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Title: The Princess and Joe Potter
Author: James Otis
Illustrator: Violet Oakley
Release Date: May 4, 2010 [EBook #32249]
Language: English
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THE PRINCESS AND JOE POTTER
[Illustration: JOE FINDING THE PRINCESS.
(_See page 22._)]
THE PRINCESS AND JOE POTTER
BY
JAMES OTIS
AUTHOR OF
"JENNY WREN'S BOARDING-HOUSE," "TEDDY AND CARROTS," ETC.
Illustrated by
VIOLET OAKLEY
[Illustration]
BOSTON
ESTES AND LAURIAT
PUBLISHERS
_Copyright, 1898_
BY ESTES AND LAURIAT
Colonial Press:
Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co.
Boston, U. S. A.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGE
I. A RUINED MERCHANT 11
II. THE PRINCESS 26
III. AN ADVERTISEMENT 41
IV. JOE'S FLIGHT 60
V. IN THE CITY 73
VI. DAN, THE DETECTIVE 86
VII. AUNT DORCAS 98
VIII. A HUNGRY DETECTIVE 115
IX. A FUGITIVE 127
X. THE JOURNEY 141
XI. A BRIBE 157
XII. A STRUGGLE IN THE NIGHT 171
XIII. A CONFESSION 188
XIV. A RAY OF LIGHT 201
XV. AN UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL 219
XVI. THE REWARD 234
ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
JOE FINDING THE PRINCESS _Frontispiece_
"HE BEGAN TO FEED THE LITTLE MAID" 51
"DAN POINTED TO AN ADVERTISEMENT" 57
"'MAY WE COME IN AN' STAY A LITTLE WHILE?'" 81
"JOE POINTED TO A TINY COTTAGE" 101
"SHE HAD A PLATE HEAPED HIGH WITH COOKIES" 108
"'WELL, BLESS THE BOY, HE DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO PLANT POTATOES!'" 143
"THE PRINCESS SUFFERED AUNT DORCAS TO KISS HER" 167
"A DARK FORM LEAPED THROUGH THE OPEN WINDOW" 185
JOE AND DAN DISAGREE 207
"COME ON QUICK, PLUMS! DAN'S SET THE BARN A-FIRE!'" 215
"JOE, BELIEVING HIMSELF ALONE, BEGAN TO SOB AS IF HIS HEART
WERE BREAKING" 225
"THEN AUNT DORCAS AND HER FAMILY WERE READY FOR THE RIDE" 241
"'MCGOWAN'S RESTAURANT AIN'T IN IT ALONGSIDE OF WHAT
WE STRUCK UP AT THE PRINCESS'S HOUSE'" 245
TAILPIECE 249
THE PRINCESS AND JOE POTTER.
CHAPTER I.
A RUINED MERCHANT.
"Hello, Joe Potter! What you doin' up in this part of the town?"
The boy thus addressed halted suddenly, looked around with what was very
like an expression of fear on his face, and then, recognising the
speaker, replied, in a tone of relief:
"Oh, it's you, is it, Plums?"
"Of course it's me. Who else did you think it was? Say, what you doin'
'round here? Who's tendin' for you now?"
"Nobody."
"It don't seem as though this was the time of day when you could afford
to shut up shop."
"But that's what I have done."
"Got some 'portant business up here at the _de_pot, eh?"
Joe shook his head mournfully, stepped back a few paces that he might
lean against the building, and looked about him with a languid air,
much as if there was no longer anything pleasing for him in life.
Plums, or to give him his full name, George H. Plummer, gazed at his
friend in mild surprise.
Any other boy of Joe Potter's acquaintance would have been astonished at
the great change which had come over him; but Plums was not given to
excesses of any kind, save in the way of eating. That which would have
excited an ordinary lad only served to arouse Plums in a mild degree,
and perhaps it was this natural apathy which served to give Master
Plummer such an accumulation of flesh. He was what might be called a
very fat boy, and was never known to move with sufficient energy to
reduce his weight.
Sim Jepson stated that Plums sold newspapers in the vicinity of the
Grand Central Station because he lived only a couple of blocks away, and
therefore had sufficient time to walk to his place of business during
the forenoon.
"How he ever earns enough to pay for fillin' hisself up is more'n I can
make out," Master Jepson had said, with an air of perplexity. "By the
time he's sold ten papers, he's ate the profits off of twenty, an' acts
like he was hungrier than when he begun."
As Plums waited for, rather than solicited, customers, he gazed in an
indolent fashion at the dejected-looking friend, who might have served,
as he stood leaning against the building on this particular June day, as
a statue of misery.
Joe Potter was as thin as his friend was stout, and, ordinarily, as
active as Plums was indolent. His listless bearing now served to arouse
Master Plummer's curiosity as nothing else could have done.
"Business been good down your way?" he finally asked.
"It's mighty bad. I got stuck on a bunch of bananas, and lost thirty-two
cents last week. Then oranges went down till you couldn't hardly see
'em, an' I bought a box when they was worth two dollars. It seems like
as if every _I_talian in the city, what ain't blackin' boots, has
started a fruit-stand, an' it's jest knocked the eye out of business."
"I shouldn't think you could afford to lay 'round up here if it is as
bad as all that."
"It don't make any difference where I am now, 'cause I've busted; Plums,
I've busted. Failed up yesterday, an' have got jest sixteen cents to my
name."
"Busted!" Master Plummer exclaimed. "Why, you told me you had more'n
seven dollars when you started that fruit-stand down on West Street."
"Seven dollars an' eighty-three cents was the figger, Plums, an' here's
what's left of it."
Joe took from his pocket a handful of pennies, counting them slowly to
assure himself he had made no mistake in the sum total.
Master Plummer was so overwhelmed by the sad tidings, that two intending
purchasers passed him by after waiting several seconds to be served, and
Joe reminded him of his inattention to business by saying, sharply:
"Look here, Plums, you mustn't shut down on business jest 'cause I've
busted. Why don't you sell papers when you get the chance?"
"I didn't see anybody what wanted one. I'm jest knocked silly, Joe,
about your hard luck. How did it happen?"
"That's what I can't seem to make out. I kept on sellin' stuff, an' of
course had to buy more; but every night the money was smaller an'
smaller, till I didn't have much of any left."
"I felt kind of 'fraid you was swellin' too big, Joe. When a feller
agrees to give five dollars a month rent, an' hires a clerk for a dollar
a week, same's you did, he's takin' a pretty good contract on his
shoulders. Did you pay Sim Jepson his wages all right?"
"Yes, I kept square with him, and I guess that's where most of my money
went. Sim owns the stand now."
"He owns it? Why, he was your clerk."
"Don't you s'pose I know that? But he was gettin' a dollar a week clean
money, an' it counted up in time. If things had been the other way, most
likely I'd own the place to-day."
Master Plummer was silent for an instant, and then a smile as of
satisfaction overspread his fat face.
"I'll tell you how to do it, Joe: hire out to Sim, an' after a spell
you'll get the stand back ag'in."
"That won't work; I tried it. You see, when it come yesterday, I owed
him a dollar for wages, an' thirty cents I'd borrowed. There wasn't
more'n ninety cents' worth of stuff in the stand, an' Sim said he'd got
to be paid right sharp. Of course I couldn't raise money when I'd jest
the same's failed, an' told him so. He offered to square things if I'd
give him the business; an' what else could I do? I left there without a
cent to my name; but earned a quarter last night, an' here's what's left
of it."
The ruined merchant mournfully jingled the coins in his hand, while he
gazed dreamily at the railway structure overhead, and Master Plummer
regarded him sympathetically.
"What you goin' to do now?" the fat boy asked, after a long pause.
"That's jest what I don't know, Plums. If I had the money, I reckon I'd
take up shinin' for a spell, even if the _I_talians are knockin' the
life out of business."
"Why don't you sell papers, same's you used to?"
"Well, you see when I went into the fruit-stand I sold out my rights
'round the City Hall, to Dan Fernald, an' it wouldn't be the square
thing for me to jump in down there ag'in."
"There's plenty of chances up-town."
"I don't know about that. S'posen I started right here, then I'd be
rubbin' against you; an' it's pretty much the same everywhere. I tell
you, Plums, there's too many folks in this city. I ain't so certain but
I shall go for a sailor; they say there's money in that business."
"S'posen there was barrels in it, how could you get any out?" and in his
astonishment that Joe should have considered such a plan even for a
moment, Master Plummer very nearly grew excited. "You ain't big enough
to shin up the masts, an' take in sails, an' all that sort of work,
same's sailors have to do."
"I'd grow to it, of course. I don't expect I could go down to the docks
an' get a chance right off as a first-class hand on masts an' sails; but
I shouldn't go on a vessel, you know, Plums. I'm countin' on a
steamboat, where there ain't any shinnin' round to be done. Them fellers
that run on the Sound steamers have snaps, that's what they have. You
know my stand was on West Street, where I saw them all, and the money
they spend! It don't seem like as if half a dollar was any account to
'em."
"But what could you do on a steamboat?"
"I don't know yet; but I'll snoop 'round before the summer's over, an'
find out. Where you livin' now?"
"Well, say, Joe, you can talk 'bout steamboat snaps; but this house of
mine lays over 'em all. I s'pose I've got about the swellest layout in
this city, an' don't have to give up a cent for it, either. First off
McDaniels counted on chargin' me rent, an' after I'd been there a couple
of days he said it didn't seem right to take money, 'cause the place
wasn't fit for a dog. I'll tell you what it is, if McDaniels keeps his
dogs in any better shanty than that, they must be livin' on the fat of
the land."
"Who's McDaniels?"
"He's the blacksmith what owns the shanty where I live. You see, it was
like this: I allers sold him a paper every afternoon, an' when it
rained, or business was dull, I loafed 'round there, an' that's how I
found the place."
"Do you live in the blacksmith's shop?"
"Well I should say I didn't! Right behind it is a shed he built, to keep
a wagon in, but I guess he ain't got any now, leastways he don't flash
one up. There was a lot of old iron an' the like of that thrown in at
one end, an' when I saw it, I says to myself, says I, 'That's a mighty
good shanty for some feller what don't want to give up all the money he
makes for a place to sleep in,' and I began to figger how it could be
fixed. It took me as much as two days before I could see into it, an'
then I had it all in my mind; so I tackled McDaniels about hirin' it. He
was willin', so long's I 'greed to be careful about fire, an'--well, if
you're out of business now there's nothin' to keep you from comin' down
to-night an' seein' it."
"I'm not only out of business, but I'm out of a home, Plums. You see,
when I sold the fruit-stand of course I hadn't any right to count on
sleepin' there, an'--"
"Didn't Sim Jepson offer you the chance?"
"He seemed to think it wasn't big enough for two."
"He didn't have any sich swell notions when you first started there, an'
he wanted a place to sleep."
"Yes, I remember all about that; but it's no use twittin' a feller. He
was willin' enough to bunk in with me, but if he don't want to turn
about an' give me the same show, it ain't any of my business."
"Of course you can come to my place, an' stay jest as long as you want
to, Joe, an' I'll be glad to have you; but if you're countin' on workin'
down-town it won't be very handy."
"I ain't certain but I'll try my luck hangin' 'round the _de_pot here
waitin' for a chance to carry baggage. I've done them kind of jobs
before, an' they didn't turn out so terrible bad. You see, with only
sixteen cents, a feller can't spread hisself very much on goin' into
business."
"You might buy papers, an' sell 'em here. It ain't a very great show for
trade, but you won't have to work very hard, an' there's a good deal in
that."
"Yes, Plums, there is, for a feller like you, what don't want to stir
'round much; but I'm ready to hustle, an' it wouldn't suit me nohow. You
don't earn more'n fifteen or twenty cents a day."
"Not a great deal more," Master Plummer replied, in a tone of content,
and a probable customer approaching just at that moment, he succeeded in
making sufficient exertion to offer his wares for sale.
"That's jest about the way of it!" he exclaimed, as the gentleman passed
into the building without giving heed to the paper held invitingly
towards him. "There's no use to hustle 'round here, 'cause it don't pay.
If they want to buy papers they buy 'em, an' if they don't, you can't
give 'em away. There's one good thing about doin' business here, though,
an' that is, the other fellers won't try to drive you out. It's mighty
tough on you, droppin' all that money. If I'd had most eight dollars you
can bet I wouldn't take the chances of losin' it. I'd sooner spend the
whole pile buyin' swell dinners down on the Avenue."
"Yes, it's tough," Joe replied, musingly; "but I'd a good deal rather
get rid of the money tryin' to make more, than spend it fillin' myself
up with hash. When do you knock off work?"
"Oh, somewhere 'bout dark, 'less I've sold out before. Say, I know of a
place where you can get the biggest bowl of stew in this city, for five
cents,--'most all meat. Of course there'll be a bone now an' then,--you
expect that; but it's rich! We'll go there to-night, eh?"
