house always looks like a big tent,â€
said Lucy.
“I think green would be pretty,†suggested
Rheem. “TI never saw a green house!â€
“And you’re never likely to see one,†said Jack;
“especially Dogberrys’ house. When I was in Cin-
cinnati—†Jack was very fond of soaring back
through his travels —“I noticed a good many nice
buildings painted gray and brown.â€
“In stripes and crossbars, eh?†quizzed Ben.
“No, I don’t mean ¢Aat way. I mean some were
brown and some were gray. Gray’s a pretty color.â€
They held many councils, and Ben Bolt investi-
gated every shade of pigment. A very pale brown
was found to be as cheap and pretty as anything they
could command, Pale brown it was, and Ben, in put-
ting it on, emphasized it with darker facings. Under
this treatment the old house appeared actually to
expand. How fine, warm-toned and hospitable it
looked !
“There’s one thing more,†said Sweet Alice, “ but
we can’t afford it! That’s a verandah.â€
“T tell you what looks nicer,†cried Rome, “and
42 THE DOGBERRY BUNCH,
that’s. these stripey covers cousin Greenoffs have on
their windows.â€
“ Awnings,â€
“They’d cost as much asa verandah,†objected
Lucy.
Still their minds all ran on ‘that subject. The
house stood back on a well kept and shaded lawn,
and the awnings would be more delightful than
verandahs all around. So they thought and inquired
and planned, and finally made for themselves some
wonderful cheap awnings, with covers to go under
when it rained, and ropes to pull them up, and a
framework satisfactory in the extreme.
like an umbrella, looked solemnly at his rejuvenated
home.
Mother Thomas, going home with her sewing under
her arm, from spending the afternoon with a neigh-
bor, saw the group camping and came up to find
what they were about. ,
“Why, how fine we are!†exclaimed she.
your house done?â€
“Clear finished! And O, isn’t it sweet!†cried
Rome. “I’m so glad we got everything just fixed in
the summer time when the trees are green. I'd feél
sorry if it had to stand out in the snow when it looks
so new!â€
“Got
“We're sitting here taking our lei-
sure to admire it because we’ve been
so long about the work,†said Sweet
“JUST PRETTY ENOUGH FOR ANYTHING,’?
Then they sat down en the lawn and looked at their
house quite half a day. It was a beautiful place. It
looked like a sea-side cottage. None of them had
ever seen a sea-side cottage, so this simile did not
occur to them; but they pronounced it with one
accord “just pretty enough for anything !â€
Arthur, in knickerbockers and blouse, and his first
boots, and a straw hat so broad that it quenched him
Alice, smiling. “We've been nearly
two years planning it all and raising
the money to fix the house. Haven't
we, children?â€
“That’s because girls are so full of
notions and so slow,†cried Jack. “If
we'd been all boys we’d had it done
long ago!â€
“Yes, and what a sight it would
have been,†said Lucy. “A whittling
place, a sleeping place and an eating
place, and all doors so’s you could run
in and out easy. That’s a boy's
house!â€
“Now, Loo!†remonstrated Ben,
“this is part a boy’s work, and you
seem to think it’s pretty creditable.â€
“It’s first-rate!†said Mother
Thomas, shaking with good-humored
approval of all.that the Bunch did,
“But you ought to sce the new
rooms!†cried the twins.
“And the kitchen!†cried Arthur,
“And the china closet!†said
Allie. “O, you must come in and see it all!â€
So they took her amongst them — some pulling and
some pushing her, the tall ones calling her attention
upward, and the short ones bespeaking her attention
downward— and showed her first what improve-
ments they had made in the sitting-room, the band of
dull Indian red at the top of the wall, a case of
books -on a table, given them by Joslyn Greenoff,
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. 43
their attempts at “applied art†on some cheap bits
of pottery, and the effect the awnings produced in
the room. Then they dragged her to the wing-room,
fresh and new, the wood grained dark by Ben’s
untrained but really imitative hand, the chamber set
the best their hoarded means could buy, the
grand easy-chair, put together of rough wood by Ben
and covered and stuffed by the girls ; then into the
closet pantry which their budding architect brother
had introduced between the dining-room and kitchen,
with a window where the dishes could be handed
back and forth, and with such shelves! and such
suug locker arrangements with lids, for bread, cake,
etc.
Last of all Mother Thomas was constrained to
view the glories of the new kitchen, raised from its
former low estate of shed ; and, though she had pre-
viously seen all these things piecemeal, not one but
many times, she expressed as much astonishment
and joy over the completed whole, as if her eyes had
never before rested on a moderately comfortable
house,
“Stay to tea with us,†begged Lucy, who, having
done her week’s baking, felt sure of a tolerable bill of
fare.
“Ves, do!†urged ‘all the Bunch, when a shadow
pushed over the door-step and across the parlor floor
and quite into the dining-room, where they were
almost clamoring in their eagerness and joy.
“There’s some one at the door. Maybe it’s
Cousin Joslyn!†exclaimed Jack.
They made a charge on Cousin Joslyn, but it was
their guardian, Lawyer McKay. He was a welcome
comer, too ; though they were all just in tune with Jos-
lyn’s happy nature at that moment, and would: have
loved, of all things, his criticism or approval of their
work,
Mr. McKay had to go over the whole round which
Mother Thomas had just finished. They asked his
opinion of the wing, and desired to know if he didn’t
highly admire the band of Indian red under the parlor
ceiling,
“We'd like to put a new carpet in the parlor,â€
said Allie, “but we can wait for that.â€
“Yes, till after we have bought an organ!†cried
the twins.
** And some more books,†said Ben.
“And some pictures!†exclaimed Jacl: “What
does a fellow care for carpets? I just as hef tum-
ble down on the bare floor, if I can have something
pretty overhead to look at. These pictures that
mother made at school are real nice, but they make
a fellow want more.â€
Sweet Alice observed that their guardian viewed
their improvements with a grave and clouded face.
She and Ben Bolt as the heads of the family felt
their responsibility. She did not wish him to think
they had been indulging in prodigal expenses.
“We put a rug carpet in the new room,†she
observed, calling his attention to it. “It didn’t take
nearly as much carpeting asif we hud covered the
floor; and is so much prettier with the border! I
bought that with the money I meant to get anew
summer suit with, but I didn’t really need the suit as
much as we needed the carpet. Ben made that stain
for the floor-border. When you see how little it cost
us to make these changes, Mr. McKay, you'll be sur-
prised !â€
“It’s very pretty,†said guardian.
Lucy, while the others were acting as ushers, had
touched up a quick fire in the kitchen stove and set:
the kettle to boil. She now rolled out the table, put
in an extra leaf, and they heard her rattling with
much importance in the new china closet.
“T did all the carpenter work myscl!,†said Ben,
“and got the lumber at the lowest figure — and the
paints, too. There’s a good deal in getting your
materials cheap.â€
“You're an energetic, bright lot,†said Lawyer
McKay. Still he appeared no less troubled than.
before.
“ We just used the interest of our money,†observed
Jack, with importance, “and some more that we
earned and saved on purpose.â€
“ And now we’ve got lots of room!†cried Remus..
“*Plenties !� cried Rome.
“Just as pretty a home as anybody need want!â€
wound up Jack.
“They do enjoy anything so much!†remarked
Mother Thomas to the lawyer, shaking her portly
figure with sympathetic laughter.
“You’ve used the interest of your money,†said
Mr. McKay, queerly, “and have been putting your
spare earnings into these improvements ?â€
“Yes, sir!†chorused the Bunch with faint appre-
hension.
44
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
“We thought you were willing we should go ahead
and make them, sir,†said Ben.
“Twas.
ment you could make.â€
“My gracious !†thought Mother Thomas ; “if the
man has any fault to find, why doesn’t he out with it
instead of talking so scary —just when they’re tak-
ing such comfort in everything!â€
“ And — wasn’t it the wisest investment ? †inquired
the Bunch, all of them turning up their eyes on him,
solemnly — except Ben, who stood on a level with
his guardian and, therefore, looked straight at him.
Arthur’s straw hat was pushed to the back of his
head —he was the baby still, and manners were not
rigidly enforced on him —his hair strageled down to
his eyebrows, his immense, serious eyes were spread
wide, to take in the full measure of some calamity
which Mr. McKay appeared to hold over their
heads.
“No,†said their guardian, slowly. “If I had
known then what I know now, I never should have
advised it,
ing you toput your means upon the house. Iam
afraid you are going to have trouble, children.â€
A breathless waiting for the worst,
“There is another claimant to this property.â€
The younger ones scarcely understood.
‘Another party has a title to it.â€
“That won’t do him much good, I guess!â€
exclaimed Jack, hotly. “Our father left this house
and two lots to ws /â€
“But it seems there was a flaw in your father’s
title.â€
“Didn’t you think it was all right, Mr. McKay ?â€
asked Alice, piteously, very pale about the mouth,
“Of course I thought it was all right !� exclaimed
guardian, “I never examined into the title very
closely ; but White, after he had settled up your
father’s property, turned over the papers to me and
told me you had your home and your lots. The
taxes have been paid regularly —â€
“T’m going to Mr. White this minute,†said Jack,
“and ask him if anybody owns our house and lots
but ourselves |â€
He darted across lots for John White’s.
“White was appointed administrator,
said Mr. McKay. “I was appointed guardian.
is a good and honest man.
you know,â€
He
I suppose he knows
I should have been very far from allow-:
nothing about any irregularity in the title, and such a
thing never occurred to me until I got a letter ves-
terday setting forth a valid claim of another party,
and demanding possassion.â€.
“ Possession!†gasped the Bunch — except Arthur,
whose eyes expanded more, if possible, and drank in
whole draughts of the doleful tidings,
Lucy, drawn from tea preparations, stood lean-
ing disconsolately against the dining-room door.
frame,
“Sit down, Mr. McKay,†said Allie, faintly, realiz.
ing that she wanted very much to sit down herself.
Ben wheeled the large chair towards him and ne sat
down, looking really distressed among his wards
Alice sat down and took Arthur on her lap. Mother
Thomas, who had a constitutional distrust of law and
lawyers, also entrenched herself in a chair, and pre-
pared to support the children through the danger
now threatening them. Rome and Remus interlaced
arms and firmly propped one another. Ben took a
stand similar to Lucy’s, and leaned with one brawny
arm above his head. :
“If father bought and paid for this property, Mr.
McKay,†said he, “and got all the papers for it, isn’t
it ours?â€
“If the papers are right,†replied guardian ; “if he
made his title good. There are very many instances
of defective titles; and a piece of real estate will
change hands again and again, the lawyers never
finding out that another party has the rightful claim
till that party turns up to make his claim good. J
suppose you might have gone on comfortably all
your lives in this house—some of you—if a certain
man hadn’t left his affairs, when he died, in the hands
of a very sharp person. That person now claims
this little piece for the estate, on the grounds of an
informality in the first purchase.â€
The Bunch were mystified but greatly distressed.
“ Nothing but a quit-claim from these original own.
ers could make your title perfect.â€
“Couldn’t we buy a quit-claim, then?â€
begged to know.
Mr. McKay shook his head.
“ Everything depends on what they may choose to -
do.†,
“It’s a shame,†cried Rheem, “if our father paid
out his money for our house and other folks can ga
and take it from us!â€
Ben
THE DOGBERRY
“Tt’s just as bad as can be!†assented Maude,
‘crying. “It’s stealin’ things!â€
“Tt’s unfortunate,†said guardian, “truly. But
the law doesn’t’ rob, and, especially, doesn’t rob
orphans. We'll see what we.can do.â€
John White now entered with Jack panting at his
heels, and, after gravely exchanging greetings with
Mr. McKay, asked to have the case repeated to him.
The two men went into the guest-room — alas, that
its first use should be such a funeral-like one !— and
held a consultation. John White had administered
on the very small Dogberry estate, and had done it
to the best of his ability. He had seen an abstract
of the lots and considered everything safe.
“Do you think they’d better fight this? †he asked,
greatly disturbed. “If they haven’t the means for it,
Ihave. [I feel like I ought to see the thing through.â€
John’s granite-like face showed the quartz and feld-
spar now, instead of its usual mica-like glints of fun.
“Frankly, no,†said their guardian. “There’s a
minor on the other side, too. They’d get involved
in endless suits, or get judgment against them; for
the thing’s very clear. I wouldn’t have had this hap-
pen for a year’s income!â€
“It’s a shame!†cried John, “ discouraging the lit-
tle tribe so, when they’re so full of hope! More energy
than half the grown folks — and just got their house
fixed up to their idee!â€
“There’s this,†said Lawyer McKay, indicating a
‘point on which to fasten hope. “The Dalrymple
estate is very large. This is a stray bit of one of
Dalrymple’s ‘investments in Western lands. In this
locality it isn’t very valuable to the estate. If there
wasn’t a minor heir on that side, too, I might get a
quit-claim deed from that estate which would make
these children safe.â€
While their friends were conferring the Bunch
huddled together in the parlor. Mother Thomas,
secretly indignant at being shut from a consultation
in which she felt a vital interest, went home, pained
and excited over the probable fate of the children
and they remained for some time without speaking. ,
Then Sweet Alice, unable longer to bear the strain
of controlling herself, wiped two oozing tears from
her eyes and murmured :
“What sia we do if we have to lose our home?â€
The twins took up the wail;
“O-o0-oh! No home!â€
BUNCH. 45
And Arthur emphasized it by opening his mouth
even wider than his eyes, and joining the melan-
choly chorus with a whoop of grief:
“ No-o home!â€
CHAPTER II.
BLACK SHORT-HAND.
AFTER his short consultation with John White
Mr. McKay went home again. He paused at the
door to cheer them up as well as he could.
“At anyrate you have possession,†said he, “ and
will keep it until the matter is settled one way or the
other. We'll do the best we can.â€
John White walked to the railroad station with
him, quite roused and anxious.
How different their house looked to them now!
They got up and marched over it again. They
lamented in the spare room. They regretted the
beauty and finish of the china closet. In their
wrath and desolation they wished they could say
“ Abracadabra!†and turn the kitchen back into a
shed !
“That lovely band of Indian red!†said Lucy.
“Our awnings!†exclaimed Rome and Remus,
tremulously. “We'll take them off—so we will!
We'll carry them away with us!â€
“ But where shall we carry them to?’ said Allie.
She and Ben gazed at each other.
“Well, don’t let’s cry till we’re hurt,†urged Jack.
“Mr. McKay says we’ve got possession and can
keep it till we’re turned out; and if they go to turn
us out we'll shut the doors and windows, and — and
— and — yes, we'll fight’em !â€
Jack saw an imaginary host of big harsh men
armed with clubs and true titles, and his soul rose in
resistance.
“There’s no use in our talking,†said Ben—as
the Head of the House he stated plainly their posi-
tion to thém all— “if we have to give up our home
we'll just do it, and get another the best way we can.
Perhaps the time’s coming for us to stand by each
other |â€
They drew closer together.
“There’s our four hundred,†exclaimed Rome.
“Vou can have a/ that,†said Remus.
46
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
“Ves, we'll have a little left,†observed Jack, “ for
there’s my hundred, too.â€
Sunday passed dolefully. On Monday Allie went
to school as usual. Ben put in a good day’s work on
one of the buildings which were habitually rising in
New Town. - Jack did his station business, and Loo
kept the home machinery running. But in them all
there was asecret solemn looking towards the impend-
ing crisis. At four o’clock Rome and Remus came
home from school with Arty toddling between them,
He deserted them near the station and went to his
Jack ; and they went straight to the loft over the sta-
ble to carry out some literary work which they had
planned.
This loft had no windows except broad chinks
between the boards ; but they considered it a delight-
ful sort of studio. For ceiling it had the brown and
pointed roof ; and the swallows, like low murmuring
musical-boxes, played continually under its eaves.
The floor was very clean. There were two stools,
anda table made of a box set on legs, with a lid
which raised, disclosing treasures of copy-book frag-
ments and bits of blank paper torn off letters, In
one corner —and convenient to the studio, like an
Italian apartment — was Maude’s own special pri-
vate residence, her cupboard preserving all the
dishes ever broken in Dogberrydom; her table,
made by Remus, and_ slightly uneven-legged like a
kangaroo, and both her rag and china dollies,
Raggy, with oblong head and stiff crosspieces of
arms and her pencilled features half defaced, lay
sprawling out in her blue calico, looking very much
discouraged ; but the China, whose charming name
was Helen Evelyn Rosalie Dogberry, sat up in a lit-
tle rustic chair made of roots, and kept house beauti-
fully.
“Susan,†said Maude to Raggie, “you do look
ridiculous poutin’ down there. I’d switch her jf I
had the heart, for showing such a disposition ; for I
set her up straight at noon and this morning, too,
and she kicks over every time. But maybe she feels
bad about us going to lose our place, and doesn’t know
what in the world she’ do for a home |â€
“Maybe she’s sick,†said Rheem, beginning to
search his breeches’ pockets for a stub of a lead pen-
cil, taking out a bunch of string, some flints, three
paper birds, a half-shelled ear of corn, two knives
(one swapped and to be delivered up the following
morning for a jew’s-harp, which the other boy forgo»
to bring that day), some nails, and a small padlock
and key, and half a dozen matches.
“Let me have my key,†said Rome, “maybe she is
sick. Ill unlock my house and see.â€
She very gravely received the padlock and key
just mentioned from her brother’s hand, and, step:
ping to an imaginary door rattled the two together.
“Lock, lock, lock, lock! Now it’s open. Susan,
what’s the matter with you, my sweet child? Aren't
you well? Or have you lain down on the floor just
to show. your naughty temper? Look at Helen Eye-
lyn sitting there like a little lady!â€
Here she changed her voice to a tiny plaintive
whine and spoke for Susan.
“Ma, she won’t let me have the chair at all! She
sits in it all the time, and I have to stand up or lean
across one of the cupboard shelves !â€
“What, Helen Evelyn, won’t you let Sister Susy
sitin the chair? You mustn’t be selfish with your
sister !â€â€
“Yes, ma, Susy may have it.â€
“That’s a good girl! I guess you can both sit in
it. Now kiss each other.â€
he bumped their faces together. Helen Evelyn’s
nose appeared worn away somewhat by greetings of a
similar character on harder substances than sister
Susy’s cheeks. And she had lost one foot, but did
all that she could genteelly to cover that defect
The foot had wandered to school in her ma’s pocket
Maude meant to sew it on again—it being a china
foot on a cloth joint — but, in an unguarded moment.
she traded it off to another girl for some chewing
gum, which Allie prohibited her chewing. So it wasa
dead loss; for the girl wouldn’t trade back, and
Helen was injured for life. Perhaps this circum-
stance made her heart tenderer towards this doll, for
all the handsomest clothes fell to Helen ; but favorit
ism did not spoil her sweet disposition.
Having crowded her two children into the root.
chair, Maude drew up the table before them and
gave them a bit of wholesome and nourishing candv
for their supper, with a great many bits of broken china
from the cupboard shelves for them to feast their eyes
upon. Susan was still slightly perverse and stuck
one foot upon the table, declaring that Helen Evelyn
squeezed her out of the seat; but her mother
checked her with a reproachful shake of the head.
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. AT
“Come on,†said Remus, “I’ve found it!†produc-
ne from a fold of his pocket, where several fish-
ing Tee,
hooks were embedded, a speck of lead pencil to
which he carefully gave a point, and in doing so
reduced its size so much that it wabbled on the
paper between his finger and thumb.
“T must put ’em to bed first.â€
“©, let them put themselves to bed! We'll never
get our letter done.â€
Rome took her key and, retreating, again made
magic passes with it.
“Lock—lock, lock—lock! Now the door’s
jocked. Here, put up the key for me, Rheemie.â€
Then she returned to their sanctum and studio.
Remus was already on a stool with the fairest half
sheet of paper before him, sucking the lead pencil
stump. He took the key absently and slid it into his
trousers’ pocket. .
“Now, don’t lose it,†exhorted Maude, in her
usual formula; “for what ’ud I do if those children
should be locked in, and their clothes should take
fire and I couldn’t get to them!â€
“T won’t Jose it!†cried Remus, spurning the idea,
as he always did, though his daily path was sown
with lost doll-house keys, and he had once been
obliged to force the invisible door with a corn-coh
that Maude might get in to her starving dollies.
She now brought her stool close to his, and put her
arm around the back of his little vest.
“Do you spell dear with a big D or a little d?â€
inquired he.
“ Big,†said Maude.
He wrote laboriously. ‘* Dear —â€
“Maudie, how does Cousin Joslyn spell his
name?â€
“JT don’t know. Ill run and ask the girls.â€
“Don’t you!†cried Remus, bringing her down in
full flight. “We weren’t going to tell! We were
going to write our own selves!â€
The truth was that they instinctively knew the
family pride would keep the older ones from pouring
the tale of Dogberry calamity into Joslyn’s bosom.
But no such pride hindered them, and they did not
want to be hindered by anything else. Joslyn was a
mighty power in their eyes. His fertile nature had
often added to their joys. It was now the very lux-
ury of trouble to display it before him. What he
would do they did not know, Something tremen-
dous, probably, One thing they were sure of, and
that was his warm — his real comforting sympathy.
“Well, how do you think it’s spelled?â€
“Don’t write it, Puta J and wait till we get
through ; then maybe we can think of the rest.â€
“Dear J.—â€
“ Say Mr. McKay came and told us we hadn’t got
any house or lots.â€
“How do you spell McKay? I wish there wasn’t
so many names! I guess [’ll put it K—’n’ then we
can fix it. ‘Dear J—,K. says we haven’t any
property’—that sounds better than lots. Property.
Le’s see. P-r-o-p —â€â€™
“ P-i, pi, proppi — â€
“Aw, pshaw! don’t le’s say property, it’s so long.
P-R-o-p— â€
“pis SEB
he’s say residence —that’s what folks call their
houses. R-e-z, res—â€
“R-e-s, Rheemie !
residence ?â€
“O,I can spc it; but it takes so long to write,
and this pencil slips so! J’]l put it R.â€
“Little r, or else we’ll think it’s somebody’s name
when we come to read it over,â€
“*Tear J—, K. says we haven’t any x.’
Ill say ‘We feel very bad.’ â€
“Ves, write that; and put in ‘ All of us do—awful
—even Metempsychosis!’ He'll know we mean Arty,
for that’s what he calls Arty.â€
Don’t you know how to spell
Then
48
Remus wrestled along until he came to Metempsy-
chosis. Then he and Maude gazed at each other,
and without a word he put it M.
“Tell him ‘We would love to see you and the
other relations.’ â€
The spelling-shirk was now chronic. When Remus
came to “relations †he made another phonetic charac-
ter, and his work got pretty rapidly down the page.
Maude would have taken a turn at the pencil, but
Rheem imagined himself the better scribe, and told
her they better not waste any writing-paper on her
experiments ; for they might soon be driven into the
world without a scrap. Submitting to his decision
she contented herself with prompting him.
They poured forth their souls and made a very
expressive letter in intention ; and then they tried to
translate it out of the original.
“Read it over and hear how it sounds, Rheemie.â€
“DEAR J —: K. says we haven’t any r. We feel
very bad, all of us do, awful, even M. We would
Love to see you and the other R. There is some-
thing wrong with our t. Somebody else has better
t. We might get aq, but there isa young h, Vou
ought to see our house. It is r and has A at all the
If we have to leave it we shall feel d.
The dolls are well. Loo broke a g and I was glad
to have it in my playhouse. I caught sixteen fish the
last time I went. We got good bait in our garden.
Your loving C,
RHEEM nee
windows.
Mauprt DoGBERRY.
“I get all mixed up!†cried Rheem, puckering
his soft eyebrows at his twin. “I forget what some
o’ the letters stand for!â€
“J, that’s Joslyn; and K, that’s McKay; and r
that’s —â€â€™
“We've got in three t’s!â€
“Well, r stood for relations once, I remember.â€
“We haven’t any relations! Now that ain’t right,
for we were going to tell him something about the
house. And down here it says: ‘ You ought to see
our house. Itisr.’ Now ¢za?¢ ain’t relations. Our
house ain’t our relations !â€
“That was repaired ; and then it has A, you know
— awnings!â€
“O, yes! ‘There is something wrong with our
od
{—
to leave it we shall feel d —’ dreadfully.
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH,
“ Title — â€
“It sounds mighty queer, doesn’t it? ‘If we have
‘ Loo broke:
ag—’goblet. I saw her break it. But we’ve got.
the fish and the dolls mixed. ‘ Your loving cousins.’
We'll have to study over this and find out how to.
spell the words before we send it, or Cousin Joslyn
won’t know what we mean.â€
“We can hunt the,words in the big dictionary, I
tell you, Rheemie,†proposed this devoted sister, “I
can run and bring it out here now!â€
“No,†cried Remus, “T’ll put the letter in my
jacket pocket, and we’ll hunt the words when the
rest of them go out to sit in the Air Castle or play
croquet.â€
“And to-morrow we'll get a stamp and envelope
and send our letter.â€
The business of the studio was now finished, and
they climbed down the ladder and went to the
house.
But they never sent that short-hand letter to
Joslyn, When Jack came to supper he brought the
mail, two letters ; one addressed to Allie, the other
to Ben. Allie broke her envelope first and read
aloud :
“My CHARMING COUSIN AND THE WHOLE BUNCH:
I write in a hurry to say that we are off to the Arkan-
sas Hot Springs, almost without warning. My
grandmother, Mrs. Wiley, has been failing greatly.
The physician thinks the baths and the climate may
do her good. Of.course mother goes with her, and
Wiley ( Mrs. Wiley’s woman ) with them. And they
imagine there is something the matter with me,
though I cannot be convinced of it myself; but as
they need me to look after them, and I haven’t had
any vacation from the bank for an age, I shall go and
get as fat as the heat will let me.
“The house will be shut up, probably for the
whole summer; for if Mrs. Wiley can bear it we
shall take her from place to place. We are really
very much alarmed about her. She is quite old, and
her life has to be very carefully guarded. She was |
delighted with that white shawl you netted for her,
Allie, and sends her kindest remembrances, in which
mother joins. ‘Bless you, my children!’ Be good,
all of you. I should love to rush in among you
before we start ; but we start to-morrow, early, and I
TITE DOGBERRY BUNCH. 49
have everything to attend to. Will write again.
With loads of appreciation,
“ Cousin JOSLYN.â€
‘Poor dear old lady!†said Allie.
But Rome and Remus looked at each other in a
onsternation peculiarly their own. How should
hey reach Cousin Joslyn with a letter if he was start-
‘ng out to caper all over the country ?
Ben broke his envelope, and his troubled face over
his letter stopped any comment which would have
been made upon the first one.
“Out with it, Ben Bolt,’ said Jack, stoutly.
“That’s Mr. McKay's office envelope. Have we
got to tumble out?â€
Ben handed the letter over to Jack, who read it
with a ring as if he defied its terrors.
Guardian had another message from the party
claiming their lots. The ground was wanted to build
agrain elevator upon. The claim would certainly
be enforced, and the ground taken possession of as
soon as the law allowed.
“ A grain elevator!â€
“On our ground!â€
“ Maybe right in front of the house
“ What is an elevator?†cried Rome, between her
obs.
“Why it’s what they go up and down-stairs in
when they don’t want to walk,†explained Remus,
just as tearfully.. “I saw one in the hotel at Danport.â€
“We don’t want any nelevator!†said Arty, very
red and white with his emoticns. “We won’t have
it! We'll tear’t down !â€
1?
“Tt isn’t that kind of an elevator, Rheemie,â€
explained Ben, with a husk ta his voice. “It’s a
high building to store grain in. And there isn’t any
use in our making a fuss.â€
The girls tried to staunch their eyes, and Remus
‘Wwr’LL TEAR "Tr Down!â€
flung away five or six tears with his finger tips.
“T tell you what le’s do,†said Jack. ‘‘ We’ve got
our house done.: We enjoyed fixin’ it, and put our -
money and time on it. Now le’s have some good out.
of it! You never can tell what’s going to happen,
do your best. So le’s have one royal good time to
remember !â€
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH,
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
PART It.
BY MARY HARTWELL CATHERWOOD.
CHAPTER III.
RED SHORT-HAND.
HIS philosophy struck kindred sparks in the
rest of the family, and they at once prepared
to have a good time,
The supper dishes were soon on their shelves, and
the house as trim as a new schooner. Then they
made another procession to look at all their improve-
ments, and rejoiced over everything, Jack declaring
he was glad after all that they had such a nice look-
ing place to leave.
“It’s more credit to us than the old house, and
whoever lives in it will feel obliged to us.â€
“It’s a home,†said Allie. “The next people can’t
help knowing that.â€
For fear this subject should grow moister, they ran
out on the lawn and trooped up and down over
every familiar spot. Rome and Remus swarmed up
into the Air Castle, and Arty bruised his shins trying
to follow. Loo put a pansy band all around his hat.
Then they all played croquet, till it grew so dark
the balls were hopelessly hid by the grass, and then
they brought chairs out, and cuddled in them or on
the stoop, close together. Loo had some spice cook-
ies in the pantry. She brought them out, and they
munched and were happy. By mutual understand-
ing they let their future alone, and told stories, and
jokes, and rhymes. A freight train rumbled past,
and they watched through the trees the glare of its
eye, and a solitary figure or two darting back and
. fcrth on it.
“No, 8,†said Jack, with business address, lifting
Arty up on his knees to watch it. If there was one
thing on earth more attractive to Arty than locomo-
tive power, he had not yet discovered it. He stood
on Jack’s legs, bracing himself by Jack’s scalp, and
‘strained his eyes till the freight was quite lost in
darkness, and even its two ruby rear lamps were
obscured. Then he slid to his feet, and sat down
again on the step, murmuring:
“ The Big Black Horse!â€
“Say ‘The Big Black Horse,’ Arty!†cried
Rheem.
“ Can’t say it.â€
“OQ yes, you can!†said Jack. “We've said ita
hundred times. Cousin Joslyn won’t make you any
more poetry if you go and forget it.â€
Arthur wriggled on the step and professed himself
able to say “pieces†of it, if Jacky would do it, too.
Jacky, therefore, darted off like a mother-bird luring
her young one to fly, and Arty flopped alongside as
well as he could, very glib with-some of the lines and
making a mere mumble of the others. In this way â€
they had really recited “The Big Black Horse†a
hundred times, thereby greatly edifying their family.
“The Big Black Horse is my heart’s delight,
I run to watch him by day or night.
I waked in the night and I heard his hoofs
Come making thunder past walls and roofs.
He snorted coals, and they flew up higher
Than even the glare of his eye of fire.
He panted and rushed and my breath I hushed —
How awful to be by his tramping crushed ! —
The houses shook as his carts flew past,
All barred and darkened except the last.
A rose-red light hung over its dash
Perhaps so the driver could see to lash
Any hangers-on, who might love to crash
Through dark — through cities—through water-course,
At the heels of the glorious
BIG
BLACK
HORSE!
“The Big Black Horse wears a brazen bell,
In towns and at crossings he rings it well—
‘Get out of my way, little sons of men,
The Big Black Horse must go by again!’
Burnished and clean is his panting hide-
You can see a bright throb dart along his side!
He often draws carr.azes, long and fine;
So strong is he, I have seen a line
Of five or six follow in his course.
He can draw Zots of people —can that black horse!
He isn’t afraid of a narrow road!
Just give him a foothold, he’ll pull his load.
But pit-falls have caught him as fierce he strode!
Then people have cried over many a corse !
But / should cry, too, for the
BIG
BLACK
HORSE!
“The Big Black Horse gives a ringing neigh
When the curb is put on him his speed to stay.
His mane is a lovely, changeable roll,
Gray, brown, pearl-color, or black as coal!
He tosses it back and it streams out grand,
You can see it curl far across the land.
And when I am tired, and want to go
To seek more places than those I know,
And to think as fast as his mane can flow,
He says: ‘Come on, I will take you so!’
He drinks from a cistern built on stilts,
And the man who feeds him, he almost wilts !
For he is a creature of fire and force —
Ah, 4ow I love him !—that
BIG
BLACK
HORSE!â€
After “The Big Black Horse†they proposed a
story —not exactly a serial, but still a story, handed
from one to another “ to be continued.†This was a
favorite Dogberry amusement, and often afforded
them a great amount of fun; and one imagination
stimulated another, though each story-teller gave the
tale the twist of his own peculiar genius,
“You begin it, Jack.â€
“Let Allie begin this time. She’s the oldest.
And let’s go this time in the order of our ages.â€
“Pitch in, Sweet Alice,†:
“* Pitch in’ is slang, Rheemie,â€
“Well, then, walk up to your crib!â€
“That’s a great deal worse! Those things are not
manly. They sound like the Bee Hive people.â€
“Well, you know what I mean. Start the ball!
Give her asend! It won’t come our turn for ever
so long, Rome. We can be making it up to piece
on.â€
“Start up, Allie.â€
After being exhorted thus several times, Allie
started up with:
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
‘and it was her
51
“Once there was an old woman who was bent half
double, and she was very, very old. She lived ina
large city, in a beautiful house, and had many people
to wait on her. She had three orphan grand-children
whom she was educating, and they gave her more
delight than anything else, when they were good and
tried to learn kind manners and lovely ways. The
eldest and youngest were boys, named John and
Jacob, and the
second was a
girl, named
Mary.â€
(“What ugly
names!†mur-
mured Rome.
“When it comes
my turn, I’m
going to change
them |â€)
“John was
tall and studi-
ous, Jacob was
chubby and
playful, and
Mary was very
graceful and
very fond of
music. She
would sit at her
piano hours,
singing and
practicing diffi-
cult studies;
greatest desire
to go abroad
and study music
with the foreign
people who
know it so well.
‘When I am a
grown woman,’
she would say, ‘if grandma will let me, I will get my
big brother to take me, and we will travel and study.
It would be so lovely, too, to stay month after month
in Milan, and learn the Italian method.’ Then—â€
said Allie, whose forte was not story-telling, wishing
to cut short her introduction — “go on, Ben,â€
THE AIR CASTLE,
52 THE DOGBERRY BUNCH,
Ben came up to the work with little relish, but per-
fect good-nature, and rubbed his temples with his
knuckles to stir up his brain.
“O, yes! Well, one day the good old grand-
mother was taken very ill and died, which
straightened her out, you know. The three children
felt very badly — â€
(“That’s just as mean as mean can be!†cried
Rome. “I was going to have her take them to a beau-
tiful ride and make a picnic for them. But then—
J can make her come alive again!â€
“Keep still, Rome,†urged her twin.)
“They felt very badly,†continued Ben, “and
“they felt worse, when the crossest and sharpest rela-
“tion they had in the world came to live with them.
“This aunt made Johnny take his drawings and his
‘wood-carving out of his own room into the attic, .
~where he had no room at all among the old lumber.
“She would not allow Mary to practice because the
qpiano hurt her head, and little Jacob soon became
lean because she dieted him so strictly. But John
' ‘studied away, for he wanted to become a first-class
architect and builder; and he often said to himself:
‘When Iam aman, and am making money and get-
ting a fine reputation, I will take my brother and sis-
ter to live with me and leave Aunt Nettle to com-
plain herself to a shadow. I'll build a handsome
house of rough gray stone. No basement. Six rooms
on the ground floor, but only three on the upper floor
besides the passage. One for Mary’s music-room,
one for Jacob’s play-room, and one for my work-
room.’ Go ahead, Jack.â€
“He didn’t build his house anywhere except in his
head, did he? Well, one day John got very mad,
and concluded he wouldn’t stand it any longer, so he
took his sister by the hand-and Jacob under his arm
and started for the train.
platform and went in to buy tickets, and when he
came out his brother and sister were gone, so he was
obliged to start out on his travels by himself. He
felt very badly, and concluded to go to California to
make a fortune, after which he.could hunt the others
up and build that house for them. But when he got
to California he found that the fortunes had all been
made and a good many of them lost, and he jumped
ona ship to go to China, but the ship was wrecked
on one of the Cannibal Islands, which the mission-
aries have never reached.
He left them on the depot .
The cannibals killed and.
cooked all the fat passengers, but put John in a coop
to feed, and he thanked his aunt whose worrying had
kept him thin. While the cannibals were trying to
put flesh on-him, his brother and sister were in a
strange city, for they had gone off cn the wrong train,
and their aunt was hunting for them all; go on, Loo.â€
“My gracious ! John in the Cannibal Islands, and
his brother and sister away off in a city the other side
of the world. Well, the cannibals ate him up —â€
(“No—o†cried the twins.)
—“And Mary found a placé to work, and kept
her younger brother with her and sent him to school.
At first she made dreadful bread and forgot to put
the sugar in her cookies, and got scolded. And
Jacob tore his clothes, and she never could keep his
heels in; but it was so nice to try and keep people
comfortable, that after awhile she got on very well,
though she often sighed to see her brother that the
cannibals had eaten —but she didn’t know that. I
don’t believe I can think of anything now. Oh, yes:
one day her aunt happened to come to visit at the
very house where Mary was, and as soon as she saw
her, she took Mary and Jacob by the ears and led
them off home!â€
“Ho, pshaw!†said Rheem, taking up the thread,
discontentedly. “Le’s see. One night John woke
up—â€
“Jn the cannibals?â€
‘No! he didn’t get eaten ; that was a make-believe,
like they have in stories: they had him just cooked
ready —I mean just ready to cook — when something
scared them, and they put him up again. And one
night he waked up while they were all asleep, and
took a boat and slipped off. He'rowed back to the
town he started from, and looked all over the depot
for his brother and sister, and his aunt happened to
get off the train with them then, so he found them,
and she found him and took him home and shut him
in the garret. He concluded he would fix up the
garret and live there; so he made a whittling place
in one corner and built a play-house for his sister.
thought of a lot more, but I’ve forgot it!â€
“And one day his grandma came up-stairs,†began
Rome eagerly, “and told the children to come down ;
their aunt was gone home.â€
‘But the grandma was dead!â€
“ Oh, that was just a make-believe, like they print
in stories. So they came down, and she had them
THE DOGBERRY: BUNCH. 53
all dressed up in
their pretty clothes,
and took a. lovely
basket of lunch and
called the carriage,
and they all started
off for a picnic,
They came to green
woods where the
grass was soft and
thick —â€
(“ What a refresh-
ing sight to John
after the Cannibal
Islands !†)
“ And Clarence —
his name wasn’t
‘Tohn’ a bit !—saic,
‘O grandma, I will
always be good
hereafter! And the
others said they
ee aS would. And they
EF Shad an elegant time.
se} Go on, Arty.’â€
“ An’ en,†said
Arty, after hanging
back a moment, “they got on train, and they rode
and they went and they rode and they went, and
it sounded ‘cling! ciing! cliag!’ an’ they never got
off any more at all !â€
“So John, and Jacob and Mary are still moving!â€
laughed Alice. “ Well, children, we must move too.
It’s time to go to bed.â€
Still they lingered a little while, lapsing into silence.
One of them presently struck up the “Home of the
Soul.†Amuse themselves as they might their thoughts
came back to home; they sung it heartily, And
before separating for the night they were moved by
an unusual impulse: they kissed each other all round,
and shook hands, half laughing and merry, but still
with tears in their eyes.
SHE FLEW TO THE FARTHEST PART OF THE
LAWN.
So, having had one more good time they went to
bed and to sleep. Arty still slept in his long crib in
the girls’ room. Maude, also, had a small bed to
herself.
In the night Allie dreamed she was choking.
Some tall being with wings, or a mass of heavy
drapery, settled down on her neck and began to press
her breath out. She struggled and woke to find her
nightmare continuing. She was smothering ; the room
was full of smoke. She sat up dazed and unable to
think. The open window was obscured, though when
they went to bed there was moonlight. Color now
came out in the smoke. It bloomed suddenly, and a
fearful roaring and crackling filled the whole house.
She was helpless and speechless! It seemed ages
before she could raise her hand and lay it on Loo.
Her voice sounded down in her chest and horribly
hoarse and strange when she could utter:
“Loo, the house is on fire!â€
Loo sat bolt upright, and said, “ What is it?â€
Then the truth bursting upon her, she uttered
piercing screams and sprang to the floor ; it crackled
beneath her feet. She pulled at Mande, and smatch-
‘og Arthur up ran to the door with him in her arms.
At the opening of the door, jets of fire burst through
their carpet, swept up the window-casings and ate up
the light curtains like a flash,
“Maudie,†said Alice, hoarsely, snatching the child,
and wrapping the bed-spread around her and dragging
her shoes on, “run —run for your life, while I wake
the boys!†She took the water-pitcher and dashed
water on the child’s head as she started, and rushed
out herself, still carrying it in one hand, panic-stricken.
The boys’ room was near the head of the stairs.
There were but two rooms and one long, narrow hall
on the second floor. The hall was now a furnace.
Alice ran, covering her head and face, and stormed
at the boys’ door. The floor was parching her tender
feet, She poured out the water on them and dashed
the pitcher against the door. Ben’s and Jack’s voices
were in clamor. They dashed out, dragging Rheem
with them and shouting “ The girls!â€
“Girls! girls!) The house is a-fire!â€
“ They’re all out, boys! Run! run!â€
“Come on, Allie —â€
Their voices all died in a choking gurgle. Creep-
ing close to the ground they got down the stifling
stairway. The closet under it was roaring like a
54 THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
furnace. But they all reached air and ran into the
dewy grass. ‘The roof was one mighty blaze. Dis-
tant cries were beginning to ring through the village
of “Fire! fire!â€Â» Men with pails came running and
scaling the fences ; but the well was in the kitchen.
‘There were no hose, no fire-engines, and sheets of
flame were waving out of the very windows.
“Where’s Arty?’ was Jack’s exclamation.
“Loo brought him out in her arms,†cried Alice..
“There are Maude and Rheem, and there’s Loo!
“The barn’s burnt!†exclaimed Ben in consterna-
tion, watching the falling timbers of that little pile,
“that must have set fire to the house.â€
“Loo, where’s Arty?†cried Jack, again.
“Why, he’s right here by me. No,heisn’t. Arty!
where is he? I just put him down. He’s gone to
Allie. - Arty!â€
Jack darted to Allie, and screamed in her ear,
“Do you know where Arty is?â€
Allie screamed back over the terrible roar and
crackle, “ He’s safe —he’s with Loo, I told you!â€
“He isn’t! I bet he’s left in the house!
“Loo brought him down first one, Jack!â€
Jack, panic-struck for his pet brother, dashed into
the house and made for the stairs. He had on his
trousers and boots, but nothing to protect his head ;
and Allie who knew his desperate courage, was wild
with despair. She felt fully assured that Arthur was
safe, but nothing could convince Jack of that at this
moment, She seized one of the men by the arm and
pointed after her brother, screaming that he was
going up-stairs again —he would be burned to death!
The man shouted to Jack, and ran up and down
shouting to others — and the roof fell in.
Allie ran. She flew to the farthest part of the
lawn, and fell on her face in the wet grass, shaking
with paroxysms of sobs and cries. Jack was dead!
Dear Jack was killed! How could she ever look up
again! An unsteady rustle through the sweet clover,
a whispering beside her, and a hand on her neck
made her conscious that Arty was beside her, but
she hardly noticed him. Loo and the twins were
screaming near the falling house, and she heard Ben’s.
hoarse, despairing cry of “Jack! Jack!â€
O Jack, Jack, the dearest, the manliest boy! How:
could they live with Jack gone! The timbers gave:
another crash, and sparks streamed away up to the:
zenith,
Arty rustled off again, howling with distress and:
terror. The child was in such a fright that he had
hidden himself. The glare showed him Loo, hanging,
with her face down on her arm against a tree, and
the twins crying in their night-clothes beside her.