"I ain't so certain whether a feller with only sixteen cents ought'er
spend five of it fer stuff to eat," Joe replied, reflectively; "but if I
make a few nickels 'tween now an' night, perhaps we'll take a whirl at
it."
"A feller's bound to eat, whether he makes anything or not. So long's
you've got that much money you might as well enjoy yourself. Now I say
it's best not to go hungry, else you can't do so much work, 'an then--"
"I'll see you later," Joe interrupted, not caring just at the moment to
listen to his friend's ideas on the subject of food, for it was well
known among Master Plummer's acquaintances that his highest idea of
happiness consisted in ministering to his stomach.
The fat boy gazed after the ruined merchant until the latter was lost to
view amid the throng of pedestrians, and then in a dreamy, indolent
fashion he turned his attention once more to the business of selling
newspapers to such of the passers-by as requested him to do so,
murmuring mournfully from time to time:
"Seven dollars an' eighty-three cents, an' a feller can buy custard pies
two inches thick for a dime apiece!"
Having assured himself of a lodging-place, and decided as to what
business he should pursue, Joe Potter wasted no more time, but set
about earning his livelihood in as cheery a fashion as if the depression
in the fruit market had brought him great gains instead of dire failure.
Before the night had come he was richer by forty cents, through having
carried to their several destinations, a satchel for a gentleman, a
basket containing a kitten for a lady, and a message for one of the
employees at the station.
"Business is boomin' right along. At this rate I guess I can afford to
stand one of Plums's bowls of stew," he said to himself, in a tone of
satisfaction, and was about to seek other employment when his name was
called from a shop on the opposite side of the street.
Turning quickly, he saw a boy with whom he had had slight acquaintance
while in the fruit business, who stood in the door of the shop, and
said, as Joe crossed the street:
"I'm workin' here now. It's a good deal more tony than down on West
Street. You ought'er move your stand up this way somewhere."
"I haven't got any to move," Joe replied, and then explained why he was
no longer connected with the business.
The young clerk did not appear particularly surprised by the
information.
"I thought that's 'bout the way it would turn out, when I heard you
hired Sim to help you. He's got the business, an' you've got the
shake."
"Sim was square with me," Joe replied, stoutly.
"Well, I'm glad you think so, for you're the only one he ever acted
square with, an' it wouldn't astonish me a bit to know he'd done you
up."
Joe was a boy who would not willingly listen to evil words against one
he called a friend, and was about to begin a wordy war in Sim's behalf,
when his friend's employer put an end to the conversation by demanding
that the clerk "get in and attend to business."
"I won't believe Sim ever did a thing crooked to me," Joe said,
recrossing the street and taking up his station where he could have a
full view of those who came from the building. "He saved his money while
I was losin' mine, an' that's all there is to it. It seems like as if
everybody wanted to jump on him 'cause he had sense enough to do jest
what he has done."
This was not the first time Master Potter had heard such an accusation
against his late clerk, and, while he would not believe Sim had been
dishonest, the suggestion so troubled him that he had some difficulty in
banishing the matter from his mind.
As the passengers from the incoming train appeared, he had other affairs
than Sim's possible dishonesty to think about, as he did his best to
attract the attention of those whom he thought might prove to be
patrons.
In this manner, but yet without earning any more money, the remainder of
the afternoon was passed, and when one by one the electric lights began
to appear, telling that the day had come to a close, he decided it was
time to seek out Master Plummer.
Now the thought of that bowl of stew for five cents was particularly
pleasing, and he had made up his mind to indulge in such a hearty meal,
when a little tot of a girl, who could not have been more than three
years old, came out from among the throng of pedestrians and stood
looking up into Joe's face.
"Well, say, but you are a dandy!" Master Potter exclaimed, in genuine
admiration, as he surveyed the tiny figure, allowing his eyes to dwell
almost lovingly upon the sweet, baby face. "You are a dandy, an' no
mistake; but them as owns you must be crazy to let sich a mite of a
thing snoop 'round here alone."
The child came nearer, and Joe stooped down to look at her more closely,
for she was the most dainty little maid he had ever seen.
"I'd ask you to speak to me if I was any ways fit," he said, holding out
a not over-cleanly hand.
The little maid must have judged the boy by his face rather than his
apparel, for hardly had he spoken when she came boldly towards him and
laid her tiny hand on his cheek with a caressing movement that
captivated Joe immediately.
"Talk about daisies! Why, you're a corker! You look jest like a pink an'
blue image I've seen in the shop windows. What's your name?"
"Essie," the little lady replied, and added what may have been words;
but might equally well be Greek so far as Joe was concerned.
"What's that you say? I didn't jest catch on."
Miss Essie cooed at him once more, and Joe winked and blinked, trying
most earnestly to understand what she said; but all to no purpose.
Then he stood erect, fearing lest the little maid's parents should
appear and reprove him for having dared to speak to her; but the moments
passed and no one came to claim the child.
It was evident Essie had not been accustomed to neglect, for when Joe
ceased speaking, she put a tiny little hand in his and told him in her
childish dialect what may have been a very interesting story.
Joe looked at the pink hand, and then at his own soiled palm.
"I'd give a nickel if I was a little bit cleaner! It seems like it was
wicked to hold her hand while mine is so dirty. She takes the shine off
of anything I ever saw before. Say, Essie, where's your mamma?"
"Mamma dorn," and the little lady clutched Joe's finger yet more
tightly.
"Well, say, do you s'pose this kid's lost?" and now Joe began to look
alarmed. "Anybody what would lose their grip of a dandy little thing
like her ought to be horsewhipped, an' I'd like to do it."
Again he tried to get some information from the little maid, and again
she replied readily; but Joe was no wiser than before.
The night had come; those who passed this way or that on the sidewalk
moved rapidly as if in haste to get home; but no one gave any heed to
the ruined fruit merchant or the charming little child by his side.
"Look here, baby," Joe said, after what seemed to him like a long time
of waiting, and no one came to claim the child, "will you let me take
you up in my arms, if I try not to muss your clothes? I'm 'fraid folks
can't see sich a bit of a thing down there, an' I'll hold you high, so's
your mother can find you easier."
Miss Essie certainly understood something of what the fruit merchant
said, for she held out her hands towards him as if to be taken, and he
lifted her carefully, saying, as he did so:
"It's pretty rough for a feller like me to handle a kid like her! It
seems like I was holdin' some of that swell candy you see in the shop
windows. It'll be a wonder if I don't daub her all up with my great,
dirty hands. I never knew how big they was till she took hold of 'em."
The little maid must have thought he was speaking for her especial
benefit, for she made reply in language which apparently gave her the
most intense satisfaction, but failed to enlighten Master Potter, and
during perhaps five minutes the two stood on the sidewalk near the
curbstone, jostled rudely now and then by the homeward-bound throng, but
seeing no one who laid claim to the baby.
"This won't do at all," Joe said. "It ain't right for you to stay out in
the night, and I don't know what's to be done, unless you could stand it
for a spell in Plums's shanty. Say, I wonder if that wouldn't go down?
Will you be willin' to hang 'round with us till mornin', if I buy a slat
of good things? When it comes daylight I can find your folks without
much trouble, 'cause of course they'll be right here huntin', don't you
see? Is it a go?"
From what the little maid said, Joe concluded it was a "go," and, since
she made no protest when he walked swiftly down towards where he knew
his fat and hungry friend would be waiting for him, believed he had
chosen such a course as met with her approval.
CHAPTER II.
THE PRINCESS.
It was no easy task for Joe Potter to carry his burden, light though it
was, amid the throng of pedestrians, without being pushed rudely here or
there by those who were so intent upon their own business or pleasure as
to give but little heed to the boy and the child.
Had he been alone, he could readily have forced a passage, but fearing
lest the little maid might be injured by rough contact with one or the
other, he proceeded so cautiously as to make but slight headway, until,
forsaking the sidewalk, he betook himself to the street.
There was a fear in his mind lest Master Plummer, grown weary with long
waiting, had gone home, and this would have been a serious matter,
because Joe had no idea as to the whereabouts of his friend's lodgings.
Once out of the throng, he pressed on at a swift pace until he was
nearly overturned by a boy coming from the opposite direction, whom he
had failed to see in the shadows.
"What's the matter with you, chump? Can't you see where you're goin'?"
he cried, angrily, and the tightening of the little maid's arm around
his neck told that she was frightened.
"How much of this street do you own? Why don't you mind your--Hello, Joe
Potter, is that you?" and the ruined merchant recognised the voice as
that of his friend with whom he had spoken a short time before in front
of the fruit store.
"'Course it's me. You ought'er look out how you run 'round here, when
folks has got babies in their arms."
"I didn't see you, Joe, an' that's a fact. Where'd you get the kid?"
"She's lost, I reckon, an' I'm takin' her home for to-night," Joe
replied, and, without waiting to make further explanation, hastened on,
leaving his friend, the clerk, staring after him in open-mouthed
astonishment.
"Don't you be afraid, little one," Joe said, as Essie clung yet more
tightly to him. "They sha'n't hurt you, an' if there's any more funny
business of runnin' into us tried, I'll break the feller's jaw what does
it."
The child seemed reassured by the sound of his voice, and at once began
to tell him something which was evidently interesting to herself.
"If I could understand what you say, things would be all right," Joe
said, with a laugh, and then, as he emerged from the shadows cast by the
overhead railway structure, he came face to face with Master Plummer.
"Well, I'd begun to think you never was comin'," that young gentleman
began, but ceased speaking very suddenly, as he observed the burden in
Joe's arms. "What you got there?"
"Can't you see for yourself?" and Joe lowered the little maid gently to
the sidewalk, that Master Plummer might have a full view of his
treasure.
"Well, I'll be blowed! Where'd you get it?"
"She's lost, 'cordin' to my way of thinkin', an' I've been tryin' to
find her folks, but it's no use huntin' 'round in the night, an' I'll
tell you what it is, Plums, we've got to take care of her till mornin'."
"Take care of her! What's creepin' on you, Joe Potter? How do you think
we're goin' to look after a kid like that?"
"I don't know why we can't," Joe replied, sharply. "It'll be pretty
tough if a couple of fellers ain't able to tend out on a mite of a thing
such as her. Say, Plums, don't she look like somethin' you see in the
store windows?"
"She's fine as silk, there's no gettin' over that," and Master Plummer
would have touched one pink-and-white cheek but that his friend
prevented him.
"Now don't go to hurtin' her! She's in hard luck enough as it is,
without your mussin' her all up."
"Who's a-hurtin' of her? I was jest goin' to put one finger on her
cheek."
"There's no need of doin' so much as that. It might frighten the little
thing, and besides, she's too fine to be handled by you and me, Plums.
She's a reg'lar little princess, that's what she is," and Joe raised the
child quickly, as if to remove the temptation from Master Plummer's
path.
"What's her name?" the fat boy asked, as he gazed admiringly at the
child.
"I can't seem to make out, she talks so queer," and as if to illustrate
his meaning, Joe's princess began to chatter, while she clasped both
tiny arms around her self-elected guardian's neck.
"Well, say, I'd give up what I made this afternoon jest for the sake of
havin' her hug me like that! Ain't she a daisy?"
"It would be mighty hard to find anything finer in this town."
"That's a fact; but say, Joe, it's no kind of use, your talkin' 'bout
our takin' care of her, 'cause it can't be done."
"I'd like to know why?"
"Jest run your eye over her, an' then look at us! Why, she's been kept
rolled up in silk all the time, an' you talk 'bout takin' her down to
the blacksmith's shop!"
There was little need for Master Plummer to make further explanation.
Joe had so thoroughly lost himself in admiration of the treasure he had
found that, until this moment, he had not realised how poor was the home
to which he proposed to carry her.
Now he looked about him in perplexity, and the princess, impatient
because of the delay and her guardian's silence, began to protest most
vehemently.
"See here, Plums, we've _got_ to take her down to your place, an' that's
all there is to it! There ain't any chance of findin' her folks
to-night, so what else can we do?"
"It's goin' to be mighty tough on her," Master Plummer replied, with a
shake of the head, and Joe put an end to further discussion by starting
off at a rapid pace down the street, regardless of the fact that he was
in ignorance of the whereabouts of his friend's lodging-place.
The princess, satisfied now that they were moving, cooed and chattered
in Joe's ear, much to his delight, and Master Plummer was forced to
follow or allow himself to be left behind.
"There's no use in rushin' as if we hadn't another minute to live," he
cried, when, by dint of rapid running, he overtook his friend. "I don't
like to race 'round when we can jest as well go slow."
"It would be a good deal better if you walked fast once in awhile,
'cause then you wouldn't be so fat."
"S'pose I'd rather be fat than as lean as some fellers I know?"