He toddled to them, and just then Ben and two of
the men came carrying something between them.
“The jump stunned him,†said John White.
“Water — quick!†cried Mr. Thomas.
“O Jacky,†cried Arty, “what’s the matter, Jacky ?’â€
He fell down’ at Jack’s feet and hugged his legs.
with loud lamentations.
The rest of the family were around him in an
instant, but even in the strong glare of the fire they
could not recognize him. His hair was burnt off, his.
face blistered as if it were half roasted —no eye
lashes, no eyebrows left,
Dr. Darling knelt down by him. Allie took his
head on her shoulder. The doctor gave him restora-
tives, and covered him with wet cloths. “ Afraid he’s.
swallowed fire,†said he, and immediately made him
swallow something else.
“He jumped out o’ the back window,†said Mr.
Thomas, with a melancholy shake. “The roof nigh
about caught him, but I guess he was pretty well
charred, anyhow.â€
One side of the house swayed and fell in, sending
up another long stream of sparkles. Nobody noticed
it. The Bunch’s fate of homelessness was quickly
written out— written in flame-red short-hand. But
they paid no attention to that : they stood around Jack.
(To BE CONTINUED.)
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. | 55
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
PART
Il.
BY MARY HARTWELL CATHERWOOD.
CHAPTER IV.
TRIBULATION,
HEN Jack raised his puffed eyelids and
blinked at his brethren and sisters, the first
thing his groping hand touched was Arty’s head.
“Arty!†he gurgled.
“ Jacky!†howled Arty.
“T thought you were in the fire!†said Jack, with
a freer breath. Arty would have thrown himself on
Jack’s neck, but was held back. Jack, however,
reached after him.
“Where is he? I heard him speak, but I can’t
see him. I guess something’s the matter with my
eyes!†said Jack, with a short chuckle.
“Something’s the matter with your whole face and
head,†wailed Loo, the twins joining her in a chorus
of “ah—hoo—hoo!†“ You’ve got all your hair
burnt off, and you’re blistered to a crisp!â€
“You dear boy,†murmured Allie, “why did you
run in the house again when I told you Arty was
safe?â€
“Don’t know,†said
“To enjoy it as long
burnt down?â€
“Can’t you see it’s all one heap of flames, and
the walls all fallen in but that one on the north
side?â€
“T can’t see anything. Am I blind, doctor?â€
asked Jack, feeling the doctor’s whiskers and specta-
cles.
“We'll try to keep you so for awhile,†replied Dr.
Darling, fastening bandages on his head, crosswise
and up and down, until his nose and mouth were the
only samples of it visible. Mrs. Darling, who had
brought the bandages, stood near by, comforting
Rome and Remus. Rome still trailed the counter-
pane like an Indian princess.. Rheem had on his
Jack, grinning with agony.
as possible, I guess. Is it
hat and boots and a long night shirt. Ben was
nearly dressed ; but Allie did not know how scantily
she was attired until a neighbor wrapped her in a
long shawl. And as for Loo, she stood weeping and
trembling in somebody’s coat.
“You can walk, now, can’t you, Jack, boy?â€
asked the doctor.
Of course he could. He reached out and they
lifted him up. Raising his boots high in the air and
plunging dizzily he showed them how well he could
walk.
* Still, you won’t mind my keeping one arm argund
you, will you, deary?â€â€™ said Alice.
The doctor took his arm on the other side, and
Arty towed him in front by one of his broken sus-
penders,
“We'll take him right over to our house,†said the
doctor, “ and Arty and you must come with him.â€
“Loo and Ben will go to my house,†said Mother
Thomas, grabbing them both with determined hands.
“Poor young ones, how you look! Though, for that
matter, I haven’t got on much more myself! â€
“Vil take these chickens,†said John White, ap-
propriating Rome and Remus. “Bub’s got his
boots on, and I'll carry the girl.â€
“ But I want to see how Jack is all the time,â€
wailed Maude, hanging to one of John’s big fingers.
““O, you may come and see him all day to-morrow,
after Priscilla gets a stitch of clothes on you.â€
“ Children,†called Jack, painfully, to all the sepa-
rating Bunch, “ we had one more good time, didn’t
we? But we’ve given up the house sooner than we
expected to!â€
Mr. Thomas was heard growling at a little dis-
tance what a shame it was that orphan children
should be used so, and if there was law worth call-
ing law it would give them their lots, anyhow.
“They needn’t have given possession till fall,
though, if the worst come to worst,†said White.
56 THE DOGBERRY
BUNCH.
2
“O, let ’em go ahead with their elevator, now,’
laughed Jack, who had to be very merry and chuckle
a great deal to keep from groaning.
“Tsn’t this yours?†asked a boy, thrusting some-
thing into Alice’s hand as she moved off with Jack.
It was her watch and chain. She always slept with
it under her pillow, and instinctively grasped it in
one hand as soon as she waked Loo. It had fallen
in the grass after she got outside.
“Thank you, dear. Yes, it’s mine.
watch, Jack. That’s saved.â€
“Good!†said Jack. ‘“Doesn’t it seem funny,
though, that the band of Indian red (oo-00!), and
the china closet, and the new bed-room furniture
(00-00! ), and all our duds, and the swings and the
books aren’t anywhere at all?â€
“Don’t cry,†comforted John White, picking up
Maude and her trail. “I'll get ye home to Priscilla,
presently, and then you must go to bed and stop
chattering your teeth and shaking,â€
“Helen and Susan are burnt, too! †shuddered
Maude. “Everything is burnt up. I didn’t know
last night that I’d never see them again!â€
“T wonder what started the fire!†speculated
John, as he stretched long steps over the ground.
“T had some matches in the stable. Six, I guess,â€
confessed Rheem,
“You young scamp, did you?â€
“ But we never struck any!â€
“You dropped them around, and something
set them off. Maybe you stepped on’em yourself
and lighted ’em, and never noticed it.â€
“ And the root chair,†Rome added to her inven-
tory, “and the table and cupboard! And I haven’t
any dolls!â€
The dismal little pair before the end of another
half hour were put to bed by Priscilla, and about
morning they fell asleep.
It was ten o’clock when Rome woke from her
sleep of nervous exhaustion, She was in one of
Priscilla’s spare bed-rooms, on a great feather-bed,
which had the peculiar smell of all its class to such a
degree, that the faint sweet scent of the rose-em-
balmed sheets could not take it away. The wall was
covered with a greenish paper, its ornament being a
vine, the leaf whereof was the size of a sunflower,
but was evidently a pumpkin leaf. And some of
Priscilla’s best dresses hung from nails above the
Here’s my
-roses on
head of the bed. The room was so small that
Maude felt squeezed in it. A flowering shrub shaded
the window, and the low reaching arms of the apple
trees thrust themselves against the panes. There
was a bowl and pitcher on the wash-stand, but when
Rome slid to the floor she found no water in them.
Neither had she
any garments
with which to
make her toilet.
She slipped out
barefoot and in
her nightgown
into the keep-
ing-room.
Priscilla was a
Yankee woman,
and all the New
England ways of
a past genera-
tion which she
learned from
her mother and
grandmother
were carefully "|
and thriftily pre-
served in her
clean shaded
In this
room there was
a fire-place,care-
fully scoured,
and black and
gilt chairs, with
their
straight backs,
placed in lines
along the wall.
In one corner
stood a huge
clock, with a case big enough to hide two or three
children in, weights like sledges, and iron hands.
The Arabic figures made a circle on its yellow face,
and O, how slow it talked!
“Tick â€â€™â€”a time for due deliberation, and then,
forcibly —“ tock!†No hurry. None of the click-
etty-clack of modern clocks. It looked like a giant.
Maude considered how flat it could crush her by
house..
“SETH THOMAS.â€
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH, 57
dropping a weight upon her, and what a real iron rod
one of its iron hands could prove. All of a sudden
it began to rattle as if it would certainly choke to
death, and never catch its breath again while time
lasted, and then it struck!—struck? It banged! It
beat ten awful strokes into her head, and she jumped
from the floor at every stroke, her black-lashed eyes
blinking and her blonde head dodging. And then
the old monster settled down as if nothing had hap-
pened, or ever would happen again, and said: “Tickâ€
— deliberation — “tock!†and kept on saying it
with increasing solemnity.
O, what a clock! She saw the name “Seth
Thomas†printed on its face, and it became an ob-
ject of greater fear on account of having a name.
For, of course, Seth Thomas was the clock’s name,
or why should it be printed there. The name
sounded strong when she timidly tried it on her ears,
and it sounded unbending. Besides Seth Thomas,
there were in this impressive room two pots of paper
roses, one on each corner of the mantel, and two small
silhouette pictures on the wall, of a sharp-nosed lady
in acap anda turn-up nosed gentleman with a high
shirt collar, and a long settee without any rockers.
Maude was so afraid Seth Thomas might make
some other demonstration, even more frightful than
his choking, that, clad as she was, she dared not lin-
ger here, but ventured to open the door into the
dining-room. Through this she saw Rheem washing
potatoes out on a porch, in a pair of Mr. White’s
trousers hanging to his toes, though they were rolled
up until they were as bunchy as a Turk’s, and in one
of Mr. White’s linen coats which swept the ground.
“Here you are!†said Priscilla, briskly, coming
out of the spring-room with her hands full of fruit
for pies. -“‘Go into the spring-room, and wash, and
Pll bring you some clothes.â€
Maude patted across the floor, and found towels
- and abundant water, and peppermint stalks in the
water, which gave it extra virtue in her eyes. The
destitute child took her bath, and dressed her tan-
gled hair with a comb which her hostess provided.
She had shoes, for Allie put them on her at the last
moment before they ran from the burning building.
Priscilla came in presently with an overskirt of her
own, and a long calico sacque which made the child
look like a dwarf woman, all waist and arms.
“There’s your breakfast,†said Mrs. White, point-
ing to the warming oven; and in it Maude found
some lovely toast and broiled chicken. She also had
a mug of milk and a sweet roll. It was a breakfast:
to make an orphan forget her troubles. After eating
it she went and sat down by Rheem. He had his.
potatoes washed. These he carried to Priscilla, who.
was in the full tide of putting on the dinner to cook,
and then he sat down to take counsel with his twin.
“Rheem,†she exclaimed, “Jle’s start right straight
off to see how Jack is!â€
He glanced down at his apparel and said, reluc-
tantly :
“Don’t you think we better wait till about dusk?â€
“QO, no! What if Jack was dead!†:
“Jack won’t die. He and Ben got their clothes
on. I wish I’d got mine on.â€
“Rheemie, what we going to do for clothes to
wear?â€
“J guess we better go to work and earn some,
right off.â€
“* But we can’t work in borrowed things.â€
“Maybe Mr. and Mrs. White would fix some
things for us, and let us pay for them working after-
wards.â€
“And never go to school any more? And never
see Ben and Allie and Jack and Arty and Loo?â€
“Na—w! Just till we can get something to wear.
Then Mr. McKay will tell us what we must all do.
I’m going to ask Mr. White to hire me as soon as he
comes in from work.â€
Rome endorsed her twin’s plans as she usually
did. He followed the fieldward road to the men,
and she turned all her energies to assisting Mrs,
White. She laid the table and did many little er-
rands. I have said Priscilla was not as fond of chil-
dren as her husband. She was a taciturn woman,
kind mainly, but not winning. She scarcely spoke
to Maude all the morning, although she felt great
compassion for the child. Her mind was taken up
with her work. She was planning ahead the churn-
ing, the preserving, the baking.
At half-past eleven, sharp, Maude was allowed to
ring the iron bell hanging on a forked post in the
back yard; and, in prompt response to it, the men
and horses trooped into the barn-yard. By that time
Rome was really tired. She had been so anxious to
please, and taken so many unnecessary journeys, and
stood so much on her feet, in dread of Priscilla’s
58 ; THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
disapproval if she sat down, that she was quite tired.
At table, among the jolly and voracious farm hands,
Remus broached his proposition to work for board
and clothes, and John laughed heartily and patted
him on the back.
“ We'll see about that,†said he. “This afternoon
I am going to drive into town. You and sis can
go along and take a look at the rest of them.â€
This the two children gladly did. Maude’s cos-
tume was heightened by a grave black straw hat of
Priscilla’s, entirely too large for her. But everybody
was so compassionate over the burnt-out Bunch that
she found her attire only heightened the interest of
her position.
Jack said he was doing royally ; but his blistered
‘face was terrible, and his eyes had been dressed and
bandaged again. Allie had been in the school-room,
Arty with her. To lose a day was to lose some frac-
‘tion of her salary, and she dared lose nothing. She
looked very well in Mother Darling’s clothes. Much
better than Loo in Mother Thomas’; for, Mother
‘Thomas being portly and Loo very slight, she was
obliged to overlap and girdle in, and still go about
looking quite like a timid giraffe in an elephant skin.
Ben had also been at work, but the Bunch now con-
vened for council. Mother Darling’s babies (she
had babies in every stage of infancy) rolled about
among them, and crowed or squalled or uttered irre-
sistible fragments of speech. Mother Darling her-
self was even more charming than when surrounded
only by her own army. She winnowed the babies
out and kindly left the children to talk by them-
selves. Some of the older babies picked up some of
the younger ones, and struggled along like cats car-
rying kittens. All of them were chubby, and all in
miraculously-kept fresh white clothes.
The dazed Bunch, huddling up to Jack’s settee,
didn’t know what to do.
“We can’t stay as we are another day,†said Ben.
“T must rent a house and put you into it.â€
“I wonder if Mr, Joyce will give anybody else my
place?†hinted Jack, anxiously.
“IT wish I had a dress,†murmured Rome, feeling
a vague dread of: Mrs. White’s personality envelop-
ing her within that awful basque and overskirt.
They were all unusually still and got hold of each
other’s hands. It was almost a Quaker meeting,
after all. Off their own domains, uprooted and
———
flung one side like weeds, the Dogberrys were some-
what wilted.
When they separated again — after one of Mother
Darling’s exquisite teas, which they tasted sparingly ;
for the former young householders were feeling them-
selves a burden on the community — it was agreed
that Ben should summon them to their next meeting
as soon as anything definite was decided upon.
Rome and Remus went home with Mr. White, and
both of them with lumps in their throat.
ages ago that their house was burnt.
got used to it. They felt lost in a boundless sea of
homelessness. They missed the cheerful stir of
home when John set them down in the shady or-
chard before driving into the barnyard. Frogs were
uttering lonesome cries, and all the summer insects,
from the shrill cicada to the musquito, filled the air
with minor chords. To crown all, a whippoorwill sat
in the orchard and jerked out his doleful exhortation,
until Maude’s heart swelled to a mountain of heavy
throbbing flesh. Priscilla had all her work done ;
even the milking pails washed and turned upside
down on the garden palings. She sat on the back
porch busily stoning fruit for the next day’s canning.
Her impassive features looked so stolid that Rome
sat down very meek and quiet on the lowest step, ©
and Rheem was still and meditative one or two steps
above her. They felt quite burnt out and bereft of
every tie on earth, Ah, the songs, the scamperings,
the cheer of Dogberrydom!
“Le’s play ‘Hi tally O,’†said Remus, sturdily.
And then he remembered that two would make a
scanty fox hunt.
“Have you a croquet set, Mrs. White?†he
asked.
“No. We don’t have time for such nonsense.â€
This was a witherer. Were all royal good times
nonsense ?
“TI believe I'll go to the barn,†said Remus.
twin skipped up and patted along beside him.
It seemed
Everybody had
His
They
"were humbled and aimless, and snubbed by fate and
depressed. When they reached the barn John was
gone to a far off pasture to feed stock.
Before the last red streaks faded out of the sky
all the White family retired. Remus went again to
a bed in the corner of the immense long room, where
the hired men’s joking jarred his sore little heart a
long time before they went to sleep, and their snor-
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. oo).
ing his weary ear when they did finally drop off.
In the green-vined feather-bed closet Rome lay
listening to Seth Thomas. How awful he was!
Nothing else sounded through her silence and des-
olation except his “tick!’—and then he kept her
breath suspended and her eyes strained — “tock!â€
If Loo were there, or Allie, or if she could put out
her hand and touch Arty in his crib! . What if some-
body should come there in the night and carry her
off! How easily anyone could climb off the ground
into her window! She said her prayers, begging
fervently that she might not feel afraid any more ;
but, whether her faith was weak or her nerves
strained, she was almost as much afraid as before.
Then Seth Thomas was taken with his hourly fit,
and rattled and- banged nine fearful bangs, and she
could not, for her life, help trembling lest he might
walk his wonder boots right in at her, and stand glar-
ing down with those awful eyes into which they put
the key when they wound him up.
CHAPTER V.
DESPERATION,
THE next day it rained, and Ben did not come.
The day after it rained harder. It was only a
mile to the center of New Town, but none of the
White household had any errand there, and no mes-
sage came out to the twins. The third day it had
got in the habit of raining and kept on the rest of
the week. Mr. White was obliged to go away ona
business errand, which he called “looking up stock.â€
If the house was somewhat drear when lighted by
his hale and genial presence, what was it with him
gone, and the rain over it like a jailer! Rome felt
that she could actually gallop five times the distance
which separated Rheem and her from the rest of the
family ; but how dare she undertake such a feat in
Priscilla’s borrowed clothes — through the rain?
Never before had these two children felt the actual
galling restrictions of poverty. Their outlook was
bad enough, but their present was terribly wounding
to their delicacy and native independence. They
overheard Priscilla remark in her unruffied and terse
way, that she didn’t like to have children around un-
derfoot! Underfoot! They, late householders, and
actual heirs to a cash fortune! ‘This fortune now
began to look large in their eyes. They consulted
about it in whispers, in the porch corners, or cuddling
in the prim sitting-room together. They were still
mindful of their characters as guests, and tried to
show appreciation of such kindness as was given
them ; for they had entertained, and knew how heavy
on the hands a sullen or dissatisfied visitor is. But,
every day, they seemed to sink deeper into the posi-
tion of little dependents and pensioners. Neither
could have analyzed the feeling, but both were de-
pressed to the last degree by it.
The sun was in time obliged to shine out once
more, and he came most gloriously when he did
come. It was a crystal morning, trembling drops
hanging on every point; the grass so fresh that
every blade seemed just born; the air so clear that
every object was cut out with distinct edges in it;
the larks and wood thrushes singing as if they would
hlt their souls out and die in the next gush. Rome
and Remus were so glad they slipped down the front
lane and jumped like colts. New Town roofs and
and walls were plainly visible, and Rome and Remus
climbed upon the garden palings looking in that be-
loved direction, with some hope that now the clouds
would roll off their prospects, too. They saw a fig-
ure plodding across the wet fields towards them, and
the air magnified so that Rheem was sure it was Ben.
They watched it like two forlorn, but spirited mari-
ners on a rock in mid-ocean, and waved their hands
to the sail coming to their rescue. The sail waved
back, and even sent them distant halloos. When it
got a little nearer they found it was Jacey Dixon,
with his pants girded as usual at the waist, but turned
up in the legs until his knobby and bespattered
knees poked out. Jacey slouched up, and they felt
more enthusiasm at seeing him than he ever before
roused in them.
“How do you do, Jace? Did Ben send you?â€
“No, I guess he ddz’t/†replied Jace, myste-
riouly, grinning vacantly at them. Rheem was on
top of the fence with his legs through the palings.
Rome was poised like a hen, but suspended flying,
and even her own breath, to hear Jacey.
“ Are they well?†she cried.
“T guess so,†replied Jacey.
you knew about him.â€
“No we didn’t. We haven’t seen any of the chil-
“ All but Jack — and
60 THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
aed
dren since Tuesday. It’s rained so, you know.â€
“ Are you going to stay here always?â€
“ No!†cried Rome, with sharp energy. She
couldn’t bear to think of such a thing.
“What you goin’ to do, then?â€
“Why, we’re waiting till Ben comes for us.
we're going home /â€
“Ves, we’re going home /†said Maude.
“Ho!†said Jacey.
“Did anyone send you out here?†asked Remus.
“No. I just come myself, When I saw the oth-
ers goin’ off I wondered if they was runnin’ away to
leave you.â€
“What you mean?†cried the twins.
“Why, didn’t you know they’ve all gone off?â€
“ Who's gone off?â€
“Your folks. They went on this morning’s train.â€
“You're just a-storying.â€
“Mebby I am! I guess I seen ’em, though. I
like to know what you've going to do, now.â€
“ Tace Dixon, you tell us what you mean by saying
the rest have gone off and left us!â€
“T don’t mean nothin’. I saw ’em get on the
train. And I heard you two was out here, and I
wondered if they was leavin’ you here to get shut o’
ye!â€
“*Oh — hoo!†wailed Maude, breaking into pas-
sionate sobs and tears. “But Jack isn’t gone, I
know. He was all blistered in the fire, and the doc-
tor had his eyes fastened up!â€
“ Yes he is, too,†said Jacey with solemn triumph.
“Two or three people led him. He’s gone blind in
his eyes. Stone blind! I heard the neighbors say
he was goin’ to Chicago to have his eyes ampitated.â€
“He isn’t blind!†cried Rheem, with vain resist-
ance.
“He is, too,†said Jacey. ‘“ Blinder’n a fish-worm.
He can’t work no more, and he’ll have to go the
poor-house.â€
“He won't, either!
we'll give him that!â€
“You needn’t feel so big. I guess you haven’t !
The rest is goin’ to git all you’ve got and take it
with them, to buy clothes and things with ; for Jack’s
hundred dollars won’t more’n pay for gittin’ his eyes
ampitated !â€
Jacey clawed the spongy meadow sod with his
toes, and looked as if he enjoyed himself. Rome
Then,
I guess we’ve got money and
wept copiously. Rheem’s voice trembled, but he
sturdily pursued his investigation.
“ Allie ain’t gone, I know, ’cause she’s in school.â€
“Well, she is, too. They got somebody to take
her place. And she took Arty.â€
“Loo wouldn’t go!â€
“T bet she would! They all three had some new
clothes on they’ve been sewin’ at all the week.â€
“ Ben said he’d get a house and then send for us,â€
gasped Remus.
“Fie’s been gone to Chicago for three or four days, _
and he sent down word to the rest when to come,
too.â€
“ And they left us!†wept Maude.
“There isn’t a word of it so!†affirmed Rheem,
fiercely.
“Well, you just go over to New Town and see!â€
challenged Jacey.
“T will,†said Rheem.
“Well, come alorig,†said Jacey.
Maude, clinching with despairing hands the tops
of the pickets, watched her twin striding with manly
steps across the meadow, trailing John White’s linen
coat in grandfatherly contrast to Jacey’s bare, trot-
ting legs. And I cannot begin to tell you how for-
saken and terrified she felt on the big earth, though
it was so bright. Of course; it wasn’t all so—a bit!
But, if such a thing could be so! She turned over
the terrible possibilities in her mind, and they rolled
up mountain high. If somebody could take their
lots, and their house could burn down — but no, in-
deed, the rest of the Bunch would never go off and
leave two of the young ones so!
The sun grew hot before Rheem came back. The
earth steamed, the leaves began to cast startling
shade in the vivid light; but she sat on the picxeis,
bare-headed and almost breathless, waiting for her
twin. He appeared at the farther side of the past-
ure; he came nearer, and, as he approached, Maude
could hear an irrepressible, minor note which
sounded like “boo-hoo!†till he came so near she
could see the tears dripping down his downy rounded
face. The linen coat swayed behind him, and his
little shirt collar was thrown back, as if he could not
bear its pressure on his throbbing neck. Maude
now took flight from her long poise, and flopped over
the fence to stagger up to him, and slide her arm
around John White’s coat.
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. 61
a
“What's the matter, Rheemie?
Dixon hurt you?
be!â€
“No,†sobbed Remus,
down, “they are gone!â€
“ Not Ben and Allie? â€
SeVies isin te?
“ And Jack and Arty?â€
“Yes, they are!â€
“And Loo?â€
“They've all gone and left us here!â€â€™
Ob, desolation! They lifted up their voices and
wept together, until Priscilla in the kitchen heard
them, and looked out toward the milking pasture to
see if anything was the matter with her pet calves.
Rome and Remus, behind the farthest palings of the
garden, were in another direction.
“Who told you?†asked Maude, clinging to the
last straw of hope.
‘““T went and peeked in at the doctor’s, and none
of them were there. And I peeked in at the school,
and none of them were there. And I saw Mr.
Thomas, and he said they dd go in the early train
this morning.â€
“O, I wish we’d run over last night, then they’d
taken us along!â€
Did that Jacey
He’s just as naughty as he can
now completely broken
“umph, I don’t!†said Remus, hotly. “I don’t
want to stick in where I ain’t wanted! â€
“Not wanted!†repeated Rome, aghast. It was a
new view of herself to see herself not wanted in the
home Bunch.
“They’ve gone off and left us,†hiccoughed Re-
mus, indignantly. ‘‘ We can go off by ourselves, too |
We ain’t going to care!â€
Maude was not quite sure for herself.
“T want to see Arty !†she broke out.
And, upon second thought :
“T want to see Allie and Ben!â€
And, her heart being now wide open:
“T want to see poor Jack —and Loo!
hoo!†:
“I don’t want to see any of ’em!†said Rheem,
with bunched up eyebrows. “I don’t care anything
about ’em!â€
“Yes, you do!†said Rome, decidedly. “ And,
maybe they sent for us and the word didn’t get
here.â€
“ Ho!
Oh-
Couldn’t get a mile!â€
“Or, maybe they're waiting to buy some new
clothes to send back to us.â€
Remus shook his head, sidewise, this motion in-
dicating that clothes were not going to salve his deep
indignation at this late day.
“What we going to do?†then inquired his twin.
This dried his eyes and roused his energies.
“We've just got to look out for ourselves!â€
Maude believed him, and waited to see which way
NOBILITY IN DISGUISE,
he would look. But, with feminine tact, she put in a
pebble to turn the stream.
“T believe Mrs. White wishes we were at some-
body else’s house.â€
“Well, we won’t stay much longer at Aer house !â€
“Nobody wants us, Rheemie.â€
62 , THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
“Well, we don’t care. Le’s sit down and study
up what to do.â€
“We da’sn’t here. We'll get Mr. and Mrs. White’s
clothes dirty. Oh, 2eem, why didn’t you hold up
that coat-tail?â€
“JT don’t care how splashed it gets,†replied the
boy with calm deliberation. “T’ll sit down in that
puddle with it if ’m a mind to!â€
“Don’t!†begged his companion in tribulation.
“ Le’s climb over in the woods and find a clean log
where it’s shady.†.
This they did. It appeared on reviewing the situa-
tion that they were both too dejected to plan with
any brilliancy ; and moreover, their costumes limited
them to very narrow boundaries. .They were too
honest to carry away the borrowed clothing, which at
present served them as a covering, though it did not
by any means render them objects of envious admira-
tion. But they were one in wishing to get away from
under Priscilla’s feet.
at it was truly desperate. They had a pair of boots,
a pair of shoes, some underclothing and a bed-spread
between them. No other clothing or portable prop-
erty. And whither should they depart, since nobody
wanted them? It was a hard problem.
“ We might go to Chicago, too,†suggested Maude,
with a sneaking desire to be near the others of the
Bunch, in spite of their strange desertion.
“ Wouldn’t they all stare to see us come walking
into town!†speculated Remus, which observation
was avery just one when their travelling suits are
taken into consideration.
They consulted, and wagged their heads for about
sixty minutes by Seth Thomas’ slow calculation ;
though Ae could know nothing about it, away off in
the shaded sitting-room, staring straight ahead of
him, and choking regularly every hour.
Priscilla got dinner ready, and thought a great deal
about pickling. Her husband rode ito the yard
before the household sat down, and as soon as he
entered the house he asked for the children.
“They’re around somewhere,†said Priscilla.
‘“‘T’ye brought some clothes for them,†said John,
opening the sitting-room door and tossing a bundle,
directly in front of Seth Thomas’ unwinking counte-
nance, to the settee, “and some news,†added John.
“What move do you think that little tribe has taken
now? Doc. Darling says Jack’s is a bad case. The
Their situation as they looked:
eyes are pretty badly hurt; he’s afraid the boy’ll
never see again. Anyhow, he thought the boy better
go to a good oculist. It’s an expensive thing, and
they all broken up and burnt out so, Ben went up to
see how he could manage. Those young ones are
either lucky or so plucky they won’t be beat. He found
something to do, and went straight and answered an
advertisement in a daily about some rooms, and
rented some, and the woman he rented them of took
afancy to him. I suppose the young one told her
about his sisters, and she wanted to know if one of
them could tend to her housekeeping for her. So
Ben, he sends down for the whole pack. And they
all pack up except our two. Allie had to buy some
ready-made clothes to fit them out, and McKay’s to
take *em up to-morrow—he’s going up anyhow on
business. I reckon they’ll pass two such little chaps
over the railroad for nothing, and if they won’t, Ill
see they get their fare paid. Allie sent a note telling
them all about it with the clothes. The train stopped
at Carver City for breakfast, and she run up town
and got the things and sent them right back ; Joyce
give ’em to me to bring out. She said she was
uneasy about the two young ones for fear they would
feel cut up at being left a day behind, but it’s in
Jack’s favor; they want to get something done for
him as quick as they can. Ho, Rheem!†cried John,
stepping to the edge of the porch, “ho, Maddie!
Come here! got something for ye. Where ave they?â€
“Oh, not far off,†said Priscilla, “they'll get hun-
gry and come in pretty soon —sit down to dinner.â€
But Rome and Remus were some distance off,
stepping along in the densest part of the woods, like
a pair of white Siamese twins, the spread folded
equally over their tropical garments, and Rome, feel-
ing more humiliation than her mate who had less
delicacy and more love for adventure, of course, was
saying. under her breath with a sob, “It’s just as
mean as dirt, so it is!â€
John White, going into the sitting-room to unfold
his weekly paper after dinner, found on the door-step
his linen coat and loaned trousers lying folded nicely
beside Priscilla’s long calico basque and overskirt,
and his kind lips pulled themselves away out in front
of his face for a mighty whistle. He took one step
into the dining-room:
“ Jerusalem artichokes, Priscilla!â€
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. 63
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
PART Il.
BY MARY HARTWELL CATHERWOOD.
CHAPTER VI.
MISS GAFF, AND SMALLER FRY.
HICAGO
opened
her arms not
unkindly to the
Bunch. How
huge and love-
ly she looked
to their village
eyes! They
came—not by
hack, I assure
you, nor by
street car, but
quietly patting along on their own feet, through
street after street, over crossing after crossing, to
the building in which Ben had rented rooms, and
Allie, who gave up her school to stay by the others,
hoped to find employment. They led Jack between
two of them. Arty was a good traveller, and only
asked to hold some one’s dress or hand while his
great eyes took in all the strange sights, and his
boots kept time with the family march.
They had no luggage to move.
The house, when they arrived before it, towered
high above their heads and was squeezed. in a long
row of houses, all so exactly alike that they looked
like palings in a fence; all painted -alike, but with
different numbers on their foreheads. It was built
of brick and approached by a flight of steps. They
approached it and rang the bell. The street was not
a stylish one, but it looked very nice, and Loo
thought she got a glimpse of the lake from the top of
the steps.
“What lake?†asked Arty, who had been quiet
during the whole day’s run on the train, absorbing
everything with his eyes.
“Take Michigan,†replied Ben.
“What is Lake Michigan ?â€
“ A great big pond,†replied Jack.
The door was opened by a German girl, with a
good-natured but stupid look. They made quite a
formidable little party on the steps, and she stared
at them.
“We are the folks who are to live on the top
floor,†said Ben.
At this she opened the door wide, and they all
entered.
“Ts Miss Gaff in?†inquired Ben.
“No,†replied Minnie, in the high key peculiar to
German voices. “She gone to see her patients.
She been home to dinner-time.â€
“We'll just go up-stairs,†said Ben ; and they pro-
ceeded to mount, the girls walking on either side of
Jack, and’ Ben leading Arty, who toiled up flight
after flight, puffing louder on every landing.
“My gracious, Ben! are we going to the sky?â€
asked Allie.
“Sometime, I hope.
the fourth floor.â€
The stairs were uncarpeted, but they were built cf
But just now we’re going to
dark, rich-colored wood. There was a heavy, sub-
stantial air about the whole building.
When they got to the top they found a kind of ves-
tibule, which opened into a set of rooms, five in num-
ber. Allie looked around, wondering blankly how
she should ever furnish them, They were pretty as
they were, however. The walls were finished in
rough plaster, and every room done in a particular
kind of wood. That one overlooking the street was
finished in oak, the one next it in cherry; a small
entry and the bath-room, which divided these two
from the rest of the set, were in walnut, and the re-
mainder, being in the darker part of the house, in
64 THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
ash. Real woods, polished, without any varnish.
The windows were double, and. each sash contained
but one pane of plate glass. There were two gas
chandeliers, and gas coming through burners at the
sides of the rooms. Loo was impressed with the
‘possible beauty of the place, and especially with the
grates ; there being one in every room except that
one designed for the kitchen, where a small range
waited.
“We sha’n’t have to buy any stoves!†she ex-
claimed in ecstasy. “These are lots prettier than
the old Franklin, too!â€
“Isn't the rent awful high?†asked Allie, suspi-
ciously.
“It’s two hundred a year,†said Ben, “but we
might have had to pay half as much more for the
worst kind of places. Rents are always high in
towns; and mind, Allie, the rent’s to come out of
what Miss Gaff pays you for keeping house for her.â€
“T Aope I'll suit her.â€
“The reason that we get these rooms so low is,
that Miss Gaff bought this house in the row, and she
won’t take anybody for tenants except folks who hap-
pen to please her, She’s very particular. I guess
our being from the country was a good deal in our
favor. There are three floors besides the basement.
She has the first floor ; the second one’s empty, and
we took the third. All the families in the house
can have their washing done in the basement. There
are drying places and all.â€
“But think,†cried housekeeper Loo, “of dragging
the water for cooking clear up all those stairs, and
carrying slops down —â€
“Look here,†said Ben, stepping up to the kitchen-
sink near which he happened to be. He turned on
the cold water, then the steaming hot water, and they
all saw it sink away with great admiration. They
were initiated into all the mysteries and conven-
iences of the flat—even Jack, who poked his finger
under the hot stream and jumped, saying, “ Christo-
pher Columbus!†and, while his quick hands felt sil-
ver faucets, or smooth wood, or promising grate,
could not help crying out: “Oh, children, I wish I
could see!â€
“Bless your dear old head!†said “Allie, patting
his bandages, “you shai see after ’while!â€
“Jacky,†cried Arty, pulling him by the trousers’
leg to something he admired, “can’t you see: this?
Jacky, look right tight at it— can’t you see it?â€
“Id rather see you, Muggins. Give me a good
square hug, will you? A good square one, mind,
not one of your little squeezes.â€
Jack dropped on his knee, and he and Arty
clasped arms around each other for the “ squarest â€
and heartiest kind of an embrace; then Arty put
some sugar kisses on the tip of Jack’s visible nose,
and not a disappointing “dog-kiss†among them.
Arty was five years old, but always Jack’s baby.
“Now,†said Ben, “ let’s sit down and see how we
stand,â€
This rather contradictory thing they proceeded to
do. They camped in a huddle on the polished
floor.
“Pve got,†said the young pater-familias, turning
out the contents of his pocket-book, “after paying
for four of us — Arty was passed — ten dollars! We
don’t owe a cent in New Town.â€
“That’s a blessing,†said Allie, “ and,â€â€™ turning
out her own portemonnaie, “ after paying fifteen dol-
lars for things for Maude and Rheem, and part for
the clothes we have on —we girls —I have twenty
dollars out of my last month’s salary.â€
“ And there was the Association Fund,†said Jack,
“that we put in Mr. Joyce’s safe over at the station.â€
“We put that into the house, you know.â€
“O yes, so we did. I’d just drawn my money be-
fore the house burnt, so I’ve no cash to stock in,
now. I’d ’a got a place to be telegraph-operator,
soon,†mourned Jack, aside.
“Thirty-five dollars. That’s a pretty slim stock to
go to housekeeping on!†:
“Yes, but it’s considerably better than nothing.â€
“So it is!†they all exclaimed.
“We must pay half a month’s rent in advance out
of it,†said Ben ; “ but I go right to work the first of
the week, and we can get things as we need them.
First thing I do, I’ll order a load of coal to cook
with.â€
“ And where’ll we put it?†cried Loo, aghast.
This led to a pilgrimage to the coal-closet, which
they found on opening a smooth-finished door in the
vestibule.
““The man that brings it will find the closet,†said
Ben.
Then they camped again. Allie took out her lead-
pencil and a bit of paper to make a list of things they
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. 65
needed at once. She hesitated, looked anxious.
“ Our rent out, Ben, how much will that leave ?â€
“Twenty-seven doilars and sixty-two and a half
cents.â€
“Then there will be Rome and Rheem’s fare? â€
“T think they’ll come half price. I'll settle that
with Mr. McKay.â€
“We're under obligations to all the good New
Town folks who took us after the fire. I’ll crochet
white woolen sacques for all Mrs. Darling’s babies
before Christmas’? —then the magnitude of this un-
dertaking appearing to her, Allie amended, “or, for
as many as I can. Well, say we have twenty-seven
dollars.†,
“We'll not need cupboards,†said Loo, pointing to
the sheived closets.
“And we can camp with very, very few dishes un-
til we get more money. Six plates, six cups, and sau-
cers —O, the spoons, the knives, the forks! how
they’ll cost!â€
“Don’t forget assorted platters,†put in Loo, “ and
four or five vegetable covers, and ¢.we/ve little fruits —â€
“Loo Dogberry, do you know we shall have to buy
every potato and every scrap of fruit we eat? -We
have no garden, now!†:
“We'll Aave to get pots and pans and a broiler —â€
“No we shan’t,†cried Ben, opening a closet be-
side the end of the range and showing the range’s
full outfit. :
“OQ, what a blessed place!†cried Loo, in ecstasy.
“What are we going to sleep on?†inquired Jack,
whose head was, even then, aching uncomplainingly
for a place to lay itself.
The rest stared at each other, aghast.
“If we buy as much as one bed-room set,†said
Allie, in despair, “it’ll take all we’ve got, and leave
nothing to Ha food ; and we mustn’t think of car-
pets!â€
-“ Why een we?†cried Ben. “They aren’t the
thing in this kind of a house. Look at the floors!
Do you suppose they finished them up in that way
to. be covered? Miss Gaff says all they ought to
have is a drugget in the middle ; and we'll buy drug-
gets when we get farther along.â€
Loo looked at the narrow, glistening boards not
unkindly.
“They'll be easily washed,†she said.
“T'll go,†said Ben, after profound thought, “and
buy two large mattresses and a little one, and some
coal, and something to eat, and a mighty few dishes,
That seems best, doesn’t it, Allie? The mattresses
will cost about fifteen dollars. We can put ’em up
on bedsteads when we can afford the bedsteads. It’s
so warm we sha’n’t need covers.â€â€™
“That'll do firstrate,†said Allie, “and we'll pick
our bed-rooms. O, we'll get fixed up lovely one of
these days!â€
“T tell you, now,†cried Jack, “take that hundred
dollars of mine and get what you want. You can
get it of Mr. McKay, treasurer.â€
“No, sir,†said Ben, firmly, “we won’t, my son.
You'll need it all; and, as to the children’s money,
we'll never touch that. Suppose anything should
happen to us older ones, they’d have nothing to fall
back upon.â€
“ Now, Loo,â€
what we must have.
said Allie, ‘ let’s make a list of only
Plates, cups —I wonder if we
can’t do without cups ? — knives — knives and forks.
Oh dear!â€
' “Something to eat,first,†begged Ben. ‘The easi-
est way would be for us all to go to a restaurant, but
we can’t afford to think of it. Loo, couldn’t you
heat the kettle and make some coffee? And I’ll get
a baker’s big loaf aud some potatoes ad I think a
beefsteak would be best for us.’
They were agreed on that, Loo admonishing her
market-bound brother not to forget salt and butter.
“For this time,†said she, with alacrity, “when
Pve broiled the steak, PI cut it up and put it be-
tween slices of bread — with this big knife; and
here’s a dipper, we can take turns drinking out of
that !— O, milk, Ben, milk and sugar!â€
Ben made memoranda and shook his head.
“We'll have to be very careful,†said he.
“ Ben, what sort of woman is Miss Gaff? †inquired
the bandaged boy, who was obliged to paint inward
pictures for himself now.
“Well, she’s real nice.
short, but pretty thin.â€
“Ts she pretty?†asked Allie,
“ She’s — good-looking.â€
“What did the girl mean by saying she had gone
to see her patients ?â€â€™ asked Loo,
“Why, she’s a doctor!â€
“A doctor! I think a woman doctor must be hor:
rid!†©
She isn’t very tall nor very
66
Jack tugged
at his bandages.
“Bring her up!
Let me see her. I
never saw a woman
doctor in my life.â€
“T tell you, now,
she’s smart!’’
cried Ben. ‘“Any-
body could tell
that by looking at
her, and to see
her get into her buggy when it’s brought to the door,
and pick up the lines and drive off.â€
’ “Does she wear a plug hat and carry pill-bags?â€
asked Jack, excitedly.
“No! what are you talking about! She wears a
pretty little hat, and takes her medicine in a kind of
case, though I guess she always has a lot more hid
about the buggy. She makes lots of money.â€
““EHow do you know?â€
“When I was here the day I came for rooms, four
or five persons called for her. She has her office on
the first floor at one side of the hall.â€
Allie was looking dejected. She did not enjoy the
‘situation.
‘‘T’ll have to send coal first,†said Ben, returning
to the original subject, as a matter of course, “ and
I'll send it from the very first coal-yard I see; and
some kindling. †4
He was going out into the vestibule when a pat of
steps coming up the stairs made him pause.
“Here she comes, I do believe!â€
Pat, pat, pat. Firm, light and swift.
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
“Oh, you’re there, are you, Pater
familias? Did you bring your
family?â€
“Yes, ma’am,†replied Ben, push-
ing the door wide ; “‘ here they are.â€
Miss Gaff came in among them;
she wore a black cashmere, trimmed
with silk, fitting her closely, but
trailing slightly; a gold watch and
black woven guard ; her heavy brown
hair was coiled on the top of her
head, and straight, unruly bits of it
strayed into her neck; spotless collar and cuffs, a
round gold brooch ; a pleasant face with a reddish
tint, large eyes and broad nose: this was Miss Gaff.
An atmosphere of beneficence tempered with a
tendency to harmless prejudices, entered with her.
The children-all rose up from the floor. She made
first for Jack: :
“Why, what’s the matter with the little man’s eyes?â€
“ He was the one that got burnt, ma’am.â€
“ Badly?â€
“So he’s been bandaged ever since.
told you that our house burned down?â€
“Yes; and I must have a look at those eyes.â€
She turned towards Allie: “This is your oldest
sister ? â€
“ Yes, ma’am, the one that is to keep house for
you. And this is Loo and this is our baby, Arty.â€
Miss Gaff shook hands with all of them ; she had
a long, slender white hand, soft, but firm to the touch.
“Well, make yourselves at home,†said she. ‘Of
course, Miss Allie, you'll want to get things running
comfortably up here before you begin with me. How
do you like the flat?â€
The Bunch chorussed heartily that they thought it
was splendid
Miss Gaff led them over it again, and showed them
conveniences which they had not discovered.