"Then it would be all right to creep along the street same's we're doin'
now. Say, how far off is your shanty?"
"Down here a bit; but you don't count on goin' right there, do you?"
"Why not? Where else should we go?"
"Seems to me it would be better to get that stew first, an' then we
sha'n't have to come out again to-night."
"Look here, Plums," and Joe spoke sharply, "do you think I'm goin' to
take the princess into a place where they sell five-cent stews?"
"She's got to go somewhere, if she wants anything to eat."
"We'll bring her supper to your shanty. I won't carry this little thing
into a saloon for a crowd of toughs to look at."
Master Plummer sighed. He had been anticipating a feast of stew from the
moment Joe left him to engage in his new vocation, and it was a grievous
disappointment that the pleasure should be so long delayed.
"We'll go down to your place an' try an' fix things up; then you can
leave us there--"
"But you want somethin' to eat as well as I do."
"I guess I can get along without anything, for a spell. It's the
princess I'm thinkin' about; she's got to have somethin' fine, you know.
Stew'd never do for her."
"How's custard pie? I know where they've got some that's great,--two
inches thick, with the crust standin' up 'round the edge so the inside
won't fall out while you're eatin' it."
"Perhaps the princess might like the custard; but I ain't so sure about
the crust. It seems to me she's been fed mostly on candy, an' sich stuff
as that. Anyhow, you take my money an' buy whatever you think she'd
like. Got any candles down to your place?"
"I did have one last week; but the rats ate most of it, an' I don't
s'pose it would burn very well now."
"Take this nickel, an' buy some in that grocery store."
"Why don't you come, too?"
"I don't believe the princess would like to go into sich a place, an'
besides, folks might want to take hold of her. I ain't goin' to have any
Dutch groceryman slobberin' over her."
Master Plummer took the nickel and crossed the street in his ordinarily
slow fashion, while Joe and the princess held a long and animated
conversation, to the evident satisfaction of the little maid and the
mystification of the boy.
Owing to his being thus engaged, Joe did not grow impatient because of
Master Plummer's long absence, as he might have done under other
circumstances, and said to his princess when the newsdealer rejoined
them:
"Now, little one, we're goin' to Plums's home, an' you must try not to
feel bad 'cause it ain't very swell. It's bound to be better'n stayin'
out in the street all night, for I've tried that game a good many times,
an' there's nothin' funny 'bout it."
The little maid, perched on Joe's arm something after the fashion of a
bird, chirped and twittered a reply, and Plums, who had fallen in the
rear that he might secretly touch the arm which was around Joe's neck,
said, reflectively:
"I s'pose we'll have a high old time between now and mornin', 'cause
that kid, sweet as she's lookin' jest now, ain't goin' to be quiet in a
place like mine. It's fellers like you an' me, Joe, who've knocked
'round the city a good many times when we didn't have the price of a
lodgin' in our pockets, what can 'preciate a home where the wind an'
rain can't get in."
"You're talkin' straight enough, Plums, an' I 'gree to all you say; but
this 'ere princess ain't like the general run of kids,--that you could
see if you was blind. She's a reg'lar swell, an' you can bet there won't
be any kick 'cause we ain't stoppin' at the Walledoff. Couldn't you get
a little more of a move on? At this rate we sha'n't have supper much
before mornin'."
Master Plummer was willing to comply with this request, and did indeed
appear to be making strenuous efforts to walk at a more rapid pace; but
having patterned after a snail so many years, it seemed impossible for
him to overcome what had become a habit.
Not once during the short journey did the princess make any protest
against the plan her temporary guardian had suggested.
She was very comfortable, and although Joe's arms ached from long
holding the light burden, she knew it not,--perhaps it would have made
no difference had she been aware of the fact.
Finally, and after what had seemed a very long journey to the princess's
guardian, the little party arrived in front of the blacksmith's shop,
and Master Plummer conducted his guests through a narrow alley to the
rear of the building, where was a small, shed-like structure, the end of
which was open, save for a pile of boxes and boards directly in front of
it.
"This is the place," Master Plummer said, with an air of proprietorship;
"an' seein's you've got the kid in your arms, I'd better light a candle
so's you can see the way, 'cause there's a lot of stuff out here at this
end. I've been countin' on clearin' it up some day, but can't seem to
find the time. Besides, it wouldn't make any difference to us,--it's
only 'cause we've got the princess to lodge with us that I'd like to see
it a little cleaner. Say, Joe, what _is_ a princess, anyhow?"
"Why, it's a--you see, it's--it's a--well, look at her, can't you see?
That's what it is. _She's_ a princess. Now don't be all night lightin'
one candle."
It did really appear as if Plums was even slower than usual, and so
awkward that two matches were consumed before the wick was ignited.
"You see I don't often swell out in so much style as to have candles,
an' it takes me quite a spell to get one goin'," he said, in an
apologetic tone. "She's all right now, though. Jest come 'round the end
of that box, an' look out for this pile of iron, 'cause you might trip.
There _would_ be a mess if your princess was dumped down on this stuff."
"You get on with the candle, an' I'll see to the rest of the business,"
Joe said, impatiently, for by this time his arms ached severely.
Master Plummer obeyed, and a moment later Joe and the princess were
surveying the home, which occupied six square feet or more in one corner
of the shed, was walled in by barrels and boxes, and furnished with a
pile of straw and a disreputable-looking gray blanket.
"I've slept here some mighty cold nights, an' I know jest how good the
place is," the proprietor said, proudly. "She's tight as a brick, an'
there can't so much as a sniff of wind get in. Then look here!"
He raised the lid of a small box, thereby displaying two tin tomato cans
in which were fragments of biscuits, a broken cup half full of sugar,
two wooden plates, a knife, a fork, and a spoon.
"When trade is dull, I buy stuff at the grocery store, an' bring it in
here. Why, Joe, things will keep jest as well in that box as they would
in one of your tony 'frigerators, an' I ain't sure but it's better. I
have had ice in there two or three days, though I don't know as it
'mounted to anything 'cept to wet everything."
Joe gave little heed to his friend's cupboard. He was looking around for
some spot where the princess could sit down without danger of soiling
her garments, but failed to find that for which he sought.
"See here, Plums, you'll have to spread some papers over that blanket;
it'll never do to put this little thing down where everything is so
dirty."
"I don't see what there is 'round here that's dirty. It seems like she
couldn't come to much harm on the straw. It's only been here two weeks."
"Put the papers down, an' we'll talk 'bout it afterwards. It seems as
though my arms would break."
Master Plummer obeyed, but with an ill grace, for this fault-finding
without reason was not agreeable.
There was no lack of newspapers in the house, and in as short a time as
Plums could compass it the straw was covered.
It was with a long breath of relief that Joe sat his charming burden
down, and then were the boys treated to an exhibition of the princess's
temper.
Cleanly though the couch was, she had no idea of sitting bolt upright
when there were two subjects at hand to obey her wishes.
She positively refused to be seated, but held out her hands as if for
Joe to take her in his arms once more, and when the boy attempted to
explain that it was necessary she remain there a few moments, the little
maiden made protest at the full strength of her lungs.
"I guess I'll have to take her up again," Joe said, with a long-drawn
sigh, "an' I don't know as she's to be blamed for not wantin' to stay
there."
"Well, I'd never believed anything so pretty could screech so loud!"
Master Plummer exclaimed, in a tone of wonderment. "She yells jest 'bout
the same's old Mis' Carter's kids do, an' there's nothin' swell about
them."
Joe made no reply. He was too deeply engaged in trying to hush the
princess to give any heed to his friend's remark, and fully five minutes
passed before the imperious little maid was reduced to silence.
Then she nestled down in his arms with such apparent content, and looked
so charming, that he was her willing slave, without one disagreeable
thought concerning her temper.
"If my face was washed, I'd kiss her this minute," he said, half to
himself, and immediately Master Plummer looked jealous.
"If you can do that, I reckon I can."
"Well, there won't either of us try it yet awhile, so s'posin' you go
after your supper, an' bring something for the princess when you come
back. Don't be gone any longer'n you can help, will you, Plums, 'cause
she must be gettin' hungry by this time."
"I'll take the cans an' get the stew in them, else I'd be gone quite a
spell if I waited to eat my share. Will I buy custard pie for her?"
"Yes, an' anything else you think she'd like. Don't get cheap stuff,
'cause she ain't used to it."
Then Joe emptied the contents of his pocket in Master Plummer's hands,
and the latter asked, in surprise:
"Are you goin' to spend the whole of this?"
"It don't seem as though you'd have to, an' besides, we ought to leave a
little something for breakfast. Do the best you can, Plums."
With an air of responsibility, the proprietor of the establishment
walked slowly out, and Joe was left alone with his baby.
Swaying his body to and fro to delude her with the idea of being rocked,
Master Potter did his best to please the princess, and evidently
succeeded, for in a very short time after Plums had departed, the
sleep-elves soothed her eyelids with their poppy wands until she crossed
over into dreamland.
Now Joe would have laid the tiny maid on the straw to give relief to his
arms, but each time he attempted anything of the kind she moved
uneasily, as if on the point of awakening, and he was forced to abandon
the effort.
"I must be a chump if I can't hold a bit of a thing like her till she's
through sleepin'," he said to himself, "an' I ought'er be mighty glad to
have such a chance."
It was monotonous work, this playing the nurse while seated on the
ground with no support to his back; but never for a moment, not even
when his arms ached the hardest, did Joe Potter regret having taken upon
himself such a charge.
He had given little heed as to how the princess's parents might be
found, because he believed that would prove an exceedingly simple task.
He had only to go to the railroad station in the morning, and there
deliver the child to her mother, who, as a matter of course, would be in
waiting.
There was never a thought in his mind that, by bringing her to this home
of Master Plummer's, he had in fact secreted her from those who must at
that moment be making eager search.
He had done what seemed to him fitting under all the circumstances, and
felt well satisfied that no one could have cared for the child in a
better fashion, save in the matter of lodgings, which last left much to
be desired.
After a time, Joe succeeded in so far changing his position that it was
possible to gain the use of one hand, and immediately this had been
done, he set about carefully covering the princess's garments with a
newspaper, lest he himself should soil the fabrics.
Then there was nothing to do save wait the leisurely movements of Plums,
and it seemed as if fully an hour passed before that young gentleman
finally made his appearance.
"If I haven't got all you fellers can eat, then I'm mistaken," Master
Plummer announced, in an exceedingly loud tone as he entered the
building; and Joe whispered, hoarsely:
"What are you makin' sich a row for? If you ain't careful, you'll wake
the princess."
"Well, I'll be blowed, if she ain't gone to sleep jest like any of Mis'
Carter's kids would do!" Plums said, in a tone of surprise, when he was
where a view could be had of the sleeping child.
"Of course she has. You don't s'pose swells sleep different from other
folks, do you?"
"I don't know, 'cause I never had a chance to see one close to, before.
Say, here's the stuff."
Plums was literally laden with small packages, and, in addition, had the
two tomato cans nearly filled with what he declared was "great stew."
"I tell you there's no flies on that stuff, an' here's the pie," he
added, as he took a parcel wrapped in brown paper from under his arm.
"I'm 'fraid it's got mashed a little, but I couldn't carry it any other
way. Takin' the stew an' that, with what other things I've got, it'll be
funny if your princess can't fill herself up in great shape."
Then, from one pocket and another, Master Plummer drew out two small
cakes frosted with white and sprinkled with red sugar, three inches or
more of Bologna sausage, a cruller, a small bag of peanuts, an apple,
and two sticks of candy which looked much the worse for wear, because of
having been placed in his pocket without a covering.
"Now if that ain't rich enough for any feller's blood, I'd like to know
what you'd call it? Three or four princesses like your'n ought'er get
through with a layout same's this, an' thank their lucky stars for
havin' the chance."
CHAPTER III.
AN ADVERTISEMENT.
Having placed the packages on the straw near about his friend, in what
he believed to be a most tempting display, Master Plummer seemed to
consider that his duties as host had been performed properly, and gave
himself wholly up to the pleasures of eating.
With one of the tomato cans between his knees, he gave undivided
attention to the savoury stew, until, the first pangs of hunger having
been appeased, he noted, as if in surprise, that Joe was not joining in
the feast.
"Why ain't you eatin' somethin'?" he asked, speaking indistinctly
because of the fullness of his mouth.
"I don't see how it can be done while the princess is asleep."
"Put her down on the blanket, where she belongs. You don't count on
holdin' her all night, I hope?"
"It looks like I'd have to. Jest the minute I stir she begins to fuss
'round, an'--"
"Well, let her fuss. Old Mis' Carter says kids wouldn't be healthy if
they didn't kick up a row every once in awhile."