“When will your furniture come?†she asked.
The Bunch looked at each other, and from smiling
shamefacedly, proceeded on to a broad laugh.
“When we earn it, ma’am!†said Ben.
“Oh, you lost everything in the fire. That was too
bad.â€
“Yes, ma’am, and we’re obliged to go slow in get-
ting things till we can make things work around right
again, â€
You know I
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. 67
“Tt was too bad, †repeated Miss Gaff. “But I
thought there were seven of you?â€
“ The twins are coming on to-morrow. â€
“Twins, eh? Well, how are you going to arrange
your rooms ?â€
It was very easy to be confidential with Miss Gaff.
They all ran and showed her which room was to be
the boys’, which the girls’, which the dining-room and
which the parlor. She was very cheerful and _ busi-
ness-like. And for their encouragement told them
‘how hard she had worked in her own life, first to
support herself after her father, who had been, worth
several hundred thousand dollars, failed; and next
to learn her profession and next to get established
in it. :
“ But there are people now,†said Miss Gaff, en-
thusiastically, to the Bunch, with pardonable pride in
her success, “ who have faith in no other physician,
and who telegraph back to me for orders when they
leave the city. Some of the very ones who thought
medicine was not a fit calling for a woman! â€
She was full of oddities, and queer confidences and
kind impulses. She was a lady about thirty-six years
old, with an older benignity about her which suited
her style and profession.
Ben offered her half a month’s rent in advance.
This was simply a guaranty of good faith on his part,
for the arrangement was that she should pay Allie a
hundred a year over and above the rent—if the plan
proved mutually agreeable. But coming in without
bag or baggage, Ben and Allie both felt that their
respectability demanded an advance, for fear unfore-
seen circumstances might terminate the engagement
before it was fairly entered into on Allie’s part.
Miss Gaff put their money back into Ben’s pocket-
book herself, strapped it up and told him not to let
her hear of it again. She then told them all to come
down and dine with her, and would hear of no ex-
cuses, after which she went down-stairs and Ben took
Allie with him to select such necessary articles as
their money would buy.. They ordered coal and
bought matresses ; and having fully thirty-five dollars
since the rent was not deducted, gratefully got a table
and some towels, besides the kitchen supplies Ben at
first proposed. The table-ware demanding time and
consideration, they postponed selecting any until next
morning, for Miss Gaff might wait dinner for them.
“We'll picnic for breakfast,†said Allie.
Minnie did not let them in. She was serving up
dinner.’ Miss Gaff’s coachman opened the door and
showed them into a parlor through the second door
in the hall. It was a very queer parlor. The other
children had been rung down and were surrounding
Miss Gaff, while she showed them some of the bottle
wonders of her museum. One whole end of the
room was a cabinet, carefully covered with glazed
doors to keep dust and meddlesome fingers out of
Miss Gaff’s treasures. She had pickled toads and
snakes of the strangest species, from the flat-headed
copper-snake of the North, to the asp of Egypt. She
had a shark’s jaws with three rows of horrible notched
teeth in it; an Aztec’s skull; fossil pappooses ; res-
urrection plants looking like dried branches, but when
she put one in water it spread out delicately, as full
of life as the freshest flower; minerals and fossils
without number, all labelled and in the nicest order ;
a stone full of garnets, and any quantity of quartz
with heavy gold streaks leading through it. Miss
Gaff seemed to have pushed these precious minerals
into a corner, and rather to dislike the sight of them,
at which the children wondered, but they afterwards
learned why. The beloved part of her collection
was the bottled monsters ; she pointed at the beauty
of their construction and gave an animated little lec-
ture on their habits in life. Arty, however, was best
pleased with an exhibition she gave them with a little
gray cone, the size of your thumb-end. She touched
a match to the tip—it began to hiss and rise up, scaly
fold over scaly fold till it lay a coil-of-dust-snake on |
the table. He never saw such a firework before.
Minnie rang the bell and Miss Gaff led her guests
out to dinner. Loo was crowded back, and making
a misstep pushed the door behind her; something
began to clatter in that corner at the end of the cab-
inet: she looked, and sprang straight up with a
shriek, for there was a human skeleton dancing airily
on nothing and seeming to make fantastic offers of
its hands to give her a swing!
“Oh, don’t be startled,†said Miss Gaff, looking
back ; “its only Bony; I dissected and put him to-
gether myself—with some assistance about cleaning
the bones.â€
Loo felt profound respect for Miss Gaff, but her
flesh crept on her own bones in spite of reasoning.
“ Hollo! what’s this?†exclaimed Ben, “ I’nstep-
ping on something.â€
68 THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
“Let me see,
turtles |â€
“Tt’s a rosette off a slipper, isn’t it?’ asked Allie.
But she dropped it like a coal as its pointed tail
and groping head appeared and disappeared.
Miss Gaff laughed, and gathering it up tenderly
carried it into the dining-room and placed it in a sort
of terrapin-pen, where tortoise-backs in as many
stages of development as Mrs. Darling’s babies were
slowly disporting themselves. Before sitting down to
table she showed them her aquarium, which was
beautiful. Miss Gaff allowed no one to attend to it
but herself, and built up the arch of stones in the
middle of it a-fresh every morning.
“I always rise at about five o’clock, †shesaid, “TI
cannot sleep in the morning, and it usually keeps me
till business hours finding my pets and renovating
their houses. Where is Stripey?†she exclaimed,
looking about blankly ; “why, he’s slipped out of his
box into the room, some place !â€
“Who is Stripey?†asked Loo, beginning to feel
cold streaks down her spine.
“Oh, he’s my little spotted snake—but you needn’t
feel afraid of him a mite, he’s perfectly harmless —â€
“O—o—oh!†cried Allie, with a little shriek —
“something’s on my foot — round my ankle!â€
And in sympathy with her the children all began to
execute a kind of war-dance.
Miss Gaff, laughingly, stooped down and disen-
tangled her pet from the trembling girl, and held him
up in her hands, to show how harmless he was. But
his scaly back, his sinuous length and diamond
points of eyes made them instinctively shudder with
ancient hatred of the snake, while they sincerely tried
to admire, ,
“Naughty boy,†cooed Miss Gaff, while she’ put
him back into a box half full of earth, and furnished
with all the conveniences of snake domestic life,
“did he get out and look all over de house for his
mistress, and get on de Strange lady’s ankle? He
often coils round my feet,†she explained to the
Bunch, “and lies sunning himself there while I am
studying, with the tip of his tail curled around his
neck, as contentedly as a kitten.â€
The children tried to fancy his snakeship purring,
to complete the picture of his innocence. They sat
down to table and found a bountiful dinner. There
Why, it’s one of my little shell-
was roast veal, a great variety of vegetables, but first
of alla very nice soup; and dessert plates of pie
and an iced pudding, with cheese, waited on the side-
board for the change.
“Minnie cooks decently,†said Miss Gaff, “but
she needs some one to look after her all the time.
Now she has forgotten to put on the salts!†She
touched a bell, Minnie appeared, and breathing apol-
ogies when she found what was wanted, produced
the salt-bottles from a shelf of the side-board.
As she came in, a bound, a scuffle anda bark fol-
lowed her, and six dogs, wagging their tails nearly off
and all attracted to Miss Gaff as planets are pulled
to the sun, jumped up in bunches and by pairs, and
singly on the back of her chair, licking her face.
“Why, why, why!†exclaimed Miss Gaff, who had
now finished pouring the coffee, “couldn’t dey stay
out one evening, but must dey come to see dey mis-
tis anyhow?â€
“Yowp !†yelled the Newfoundland.
“Woo—wooh!†declared the snowy Spitz.
“Wee —e!†whined an ebony-nosed terrier twist-
ing himself nearly in two with delight.
“ Bowwh!†burst out Lucky, a house-dog, so
heavy and awkward and large that his tail, which kept
up a circular motion like a windmill, was in danger of
knocking over something or some small person.
Wix, a shaggy black and white mongrel who looked
like a dwarfed Newfoundland, went off into a succes:
sion of barks, and a very slender, graceful hound
placed his paws on the table and looked at all the
company.
“Shall I put them out, ma’am?†asked Minnie,
about to return to the kitchen.
“No; let them be; they want to get acquainted
with the folks. Wix, my little boy, put your hair out
of your eyes!â€
Wix, whose shaggy locks half hid his bright orbs,
certainly made great efforts with his tail, but wag he
never so hard, he couldn’t wag his eyes clear. Miss
Gaff gave him a bite of veal and all the other dogs
made a focus of their noses in the spot where Wix
snapped it. Arty was greatly amused, but he drew
his legs up under him when the hound’s cold nose
investigated the backs of them.
“Do — they — stay in the kitchen?†inquired
Alice, with some hesitation.
Miss Gaff laughed. “Were you ‘going to give no
tice’ if they did?â€
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. 69
“Oh, no!†exclaimed Allie.
“ They have a kennel of their own in the back
yard,†continued their mistress; “a separate apart-
ment for every dog in it. They get along splendidly
together. I daren’t let them run in the streets, so I
give them the run of my rooms. Sometimes I take
one or two in the buggy with me. They are quite a
happy family. â€
The dogs, whose voices had been joining in a low
growl over a plate Miss Gaff had filled and set for
them, with a napkin under it, on the carpet, now
raised a terrific snarl and several yelps, while Wix
came toward her carrying one paw, and tears in his
eyes if one could see them.
“You naughty boys!†cried their mistress, “ just
when I’m telling how peaceable you are! Did they
bite his foot ?â€
She reached down and took the plate away from
them, and they all wagged their tails and squatted in
pleading repentance; but not another morsel were
they allowed to have before company; she made
them all go and sit in a disconsolate row by the wall,
where they blinked, or licked their chops or snapped
at a fly—exceping Wix, whose foot had fallen a prey
to some of his brethren’s ill-nature ; him she allowed
to sit beside her skirt, and this favor so elated him
that he beat the floor with his tail to that degree it
seemed he would either break through into the cellar
or irreparably damage his tail. As dinner proceeded
and Miss Gaff’s protecting kindness towards all
creatures became more and more apparent, the chil-
dren were quite fascinated by her. Their company
seemed good for her, also; she was very attentive to.
their wants, and as busy as the matron of avery large
orphan asylum. She ate very little herself, but Allie
observed she was an exquisite epicure, and even dis-
turbed by the way dishes were set on the table. Allie
resolved when she took Miss Gaff’s housekeeping in
hand to take the table-laying into her own hands and
make a fine art of it. Minnie changed their plates,
and they took dessert. Miss Gaff had new coffee
made and ordered down a certain old set of painted
china cups to drink the dessert coffee from.
“ By the way, †said she, “have you bought table-
ware yet?â€
“We're going out to pick some in the morning, â€
began Ben.
“You needn’t. I have a dinner set in the closet
that I never use —I don’t like the pattern, and 1 like
to mix my table ware now, and not have things so
uniform. You can use it till you get rich and proud
enough to refurnish your table according to your
minds. â€
“But if anything should get broken,’
anticipating the distress of such an accident.
-“ Pooh! Take it and use it. Minnie, wash up
that dinner set we never use, and take it up-stairs.
Come here, sirs,’’ said Miss Gaff, immediately, bring-
ing the dogs out to turn aside any grateful speeches,
“now sit up!â€
They all set on their haunches, the Newfoundland,
the lubber, the hound, the Spitz, the terrier and Wix.
Their fore paws hung down helplessly and their tails
moved in meek chorus. She gavea little speech on
the duties of dogs in civilized communities, and dis-
missed them with a pat upon the head of each, and
they went to their kennel to be fed by Minnie. Miss
Gaff took the children back into the parlor, and hav-
ing noticed that they could examine curiosities with-
out handling or injuring them, she begun a little
business chat with Allie. She liked the girl’s fresh,
lady-like appearance. Allie was now twenty, but
looked much younger; the school-room had given
her manners a certain precision, but country freedom
and the constant company of the rest of the Bunch
had kept her face undinted and unfaded.
“T have two people,†said Miss Gaff: “ Minnie,
and Jacob, my coachman. His room is in the base-
ment, and he takes care of himself. Minnie does
the laundry-work in another part of the basement.
She is a good girl and not very wasteful ; but I need
some one to oversee the house all the time. I don’t
like her to touch this room except when I am by;
she has no idea of the value of a collection. Doyou
see?â€
“Yes, ma’am,†said Allie timidly.
“Well, I have my dresses done out of the house,
always. But I never get a morsel of time for plain
sewing and the house suffers for it. D’llshow you my
rooms,†said Miss Gaff; which she did. Her own
chamber was a sort of gymnasium, with trapezes, In-
dian clubs, dumb-bells and health-lift. “I take ex-
ercise before I dress, in the morning,†she explained,
“after my bath.â€
There were besides her private rooms, a kitchen
and pantries, the dining-room, a store room and Min-
? said Loo,
70 THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
nie’s bed-chamber. All of these were abundantly
furnished. Allie was to sleep up-stairs with her sis-
ter, which pleased her, but the rest of her life was
to be below.
“I don’t want you to imagine,†said Miss Gaff,
“that you must stay close here, like a prisoner. Only
keep a supervision of everything — as if it were your
house instead of mine. â€
Sweet Alice began to feel solid satisfaction in the
prospect. She received keys and a set of account
books, and declared herself ready to begin next day,
for the Bunch’s domestic affairs were in a state which
her presence could not help ; and Loo was the trained
housekeeper.
Jack groped for an ottoman and pushed it up in
front of Miss Gaff.
“I wish our other two children were here,†said
he, “and I wish I could see you.†His tone was
one of such undisguised admiration that Miss Gaff
laughed.
“T want to examine your eyes, my son, first thing
in themorning. You're going to Dr. Marlowe’s?â€
“Yes, ma’am. â€
“ He’s very good — very good in his specialty. I’ll
drive you round there when I start on my rounds,
and get his opinion.â€
“You're real good,†said Jack.
“I wish Maud and Rheem could see these,†Loo
was remarking, uncertain whether they should ever
again have the entree of this museum-parlor. “Miss
Gaff, †she called out mildly, “didn’t these beautiful
yellow-streaked white rocks come out of a gold mine?â€
“Yes,†snapped Miss Gaff, pulling her eyebrows
together so that a deep, upright wrinkle stood be-
tween them, “ that’s where father’s money went.
Mines, mines, mines! And after losing everything
else in speculating he lost himself prospecting a mine.â€
“How?†begged the Bunch.
“Disappointment and fever,†said Miss Gaff,
“Don’t speak about it any more. I never talk of it.â€
She reached out and took the hand of Arty who was
leaning against his eldest sister, and telling Loo to
“never mind†when that tender hearted girl tried to
apologize, began to talk nervously to him in German,
much to his astonishment.
“ Bibchen, wie befinded sie sich.?â€
“Yes, ma’am,†said Arty, widening his eyes.
“ Ach, so?†said Miss Gaff, laughing. “ Sprachen
ste ein lied;
“Die Rose, die Lily, die Taube, die Sonne,
Ste liebt Ith ernst alle in liecbes wonne :
Leh liebt sie nicht mehr, Ich liebeâ€
“T can’t understan’ that,†said Arty.
The bell rung. Miss Gaff was in request to see a
patient on the other side of the city. She called for
Jacob and the pheeton immediately, and had her hat
and gloves and sacque on, to a nicety, her case ready
and her remedies forecast, before the Bunch could
marshal themselves to bid her good evening. They
went up-stairs and she drove off.
“Tm glad the twins will sleep more comfortably
than we do, to-night,†said Alice, when the matresses
were brought up from a dray, and she gazed at ban-
daged Jack, and felt how cool the lake winds could
be even on summer nights.
Rome and Remus were at that moment stretching
their weary limbs under a walnut tree, and looking up
at the dark sky.
GOING TO MARKET.
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. 71
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
PART II,
BY MARY HARTWELL CATHERWOOD.
CHAPTER XIX.
CHILDREN OF’ THE WOOD.
T was a fine spreading walnut tree, in fact a noble
I specimen of its class, but it didn’t seem to suit
them.
“If we weren’t so tired we’d look fora /oller tree,â€
said Remus.
“Yes,†responded Rome, “I’d rather be ina hollow
one. But dears get in them, don’t they?â€
Remus was cross: he was hungry: he was beaten
back,
“I just as lieves as not one would eat us up.â€
Maude demurred. “TI don’t want to be eat up. I
rather have something to eat myself!â€
They cuddled quietly awhile. It was a warm even-
ing in the woods; the murderous mosquitoes were
thick, and hunted the children till they hid clear under
the spread which looked like a collapsed tent. Occa-
sionally an industrious mosquito bored through this
and brought the blood and a start out of their unpro-
tected little bodies.
Rome’s mind was busy with stories of children lost
in the woods, and a “large animal bounding out of
the bushes towards them.†In the story it always
turned out to be the family dog seeking them, but in
their case she knew it would prove a bear if not a lion
oran elephant! If a rabbit startled the grass her
heart jumped.
“What’ll we do for breakfast, Rheemie?†she in-
quired, facing between whiles their prospect of indefi-
nite fasting.
Rheem snored.
She repeated her question. He snored louder.
From this delicate hint she gathered that the mind
masculine did not wish to be disturbed further, and
she took a turn in the spread and tried to snug down
in the roots of the tree. They had two deep little
cribs, tolerably cushioned with leaves, but the ants
were there before them and came out and bit the in:
truders,
“T can’t stand this!†cried Remus forgetting his
snore and bouncing out of his crib.
“Neither can I!†cried Rome, bouncing up also.
“Let’s climb the tree and sleep in the limbs,†sug
gested her brother, and she agreed rather doubtfully.
They pulled themselves up the shaggy trunk of the
walnut, and when they reached the first large timbs
Remus had an inspiration ; he bade his twin stand and
hold by the trunk till he fixed what he meant to, and
she watched in wonder. He ripped the spread down
the centre and tied the halves in tremendous knots to
even limbs, making two pretty white hammocks. He
tested the strength of both hammocks himself and
showed Maude how reliable they were, She crept
into hers and lay down in ecstecy, slightly lessoned by
the hold which a persevering mosquito had upon her
shoulder. It was ten feet above the ground, but the
knots were stout ; it was near enough to her twin for
her to reach over and touch his head if she got fright-
ened, and deep enough for her to roll over without
tumbling out. They swung like a pair of complacent
bats and fought mosquitoes with renewed energy. All
they needed now was food and clothing and a pocket
map of the road to Chicago to which city by tacit
agreement they were making their way, to overwhelm
with surprise and remorse the seceded part of the
family.
A mother-bird up higher in the tree, stirred and
scolded her wakeful babies. Rome started up and
grasped Remus.
“Tt’s a Bugaboo!â€
“Tisn’t! It’s a bird.â€
Rome nestled again and slapped mosquitoes. How
fierce was their droning war-cry, how sudden and’
sharp their attacks, how persistent their boring.
“TLet’s tell stories,†said Remus, swinging his ham.
mock and pretending to be in a state of oriental en-
joyment,
42
72
“{ wish I could hear Arty make some,†sighed
Rome, “he’s so cunning! Don’t you remember that
one he used to say about ‘There was an old woman
sat down to ’pin, and she heard somefin go boo-ah!
boo-ah ! boo-ah! and she looked up and there was a
great big bugaboo bear.Չۉ۪
“Qh, pshaw!†snuffed Remus, glancing around
the darkened landscape over the side of his hammock,
“who wants to hear about bears ? â€
“Wouldn’t you be scared if you’d see one?
can climb trees, can’t they!â€
Bears
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
“Keep still,†hushed Remus, which caution made
his twin grab at him and cry out in a startled voice —
ce Why? 3
Her own ears told her why. A swish, swish, swish
of shrubs and a crackle of dry sticks on the ground
announced the near presence of something. She cow-
ered like a little lady snail in her shell.
“Hullo, you, up there! have you
selves ?â€
Remus now cowered too, half in dread and half in
shame ; it was John White’s voice; the dear old fel-
low who was always pulling them out
hung your-
of scrapes, stood at the foot of the
tree.
“T heard you talking, so you
needn’t hide! What’s that you’ve
swung up — that white stuff?â€
“11's A BUGABOO.â€
“There aren’¢ any in these woods; they were all
killed off long ago.â€
“Rheemie, did you ever hear the story about the hunt-
er that a bear ate up? When the country was new.
I guess it was in these woods. I always got scared
when I thought about it. The folks found his boot
and his gun and his bed. Oh Rhemie, how’ll he res-
urrect out of the bear and how’ll his head resurrect
to the rest of him?â€
Maude was quite overcome and shut her eyes, shud-
dering.
“ Our spread,†piped Maude, look-
ing down at him, her heart lightened
by the sight, though they had run
away from his house.
“Well, what are you doing here?
Have you turned out to run wild
in the woods?â€
“We're going to Chicago,†said
Remus, showing his head.
“Yes, you look like it! ‘Rockaby
baby on the tree top, when the wind
blows the cradle will rock.’ Well,
what’s the matter with you young-
sters, anyhow? Went off without
your dinner, or any clothes — kept
me hunting for you all the after-
noon ; you ought to have told Pris-
cillaif you wanted to have a scamper
in the woods; we’ve been uneasy
about you.â€
“She said we were underfoot,â€
burst from Rome’s troubled bosom,
“Oh!†laughed John, and he chuckled awhile un-
der the tree; “she can cook good dinners, though,â€
he added by way of apology for Priscilla.
“ The rest went off and left us,’ said Rheem, shak-
ing his head with some threatening intimation of what
he would do yet.
“And Jacey Dixon said they didn’t want us,â€
added Rome ; “and we had no clothes and no money,
and we were going to Chicago to show ’em we could
come anyhow!â€
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. 73
. “We wasn’t goin’ to tag ’em, though!†corrected
Remus with spirit. :
“Yes. Well, Jacey Dixon usually tells the whole
truth and nothing but the truth, doesn’t he? For in-
stance, the time he saw Arty going to the old tannery
in Billy’s rag-sack ?†;
“T went my own self and asked Mr. Thomas, too,
and 4e said they’d all gone to Chicago.â€
“And did he say they had to leave you on account
of buying ready-made clothes to send back? and that
Lawyer McKay was to take youup to-morrow? He'll
be disappointed when he calls for you and finds you’re
not there,†said John.
He smiled, The hammocks both gave an uneasy
squirm. :
“Allie got off at Carver City, and ran up street
while the train waited for breakfast, and bought
clothes to send right back to you ; she sent a note, too.
Mr. Joyce gave me the bundle at noon!†John added,
more as a soliloquy than a remark, “ Priscilla might
have made them some things, but she’s so busy with
house-work I guess she didn’t think about it.â€
Rome and Remus leaned over the sides of their
hammocks with sheep-faced looks which the dusk
could not veil. :
“Hadn't you better come down,†said John, “and
go home and have some supper? TI guess you can
stand our house one night more!â€
His thrust and the rankling of family troubles quite
pierced Maude’s tender heart. She began to cry.
Remus crawled out of his hammock and began to
untie it, with sturdy grunts at every hard pull.
“I like to stay at your house first-rate, Mr. White—
(uh !)—but I thought we oughtn’t stay there always
—(uh !)—and we didn’t know what they meant. Ben
said he’d send word what we were to do—(uh !)—this
is hard to untie!â€
“He did send word from Chicago: Jack’s eyes
were so bad they started with him almost as soon as
they got the word. He has to be doctored.â€
“Jacey Dixon said he was blind as a fish-worm!?’
" wept Maude, adding this to her general grief,
“Well, so he may be,†said John, gravely, “if some-
thing isn’t done for him early.†He reached up his
arms to take the wandering little girl down as she
scrambled backwards. Remus unfastened the other
hammock and dropped with both of them. He and
Rome wrapped themselves up like Choctaws. Remus
hung back but Maude was glad to return to civilized
life. John White gave one of his forefingers to each
of them, and these new Children in the Wood,
trotted along beside him as trustfully as the less for-
tunate ones of the old story went with their bad
uncle.
He said nothing more to upbraid them, but all that
great mountain of remorse which they were going to
pile on their family, rolled back upon themselves!
Said Remus to Mr, White — incidentally :
“I hope the rest won’t hear about — our thinking
they’d leftus. It might hurt their feelings !â€
“T hope they won’t,†said John.
“Do you suppose Mr. McKay will tell them?â€
“Not unless somebody tells him.â€
“ Doesn’t everybody at your house know we came
off?â€
“T guess nobody knows the whole thing but Pris-
cilla and I, and Priscilla never talks much; that’s a
good thing,†said John, slily, “ quietness is.â€
“Yes, it is,†said Remus.
“Now I'll tell you what to do. You can slip in
the front way ; the bundle of things is on the settee,
You can pick them out and put them on before you
come to supper. They’re waitin’ supper for me, and
the rest’ll all be on the back porch, or about. And
we needn’t say that you took off my coat and pants
and Priscilla’s things, for fear of s’iling them before
you started on your ramble!â€
Rome rubbed her cheek against the big forefinger
which led her and said, “Youre the loveliest man I
ever saw in the world |â€
CHAPTER XxX.
JIPPETY.
The rest of the Bunch did not hear of the twins’
distrust and flight, therefore, until they burst into
Miss Gaff’s top flat and told it themselves! go-
ing from one member of the family to another with
kisses and penitent squeezes. Mr. McKay brought
them to the street door and left them: he was too
busy to climb up and see his wards that day, and
they were glad of it when they considered the un-
furnished state of their rooms. He told Allie the
two young children came over the road for nothing,
when she offered their fare to him ; and assuring her
74 THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
a a a ae ee ee,
he would look in on the Bunch the next time he
came up, he hurried off.
Like bees in a bee-hive, the Bunch fell to system-
atic work. Ben was employed in building: but
before he had been in the city many weeks his ambi-
tion took definite shape. He meant to learn archi-
tecture ; the architect under whom he was working
proved a friend to him, and though all he could then
earn was scant for the family emergencies, he looked
forward to a career of satisfaction and success. All
his spare time he put upon his favorite study ; he had
the free use of the architect’s office, of evenings, and
it never saw a more earnest thinker and planner than
Ben. He got himself opportunities to see the best
buildings in the city ; he was always going about with.
pencil and paper in his hands or just inside his vest
pocket. Loo did her best with the home; her work
was lightened, too, by somany conveniences. By de-
grees the necessary furniture came in, then a rug or
two. Miss Gaff forced bed-clothing upon them until
they could buy some ; the boy’s room was made cosy ;
then the girls added comforts to their own; so by
stages they got another comfortable footing in life.
The first time Remus went to look at the city he
felt as if he had come into a fortune. A new indus-
try rose up before him. Of course he and Maude
were sent to one of the ward. schools, but there were
the mornings and evenings — and the morning and
evening papers! He set up as a newsboy; his pink
cheeks and bright eyes and crisp business manner
gained him customers; there were business men
whom he regularly waylaid and who regularly bought
his paper. Maude felt a thrill of pride when she
heard his voice ring out in the street : “ Inter-Ocean,
sir?— Journal? have a paper? Here’s your Inter-
Ocean,†&c. The little fellow paid a regular weekly
sum into the family fund, and kept some nice ten-
cent pieces over. It was well he could help, for Allie
could only give them the rent now, a help they did
not feel, never having paid rent in their lives, and
Jack was in darkness.
Poor Jack was driven by Miss Gaff according to
her promise, to the oculist’s the very next day after
his arrival. The doctor did not say very much, but
shook his head at Miss Gaff, Jack was jolly, but it
did not suit his temperament to sit and be waited on,
or to be led “like an old blind beggar†by one of the
Bunch to the oculist’s for treatment, 3
“Get me a little dog and string,†said Jack, “and
atin cup for the pennies. ‘ Pity a poor blind man,
good people! This helpless being with a family of
six children dependent upon him, was blown up in a
powdermill and came down without eyesight!’ â€
After some days he was made to lie still all day
long in a darkened room, and dieted sparely. Then
Arty played around him and probably kept him from
despairing. Maude came in and told him the won-
derful things which happened at school ; Remus pie-
tured the glories of journalism (2. ¢., the selling of
the journals) ; Ben talked architecture to him ; Loo
told him when the lake looked particularly blue in the
glimpse she had of it over the housetops: Allie came
up-stairs, put her arm under his dear, old aching
head and gave him his dinner with a spoon. And
Miss Gaff was a whole host of entertainers; Jack re-
joiced when. he heard her coming, snapping guitar
strings in her throat—an inimitable habit she learned
when achild. She thought of a hundred ways to di-
vert him.
“Tf I turn out blind,†said he, “ I don’t know of any-
thing I can do except grind an organ, with Arty for a
monkey. Will you go and be monkey for Jacky,
my man?â€
Oh, yes, Arty would be monkey.
“T can telegraph,†said Jack; “I can read dis-
patches by ear easy enough, and work the machine
with my eyes shut. I wish I had a battery here.â€
Miss Gaff brought up to him not a battery, but a
small patent machine on which he could tap messages
and keep in practice. This pleased him so much that
she meditated on putting a real battery within his
reach, for at that time she had her own opinions about
Jack’s ever being able to see again.
She gathered the Bunch on the first Sunday of their
settlement under her wing — or rather over her head,
and carried them to her church and Sabbath School.
There might be other places of worship in the city of
Chicago, but Miss Gaff would have none of them.
By her gardening hand the Dogberry Bunch were
carefully planted in that church and watered with Bi-
ble lessons every Sunday. She was very learned in
Bible lore anda person of great influence in the church,
and they were very glad to get into such a Sabbath
family party, instead of venturing, shy, unstylish and
lonely, into the great rich churches to-worship.
As soon as Alice had time to collect her thoughts
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. 75
and sit down for a comfortable half-hour undisturbed,
she wrote to Joslyn at Hot Springs, telling him all that
had befallen her house, and the changes in their base
and prospects. But she added, she had great hopes
of Jack’s eyes, and Ben was happier than ever before
in the chances before him, and Loo thought gas, and
hot and cold water in the house were so nice, and
Rheem, the dear little fellow, had taken, of his own
accord, to selling papers, and both he and Maude
were improving faster in those graded schools than
she ever imagined possible, while Arty was growing
so nicely, and was full of wonder and interest in every-
thing. As for herself, she never knew how tired she
was of the school-room until she left it to be Miss
Gafi’s housekeeper. And Miss Gaff was so nice! It
was a wonder how many nice people there were in
the world! She sent her dearest love to Miss Wylie,
and hoped she might inprove in health every day:
she repeated her very dearest love —for that little old
lady of a past generation had a tender hold on Allie.
She closed with kind messages to his mother, and
gave him their present address, telling him if he came
to Chicago the Bunch would be heart-broken if he
passed them over.
Allie’s business at Miss Gaff’s was exactly suited to
her tastes. She had a pretty bijou home to control,
“Bony †was not a pleasant companion, but she grew
to have a kind feeling towards even him; the snake
and the turtles and dogs grew endurable, and she
was allowed to lessen their territory ; they kept to
themselves ina sort of Arctic torpor, untill Miss Gaff’s
evening return, like the return of the sun, thawed them
out to frisky demonstration. Miss Gaff had a library
of finely selected books, and quite a little gallery of
- costly and exquisite pictures. She kept this as sacred
as Bluebeard’s room until her confidence in and affec-
tion for Allie opened all the doors to that young house-
keeper.
Allie superintended the table, and took care of the
clothes when they came from the laundry, and kept
the rooms pretty, as only a tasteful, refined girl can
do, and after some instruction and experience, did the
marketing, with avery great relish for it. She de-
lighted to go out very early and tread her way among
all the odd assemblage on market mornings, to con-
sider Miss Gaff’s taste in this or that, and to plan the
bill of fare so as to secure the greatest variety at the
least cost. It pleased her greatly to see Miss Gaff
lift her eyebrows over some unexpected luxury at
table, and to hear her exclaim, “ Bless us, my
child! what a treasure!†Miss Gaff sat at the
head of the table, and Allie sat opposite, the lady
doctor declaring they made quite a comfortable fami-
ly. She received a certain sum every week for cur-
tent expenses, and kept accounts strictly. On Satur-
day evening she made a full report to Miss Gaff and
closed the account for the week. It was very satisfac-
tory to Allie.
As the greater part of her salary went to cancel the
rent, to be sure she had little for her personal expenses,
Thave yet to see the young lady who will admit that one
hundred dollars a year — twenty-five dollars a quar-
ter—is adequate pin-money! Allie applied her first
twenty-five dollars principally to family purposes. But
then Allie was one of those girls who have a talent
for looking pretty with very small outlay.
Summer went by and the Industrial Exposition
opened with the Autumn. Mr. McKay wrote Ben
that the Dalrymple trustee had put up an elevator on
their old garden spot, and New Town was nowa grain
market for the surrounding farm lands. He said he
had examined into the titles very carefully, and there
was no doubt the Dogberry title was defective, and
nothing but a quit-claim from the original owners
would ever straighten matters, and from possession
being already taken it did not seem probable the Dal-
rymple estate would be inclined to compromise mat:
ters. Hewas very sorry; though on the other hand,
he was glad the children were doing so well.
76 : THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
PART Il.
BY MARY HARTWELL CATHERWOOD.
CHAPTER XX.— (ContTINUED.)
JIPPETY.
O% day Alice received a letter from Joslyn con-
taining the news of Mrs. Wylie’s death. She
had reached home before she died, but only lingered a
few days after they brought her back to Danport.
She went to sleep holding Joslyn’s hand between her
two soft shrivelled palms, and did not wake again.
Allie was arranging her dinner-table when the post-
man rung with this letter. Miss Gaff took luncheon
at eleven past, and dined between four and five, unless
she had guests to delay dinner. So it happened that
the doctor found her housekeeper shedding some
tears over this letter as she came in fresh from a
brisk drive. She put her kind arm around Allie’s
broad shoulders. She spoke cheerily, with one of her
bright smiles.
“Why, what’s the matter, my dear!
ing you such good news!â€
‘““Mrs. Wylie is dead. She was a lovely old lady,
and so kind to me. She was very old.â€
* She developed fully, she lived her life as a woman,
and passed into ripe old age, did she? Well,
don’t cry, my child. We mourn for those who die
violent deaths or whose disregard of the laws of life
cuts them off. Idiots!†cried Miss Goff, mounting
one of her hobbies and beginning to gallop. “ When I
see every day what fools people are, and how they
misuse themselves and entail misery on their children
and then lay the blame on Providence, it makes me
so mad I can hardly stand it! Where did this Mrs.
Wylie live?†she added mildly, climbing down from
her hobby.
“In Danport. Cousin Joslyn says he and his
mother have devoted nearly their whole time and
thoughts to her this summer.â€
“She is gone like a ripe sheaf of wheat.
And I bring-
When
you and I die I hope we shall be full of deeds if not
of days. You may ring in dinner now.â€
“Oh, my good news,†added Miss Gaff as they sat
down. “I have the latest news about Jack.â€.
“The doctor thinks his eyes will get well!†cried
Allie.
“Yes, but he’s not to know too soon, or he’ll tear
‘the bandages off and be wanting to rush out at his
precious railroad work. I’m glad to see you brighten
up.â€
This news Allie found time to communicate to Loo
immediately after dinner and Loo and she squeezed
each other ecstatically but very quietly, for Jack’s ear
was by this time nicely educated. Then Loo whis-
pered it to Ben when he came home, and she and
Ben shook hands upon it for several seconds. Arty
and the twins were not there. It being Saturday af-
ternoon they were at the people’s cheap show, the
Exposition.
It was the second week of the Exposition, and Re-
mus, to whom it had an inexpressible charm, had
“done†it once or twice before. The first time he
took Loo, grandly paying her way out of his newsboy
money ; and now he felt quite competent to conduct
his twin and the baby through the crowds. He set his
red lips firmly and told Arty not to be afraid, that
great noise was only machinery set in motion. Noth-
ing was more fascinating to Arty, though he felt safer
if he held by Rheem’s pocket. Some grown-up peo-
ple jostled them, and one mountainous Dutch woman
almost swept them down like sail boats, as she, a full
rigged Great Eastern, rushed: past.
“Here, take my arm,†said Remus to his mate,
“and Arty, you better let me lead you. We can keep
together nicer.†So with Rome on his arm and the
baby by the hand, like some complacent pater-famt-
“ias he proceeded to show them the Exhibition. They
passed rows of buzzing saws and belted wheels, whole
acres, it appeared to Maude, of roaring machinery, a
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. 77
balmy hot-house air lulling their senses, and the im-
mense sky-lighted roof seeming to wander and roll
out new panoramas above them, The country chil-
dren had never seen anything so delightful. They
came to a grotto and a fountain, and Rome could
hardly believe her eyes; there were flowers on every
hand, and beautiful merchandise displayed in the
most enchanting manner. There was a bed-chamber
elegantly furnished, with even a grate and mantel in
it, and hung in satin, lace pillow-cases, lace counter-
pane — prettier than the friend’s room which was just
finished when their house burned down.
“But I tell you now,†cried Rheem, drawing his
- charges away from the displays of wax dolls and toy
carriages and every other desirable plaything, ‘“ be-
fore we look at these things or go up into the gallery
I want you to see the pictures! My goodness, Rome
you never saw sucha lot, and they’re nicer than moth-
er’s drawings were, too.â€
“O Rheem,†cried Rome incredulously. But when
they promenaded the picture rooms she was con-
strained to own it.
A different sort of people appeared to frequent the
picture room, quite different from the rushers and
jostlers and searchers they met in the great hall.
There were a great many people sitting here with
catalogues in their hands and glasses to their eyes,
silently enjoying or criticising paintings.
The children wandered through room after room,
Remus reserving his grand sight till the last.
“Now, come on,†said he, “I’ll see what the man ’ll
let us infor,†and he turned down a quiet passage,
lined with printed admonitions to “go and see the
chariot race.â€
“How much will you let us in for, Mister?†said
he. é
“Three ?— three little fellows ?
twenty-five cents a person.â€
“But we’re such little fellows.â€
. “Ob, Rheemie,†cried his twin in a shrill whisper,
“where you going! and spending money to see a
race! Arty might get run over and killed.â€
‘I guess you may all go in for thirty cents,†said
the man. So Remus paid down three dimes with
manly precision, and they rounded a canvas screen
and entered a gas-lighted room, where perhaps twenty
people were at that time sitting on rows of chairs or
standing in groups, contemplating Wagner’s grand
The admission is
Chariot Race. Rome caught her breath: child as she
was the intense life of the picture thrilled her through
and through. A row of gas-jets brought it into start-
ling relief. The three little Berries stood looking up
at it with pure joy. How quaint they were them-
selves in their unstylish clothes and clear country
coloring!
“We'll get a seat,†whispered Remus reverently,
drawing his family as he tip-toed forward.
A very beautiful girl, letting her opera-glass sink
in her bare tinted hand, watched the group; her lips
curved at the corners, her teeth just glanced between
them. She called the attention of a middle-aged
lady at her side, but the middle-aged lady was intent
on the Chariot Race.
“Look, aunt Bryan ; do see this little boy!â€
“The chiar-oscuro, my dear,†murmured aunt Bryan,
drawing her head back and turning it one side while
pursing up her eyes.
Remus noticed the young lady in one of his inter-
vals of taking breath between his long pulls at the
picture. She was the whitest blonde imaginable;
her hair the glinting kind which seems to sparkle as
the head is turned; her lips and cheeks blooming ;
her dress was elegant, with a dash of girlish coquetry
init. She was beyond doubt a child of the wealth-
iest class. She was a surprise to him, like the Chariot
Race itself. Allie was pretty, but this young lady
was wonderful. He looked at her with shy delight.
She smiled and offered him her opera-glass. He
took it and thanked her, and then his ingenuous little
face grew red.
“ How do you fix it?†said he.
She showed him how to fix it. He thanked her
again and held it carefully before Rome’s nose. And
after Rome had performed the delightful feat of
staring through an opera-glass he gave Arty’s big
optics a chance. Last of all he took a quick glimmer
himself, saw the black-browed charioteer and his
galloping horses start out even more distinctly on the
canvas, and the driver on the inside track grinning
through closed teeth, the excited Roman populace
and the soul-stirring confusion; then he gave back
the glass with a little bob of his head and another
“thank you.â€
“Little pater familias,†said the young lady in the
lowest but clearest of voices, laughing charmingly at
him ; “are these your brother and sister?â€
78
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
“Yes, ma’am.â€
“Did you notice, aunt Bryan, he brought the little
girl in on his arm?â€
“ He paid our way, too,†added Maude, proudly.
“fe did! he’s a nice brother, isn’t he?â€
“He’s the nicest of everybody.â€
They all turned to the picture again, but the young
lady kept her side regards on him, still smiling, though
half sad. She had one of those faces on which every
emotion was pictured; and when Rheem looked at
her again, which he could not help doing, for she was
fascinating, she said to her companion:
‘Now see, aunt Bryan, can’t you see some resem-
blance to Marty?â€
JIPPETY,
“Ab!†said aunt Bryan, turning, and rustling all
over — she was portly and her dress very stiff — “the
little boy? yes, a bright eye — healthy little boy.â€
Aunt Bryan took her glass and rustled to another
picture at the side of the room; not to examine it,
but to chat in an undertone with an acquaintance.
The young lady put her glove on Rheem’s little fist.
“Do you know who I am?†she said in a childish
way —she was just out of boarding-school and her
young-lady airs set lightly on her yet— “I am Miss
Jippety Dalrymple, and I once had a little brother like
you.â€
Remus did not know what else to say, so he bobbed
his head again and said to her, all so bashfully:
“How do you do?â€
“*How do you do!’ hear the little fellow ; you
dear pretty boy! How old are you?â€
“Nine,†and he added modestly, feeling that his
card was called for, “my name’s Rheem Dogberry.â€
“Marty would have been nine.â€
‘““What’s become of him, ma’am?â€
“Dead.†Miss Jippety swallowed with a little
gasp, and the tears rushed to her eyes. “A little
fellow in pants and kilts ; always called me Jippety —
my name’s Jasper — he’s gone — I never can have my
brother again— oh! the little darling! the little dar-
ling!†Her fair face filled with blood; she bit her
lip hard.
Rome and Remus looked piteously at each other.
“I never can get over it,†said Miss Jippety,
regaining self-control. “I rather have him with me
than to have everything else I want. If I had a little
brother like you I should be the happiest girl in the
world,â€
Rome linked her arm in Remus’s, as if to prevent
Miss Jippety from kidnapping him.
He considered ; he did not know what to say to
comfort her. . A bright idea struck him:
“Our house burnt down. Id hated it awfully if
any of the children had been burnt up. As it was,
Jack’s eyes were burnt.â€
Miss Jippety wiped her eyes and tried to smile
again. “Ah! Is Jack your brother? I’m sorry he is
hurt.â€
“Ves, ma’am.
sisters.â€
“Seven! What a gay family you must be!â€
“Yes, ma’am; we always had pretty good times.â€
“ And do you play papa to all of them?â€
“Oh, no; they’re nearly all older than I am. Ben
plays the papa.â€
“Why, haven’t you father and mother?â€
“No, ’m.â€
“Neither have I.â€
“We got along very well, though,†continued Remus,
who now felt very confidential towards Miss Jippety,
“till our lots were taken away from us and our house
caught fire and burned down just when we’d put an
addition to it, and raised the kitchen and all!â€
“Why, who took your lots? where were they?â€
“In New Town. And I think it was a minor heir
I have three brothers and three
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH,
Mr. McKay said, that took them and put up an
elevator on one of them.â€
“What minor heir?†asked Jippety, opening her eyes.