"I guess she won't be sick any to speak of, if we keep her quiet till
mornin'. The trouble is, Plums, there's bound to be an awful row jest
as soon as she wakes up an' finds out where she is. I s'pose she's been
tended like she was a piece of glass, an' the shanty must look pretty
hard to her. You can tell by the way she acts that the princess has
always had a reg'lar snap, an' I wouldn't be s'prised if this was the
meanest place she was ever in."
"She'll be lucky never to get in a worse one," Master Plummer replied,
emphatically; and added, after having filled his mouth once more,
"There's no reason why you can't eat your share of the stew an' hold her
at the same time."
"I'm 'fraid I might spill some of it on her dress."
"Look here, Joe Potter," and now Plums spoke sharply, "you'll be all
wore up before mornin', carryin' on at this rate. It wouldn't hurt that
kid a bit if she had every drop of stew we've got, on her clothes, an'
she's playin' in big luck to be with us instead of walkin' 'round the
streets. Take your share of the stuff while it's goin', for of course
you haven't had anything to eat since noon."
"I had a pretty fair breakfast."
"An' nothin' since then?" Master Plummer cried, in astonishment.
"Well, I wasn't hungry,--that is, not very. You see, when a feller
closes up business, the same's I've done, he don't think much 'bout
eatin'."
"Well, think about it now, an' _do_ it, too!"
Having thus spoken, and in his sternest tones, Plums placed the second
can of stew where his friend could reach it conveniently, and waited
until Joe had so changed his position that it was possible for him to
partake of the food.
No better proof of Master Plummer's interest in his friend could have
been given than when he thus voluntarily ceased eating to serve him.
The boys had not attempted to remove either the princess's hat or cloak,
and she appeared anything rather than comfortable as she lay wrapped in
newspapers, with her head pillowed on Joe's arm; but yet her slumbers
were not disturbed when Master Potter, his appetite aroused by the odour
of the stew, proceeded to make a hearty meal.
"I s'pose we ought'er wake her up, so's she'll get somethin' to eat,"
Joe said, thoughtfully, and Plums replied, very decidedly:
"Don't you do anything of the kind. So long's a kid's quiet you'd better
leave 'em alone, 'cause it ain't safe to stir 'em up 'less you want a
reg'lar row."
"Of course that wouldn't do; but say, Plums, if she keeps on sleepin'
like this, it won't have been a terrible hard job to take care of her."
"Not 'less you count on holdin' her all night."
Joe was already cramped from sitting so long in one position, and as if
his friend's remark had reminded him of the fact, he made another effort
to relieve himself of the burden, this time being successful.
The princess moved uneasily when she was first laid upon the bed of
straw, and the boys literally held their breath in suspense, fearing she
would awaken; but, after a few moments, the child lay quietly, and
Plums said, in a tone of satisfaction:
"I know a good bit about kids, I do, 'cause old Mis' Carter had sich a
raft of 'em, an' I lived with her 'most a year. The right way is to
chuck 'em 'round jest as you want to, an' they'll stand it; but once you
begin to fuss with 'em, there's no end of a row."
"The princess ain't anything like Mis' Carter's youngsters."
"No, I don't know as she is; but I guess the same kind of handlin' will
fetch her 'round all right in the long run. Can't you eat some peanuts?"
"I've had enough, an', besides, we must leave somethin' to give the
princess, 'cause she'll be hungry in the mornin'."
"Yes, I s'pose we must. It always makes me feel bad to stop when there's
good things in the house," and Master Plummer told his friend of the
"great time" he had had on a certain rainy day, when it would have been
useless to attend to business, and the larder was well filled.
"I kept right on eatin', from mornin' till it was time to go to bed;
didn't rush, you know, but stuck at it."
"Didn't it make you sick?"
"Well, I did have a pretty bad ache before mornin'; but jest as likely
as not that would have come whether I'd eat anything or not. Mis' Carter
says if I don't stop bein' so hungry all the time I'll fill up a
glutton's grave, but how can a feller keep from wantin' something to
eat?"
"I don't s'pose it's anybody's business, Plums, what you do, so long as
you pay the bills; but it does seem to me that it would be better if
you'd get on more of a hustle when you're at work, an' stop thinkin' so
much about vittles. I can't see how you earn money enough to keep this
thing up."
"Seems like I've got some push to me if I do it, don't it?" Master
Plummer replied, complacently, and there the conversation came to an
end.
Plums, having ministered to his appetite, stretched himself at full
length on the ground, and it seemed to Joe as if he had but just assumed
that position when his heavy breathing told that he had fallen asleep.
Now and then from the street beyond could be heard the rumbling of a
carriage, sounding unusually loud owing to the stillness of the night.
At intervals the hum of voices told that belated seekers after pleasure
were returning home, and, in fact, everything reminded the ruined fruit
merchant that the time for rest was at hand.
Joe's eyelids were heavy with sleep, yet he resisted the impulse to
close them, because it seemed necessary he should watch over the
princess.
The candle, having burned down to the neck of the bottle in which it had
been placed, spluttered and fretted because its life was so nearly at an
end, and Joe replaced it with a fresh one.
With his back against the box which served as cupboard, he sat watching
the little maid with a strong determination not to indulge in sleep, and
even as he repeated for the twentieth time that it was necessary he
remain awake, his eyes closed in slumber.
It was yet dark, and the second candle nearly consumed, when the
princess suddenly opened her big, brown eyes, and during a single
instant looked about her in silent astonishment.
Then, as the only way by which she could express her displeasure with
her surroundings, the child opened her tiny mouth to its fullest extent,
and from the little pink throat came as shrill a scream as was ever
uttered by one of "old Mis' Carter's kids."
Joe Potter was on his feet instantly, and during the first few seconds
after being thus rudely awakened was at a loss to understand exactly
where he was, or what had aroused him.
The princess introduced herself to his attention very quickly, however,
for she was a maid who had ever received, and was ever ready to demand,
attention.
Joe had her in his arms as soon as might be, but just at this moment it
was her mother she wanted, and the friendship previously displayed for
her new guardian was forgotten.
In other words, the princess screamed passionately; Joe walked to and
fro with her in his arms, whispering soothing words which did not
soothe; and through all the uproar Master Plummer slumbered as sweetly
as an infant.
"I know what you want, you poor little thing; but how am I goin' to get
it for you to-night? Why won't you try to make the best of it till
mornin', an' then we'll be sure to find your folks? Here, eat some of
these peanuts; they must be awful good, 'cordin' to the way Plums
pitched into 'em last night."
The princess had no appetite for peanuts just then, and, as the readiest
way of giving her guardian such information, she struck the outstretched
hand with her tiny fist, sending the nuts flying in every direction.
Joe was considerably surprised that such a dainty-looking little maiden
could display so much temper, but did not relax his efforts to please.
One of the sugared cakes had escaped Master Plummer's cyclonic appetite,
and with this the amateur nurse tried to tempt the screaming child into
silence.
The cake shared the fate of the peanuts, and the princess gave every
evidence in her power of a positive refusal to be soothed.
Joe had tossed her in the air, fondled her in his arms, paced to and fro
as if walking for a wager, but all without avail, and now it seemed
necessary he should have assistance.
Master Plummer's rest had not been disturbed by the noise, but he rose
to a sitting posture very suddenly when Joe kicked him almost roughly.
"Wha--wha--what's the matter?" he asked, blinking in the light of the
candle, which was directly in front of his eyes.
"I should think you might know by this time! Can't you hear the
princess?"
"I thought there'd be a row if she waked up," Master Plummer replied, in
a matter-of-fact tone, and then he laid himself down again, evidently
intending to continue the interrupted nap.
"See here, Plums, you can't do that!" Joe cried, sharply. "I mustn't be
left alone with this poor little thing. It ain't certain but she'll die,
she's so frightened."
"Don't fret yourself. She'll come out of it after a spell; all Mis'
Carter's kids used to."
"But she isn't like them, I tell you! They could stand 'most anything,
an' she's been raised different."
"She cries jest the same's they did."
"Look here, George Plummer, get up on your feet an' help me! This thing
is growin' dangerous!"
Plums had no fear the princess would injure herself by crying; but his
friend spoke so sternly that he decided it was wisest to obey the
command, and a very sleepy-looking boy he was, as he stood yawning and
rubbing his eyes, with an expression of discontent amounting almost to
peevishness upon his face.
"There ain't anything either you or I can do. Youngsters have to yell
jest about so much,--it makes 'em healthy,--an' she'll quiet down after
a spell. Why don't you give her somethin' to eat?"
"I tried that, but she wouldn't take a single crumb. The trouble is, we
haven't got what she wants. Now, if there was some milk in the house--"
"But there ain't, so what's the use thinkin' of that?"
"It must be near mornin', an' if there is a bakeshop anywhere 'round,
you could get some."
"Do you want a feller to turn out in the night an' travel 'round the
streets lookin' for milk?" Plums asked, indignantly.
"It is better to do that than have a dear little baby like this die."
"But there's no danger anything of that kind will happen. I've seen lots
of worse scrapes than this, but they always ended up all right."
"Look here, Plums, will you go out an' get some milk?"
"What's the use--"
"_Will_ you go an' get the milk?"
Just for an instant Master Plummer stood irresolute, as if questioning
the necessity for such severe exertion, and then a single glance at his
friend's face decided the matter.
In silence, but with a decided show of temper, the fat boy picked up one
of the tomato-cans, jammed his battered hat down over his head, and
stalked out of the shanty.
During this brief conversation the princess's outcries had neither
ceased nor diminished in volume, and when Plums had thus unwillingly
departed, it was as if she redoubled her efforts.
Unfortunately, Joe had had no experience with "old Mis' Carter's kids,"
and when the child's face took on a purplish hue, he was thoroughly
alarmed, believing her to be dying.
"Don't, baby dear, don't! You'll kill yourself if you act this way! I'm
doin' the best I know how; but the trouble is, I can't tell what you
want!"
Entreaties were as useless as any of his other efforts to soothe, yet
he alternately begged her to be silent, and paced to and fro with her in
his arms, until, when it seemed to him that at least one whole night
must have passed since she awakened, the princess tired of her
exertions.
Then it was a tear-stained, grief-swollen face that he looked into, and
the childish sobs which escaped her lips gave him deeper pain than had
her most energetic outcries.
Believing her to be suffering severely, the big tears of sympathy rolled
down Joe's face as he told her again and again of all he would do
towards finding her mother when the day had come.
The princess was lying quietly in Joe's arms when Master Plummer finally
returned, bringing the can of milk, and yawning as if he had been asleep
during the entire journey and had but just awakened.
"Now you can see that it was jest as I said!" he exclaimed. "When
youngsters start in yellin', they've got to do about so much of it, an'
there's no use tryin' to stop 'em. Here I've walked all over this city
huntin' for milk when I might jest as well have been sleepin'."
"It won't do you any harm, Plums, an' I honestly think the princess is
hungry."
"She can't be very bad off, with Bologna, an' cakes, an' peanuts 'round.
I'll bet she won't touch this."
Joe broke into the milk such fragments of cracker as remained in the
cupboard-box, after which, and first wiping the spoon carefully on his
coat sleeve, he began to feed the little maid.
[Illustration: "HE BEGAN TO FEED THE LITTLE MAID."]
To Master Plummer's disappointment, she ate almost greedily, and Joe
said, in a tone of triumph:
"You may know a good deal 'bout Mis' Carter's babies, but you're way off
when it comes to one of this kind."
"I don't know whether I am or not," and Plums laid himself down once
more, falling asleep, or pretending to, almost immediately thereafter.
Having eaten with evident relish the food which had cost Plums so much
labour, the princess's ill-temper vanished entirely, and she twittered
and chirped to Joe until he forgot his former fears and anxieties in the
love which sprang up in his heart for the tiny maid who was dependent
upon him for a shelter.
The day was close at hand when the amateur nurse and his charge
journeyed into dreamland for the second time, and although Joe had
gained but little rest during the night, his slumbers were not so
profound but that a hum of shrill voices near the building awakened him
very shortly afterward.
The one fear in his mind was that the princess would be disturbed, and
he stepped quickly outside the shanty to learn the cause of the noise.
"Here he is! Here he is now! We was in big luck to come 'round this
way!" one of a party of boys said, excitedly, and Joe recognised in
these early visitors three friends and business acquaintances, all of
whom were looking very serious, and evidently labouring under great
excitement.
"What's brought you fellers up to this part of the town so early?" Joe
asked, in surprise, and Dan Fernald, who had under his arm a bundle of
morning papers, said, in a mournful tone:
"We've come after you."
"What for? I'm goin' to hang 'round here a spell till I can get enough
money ahead to go into business ag'in. Did you fellers think I'd be so
mean as to sell papers 'round City Hall after I'd sold out to Dan?"
"It ain't anything like that, Joe Potter," Master Fernald replied, so
gravely that the princess's guardian could not fail of being alarmed.