“It was a minor heir that had the best title,†put
in Rome, “our father paid money for the land, but
the other folks had the best title ; and we can’t ever,
ever get it back unless the other folks give us a—
what is that we put in our letter to Joslyn, Rheemie? â€
“A quit-claim.â€
“Yes, a quit-claim.â€
The murmur of their voices disturbed several people
in the room, who turned their heads to look at the
group of children and the young lady. She sat in
silence with her brows puckered, and seemed to be
thinking.
“They built an elevator on your lots, did they?â€
she whispered again presently. ‘What is the name
of the minor heir who took them from you?â€
“TI don’t know,†whispered back Remus ; “I heard
but I forget.â€
“And where are the lots?
State?â€
“Yes, ma’am,â€
“And your name is—it seems as if it must be
Marty, your face is so like his.â€
“My name’s Rheem Dogberry, and my sister’s
name’s Maude, and my little brother’s is Arthur.
We lost Azm once. He ran off and got hurt.â€
“TI didn’t like it at all,†said Arthur solemnly.
“And what did you do after you lost your house?â€
pursued Miss Jippety, returning to the subject of the
lots; “did you have plenty of property besides ? â€
“Oh, xo, ma’am ; we hadn’t anything, except four
hundred dollars that belonged to Rome and me, and
Jack’s hundred. But the rest wouldn’t use that. So
we came up here to Chicago and got rooms and went
to work.†:
“Bless it!†how mannish it is,†said Jippety, pat-
ting his smooth temple. “Are you going to stay here
awhile longer?â€
“Till Rome and Arty get tired of looking at the
Chariot Race. J never get tired of it.â€
He fell to enjoying it once more, as Miss Jippety,
keeping her eye still on the children, crossed the
xyoom and murmured with her aunt.
“Jasper, my dear,†said aunt Bryan, speaking
nearly aloud, “ what freak have you taken?â€
“ His face is like Marty’s, aunt. And it must be
In New Town ?— this
79
the very same elevator uncle was telling us about,
And they had nothing except those lots.â€
“But your uncle is a man of business, and he knows
what is right.â€
“Their father paid for them, and it seems so cruel
they should be obliged to give up their own for a
mere flaw in papers.â€
“Now, Jasper, my dear, you don’t know anything
at all about it. Consult with your uncle when you go
home, and don’t let your impulses run away with you.â€
“T shall be eighteen in a month, aunt, and then
I’m going to give those children a quit-claim for their
lots. Z dont want their lots. What do I care for a
trumpery grain-elevator !â€
“I presume your uncle will care if he has invested
money for you in it. But there! do, child, control
your impulses.â€
“I will, aunt ; I'll tell them I'll clear their title, so
my word will be pledged, and I sha’n’t have any
impulse to forget it.â€
She went to Remus and put her hands on his
shoulders: “My name is Jippety Dalrymple. I
didn’t know about your land before, but I presume 7
am the minor heir, for whom it has been claimed, I
shall be eighteen in a month, however, and then I'll
give you that quit-claim — or whatever it is —so your
family will get their own again. Won’t you kiss me
for my little brother Marty’s sake?â€
Remus flushed to his scalp, but he put his arms
and lips up and kissed her heartily,
“Ah, what a nice little brother you are!â€
“But how much must we pay?†cried he, eagerly.
“Nothing — nothing —it shall all be fixed up com-
fortably.â€
“ But we want to do the fair thing!†urged Reemie,
in a tremble of delight. “I never had any notion
you was a minor heir.â€
Miss Jippety laughed her pretty laugh again. She
shook hands with Maude and also with Arty; but
she was a partial little lady, and gave Remus nearly
her entire regards.
“Well you shall do the fair thing —yox always
would do the the fair thing, Marty —†and with one
last little pat she rustled off beside her aunt.
“OQ Rome!†said Remus.
“O Rheem!†said Rome. ms
Then they both said, “O Arty!†and Arty said,
“O, what!â€
80 _ THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
“Why, that lady’s going to give us our lots back!
My gracious, won’t the rest of ’em be glad!â€
Miss Jippety came back, more beautiful still for
being in a hurry, and therefore more vivid in eyes
and lips, and said, bending over the back of the seat:
“Will you give me your street and number?â€
“Yes ’m;†exclaimed Remus, eagerly, “come and
see us, do!†She smiled at his hearty country ways
as she made a memorandum of his address.
CHAPTER XXI.
CONCLUSION,
“Yes?†said Miss Gaff when Rome and Rheem
and Arty rushed in upon her and Alice with this
news. “ But don’t count on it too much.â€
“She said she could do it, Miss Gaff!
knew it was the minor heir!â€
“Those children are always tumbling into good
fortune,†said Allie. :
“Oh, yes,†said Miss Gaff. “She gushed. It’s
-easy enough to gush, but people change their minds,
and there are her aunt and uncle who will probably
influence her against giving up what she might keep.
It’s a selfish world!â€
“ You aren't selfish, Miss Gaff.â€
“ Me? yes, I am — selfish as I can be.â€
“ But you're lovely to us.â€
“That’s because I like you. If I didn’t like you
I’d shovel you out of the house in no time!â€
“T like selfish people,†said Rheem.
It was several weeks afterwards that Loo in her
kitchen was compounding a lovely soup for dinner.
Ben could not come home in the middle of the day,
so their meals up-stairs had gradually settled into
breakfast, lunch at noon, and dinner at six o’clock.
By that time all the Bunch clustered in. Jack was
there the greater part of the day to be sure: but
even Jack took his outings with his head tied up.
Loo walked him down-stairs, and up and down various
streets. Jack and Loo were more united than form-
erly. Of course Arty always walked at his right
hand and chatted about everything. But Jack’s tall
sister was very companionable, very sweet. Her arm
through his was gentle; her voice had pretty
cadences in it, Jack felt how womanly she was and
remarked :
We never
“Loo, I bet you’re getting better looking than
Sweet Alice.â€
Loo laughed: a ripple laugh like the undulations
of her figure.
“TIT don’t see,†said Jack, “how you can do so
much work and take such care of the whole tribe and
have time to get pretty. I thought the pretty girls
were the ones that kept fussing with themselves all
the time.â€
“It’s well you’re bandaged Jack, or you wouldn’t
admire me so much.â€
“Twish I could take these bands off and try to
see — believe I could use my eyes a little!â€
“Don’t do it for the world!†exhorted Lucy, and
from that time she watched him very narrowly. If
his impatient hands even went to his head, Loo
thought of some funny thing to tell him which in-
stantly diverted his mind from sight to hea-ing.
It was now November weather, sharp and clear.
Loo could see the lake tossing and masts rocking,
as she made up her soup. Jack and Arty had fol-
lowed her into the kitchen, Jack on a camp-chair
which Ben made for him, and Arty so close he might
almost be said to be upon Jack’s elbow. Jack felt
the knife with which she chipped the vegetables, the
smooth top of the table, the long, sleeved, pocketed,
tied-back calico apron in which Loo worked, and
which she hung in the kitchen closet when she came
to the head of the table in her neat alpacca,
“Lucy, do you ever get tired?â€
“OF course I do, Jack-straws.â€
“What puzzles one is how you can keep everything
going so, and plan and manage as Ben says you can,
and not wear out! Do you love to keep house?â€
“T think I do,†said Loo; “I love to see every-
thing in order and everybody comfortable. A spoilt
dish or an ugly room just hurts me. Why, I believe
I could keep twice as many rooms as ours, but one
has to think ahead. I know what we’re going to
have for dinner next Friday, and I have my break-
fasts planned for all next week.â€
“T tell: you what,†cried Jack, “if you get your
deserts you'll marry a nabob with a big house and
everything nice in it, and then you'll entertain peo-
ple tCyally, and I'll have a standing invitation ; but
won’t you hate to have a poor old blind man cane
in the corner, with a shingle pinned in front of him
saying, ‘ Please pity the afflicted ?’â€
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH. 81
“Not at all,†laughed Loo ; “for if I marry such
an old fellow it’s likely Ae will have the rheumatism
or be a chronic invalid, and I can nurse you both
together !’’
The door opened from the vestibule and some-
body came in saying:
“Who’s this I hear talking about being an old
blind man?â€
Jack jumped up.
his voice!â€
Joslyn took his hands, and then dropped them and
shook him by the shoulders and then patted him on
the head, then he kissed one of the long slim hands
Loo had just wiped nice and clean to give him, and
tossed Arty up, exclaiming, “ Hullo, Metempsycho-
sis!â€
Before Allie, who piloted him up, shut the door,
Ben came bounding up-stairs, and the twins’ voices
were heard resounding on a lower flight.
Thus Joslyn was surrounded by the Bunch ; and
Miss Gaff followed to ask them all down to dine with
her. Joslyn pleased her. But as Loo had dinner
‘prepared and was ready to spread her table, she de-
murred, so Miss Gaff was kept to dine with the
Bunch. They all got around Joslyn and looked at
him with the hearty affection he appreciated so much.
He was handsomer, a very little thinner, but rich
colored, magnetic, cordial as ever. They inquired
about his mother, and about Mrs. Wylie’s last illness.
He told them how she had been taken from one
place to another, and how she died quietly with his
hand in hers. He mentioned in connection with her
death, how fond she was of Allie, and that she had
mentioned Allie in her will, leaving her a little legacy
of a couple of thousand dollars,
The children turned and stared at each other, A
couple of thousand dollars! It seemed very little to
Joslyn, but to them it seemed immense. Ben shook
hands with her, and the rest of the Bunch solemnly
followed his example.
“You are the quaintest lot!†said Joslyn laughing.
_ “Now how much are you going to put into the Asso-
ciation fund, Allie?â€
“I ought to put in a great deal,†said she sin-
cerely ; “for we have had no surplus to start a fund
since we were burnt out.†4
“Come into the parlor, do,†begged Lucy, “ you’re
crowding my range so I can’t lift my kettle lids, and
“ That’s cousin Joslyn ; I know
you'll be steamed full of dinner before I can serve it
up.â€
“Yes, come,†cried Joslyn, “for I have something
to show Jack there.†He put his arm across Jack’s
shoulder and drew him along. Allie went ahead and
let down the shades and made the room as dark as
possible,
“T guess you forget, cousin, that I’m the organ-
man —where’s my monkey ?— yes, here’s Arty —
here’s my monkey—good people have pity on the
blind!â€
“And here’s your organ,†laughed Joslyn, drop-
ping on one knee and giving Jack one arm to turn.
“With the most comical effect in the world, he made
a creaking in his throat and began to rhyme and sing
ina melancholy key. The whole spontaneous per-
formance was so like Joslyn that the Bunch ap-
plauded with ecstacy :
“ Ki-wee, ki-wow, I’ve tramped to-day
Till my old back with dust is gray,
My crank goes round, my one leg quakes:
Oh how an old hand-organ aches!
“ Ki-wee, ki-wow ;—ki-wow, ki-wee !
Have you acent you'll give to me?
Click !—caught my breath —sweet Spirit hear
My prayer, for I’m tormented here!
“ Ki-wee, ki-wow, I wander round,
The saddest thing above the ground.
No monkey trick amuses me.
Té yow ll not pay ll quit—Ki-wee-e |â€
“Jack, my good fellow,†said Joslyn leaping up
and forcing Jack into a chair, “ your interesting fam-
ily are now around you; you have been in dark-
ness some months. The doctor decided at last to
let you have your bandages off — providing you re-
turn to broad daylight slowly —and as Allie said
they were to loose you from bondage this evening, I
begged the privilege of being the party to do it.
Here you are, sir. Can you look up and see your
interesting kinsman?â€
Jack blinked even in the dark, and caught his
breath as the last wrapping fell.
“Well, I’m glad!†said he. “I caw see you. I’ve
had some blinks of daylight when the doctor was
dressing my eyes, but it hurt me so I could hardly
tell whether I saw or not. How’de do, Ben? I
82 THE DOGBERRY BUNCH.
have’nt seen you since the fire! How’de do, Loo
—the giantess is going to be the prettiest of the
lot, Allie!â€
Jack shook hands on all sides and the girls heartily
kissed him. Then he went about the rooms peeping
close at things, and followed by two or three of his
iamily who admonished him not to strain his eyes, not
attempt any print, and to shield his orbs carefully
when he ventured near a window. Arty, who trotted
close by as usual, patronized Jack thus:
“Jacky, what’s this?†laying his hand on a broom,
A MUST MOMENTOUS MOMENT,
“Oh, a hand-saw,†said Jack, good-naturedly,
“No, it isn’t! it’s a broom. Now what’s this?â€
“ The letter O,†said Jack.
“No, it isn’t! it’s the table.â€
“This is a pretty good looking place,†said Jack,
pronouncing on the whole flat.- “Oh! we're going
‘o do glorious things now that there isn’t a disabled
tue among us!â€
“Jack is getting up steam,†said Joslyn.
“Vve been hissing with it for three months,â€
SSS Se ee ee
said Jack, taking in a very long and loud breath,
“Tremendous things will grow out of this house
in the air I suppose,†said Joslyn.
Loo was laying the table in the dining-room, and
Alice and Miss Gaff, with evident enjoyment, were
helping her.
Jack had come back from his tour of inspection,
and camped on the floor near Joslyn’s feet,
“Well, we’ll amount to something I think. Ben’s
going to be an architect. Allie’s got such luck in
that money she can buy herself a piano and learn
music as much as she wants to.
Loo’s bound to make the most tre-
mendous old housekeeper that ever
lived, and I think Rheem will go
for printing or something about news-
papers, and Rome and Arty will be
celebrated for their good looks if for
nothing else! /’m in for railroading,
of course.â€
“T shouldn’t wonder,†said Joslyn
mischievously,“‘ if I’d tease Allie into
coming and living with my mother
and me, some day.â€
“T think that’d be just as mean
as mean could be!†cried Rome
with tears in her eyes.
‘We couldn’t break up the Bunch
that way,†reasoned Remus, seriously.
“Oh, by the way,†said Miss Gaff,
coming to the parlor soon, “the
postman has left a letter for you, Ben.
Did you get it?â€
“T have it in my pocket,†cried
Allie. “TI forgot it.â€
The letter was from Mr. McKay ;
and when Ben had read it, he said,
“Well!†with a light breaking ali
over his face. ‘“ Well, well!â€
“She’s done it, has she?†said Miss Gaff.
“Well, that’s better than I expected.â€
Mr. McKay wrote that the Dalrymple heir, imme-
diately on coming of age had cleared the Dogberry
title, and not only were the lots their own now, but
the building upon it was theirs.
This well-to-do family broke into joyful exclama-
tions. One declared their troubles were blessings in
masquerade ; another shouted that it was splendid !
THE DOGBERRY BUNCH,
83
Jack bawled “Le’s all go to Europe!†Rheem
cried that she was the prettiest ahd nicest young lady
in Chicag» or America!—if you only could see her
eyes |! —and her hair!
“She said Rheem looked just like her little brother
Marty,†said Rome.
“Let's build a summer residence on the old
place!†cried Jack.
* Mo, no, let’s stay here,†said Ben, “where we
can make our way in the world.â€
“Petter divide into two parties,†quizzed Joslyn,
“anc 30 cover both fields at once.â€
The idea of their ever being separated seemed
ludicrous ; they all laughed at it, except Rome, who
thought of Seth Thomas, and Priscilla White’s close
bedroom, and felt lonesome achings come up in her
throat.
I cannot say that they all fell upon each other’s
necks, but they fell to their dinner, and Joslyn and
Miss Gaff exchanged amused looks as their earnest
talk went round.
Just there I shall leave them, their paths in life
indicated, their hearts all beating as one heart, their
hands clustering together; a cosy, warm, ripening
Bunch ; a Bunch of the truest lovers in the world.
FINIS.
A BIT OF LOGIC.
BY ROSA
CRAHAM,
ABY Berry sat at table,
On the great Thanksgiving-day,
Gazing down upon tie platter,
Where the well-browned turkey lay ;
Berry’s first Thanksgiving-dinner —_
What did ail this wee beginner ?
* Don't you like it, dear?†I said;
Baby Berry raised her head,
Gped her blue eyes big and solemn,
* Does ‘ou fink,†the answer sped,
“It was wight to kill the turkey ?
Don’t seem wight at all to me,
Tause —†but our merry peals of laughter
Drowned her words ; and shamedly,
This rare-hearted young beginner
Picked at her belated dinner ;
Sudden looked, in smiling mood,
Up from her diminished food,
And said: “TI dess t’was wight to ‘xill him,
Or he would’nt taste so dood !â€
‘ ‘
5
es
~ ROCKY FORK
IR OME DECIR =
By Mary HarTwELL CATHERWOOD.
CHAPTER I.
DOCTOR GARDE’S LITTLE GIRL.
ORE than twenty years ago the morning sun
looked down among the tall hills of central
Ohio, and saw one little girl patting along a path.
The path wound down through a hollow, and up, up
over wood-clothed heights which she thought nearly
touched the sky.
At first glance this little girl appeared to be a large
slat sun-bonnet taking a walk on a pair of long pan-
talettes. But at second glance one brown, thin arm
escaped from a short sleeve might have been seen
carrying a calico bag by its drawing:-string; and
under the pantalettes a pair of stout-shod little feet
skipped along. :
It was not more than seven o’clock.
meadow grass was glittering, and every bird known
to the State was singing with his morning voice.
When she reached the small run which twisted along
the hollow, and put her foot on the first of the step-
‘ping-stones which crossed it, the little girl could not
help stopping to gaze in the water. The minnows
played around the stone with a quiver of their tiny
bodies which fascinated the gazer. She stooped
cautiously and tried to catch one in her hand, but
sunshine on the pebbles was not more elusive.
“Good morning, little girl,†said a winning voice ;
and the little girl jumped up, reeled, set one foot in
the water, and brandished her reticule in the effort to
regain her balance. The sugared butter-bread and
sweet cookies tumbled against currant-pie and cher-
ries, and all settled to an upside-down condition as
she finally got on the bank and saw a gentleman pre-
paring to trip across the stones.
It was an uncommon thing to meet any one, and
especially a stranger, on that long two-mile path to
school. But it was a wonderful thing to meet such a
grand stranger. She dropped a bobbing curtsy, and
the gentleman, having crossed, stopped and smiled.
He had glittering black eyes, and curly hair and
whiskers, glittering teeth and boots, fine clothes,
The tall
and altogether the look of a “town gentleman.â€
“Whose little girl are you?†inquired this town
gentleman affably, rubbing the wet soles of his boots
on the grass.
Under the long slat sun-bonnet a round face
blushed all about its blue eyes and quite back to its
auburn hair, and a timid voice piped from the calico
funnel: “ I’m Doctor Garde’s little girl.â€
“Ah? where does Doctor Garde live?â€
“Right back there in that big house.â€
“And who lives in this house I just passed?â€
“Mrs. Banks. Her little girls go to school with
me.â€
“Ves, -And where do you go to school ?â€
“Tn the school-house ’way at the other side of the
hills.â€
“OQho—many children go there?â€
“ All of ’em in our districk. There’s Willeys’, and
Pancosts’, and Harris’, and Halls’, and Banks’, and
Martins’, and me, and my little sister’s going when
she gets big enough.â€
“Ves. Well, thank you.
course of the day.
your school-house ?â€
“Yes, sir. But you must turn to the right at the
big sand-banks, and cross the foot-log over Rocky
Fork by Hall’s mill.â€
The gentleman nodded, and passed on smiling as
Doctor Garde’s little girl dropped him another curtsy.
She skipped across the stones and hastenedl up rising
ground to the Banks’. Theirs was a weather-beaten
domicile, part log and part frame, with a covered
stoop at one door on which Tildy sat plaiting her
long hair preparatory to going to school.
Tildy, it must be confessed, was a raw-boned girl,
but with a low-browed, serious face. Her nature
leaned to the solemn side of life, as her sister Teeny’s
leaned towards what was merry. Matilda liked to
sit in the grass and dress her locks, or to watch from
I may call there in the
Does that path lead back to
the doorstep the rocks and glooms on each side of
her home.
Teeny appeared within, tying her bonnet, the
2 ; ROCKY FORK.
string of her reticule across her arm. A bunch of
old-fashioned pink roses was pinned to her dress,
which hooked in front and was just long enough to
sweep her heels when she walked. Teeny was a big
girl who felt quite a young woman, since she was
“going on†fifteen, ciphered in long division, and
had finished a sampler with her name, “Christine
Banks,†embroidered under a beautiful piece of
poetry. “We're takin’ curran’-pie for our dinner to-
day, Melissy,†announced Tildy solemnly as Dr.
Garde’s little girl ran up.
“I got some, too,†she responded with triumph.
So little made a triumph in that region and time.
“’Tain’t sweetened with sugar.â€
“Tis too! I saw Liza put in heaps.†She sat
LZ
BET NS
wes Lf
“WHOSE LITTLE GIRL ARE you?â€
down on the steps and explored her reticule. There
was rather a sorry mess in its depths, but the slices
' of bread were reduced again to their proper basis,
and the other goodies piled carefully on them.
“Why don’t you call me Bluebell?†she suggested
with a rather hopeless accent,
“’Cause that ain’t your name,†said Tildy, strictly.
“I guess my father always calls me that.â€
“’Tain’t your name, anyhow. Your name is Me-
lissy Jane Garde, goin’ on eight ‘years old.â€
“It’s just Melissy,†cried the younger, doggedly, as
if she would like to disown that,
“My mother called me Bluebell, too, and she’s
gone to heaven. I sh’d think you might call me
what my mother called me.â€
“Your name’s Melissy,†repeated Tildy, looking
with undisturbed eyes upon the distance. Here the
argument dropped, as it usually did. The defeated
party turned to other things.
“TI pretty near fell in the run. The’ was a man
come along and scared me so. He was prettier than
my father!†exclaimed Melissa, pausing after this
climax; “that is, dressed up prettier; and he said
he was coming to school to-day. I wonder what he’s
coming there for?â€
“Prob’ly it’s somebody the directors is sending
to whip us,†opined Matilda with serious resignation.