"What's floatin' over you fellers?" he asked, sharply. "Ain't been
gettin' into trouble, have you?"
"We're all right; but there's somethin' mighty wrong 'bout you, Joe.
Say, did you do anything crooked when you sold that stand to Sim
Jepson?"
"Crooked? Why, how could I? He'd been workin' for me at a dollar a week,
an' when I hadn't any more money, he took the stand for what I owed him.
If you call it crooked to sell out a business for a dollar an' twenty
cents, when it cost pretty nigh eight times as much, you're off your
base."
"Then what _have_ you been doin'?" Tim Morgan asked.
By this time Joe began to understand that something serious had caused
this early visit, and he began to grow alarmed, without knowing why it
should disturb him.
"I don't want you to make any noise 'round here, 'cause Plums an' me
have got a kid what we picked up in the street last night, an' she's
asleep. It won't do to wake her 'less you want to hear the tallest kind
of screechin'. But I've got to know what's givin' you fellers the
chills; so out with it, but be as quiet as you can."
Dan Fernald looked at his comrades as if hoping one of them would act as
spokesman; but since both remained silent, he began by saying:
"See here, Joe, you know we're your friends, an' are willin' to do all
we can to help you out of a scrape?"
"Yes," Master Potter replied, growing yet more alarmed because of Dan's
solemn manner.
"If you'd come right to us in the first place, we'd helped you, no
matter how much money was wanted."
"Look here, Dan, don't give me a stiff like this!" Joe cried,
imploringly. "If anything's wrong, out with it, 'stead of mumblin' 'bout
helpin' me. I've allers managed to help myself, and you fellers, too, a
good many times, so I don't know why you should stand 'round lookin'
like as if somethin' was chewin' you."
"If we wasn't your friends, Joe, you might give us a bluff like that,
an' even if we didn't take it, we'd make out as though we did. See
here," and unfolding a newspaper, Dan pointed to an advertisement, as he
added, "I saw this almost 'fore I got out of the _Herald_ office, an'
didn't stop for anything but jest to pick up Tim an' Jerry before I come
to find you."
Joe looked at each of his friends in turn before taking the proffered
paper, and then, after considerable difficulty because of the necessity
of spelling out each word in turn, he read the following:
JOSEPH POTTER. Information wanted of a newsboy or fruit
vendor answering to the name of Joseph Potter. He was last
seen in front of the Grand Central Station at about seven
o'clock on the evening of yesterday (Tuesday), holding in
his arms a child three years old. A liberal reward will be
paid for information as to the present whereabouts of the
boy. Address Cushman & Morton, Attorneys at Law, 47-1/2 Pine
Street, New York.
Immediately below this was an advertisement signed with the same names,
requesting information concerning a little girl who had strayed from the
Grand Central Station and was last seen in the company of a newsboy; but
this Joe did not read.
The fact that he was advertised for, as if he had been a fugitive from
justice, terrified him.
He could not so much as speak; but looked alternately at the printed
sheet and his companions, until Dan said, sternly:
"Now, Joe, you can tell us 'bout this thing or not, jest as you have a
mind. What we've come for is to help you get clear, an' we're bound to
do it."
"Get clear of what?" Joe repeated, in bewilderment.
"You know better'n we do, an' I ain't askin' questions if you think it
ought'er be kept secret from us."
"But I haven't been doin' anything that wasn't square," Joe replied,
with a trembling voice.
"Then what's a couple of lawyers advertisin' you for?" Tim Morgan asked,
shrilly. "Do you s'pose sich folks want'er catch a feller what sells
papers, jest to look at him?"
[Illustration: "DAN POINTED TO AN ADVERTISEMENT."]
"See here, Tim, you know me, an' you know I never did a mean thing to
anybody in my life."
"Then what they advertisin' yer for?"
"Say, fellers, I wouldn't try to make out--"
"Now, Joe, this ain't any time for you to stuff us," Dan Fernald said,
impatiently. "If you hadn't done anything crooked, your name wouldn't be
right there in them big letters. You've allers been willin' to do us a
good turn, an' we're goin' to pay you back. You've _got_ to skip! An'
you've got to skip bloomin' quick!"
CHAPTER IV.
JOE'S FLIGHT.
It was literally impossible for Joe Potter to make any reply to Dan
Fernald's positive statement that he must run away in order to escape
punishment.
As a matter of course he knew he had done nothing of a criminal nature,
and yet the advertisement, which seemed to stand out more conspicuously
than any other item in the paper, could not be construed either by
himself or his companions to mean anything else.
The fact that it was signed by attorneys seemed to Joe and his friends
positive proof that a crime had been committed; otherwise why would
representatives of the law have appeared in the matter?
Dan Fernald, as Joe's oldest and nearest friend, took it upon himself to
act as master of ceremonies in the affair, and, understanding that his
comrade was so overwhelmed by the impending danger as to be absolutely
incapable of intelligent movement, led him towards the shanty, as he
said, gravely:
"Never mind what it is you've done, Joe, us fellers are goin' to see you
through, an' it won't do to hang 'round here very long, if you plan on
givin' the perlice the slip. I reckon they'll be hot after you before
nine o'clock, an' by that time I'm countin' on havin' you hid. Got
anything here you want to take with you?"
Joe shook his head; but Master Fernald seemed to consider it necessary
they should enter the building, and his two comrades followed close in
the rear.
Once inside the shanty, the visitors, as a matter of course, saw the
princess sleeping on the straw, and, despite the fact that her garments
were not as cleanly as on the day previous, making a most charming
picture.
"Well, I'll be blowed! Where'd you get that?"
Joe had been so bewildered by the terrible knowledge that the officers
of the law were probably on his trail, as to have forgotten for the
moment that the princess was in his charge, and he stood for an instant
staring at her vacantly before making any reply, which odd behaviour
served to strengthen the belief in the minds of his friends that he was
guilty of some serious crime.
"Oh, that's the princess. She lost her folks somewhere near the _de_pot
last night, an' I was countin' on findin' 'em for her this mornin'.
Plums an' me had to take her in, else she'd been layin' 'round the
streets."
Dan looked at him sharply, while Tim and Jerry raised themselves on
tiptoe to gaze at the sleeping child.
"Well, what you goin' to do with her now?" Dan asked, after waiting in
vain for his friend to speak.
"I don't know," Joe replied, sadly, and added, in a more hopeful tone,
"If you fellers would look after the little thing, she might--"
"We'll have all we can do keepin' you out of jail, without bein'
bothered by a kid taggin' everywhere we go. You don't seem to
understand, Joe, that it's goin' to take mighty sharp work, an' most
likely every feller that ever knew you will be watched by the perlice
from this time out."
"But I can't leave her here alone," Master Potter wailed.
"Why not take her down where Plums used to live? Mis' Carter's got a
reg'lar raft of kids, an' ought'er know how to take care of another."
"It would jest 'bout break the little thing's heart to put her in with
that Carter gang, an' I can't do it. I'd sooner the perlice nabbed me."
"Now you're talkin' through your hat. Of course you don't want to go up
to Sing Sing for two or three years, an' that's what's bound to happen
if them lawyers get hold of you. What's Plums snorin' away for, when
things are all mixed up so bad?" Dan asked, impatiently, and without
further delay he proceeded to arouse Master Plummer to a knowledge of
the terrible danger that threatened Joe, by shaking him furiously.
"What do you want now,--more milk?" the fat boy asked, without opening
his eyes, and Dan pulled him suddenly to his feet.
"Wake up, an' see what we want! Here's the perlice after Joe, red-hot,
an' we've got to get him out'er town."
"After Joe?" Master Plummer repeated, stupidly. "What's he been doin'?"
"We don't know, an' he won't tell us."
"I haven't been doin' a thing, Plums, as true as I live; but there it
all is in the paper," Master Potter replied, in a tearful voice. "Of
course there's no gettin' away from that."
Not until Plums had spelled out for himself the ominous advertisement
was it possible for those who would rescue Joe Potter from the impending
doom to do anything towards his escape, and, once having mastered the
printed lines, the fat boy gazed at his grief-stricken friend in mingled
astonishment and reproach.
"Of course the perlice are goin' to know you slept here last night, an'
jest as likely as not I'll be pulled for takin' you in."
"Course you will!" Jerry Hayes cried, shrilly. "You're in a pretty tight
box, Plums."
Joe protested vehemently that he was innocent of any intentional
wrong-doing; but with that unexplainable advertisement before him, Plums
received the statement with much the same incredulity as had the others.
"Where you goin' to take him?" he asked of Dan; and the latter replied:
"I don't know; but we've got to get him out of town by the shortest cut,
an' I reckon that'll be Thirty-fourth Street Ferry. How much money you
fellers got?"
Master Plummer took from his pocket that which remained of the amount
given him by Joe the night previous, and, after counting it twice,
replied:
"Here's sixteen cents what belongs to Joe, an' I've got twenty of my
own."
"Us fellers have anteed up a dollar an' a quarter towards seein' you
through, an' here it is," Master Fernald said, as he gave Plums a
handful of small coins.
Joe did not so much as glance at the money, and Dan said, impatiently:
"Now, don't hang 'round here any longer, you two, 'cause it's mighty
near sunrise."
"But what about the kid?" Plums asked, as if until that moment he had
entirely forgotten the sleeping child.
"I reckon she'll have to take her chances," Dan replied, carelessly.
"Some one will look out for her, of course,--turn her over to McDaniels,
the blacksmith."
This suggestion aroused Joe very suddenly, and he glanced at each of his
companions in turn, as if to read the thoughts of all, after which he
said, sharply:
"You fellers can believe me or not, but I haven't done anything to set
the perlice after me. I can't say as I blame you for thinkin' it ain't
so, 'cause there's that advertisement; but it's a fact all the same, an'
I'm goin' to let the cops take me."
"What?" Tim Morgan screamed. "You're goin' to jail?"
"What else can I do?"
"Run away, of course, the same's we're fixin' it."
"In the first place, we haven't got money enough to go very far, an'
then, ag'in, I won't leave the princess knockin' 'round the streets."
"You'd have to if you went to jail."
"I could take her with me for a spell, anyhow."
Joe appeared so thoroughly determined to give himself up to the
officers of the law that his comrades were seriously alarmed.
Although there was but little question in their minds that he was guilty
of some crime, not one of them was willing he should yield to the order
of arrest which they believed had already been issued.
Plums looked at Dan imploringly, and the latter said, as he laid hold of
Joe's arm:
"Now see here, old man, we ain't goin' to stand by with our hands in our
pockets while you go to jail, 'cause there's no need of it. The perlice
won't be 'round for two or three hours, an' it's pretty hard lines if we
can't get you out of town before they come."
"I won't leave the princess," Joe replied, doggedly.
"Then take her with you. Of course there's a good deal of risk in it,
seein's how the advertisement said you had her; but it's a blamed sight
better'n givin' right up same's any chump would do."
"I counted on findin' her folks this mornin'."
"The way things have turned out, you can't; an' what's the odds if you
wait two or three days? I'll see that you have money enough to keep you
goin' for a spell, anyhow, 'cause all the fellers what know you an'
Plums will chip in to help."
"Am I goin', too?" Master Plummer asked, in surprise.
"I can't see any other way out of it. When the perlice find where Joe
slept last night, they're bound to pull you in. It don't look to me as
if it was goin' to be sich a terrible hard thing to go off in the
country for a spell, now the weather's warm, an' if it wasn't for the
kid here, I'd say you'd have a great time."
At this moment the princess awakened, and, fortunately, in an amiable
mood.
She raised her hands towards Joe as if asking to be taken in his arms,
and, instantly the mute request was complied with, the ruined merchant's
courage failed him.
Burying his face in her dress, regardless of the possible injury to be
done the delicate fabric, the poor boy gave way to tears, and the little
maid must have understood that he was suffering, for she patted him on
the ear, or ruffled his hair gently with her hands, all of which served
but to make his grief more intense.
"Now's the time to get him right away," Dan said, in a low tone to
Master Plummer. "We've fooled 'round here too long already, and if he
kicks ag'in goin', why, we've got to lug him, that's all. I won't see
Joe Potter put in jail if it can be helped."
"What do you s'pose he's been doin'?" Plums asked, in a terrified
whisper.
"Blamed if I know; but it must be somethin' pretty tough, else they
wouldn't spend money advertisin' for him."
"I don't b'lieve he'd kill anybody."
"Neither do I; but it must be somethin' 'bout as bad as that. While he's
takin' on so we can get him off without much trouble. We'd better walk
to the ferry, 'cause there might be somebody on the horse-car what would
know him."
"If I've got to leave the town, I don't want to hang 'round Long
Island, 'cause there ain't so much chance of gettin' further away,"
Plums objected, and Dan began to show signs of ill temper at being thus
thwarted in his efforts to do a favour.
"You'll be blamed lucky if you get anywhere, except to jail."
"But what's the difference if we go over to Jersey? It ain't much
further to the Weehawken Ferry than it is Thirty-fourth Street way."
"All right, go there, then,--anywhere, so's you get a move on."
Master Plummer took the precaution to gather up such provisions as
remained in the cupboard, and, after one long look around at the home he
might be leaving for ever, shook Joe gently.
"Come on, old man; this thing's got to be done, an' the sooner we start
the better. There's no show for you to give yourself up 'less I'm with
you, 'cordin' to what Dan says, an' you can bet I ain't countin' on
goin' to jail so long as it can be helped."
Joe rose to his feet obediently, still holding the princess tightly in
his arms, and Dan ordered Jerry to precede them into the street, in
order to make certain the officers of the law were not in the vicinity.
"If you whistle once, we'll know nobody's there, an' twice means that
we're surrounded."
Jerry, looking as important as the occasion demanded, set about doing
the scouting for the party, and an instant later a shrill call rang out
on the morning air, telling that the coast was clear.
Dan and Plums ranged themselves either side of Joe; Tim marched in
advance, wary as an Indian hunter; and in this order the little party
gained the street, the princess in high glee because of the numbers who
were escorting her.
Joe neither spoke nor looked back. His heart was as heavy as though the
shadow of a real crime hung over him, and, had he been going directly to
prison, could not have appeared more despondent.
On the other hand, Dan Fernald was enjoying himself hugely.
Aiding a desperate criminal to escape from the clutches of the law was
to him a most exciting adventure. He had always believed he possessed
remarkable detective ability, and this was the first time an opportunity
of establishing such fact had presented itself.
"If I don't get you two fellers out of this scrape, then I'm willin' to
lay right down," he said, as Tim and Jerry led the way towards the west
side of the city at a rapid pace. "I've kept myself posted on the
detective business pretty sharp, 'cause I've made up my mind to go into
it before long, an' by the time we finish this job I guess the perlice
will find out what I'm made of. I ain't so sure but I shall join the
force after you're straightened out."
"They wouldn't take on a feller of your size," Master Plummer said, with
something very like a sneer; which was not seemly, in view of the fact
that Dan was at this moment giving him the full benefit of his wonderful
ability, simply through friendship.
"It don't make any difference about a feller's size; it's the head what
counts. Before long you'll find out whether I've got one or not."
Joe gave no heed to his friend's words. His grief was so great that
probably he knew nothing whatever regarding that morning journey, save
that the princess, when not laughing and chattering at him, was eating,
with evident relish, the sugar-besprinkled cake which Plums had slipped
into her chubby hand.
The boy did not realise that he might be doing a grievous wrong against
the parents of the princess by thus taking her from the city. He knew
she would be cared for to the best of his ability, and it seemed as if
those who loved her must realise the same. Of course he understood that
she was to be restored to her father and mother as soon as it should be
possible, but he failed to take into consideration the suffering which
might be theirs because of her disappearance.
Therefore it was that, in all this wretched business, at the end of
which he could see nothing but the open door of a prison, the only
bright thing to him, amid the clouds of despair, was the companionship
of the princess.
After the first slight sorrow at being forced to leave his home, Plums
began to enjoy this flight, and discussed with Dan the possible
enjoyment of a detective's life until the party arrived within a block
of the ferry-slip.
It was yet so early in the morning that but few were on the street; but
Dan had no intention of allowing the boy whom he was saving to enter
the slip like an ordinary citizen.
Ordering a halt near the entrance of an alleyway which led between two
stables, he said, with the air of a general:
"Tim, you scout along down towards the ferry-slip, an' see if anybody's
there on the watch. We'll stay here so's we can sneak up through this
alley if you should whistle twice. Jerry, you're to walk back about half
a block, so's to make certain the perlice don't creep up on us from
behind."
"But there ain't a dozen people in sight, an' we can see that there's no
cop 'round!" Master Plummer exclaimed. "What's to hinder our goin' right
on board the boat?"
"Look here, Plums, if you know more 'bout this kind of business than I
do, take hold an' run the thing. We'll see how far you'll get before the
whole crowd is nabbed."
"I don't know anything about it, of course; but I can see there's nobody
between us an' the ferry-slip that would likely make trouble."
"If we depended on you, we wouldn't have got so far as we have," Master
Fernald replied, disdainfully. "Jest likely as not, there's a dozen cops
hid close 'round here, an' I ain't goin' to be fool enough to walk right
into their arms."
Plums was silenced by this exhibition of superior wisdom, and Joe
indifferent to whatever steps might be taken for his own safety;
therefore Dan was not interfered with in his management of the affair.
The scouts set about their work, and not until fully ten minutes had
passed did the amateur detective give the word for the fugitives to
advance.
"I reckon it's all straight enough now, an' we'll go on board the boat;
but there's no tellin' what might have happened if I hadn't 'tended to
the work in the right way."
Then Master Fernald walked a few paces in advance of his friends, moving
stealthily, as if knowing danger menaced them on every hand, and casting
furtive glances up and down the street until, had any one observed his
movements, suspicions must have been aroused as to the innocence of his
purpose.
Jerry paid for the ferry tickets out of his own funds, for it was the
purpose of these rescuers to remain in the company of the fugitives
until they should have escaped from the State.
Once on the boat, Joe wanted to remain in the ladies' cabin, because of
the princess; but Dan would not countenance any such rash proceeding.
He insisted that they must take up their stations in what was, for the
time being, the bow of the boat, where they could prevent possible
pursuers from "sneakin' up on 'em."
The princess made no objection to this breezy position, otherwise the
boy who was being rescued by Master Fernald would have flatly refused to
obey orders; and thus the fugitives and their friends remained where
every passenger on board must of necessity have seen them.
Dan gave his friends what he considered good advice during the passage,
and when the boat was nearing the slip on the Jersey side, summed up his
instructions with a statement which electrified them all.
"You fellers are to hang 'round Weehawken till 'long towards dark, when
Plums must come down to the ferry-slip. I'm goin' back to New York to
fix up my business, so's I can stay with you till the worst of the
trouble is over."
"Are you countin' on runnin' away with us?" Master Plummer asked, in
surprise.
"That's jest the size of it. You fellers don't seem to know scarcely
anything at all about takin' care of yourselves, an' if I don't 'tend to
business you'll both be in jail before to-morrow mornin'. I'm goin' to
size up things 'round perlice headquarters to-day, an' then come over to
look after you. Jest as soon's the boat touches the slip, you two take a
sneak, find some place where you can hide till night, an' then watch out
for me."
Five minutes later, the fugitives stepped on Jersey soil, and Master
Fernald's scouts were deployed to guard against an attack from the enemy
until the two boys were lost to view in the distance. Then the amateur
detective said, in a tone of grim determination, "Now, fellers, we'll go
back, an' size up the cops in New York."
CHAPTER V.
IN THE CITY.
When Dan Fernald and his two assistants returned to their usual place of
business in the city, they found Joe Potter's mercantile friends in a
state of high excitement.
It seemed as if the eyes of each boy who was acquainted with Joe had
been attracted to that particular advertisement, and business among a
certain portion of the youthful merchants in the vicinity of City Hall
Square was almost entirely suspended because of the startling
information that "the lawyers were after Joe Potter."
It was only natural for each fellow to speculate as to the reason why
the unfortunate fruit merchant should be "wanted," and many and wild
were the theories advanced.
Some of the boys even went so far as to suggest that Joe had robbed a
bank, and, in order to make such a proposition plausible, insinuated
that he had failed in the fruit business simply for the purpose of
deceiving the public as to the true state of his finances.
Little Billy Dooner ventured the opinion that "perhaps Joe had killed a
_I_talian," but no one gave weight to the possible explanation, for
Master Potter enjoyed the reputation of being as peaceable a boy as
could be found in the city.
When each one of those more particularly interested had in turn given
his theory regarding the mystery, without throwing any positive light on
the subject, the conversation was always brought to a close with
something like the following words:
"At any rate, he's gone a mighty long ways crooked, else the lawyers
wouldn't spend money advertisin' for him."
The arrival of Dan Fernald and his assistants only served to heighten
the mystery, for these young gentlemen positively refused to make any
statement either for or against the missing boy, and the natural result
was that they were credited with knowing very much more regarding the
affair than really was the case.
Dan immediately assumed such an air as he believed befitted detectives,
and hinted more than once that Joe's friends "would be s'prised before
the day was ended."
Not until noon was there any change in the situation of affairs, and
then a bootblack who worked in the vicinity of the Grand Central Station
came down to City Hall Square with information that Plums was no longer
attending to business.
"If he wasn't so bloomin' slow, I'd say he'd run away with Joe Potter,"
the informant added; "but as it is, he couldn't get out of the town in
much less than a week, even if he humped hisself the best he knew how."
Under ordinary circumstances, Plums might have disappeared without
causing a ripple of excitement among his business acquaintances, but
since Joe Potter was missing also, it began to look as if the two might
be together.
At three o'clock in the afternoon Sim Jepson startled the community of
newsboys by announcing that he had been closely questioned by a man in
citizen's clothing, who "looked for all the world like a cop got up in
disguise," concerning Joe's habits, and Master Jepson added, on his own
responsibility:
"They're after him hot, an' no mistake. He'll be mighty smart if he can
keep out of sight when they've gone reg'larly to work huntin' him up."
This information disturbed Dan Fernald not a little.
Although quite positive he was a match for any detective or policeman in
the city, Dan would have preferred to work on a case where there
appeared to be less danger. This affair of Joe's was growing more
serious each moment, and he who meddled with it might come to grief, but
yet never for a moment did Master Fernald think of abandoning his
friend.
"I'll do jest as I told him I would, no matter what kind of a scrape I
get into," he said, confidentially, to Tim and Jerry. "You fellers must
hang 'round here so's to find out all that's goin' on, an' be sure to
let me know if any more men come here searchin' for Joe."
"But you ain't goin' to stay in Weehawken?"
"Well, I guess not."
"Then how shall we know where to find you?"
"Look here, Jerry Hayes, if you ain't smart enough to find us three when
you know we're somewhere in Jersey, it ain't any kind of use for you to
try to be a detective, 'cause you'll never make one. You must come over
to Weehawken, an' get on our trail; then the rest of it will be easy
enough."
"I'd like to know how we're goin' to do that?"
"If I've got to explain every little thing, I might jest as well run
this case all by myself. Findin' a man when you don't know where he is,
is the first thing a detective has to learn, an' you'd better put in a
good part of your time studyin' it up. Now I'm goin' to see how much
money I can raise, an' 'long 'bout five o'clock you can count on my
sneakin' out of town."
While his friends were thus speculating, and working in what they
believed to be his behalf, Joe was spending a most wretched day.
Immediately after landing from the ferry-boat, he, carrying the princess
and followed by Plums, walked directly away from the river, believing
that by such a course he would the sooner arrive at the open country.
Now that he was really running away, his fears increased momentarily.
While in the city, it had seemed to him as if he could summon up
sufficient courage to surrender himself to those people, who most likely
wanted to commit him to prison; but having once begun the flight, all
his courage vanished,--he no longer even so much as dreamed of facing
the trouble.
The princess, well content with this morning stroll and the cake Joe
had given her, appeared willing to continue such form of amusement
indefinitely.
She laughed and crowed until the young guardian trembled lest she should
attract undue attention to him, and when, ceasing this, the little maid
poured some wondrous tale in his ear, his heart smote him, for he
believed she was urging to be taken home.
"I'll find your mother, baby darling, the very first thing after I get
out of this scrape; but there couldn't any one blame me for runnin' away
when the perlice are after me."
Plums was more discontented than alarmed during this journey. There was
altogether too much walking in it to please him, and Joe pushed ahead so
rapidly that he nearly lost his breath trying to keep pace with him.
"If you go on this way much longer I'll have to give the thing up," he
said, in despair, when they were a mile or more from the ferry-slip.
"But you surely ought to walk as fast as I can when I am carrying the
princess."
"Perhaps I ought'er, but I can't. I'm pretty near knocked out of time
already. Why not slack up a little now, we're so far from the city?"
"I don't dare to, Plums. We haven't gone any distance yet, an' jest as
likely as not the perlice here have had orders to stop us. Do the best
you can a spell longer, an' perhaps we can find a place to hide in till
you get rested."
Master Plummer made no reply; but his companion could readily see that
he was suffering severely from such unusual exertions. His fat face was
of a deep crimson hue; tiny streams of perspiration ran down his cheeks,
and he breathed like one affected with the asthma.
There was little need for Master Plummer to explain that a halt would
soon be necessary, for this Joe understood after but one glance at the
unhappy-looking boy.