“They say Mr. Pitzer ain’t strict enough,â€
“Oh, do you s’pose it is?†cried the credulous little
girl beside her. “I never got whipped at school yet.â€
“Now, Tildy,†exclaimed the pink-faced elder
sister, stepping out, “if you don’t hurry up we’ll go
on and leave you.â€
“T think I'll stay at home,†said Tildy, reflecting
on-the fine stranger’s probable errand. 4
“No, you won’t,†cried her mother’s voice from an
inner room, making a pause in the monotonous rattle
of a loom; and though it was a plaintive voice and
not very decided, Tildy was moved by it to get her
sun-bonnet and follow the other two. They were
making a round of the garden, to gather pinks, holly-
hocks, bouncing-betties, bachelor-buttons and aspar-
agus sprays. Having tied up a bunch apiece, they
left the house and began their root-matted and rocky
ascent. There were levels above where the woods
made a twilight at noon, where ferns crowded to
their knees, and some stood as high as their waists.
Who could help stopping to inhale that breath which
is no plant’s but a fern’s?
“There’s vinegar-balls on this oak,†remarked
Tildy, casting. her eyes up as they passed under a
dark-leaved tree. So, sticks and climbing being
brought to bear upon the tree, one or two small ap-
_ple-shaped bunches were brought down to yield a
tart juice to sucking lips. I do not pretend to say
the balls were wholesome. But the same lips loved
the white, honey-filled ends of clover-blossoms, tens
der sticks of sweet-briar when stripped of its skin,
and they doted on “mountain-tea†a winter-green of
three rich fleshy leaves, which clung all over these
heights in fragrant mats. The three girls were lovers.
of Mother Outdoors. Melissa especially gloried in
the woods. The. noble tree arches, the dew, and
sweet earth-smell filled her with worshipping joy. It
was so nice to be a little girl with a sun-bonnet hang-
ing off her shoulders by the strings, and the great
woods cooling her face, and sighing away off as if
thinking up some song to sing to her!
In due course they came to three giant ridges of
ROCKY FORK. 3
sand. These stood in a clear place, and nobody in
that region troubled himself about the geological
cause of their existence in the heart of the woods.
There they were, too tempting to be resisted. Me-
lissa dropped her reticule, Tildy seriously followed
her example, and Christine forgot her dress hooking
in front and her claims to big girlhood. All three
mounted the dunes, sat down, gathered their clothing
close about their feet, and shot down the sides as if
on invisible sleds. This queer sort of coasting was
great fun. When it seemed expedient to adjourn,
they shook the clean sand from their dresses, and the
eldest and youngest untied their low shoes to turn
them upside down. Matilda being barefoot and
therefore free from such civilized cares, improved the
time by taking an extra slide, which was too much for
the other girls, so they tried it again.
Thus the morning waxed later. So by the time
they crossed the foot-log over Rocky Fork and ap-
proached the log school-house, “books†were ac-
tually “taken up.â€
The school-house was chinked with clay and had
double doors which opened close beside a travelled
road. The woods and heights rose behind it, and at
one side a sweep of play-ground extended into a
viney hollow where hung the grape-vine swing for
which all the girls in school daily brought pocketfuls
of string.
CuHaPpter II.
MR. PITZER.
Christine stepped over the threshold and dropped
a curtsy which dipped her dress in the dust. Ma-
tilda followed and was taken with a similar convul-
sion on the same spot. Then the smallest bobbed
violently; all this homage being paid to a somewhat
threadbare man who sat behind a high desk opposite
the door.
Continuous high desks on a raised platform ex-
tended around the walls, and continuous benches
_Yan in front of them. Here sat the elders of the
school—the big boys and girls, with their backs to
smaller fry who camped on long benches set along
the middle of the floor, swinging their heels and
holding spellers in their hands. The benches were
made of split logs, the flat sides planed smooth, and
the round sides bored with holes into which legs were
stuck; as these legs were not always even, boys at
opposite ends of a bench could “‘teeter-totter†the
whole row of urchins between them. There were
no backs against which you might rest your shoulders,
but any tired little fellow might lie down if he took
his own risks about rolling off. There had been
teachers who would not allow the muscles thus to
relax. But Mr. Pitzer was a kind, soft-hearted old
man, who, as Matilda has hinted, was not considered
strict enough. He had taught the school many sea-
sons.
The directors said he might do for summer, but
each winter they determined to engage some strap-
ping modern pedagogue who could control the young
men and wild young women who sallied knowl-
edge-ward during the long term. Still Mr. Pitzer
was found in his place. He taught manners and
morals as well as the common branches, and _ his.
sweet, severe face under iron-gray hair became
stamped on every mind that entered the double
doors.
The tardy pupils, unchallenged, hung their bonnets
and dinner-bags on nails in the wall, Teeny took
her big-girls’ seat, and straightway lay flat on her
desk in the agonies of writing a morning copy, while
the other two sat side by side on a bench murmuring
the first reading-lesson. A hum like the music of
many hives sounded all over the room. “ T-i-s — dis, —
d-a-i-n, dain, disdain,†crossed “ in-com-pat-i-bil-i-ty ;â€
and the important scratching of slate-pencils in the
hands of ciphering big boys, seemed to supplement a
breathing and occasional sputter of quill pens.
“First Reader may stand up!†cried the master.
Bluebell’s class, including her tall friend Matilda,
formed in a row in front of the master’s desk, each
holding his reader clinched before his face.
A polished walnut ferule lay at Mr. Pitzer’s hand,
and the text-book sprawled on the desk. He wore
spectacles of so slight an iron frame that the glasses
seemed suspended miraculously between his stern
eyes and the eyes turned up to him. Like a com-
mander giving some military order, he now cried
out: “ Attention !â€
At the signal every girl dipped low and every boy
bent forward with a bow. It would have been a mis-
demeanor for the girls to bow and the boys to curtsy,
and they knew it. Then the boy at the top of the
class began to read in a voice which could be heard on
the opposite side of the road; he was followed by a
timid little girl who put her nose close to the book and
spelled and whispered ; and she in tum by a merry
girl who had been put back from the Second Reader
4 ROCKY
in one of the master’s pets, for pronouncing ships
wrecked, “shipses rick-ed.†Very little did she care,
for, knowing the First Reader by heart, it was easy for
her to rattle off the story of wilful Ralph Wick and his
nurse with the roses. Bluebell read in a clear, sensi-
tive, appreciative voice, and Tildy followed. They
spelled the words which the master pronounced to
FORK.
monotone, excepting little Jo Hall, who was such a
mite of a fellow, yet so smart he knew almost as
much as the master. Jo had ciphered farther into
the jungles of arithmetic than anybody else, and could
parse as fast as his tongue would run. He always
had his atlas lessons, and some said had been clear
through the geography, while his writing was so won-
BLUEBELL,
them, and had another lesson set. The military order
was then varied :
“ Obedience!â€
At this they saluted as before, and took their
seats. j
Business went on as usual. The large girls recited
in smart, high voices, and the boys blundered in
derful, the master sometimes let him set copies when
he himself was very busy.
“Somethin’s the matter with the master this
mornin’,†whispered Tildy to Bluebell, as they wrig-
gled around trying to rest their backs.
It was true. He stalked about with his
under his coat-tails, sticking his under lip out,
hands
Even
ROCKY
Jo Hall’s grandiloquent rendering of Fourth Reader
text could not draw his mind from some internal
strain; and after recess the trouble came out.
Mr. Pitzer read the rules of the school. Whenever
he had heard complaint, he brought out those pon-
deroug rules and visited them upon the pupils that
they might know what he required of them, even if he
did not exact it. Every listener, except the new or
very dull ones, knew those rules by heart. They
were written on tall cap sheets in the best of flourishes,
and covered the whole duty of boy and girl.
"To-day the master read them with frowns and a
sonorous voice.
“ ARTICLE THIRTEENTH!†he thundered at last ;
“ Every boy or girl in going to or from school shall
treat with civility all persons whom they meet upon the
highway, he or she making a bow or acurtsy as the case
may be. It shail be a high misdemeanor to treat 11n-
politely any stranger or strangers in the schoolroom, on
the play-ground, or the highway.â€
And here as if to test Mr. Pitzer’s pupils in their
behavior, a-strange man did step over the threshold,
taking off his hat as he did so.
The schoolmaster stopped and glared. But Blue-
bell’s heart came into her-mouth. She felt unreason-
ably terrified and trapped by fate. For it was the
curly, glittering gentleman who had promised to
come to the school-house, possibly on that dread
errand suggested by Tildy—to whip the whole
school !
CHAPTER III.
THE GEOGRAPHY-SCHOOL TEACHER.
“May I have a few minutes’ conversation with
you?†said the fine stranger to Mr. Pitzer. The
schoolmaster bowed stiffly, said “ Certainly, sir,†with
some pomp, and came forward. He evidently felt
distrust, not to say hostility; but after ARTICLE
THIRTEENTH, he was bound to set the school an
example in politeness.
There was a stricture around Bluebell’s heart while
she watched them talking in low tones near the door.
The stranger was pliant, eager and voluble. Oh, Zozw
he did want to get at them all with his stick! Would
Mr. Pitzer give them over to such shame and pain!
She reflected about the black ripe cherries in her
reticule, and wished she had propitiated the good old
man by giving them to him at recess. The school
stopped droning, and held its breath, just as the earth
FORK. 5
does before a storm, to catch some hint of this collo-
quy. Mr. Pitzer seemed more and more mellowed to
the man’s proposals. ‘The curves of his stern face
turned upwards; he nodded his head at the end of
every sentence; and finally, leading the way to his
high desk, he told the school that Mr. Runnels had
something important to impart to them.
Bluebell shut her eyes, and cowered. Little Jo
Hall sat bolt-upright, and all the big scholars turned
around on their seats.
“He’s going to begin with them on this bench,â€
whispered Tildy to Bluebell. Mr. Runnels smiled
with his teeth and picked up the ferule.
Oh, how earth brightened again as his business un-
folded! The faint, worm-eaten odor of the glass-
smooth bench which she clutched, seemed quainter
to Bluebell than ever before. She had heard the
Fourth Reader class sing out the tale of Ginevra;
and that chest, “carved by Antony of Trent,†had
just such an indescribable, pungent smell, she felt
certain, as the desk and seats of this school-house.
It had always given her a pleasant sensation; it now
added to her joy; her heart expanded; Mr. Runnels
was avery nice man. He did not even hint that a
school ought to be whipped wholesale; Tildy Banks
didn’t know anything about it. His errand was to
organize a geography school!
“The method,†said Mr. Runnels, “is altogether
new. I have a fine and complete set of painted maps
representing every part of the earth’s surface, and
the exercise of storing the mind with this important
science is not only vastly improving, but novel and
delightful. All of you speak to your parents. ‘The
charge is trifling, but the benefit will be lasting.
Everybody is invited free to the organization of the
school to-night at Harris’ chapel west of this school-
house. All the boys and girls and young people of
the next district will be there. So don’t fail to urge
your parents to bring you. So many bright eyes,â€
said Mr. Runnels with a charming smile —
The school giggled with delight—
—‘so many intelligent faces, instructed by a wise,
kind master—â€
Mr. Pitzer straightened his back and smiled
around —
—‘“must surely take an interest in this beautiful
globe on which we live.â€
Mr. Runnels went on and gave them a short Jec-
ture on geography. He told them anecdotes of that
ignoramus who did not believe tle world was
6 ROCKY FORK.
round and turned on its axis, because, if this were
the case, his father’s mill-pond would spill all its
water.
few of them had ever thought of the earth except as
an expanse of rocks, trees and robe-like ‘sward, cleft
by the Rocky Fork.
Mr. Pitzer and the geography teacher parted with
ceremonious bows. The schoolmaster himself made
a few cautious remarks to cool his own enthusiasm ;
but the next class, which was the grave elders’ arith-
metic, constantly broke out with fractional questions
about a different science.
At last the sun had retreated from the middle of
the floor to the very door-sill. By this token they
knew it was high noon. Spellers were laid straight
on the benches around the wall, desk lids were shut
down over their miscellany. Eyes looked expectantly
at the master, and all arms were folded. He uttered
one magic word: “ Dismissed !â€
The school seemed to turn a complete summersault :
every child projected himself like an arrow toward
the door, whooping, singing, scampering and tum-
bling. Chaos surged to the brown wooden joists.
Some nimble little boys got on the desks and gal-
loped around, while others slipped out through the
windows, which were set sidewise instead of length-
wise in the log walls, looking like windows that had
lain down to dream. The master, swinging a thick -
wooden cane, walked to his house which was near.
It might confer distinction to go home to one’s din-
ner, but this distinction was not courted even by chil-
dren who lived in sight. Could anything be more
delightful than that noon hour! ‘Was it. only an hour
—that time stuffed full of events as a month? It
was the kernel of all day, at any rate.
Bluebell and Tildy went to their playhouse to eat
dinner. This summer residence was formed bya
triplet of trees growing so close together as to forma
deep alcove. The floor was carpeted thick with moss
which Bluebell and Tildy changed every few days.
They had some gnarly chairs, which you might have
called chunks. Hanging their sun-bonnets up on
scales of bark, they ate their dinners in society, much
as foreign people attend the theatre. For all about
them were similar boxes, or residences, whose occu-
pants visited, and exchanged samples from each
others’ reticules, so what was cooked on one side of
the district was tested on the other side.
Amanda Willey and Perintha Pancost knocked at
the bark door of Misses Garde and Banks, and were
The children laughed uproariously, though
Stet
bidden to come right in and take chairs. The resi-
dence being already comfortably full, however, and
no chairs visible, they staid outside and took grass,
which was farmore comfortable. Tildy and Perintha
swapped a fragment of cherry pie and a bit of rather
stale cake, while Amanda gave Bluebell a piece of
her cheese for some cherries. These were grave
transactions, each party examining what she received
with due caution, excepting Bluebell, who was willing
to fling her repast right and left without considering
whether she got its equivalent or not. Amanda
Willey was a large-faced, smiling girl with very smooth
hair cut short around her neck. Over her ordinary
dress she wore a long-sleeved pink sack, and a
pink apron tied about the waist like a grown wo-
man’s. The costume was most pleasing in Bluebell’s
eyes.
-“T got a black-silk apron,†she observed, smooth-
ing and patting Amanda’s drapery. “I’m going
to ask Liza to let me wear it to geography-school.â€
“Tm going,†exclaimed Perintha Pancost. “The
man’s to board at our house. He had his breakfast
there.â€
“T ain’t,†said Tildy. “He looks like a ras-
Mebby he’s come down here to rob folks.â€
The blue eyes, brown eyes and hazel eyes around
her stood out at this suggestion. Tildy spoke as if her
acquaintance with rascals was thorough.
“T don’t think that’s very smart of you, Till Banks,â€
said Perintha, the “raskil’s†hostess. “My pa and
ma don’t have robbers at our house. He’s the
pertiest kind of aman. I like him.â€
“So do I,†decided Bluebell with a sigh of relief.
Her credulous nature had been staggered by Matilda.
“T’ll take my Noey’s Ark book to read in at g’ography
school.â€
The boys, having swallowed their dinners, were
already shouting at “Bull in the Pen,†when the
girls gathered to take turns at the swing. How sweet
these allotted ten or a dozen rushes through the air
were, with some swift-footed girl running under you
to send you up among the branches! The glee with
which you grabbed a leaf, your slow reluctance in
“letting the old cat die,†and another succeed you!
The number of games of “Black Man,†“ Poison,â€
“ Base,†which can be crowded into one noon, has
never been computed. Every muscle is strained, the
hair clings to pink foreheads, lungs and hearts work
like engines, and the outdoor world is Zoo sweet to be
given up when that rattle of the master’s ferule against
ROCKY
the window sash is supplemented by the stern call of
“ Books |â€
Drenched in the dew of health,. every little body
rushed again to the hard benches. Bluebell told her-
self she always liked afternoon, it seemed so short;
and as the sun stooped lower and lower, a lump of
homesickness grew in her for the old weather-stained
house, her father’s return from his daily rounds, and
the baby’s tow head and black eyes which were sure
to meet her at the lower bars. Then there was the
spelling-class which crowned every day’s labor. Or-
thography may not be the most important element of
FORK. 7
while Amanda Willey’s voice could scarcely be heard ;
some pupils answered “half a day;" and for others
there was a hurried cry of “absent,†not always cor-
rect, as in the case of John Tegarden, who shook fist
and head many times at Jo Hall for shouting absent
to his name when he was there in the body. Jo
ducked his shoulders, and intimated by lifting his
eyebrows, grimacing and nodding, that this was an
oversight on his part. And John was obliged to
carry his grievance outdoors, as he was the first
boy on his bench. Dinner-bag and cap in hand, he
stopped at the door to scrape and say “ good-evening |â€
AT THE PASTURE BARS.
education, but Bluebell thought it was, and she had a
genius for it. While Tildy swung sleepy legs, Blue-
bell mentally counted her own “head-marks,†and
speculated on what the master’s offered prize might
be at the end of the term. Classes succeeded each
other, and the sweet dream-producing hum went
on, until Bluebell found‘herself again going triumph-
antly “down foot,†having scored still another head-
mark.
Then the roll was called, while reticules, bonnets
and caps were slyly gathered off their pegs and passed
from hand to hand, that no one might keep the others
waiting. Jo Hall responded to his name with a shout,
to the master, receiving a stately ‘ good-evening †in
return, Thus one by one they filed out, each child
stopping to make that grave salutation, until the
master was free to close the double doors and fasten
them with chain and padlock.
It was more than two hours till sunset; but there
were long shadows in the woods, and an evening
coolness was stealing over the beautiful earth.
The Rocky Fork foaming over boulders or spread-
ing into still pools at the feet of beaming trees,
shaded, variable, but clear as spring water, cut the
-home path in two, and was spanned by a foot-log.
The wheel of Hall’s mill turned lazily here, and the
8 ROCKY
mill-race made Bluebell’s brain unsteady. Not so
the shady pebbles in the stream. She sat and
watched them after crossing until Tildy’s voice up
the ascent gave her warning to hurry.
All the country was in that afterglow of sunset
when she reached the pasture-bars behind the house.
FORK.
And of course there was the little sister at the bars,
her curly tow hair dovetailed at the back, her black
eyes spread and both white claws clinging around the
wood.
“ Some tump’ny’s tum!†she cried.
ROCKY FORK.
By Mary HartTwELL CaTHERWOOD.
CHAPTER IV.
COMPANY.
HE announcement that there was company did
not prevent Bluebell from climbing the bars
and giving Roxy a warm hug, but rather added
strength to the embrace.
“You little darling, it’s been so long since I saw
you! Ear-ly this morning sisser went away. Who’s
come? Hope it isn’t somebody that'll keep us from
playing and having a good time.â€
The tow-headed sister spread her nervous little
hands and attempted description while trotting along.
“Lady with turls: nice, nice lady!â€
“Ts father home?â€
“No.â€
“ Doesn’t Liza know who she is?â€
“No, Liza say, ‘Take off your fings. Doctor be
home pretty soon.’â€
“Oh, It’s somebody to be doctored.â€
“It’s tump’ny !†urged Rocco. “We goin’ to have
plum p’serves for supper.â€
This settled it. Liza was a discriminating house-
keeper who did not regale calling patients with her
best preserves. The doctor’s house was also his
office where people came for medicines or treatment,
and the Rocky Forkers were willing to make it a free
hotel; but Liza was not.
Liza had been spinster mistress of the house for
twenty-five years. Her mother died only the year
before her cousin Doctor Garde and his orphans
came, and the short, plump, merry, quick old maid
had taken care of her mother for a longtime. She
liked taking care of people. It was really for the
ROCKY
privilege of taking care of the children that she
rented her premises to her cousin. He came with
two babies, and a new medical diploma to build up a
practice among the hills, and threw himself entirely
into work, leaving Liza to bring up the children as
she saw best. She was a woman with a wholesome
soul, and they all got on comfortably. While she
thought the doctor remarkable in his profession, and
felt pride in his cases and cures, outside of that, being
considerably his senior, she took the attitude of a
protecting aunt.
To-night the children saw her standing in the back
FORK, 3
that half nursery, -half bedroom, which the children
occupied with Liza. of then
mother’s furniture: a mahogany closet of drawers,
bulging in front; a stuffed rocking-chair in which
Bluebell told the little sister stories; a crib, and a
trundle-bed which was not pushed under Liza's white-
valanced and quilt-covered four-poster, but stood
under a window that the cherry-boughs scraped. ‘The
room was whitewashed as fair as a lily, even to the
hewed wood joists. Liza’s dresses hung on_ nails
along the wall, and Bluebell’s hung beneath in a row
which she could reach.
It contained some
THE TUMP’NY.
door, looking comely and important, her black hair
sleeked down to her cheeks.
“M’lissy,†she exclaimed—for when Liza was
anxious or graye, she gave the child her baptismal
name — “ go into my room and put on your blue calico,
and your white stockings and slippers. Vl come and
braid your hair.â€
“Who’s come, Liza?â€
“Tt’s some of your kin. Mind, now, don’t go
through the sitting-room.â€
Then Bluebell knew that the awful presence was
there. She walked on tiptoe past the closed door,
Rocco at her heels, and slipped up the staircase to
Her heelless slippers and fine open-work stockings
came out of the chest of drawers; and she was soon
struggling to hook the blue calico, but ineffectually,
when Liza came up like a breeze, brushed anc braided
her hair in two short tails, tied the tails with yellow
brocaded ribbon from her own ribbon-box, and looked
her over approvingly.
“ Now don’t forget your curchy,†she admonished,
“Come here, Rocky: Iet me braid your hair, too,
while I’m about it.â€
Rocky demurred, but it was no use.
)
Tier lint
locks were swiftly made into two tiny strands and also
tied across with yellow ribbon, giving her an ancient