The princess's guardian had hoped they might gain the forest, where it
would be possible to hide, or at the least find a small thicket of trees
or bushes; but as yet there were dwellings on every hand, and each
instant the sun was sending down more fervent rays.
At the expiration of an additional ten minutes Plums gave up the
struggle by saying, despondently:
"It's no use, Joe, I couldn't keep on my feet half an hour longer, to
save the lives of all hands. S'posin' you leave me here, an' go on by
yourself? That will be better than for both of us to be arrested."
"I'm not sich a chump as to do anything of that kind, old man. You got
into this trouble through tryin' to help me, an' I'll stay right side of
you till it's over."
"But it ain't safe to hang 'round here."
"I know it; yet what else can we do? We're bound to take the chances,
an' I'm goin' to stop at one of these houses."
Master Plummer appeared thoroughly alarmed, yet he made no protest
against the proposed plan.
At that moment imprisonment had less horrors for him than such severe
exertions.
Joe's greatest fear was that, while asking for shelter, he would be
forced to explain why he was taking the princess with him for a long
tramp, when the day was so warm; and, dangerous though such a course
might be, he was resolved to tell only the truth.
"If I can't get through without lyin', I'll go to jail, an' take my
medicine like a man," he said to himself, and once this resolve had been
made he stopped in front of the nearest dwelling.
His timid knock at the door was answered by a motherly-looking German
woman, who appeared surprised at seeing the visitors.
"If we'll pay whatever you think is right, may we come in an' stay a
little while?" Joe asked, falteringly. "It's awful hot, an' the princess
must be tired."
"Kannst du kein deutch sprechen?"
Joe looked at her in bewilderment, and Plums said in a whisper:
"She talks a good deal the way the princess does. I guess the kid must
know what she says."
"We want to come in for a little while, an' are willin' to pay you for
it," Joe repeated, and the old lady shook her head doubtfully as she
leaned over and kissed the princess squarely on the mouth.
"Ich kann nicht Englisch sprechen."
As she spoke, the good woman gave Joe a smile which went far towards
reassuring him, and he in turn shook his head.
"I guess we'll have to give it up," Plums said, mournfully. "It's too
bad, for she must be a real good kind of an old woman, or she wouldn't
have kissed the princess."
Joe hesitated an instant, and had half turned to go when the old lady
stretched out her hands towards the child, who immediately displayed a
very decided desire to forsake the boy who had ministered to her wants
so devotedly during the past twelve or fifteen hours.
"Komme herein aus der hitze."
This was said with a gesture which could not be misunderstood, as the
old lady took the princess in her arms; and Joe followed without
hesitation, Master Plummer saying, meanwhile:
"If she can't talk United States, an' that seems to be about the size of
it, there ain't any chance she can tell where we are. It's mighty lucky
we struck her, 'cordin' to my way of thinkin'."
Joe was of the same opinion, when the old lady ushered them into a
cleanly but scantily furnished room, so darkened as to make it seem cool
by comparison with the scorching rays of the sun on the pavements, and
then gave her undivided attention to the baby.
She took off the child's hat and cloak, and, carrying her into an
adjoining room, bathed her face and hands, much to the delight of the
princess.
"I'd 'a' washed her up this mornin' if I hadn't been 'fraid she'd get
mad about it," Joe said, regretting most sincerely that he had not
attended to the little maiden's toilet in a proper manner.
"What's the good? Old Mis' Carter says dirt makes children healthy, an'
if that's straight I should say your princess needs a couple of quarts
to put her in trim."
[Illustration: "'MAY WE COME IN AN' STAY A LITTLE WHILE?'"]
"She ain't like Mis' Carter's kids, so what's the use to keep throwin'
them up all the time. Say, Plums, look at the old woman now! Why didn't
I think of cuddlin' the princess in that style?"
Their hostess, having made the little maid more presentable, gathered
the child to her breast, as she rocked to and fro in a capacious
armchair, singing a lullaby, which speedily closed the two brown eyes in
slumber.
"I shouldn't feel very bad if the old woman served me in the same way,"
Master Plummer said, with a long-drawn sigh, as he straightened himself
up in the wooden chair. "I'd rather lay right down on the floor an' go
to sleep than do anything else I know of."
"But you mustn't, Plums, you mustn't," Joe whispered, nervously. "If you
should do anything like that she'd think we was more'n half fools, both
of us."
"Seid ihr kinder hungrich?"
The old lady spoke so abruptly that the boys started as if in alarm,
both looking at her with such a puzzled expression on their faces that
she must have known they failed to understand the question.
"Perhaps she thinks we can't pay our way," Plums whispered. "You might
let her know we've got money, even if you can't do anything better."
Joe acted upon the suggestion at once by taking several coins from his
pocket, holding them towards the old lady.
She shook her head and smiled cheerily. Then, laying the princess on a
chintz-covered couch without disturbing the child's slumbers, she left
the room.
Again was Master Potter surprised by the apparently careless, yet deft
manner in which she handled the child, and he said, in a tone of
admiration to his friend:
"Don't it jest knock your eye out to see the way she fools with the
princess, an' yet the little thing seems to like it? If I'd done half as
much as that she'd be screechin' blue murder by this time."
"Women know how to take care of kids better'n boys do, though I ain't
any slouch at it, 'cause I've tried it so many times down to Mis'
Carter's."
"I notice you couldn't stop her from cryin' last night."
"I didn't try, did I? Perhaps if you hadn't sent me racin' all over the
city for milk I might'er done somethin'."
This conversation was interrupted by the German lady, who returned,
bringing two plates, one of which was heaped high with seed-cakes, and
the other filled with generous slices of boiled ham.
If a boy's mouth ever did water, Plums was in that peculiar condition
just at that moment.
Alarmed by the news which Dan Fernald brought, he had, for perhaps the
first time in his life, forgotten to eat breakfast, and nothing could
have been more welcome in his eyes than this plentiful supply of food.
"Better pay her for it," he whispered to Joe, "an' then she'll be likely
to bring on more. I could eat all she's got there, an' not half try."
Joe did as his companion wished; but the old lady positively refused to
take the money until the boy urged her in dumb show, when, with the air
of one who complies with a request against her will, she took from
Master Potter's outstretched hand a dime.
Plums had not waited for this business to be finished before he began
the attack, and when Joe turned he saw that his comrade had assumed a
position of supreme content, with three seed-cakes in one hand, and a
large slice of ham in the other.
"You're awfully good to us, an' I wish you'd taken more money," Joe
said, as he helped himself to a small portion of the food, knowing, even
as he spoke, that his words would not be understood.
The old lady smiled, and went out of the room again, returning almost
immediately with a glass of water and more ham, much to Master Plummer's
satisfaction.
"I guess we're fixed jest about as well as we could be, an' it'll pay us
to hang on here till Dan comes over. This beats walkin' 'round the
streets."
"Perhaps she wouldn't like it if we stayed a great while," Joe
suggested.
"Well, s'posin' she shouldn't? So long's she can't talk United States
there's no chance of her turnin' us out, or tellin' where we are."
"Would you stay here when you thought she didn't want us?"
"I'd stay in most any place where we was strikin' it as rich as we are
jest now," and then Master Plummer ceased speaking, in order that he
might give more attention to this unexpected meal.
CHAPTER VI.
DAN, THE DETECTIVE.
It was sunset, and Master Plummer stood at the ferry-slip in Weehawken,
awaiting the coming of Dan, the detective.
Much against his will had the fat boy left the home of the German lady
to set out on this long tramp. He understood that it would not be safe
for Joe to come out of hiding, and, because of the arrangements made by
Dan in the morning, it was absolutely necessary some one should meet the
amateur detective at the ferry-slip.
Hence it was that Master Plummer was loitering around just outside the
gate, keeping a close watch upon all who came from the boat, and on the
alert for anything bearing the resemblance of a blue coat with brass
buttons.
Dan Fernald, believing that a detective who knew his business would not
make a single movement without a certain attendant mystery, had decided
it was not safe for him to leave New York in the daytime, and therefore
Plums's time of waiting was exceedingly long.
Not until eight o'clock did Dan appear; and then, instead of answering
his friend's hail, he marched gravely out through the gate, crossed the
street, and, during several seconds, stood peering first to the right
and then the left, while from the opposite side Plums looked at him in
bewilderment.
Master Plummer had spoken to his friend, but received no reply; had
followed a certain distance without being apparently recognised, and
stopped in bewilderment when Dan indulged in these curious antics.
Finally the fat boy grew impatient, and, crossing the street, asked,
sharply:
"What's the matter with you, anyhow, Dan?"
Master Fernald glanced at his friend only sufficiently long to wink in a
most mysterious fashion, and then, turning quickly around, marched
gravely up the street without speaking.
Plums watched in anxiety until, seeing his friend dart into a doorway,
it suddenly dawned upon him that Dan was desirous of avoiding a too
public interview.
Then Plums hastened after him, muttering to himself:
"That feller thinks he's awful smart, scrimpin' an' scrapin' 'round here
as if there was a dozen perlicemen right on his track. If he'd go on
about his business nobody'd notice him; but when he's kitin' 'round in
this fashion folks are bound to wonder what's the matter."
On arriving at the doorway, he looked in, but without seeing any one,
because of the gloom.
Thinking he had made a mistake, Plums would have hurried on, but for a
hoarse whisper which came from out the darkness.
"Come in here, quick! Don't stand there where everybody'll tumble to who
you are."
Plums obeyed immediately, as was his custom when any one spoke harshly,
and Dan seized him by the arm.
"Keep quiet, now, whatever you do, 'cause I wouldn't be s'prised if
more'n a dozen cops followed me over on the boat."
"I didn't see any," Plums replied, in astonishment.
"That's 'cause you didn't keep your eye peeled. Of course they wouldn't
try to get on my track while they was dressed in uniform. I saw one I
felt certain about; he was disguised like a truckman, an' drivin' a
team, but he couldn't fool me."
"Do they know where Joe an' I are?"
"I don't think so; but jest as soon as I left the town they was bound to
have their eyes open mighty wide, 'cause I guess it must be known up to
perlice headquarters that I'm in on this case. Where's Joe?"
Master Plummer told the amateur detective of the very pleasant refuge
they had found, and concluded by saying:
"First off we couldn't talk with the old woman at all; but at
dinner-time a kid about half as big as me, what calls her 'grandmarm,'
come home, an' he knew how to talk United States. Little as he was, he
could chin in the old woman's lingo as fast as she. That fixed things
for us. Joe said he was out lookin' for work, which is the dead truth
when you come to that, an' made a trade for us to stay there a couple of
days. I was 'fraid they'd ask about the princess, but it seems like they
didn't. They thought she belonged to us straight enough, so it's been
all plain sailin'."
"I didn't get over here any too soon, if you fellers have gone to
stoppin' at a house."
"But why shouldn't we, when we found one like that where they'll take us
in mighty cheap? An' say, that old woman is the boss cook!"
"An' she'll get in jail, too, if you keep on this way. Here's you an'
Joe advertised for by the lawyers, an' yet are sich chumps as to settle
right down where the detectives will get on to you the very first
thing."
"I ain't been advertised for."
"Well, that's where you make a mistake, Master Smartie. Perhaps you
haven't seen the evenin' papers."
"What's in them?" Plums cried, in a tone of alarm.
"Pretty much the same as what you saw in the _Herald_ this mornin', only
that they're offerin' to pay for any news of Joe Potter an' a feller
what's called 'Plums.'"
"Do you mean that, Dan? Are they really advertisin' for me?" Master
Plummer asked, in a tone of terror.
"That's what they're doin', an' the way the cops are chasin' 'round town
huntin' up bootblacks an' newsboys is a caution. Three different ones
asked Jerry Hayes if he knew you or Joe; but you can bet they didn't
find out very much. Jerry's sharp enough to keep his mouth shut."
"But what do they want me for? What have I done?"
"I reckon it's 'cause Joe slept at your house. Now the only safe thing
is for us to strike off into the country as quick as we know how. We've
got to walk all night before we so much as think of stoppin'."
"But what about the princess? We can't make that little thing travel
from post to pillar."
"If Joe Potter hadn't been a fool he'd left her in town. It jest makes
my blood boil when I think of his havin' a kid taggin' 'round after him,
an' every detective in New York on his track!"
"I don't believe he'd be willin' to leave the princess, not even if he
knew he was goin' to be 'rested the next minute."
"He's got to, or I'll throw up the job of tryin' to save him. Now we'll
go up to this Dutch woman's house that you've been talkin' 'bout, an'
snake him out. All I hope is we'll get away in time."
Master Plummer turned to walk out of the hallway in obedience to this
command, when Dan, clutching him by the arm, brought the boy to a sudden
standstill.
"What kind of a way is that to go out when the streets are full of
detectives huntin' after you?"
"How else can I go?" Plums asked, in surprise.
"I'll show you. Watch out on what I do, an' act the very same way. I'll
go on one side of the street, an' you on the other, so's folks sha'n't
know we're together."
Master Plummer was puzzled to understand why it might work them mischief
if the public knew they were acquainted with each other; but Dan was so
peremptory in his commands that the boy did not venture to ask a
question.
Then Master Fernald went out from the hallway, in what he evidently
believed was the most approved detective fashion of walking, and, as
Plums confidentially told Joe later, "he acted like he was a
jumpin'-jack, with some one pullin' the string mighty hard."
The two went slowly up the street, one on either side, and such of the
citizens of Weehawken who saw them were mystified by their singular
method of proceeding.
Dan quieted down somewhat after half an hour had passed, for no slight
amount of labour was required to continue the supposed detective manner
of walking, and, before arriving at the house where Joe had taken
refuge, he behaved very nearly like other and more sensible boys.
"No, I won't go in," he said, decidedly, when Plums proposed that he
call upon the old lady. "You don't catch me showin' myself 'round this
place any more'n I can help, 'cause there's no tellin' when the perlice
will be here askin' questions, an' I'm goin' to steer clear of trouble."
"Shall I tell Joe to come out?" Plums asked, timidly, for Dan's superior
wisdom awed him.
"Of course, else how can I see him? Don't let that kid tag on behind,
for it's mighty dangerous to be on the street with her. That
advertisement about you had in it that you was last seen with a little
girl."
Master Plummer entered the dwelling, and Dan paced to and fro on the
sidewalk, with a consequential air, until Joe appeared.
"Why don't you come in?" the latter asked. "Mrs. Weber--that's the name
of the lady who owns the house--is mighty nice, even if you can't talk
to her."
"I ain't so foolish as to show myself in such places, an' you ought'er
let your head be cut off before takin' all these chances."
"But we couldn't keep the princess out-of-doors from mornin' till night,
an'--"
"That's what's makin' all the trouble, Joe Potter. If you hadn't brought
the kid along we'd get through this scrape in good style."
"But I couldn't have left her in Plums's shanty alone."
"It was a fool business pickin' her up in the first place, 'cause if you
never'd done it, them lawyers couldn't say you had a kid with you.
That's the very best way they have to let folks know who you are.
Anyhow, you've got to give her the dead shake now, if you want me to
keep hold of this case."
"Then I'll have to get along the best I can without you, for I won't run
away from a poor little baby, who counts on my findin' her folks."
Joe spoke so decidedly that the amateur detective understood he could
not easily be turned from his purpose, and Master Fernald was
astonished. He had supposed that his threat to "drop the case" would
have reduced the unfortunate merchant to submission, and it seemed
little less than madness for Joe and Plums to continue the flight
without the guiding hand of one so wise as himself.
"Of course, if you don't want me, that settles it," he said, sulkily. "I
ain't throwin' my time away when folks had rather I wasn't 'round; but
you'll get into a heap of trouble without somebody what knows the ropes,
to steer you."
"I would like to have you with us, Dan; but I won't leave that poor
little princess when she needs me so much."
"But how you goin' to fix it nights? We've got to sleep outdoors mostly
all the time, an' she'd soon get wore up with that kind of knockin'
'round."
"Why must we sleep outdoors?"
Dan explained that the search for the supposed criminal was to be
prosecuted with such vigour that even Master Plummer was included in the
advertisements, which piece of news both alarmed and mystified Joe.
"What are they after him for? Does anybody claim he's been goin'
crooked?"
"I s'pose it's 'cause he let you sleep in his shanty. You see, Joe, the
lawyers are bound to nab you if the thing can be done, an' you've got to
give up sleepin' in houses. It might work once or twice; but you'd be
sure to run across somebody what had read the papers, an' then you'd
find yourself an' the princess in jail mighty quick. The evenin' papers
said a large reward would be paid, an' perhaps, by mornin', they'll
raise the price to as much as ten dollars."
It can well be understood how disturbed in mind Joe was at learning that
his enemies were so eager to capture him; but yet he had no intention of
abandoning the princess, until Plums made a suggestion which seemed like
an exceedingly happy one.
"Why not pay old Mis' Weber somethin' to take care of her for two or
three days?" he asked. "The little thing would get along a good deal
better with a woman, an' we can sneak back here once in awhile to make
certain she's all right. I don't believe them lawyers will spend very
much more money huntin' for us, 'cause we ain't worth it, no matter what
we've done."
"That's the very best snap you could fix up!" Dan cried, approvingly.
"I'd been thinkin' of somethin' like that myself; but didn't have time
to tell you about it. I've got more'n two dollars that I borrowed to
help you fellers through with this scrape, an' that ought'er be a good
deal more'n enough to keep her till we can earn more."
Joe understood that it would be to the princess's advantage if he left
her with the kind old German lady, and at once decided in favour of the
plan.
Never for a moment did he fancy they might be as safe in this house as
anywhere else, but firmly believed a continuation of the flight was
absolutely necessary, as Dan had announced.
"I'll see what Mis' Weber says about it, an' if she's willin', we'll go
right away."
"Don't stay in there all night chinnin', 'cause it's mighty dangerous
for us to be hangin' 'round here," Dan called after him as he entered
the dwelling, and Joe hastened the matter as much as possible.
The princess was in bed sleeping quietly, and looking, as Plums
expressed it, "fit to eat." Mrs. Weber's grandson was ready to act as
interpreter, and in a few moments Joe had made the proposition.
The good woman asked no questions concerning the parents of the child it
was proposed she should keep, and her silence on this point may have
been due to the fact that, even with her grandson's aid, it was
difficult to understand all the boys said.
She was willing to take the princess for a week, but not longer, and
decided that one dollar would repay her for the labour.
"Tell your grandmother we'll make the trade," Joe said, quickly,
delighted because the sum named was so much less than he expected. "I'll
be back here in two days at the longest, an' she's to take the very best
care of the little thing."
"Granny would be kind even to a mouse," Master Weber replied, with an
air of pride, and Joe added, promptly:
"I ought'er know as much by this time, an' if I didn't, the princess
wouldn't be left with her. That poor little swell hasn't got anybody to
look out for her but me, till we find her folks, an' I ain't takin'
chances of her comin' to harm. Here's the dollar, an' you tell your
granny I'll be back by the day after to-morrer if all the cops in New
York are close after me."
The little German boy looked up in perplexity, for he failed to
understand the greater portion of what Joe had said, and the latter was
in too great a hurry to heed the fact.
A shrill whistle from the outside told that detective Dan was growing
impatient, and Joe started towards the door, after seeing the old lady
take the money; but halted an instant later.
"Is there something more you want granny to do?" the German boy asked,
and Joe was at a loss for a reply.
"I was thinkin', perhaps,--if, course, it wouldn't make any difference
to your granny,--say, I'm goin' to sneak in an' kiss the princess!"
The boy nodded carelessly, but Joe made no effort to carry his threat
into execution.
Again the amateur detective whistled, and Master Potter stepped towards
the bedroom door, but halted before gaining it.
"Perhaps her folks wouldn't want a duffer like me doin' anything of that
kind," he muttered, and straightway walked out of the house as rapidly
as his legs would carry him, much as if he feared to remain longer lest
the temptation should be too great to resist.
"It begun to look as if you was goin' to stay all night," Dan said,
petulantly, when Joe appeared. "There's more'n a hundred people walked
past here, an' I'll bet some of 'em was huntin' for us; we've got to get
out of this place mighty lively, if you don't want to be chucked into
jail."
Plums looked so thoroughly terrified that Joe at once understood the
amateur detective had been frightening him by picturing improbable
dangers, and said, almost sharply:
"There's no use makin' this thing any worse than it really is."
"That can't be done, Joe Potter. You're in an awful scrape, an' don't
seem to know it."
"I wish I'd stood right up like a man till I'd found the princess's
folks, an' then gone to jail, if the lawyers are so set on puttin' me
there."
"What's comin' over you now?"
"I'm thinkin' of that poor little swell we've brought out here."
"She's a good deal better off than if you let her tag along behind."
"That may be; but I ought'er found her folks instead of runnin' away."
"Now, see here, Joe Potter, you're makin' a fool of yourself, an' all
about a kid what's goin' to have a soft snap while she stays here. Of
course if you want to be put into jail for two or three years, I won't
say another word, an' you can rush right straight back to the city."
"Don't stand here talkin'!" Plums cried, in an agony of apprehension.
"We've got to leave, else nobody knows what may happen!"
Dan seized Joe by the arm, literally forcing him onward, and the two who
were ignorant of having committed any crime continued the flight from
the officers of the law.
CHAPTER VII.
AUNT DORCAS.
When the three had set out from Mrs. Weber's home, the amateur detective
announced that no halt would be made until sunrise.
Joe, whose thoughts were with the princess, gave little heed to this
statement, if, indeed, he understood it, and Master Plummer had been so
terrified by Dan's positive assertion regarding the possibility of an
immediate arrest that he had failed to realise the labour which would be
required in thus prolonging the flight.
Before an hour passed, however, even the detective himself began to
think he might have made a rash statement, and Plums, unaccustomed to
such violent exercise, was well-nigh exhausted.
By this time Joe had come to understand what might be the result if
Dan's advice was followed implicitly, and this, together with the
knowledge that each moment he was increasing the distance between
himself and the princess, served to make him reckless.
"Look here, Dan Fernald," he said, coming to a second halt. "Let's talk
over this thing before we go any further."
"Perhaps you think we can afford to loaf 'round here," the amateur
detective said, sternly. "If you fellers want to keep your noses out of
jail, you'd best hump yourselves till daylight, an', even then, we won't
be far enough away."
"We're jest as far now as I'm goin'," and there was that in Joe's voice
which told his companion that he would not be persuaded into changing
his mind.
"What?" Dan screamed.
"That's all there is to it. I'll stop here, an' you fellers can keep on
if you like."
"But, Joe, if there was woods somewhere near I wouldn't say a word. How
can you hide where there's so many houses close 'round?"
"I don't count on hidin', 'cause I can't afford it. Even if them lawyers
get hold of me to-morrer mornin', I'm goin' to stop here."
"Right here in the road?" Plums asked, with less anxiety than he would
have shown an hour before, when he was not so tired.
"Well, I don't mean to say I'll camp down in the road. But you fellers
listen to me. If the detectives are out after us, an' I s'pose, of
course, they are, we sha'n't be any safer twenty miles away than in this
very spot. We've got to stop sometime, an' it may as well be now. I
promised to go back to see the princess in two days, an' I'll keep my
word."
"But where'll you stay all that time?" Dan asked, as if believing this
was a question which could not be satisfactorily answered.
"I don't know yet; but I'm thinkin' of goin' up to that house," and Joe
pointed to a tiny cottage, which in the gloom could be but dimly seen
amid a clump of trees. "There's a light in the window, so of course the
folks are awake. I'll ask 'em if they haven't got work enough about the
place sich as I could do to pay my board over one day, an' if they say
no, I'll try at the next house."
"You might as well go right into jail as do a thing like that," Dan
said, angrily.
"I ain't so sure but it would have been a good deal better if I had, for
by this time the princess would be with her folks, where she belongs."
"It seems to me you're terribly stuck on that kid."
"Well, what if I am!" and Joe spoke so sharply that Master Fernald did
not think it wise to make any reply.
During fully a moment the three stood silently in the road looking at
each other, and then Joe asked of Master Plummer:
"Will you come with me?"
The possibility of resting his tired limbs in a regular bed appealed
strongly to the fat boy, and, understanding that he was about to agree
to Joe's proposition, Dan said, gloomily:
"This is what a feller gets for tryin' to help you two out of a scrape.
I've kept the detectives away so far, an' now you're goin' to give me
the dead shake."
"There's no reason why you couldn't stay with us--"
"You won't catch me in a house for another month, anyhow."
[Illustration: "JOE POINTED TO A TINY COTTAGE."]
The argument which followed this announcement was not long, but
spirited.
Joe explained that it was his intention to remain in that vicinity, and
within forty-eight hours to return to Weehawken, according to the
promise he had made Mrs. Weber.
Dan continued to insist that it was in the highest degree dangerous to
loiter there, and professed to believe himself deeply injured, because,
after having "taken up the case" in such an energetic fashion, he was
probably in danger of arrest through having aided these two supposed
criminals.
Master Plummer had but little to say; the thought of walking all night
was nearly as painful as that of being imprisoned, and he was willing to
throw all the responsibility of a decision upon his friend.
Before ten minutes had passed, the matter was settled,--not
satisfactorily to all concerned, but as nearly so as could have been
expected.
Joe and Plums were to call at the cottage with the hope of finding
temporary employment, and the amateur detective was to conceal himself
in the vicinity as best he might, until he should be able to learn
something definite regarding the purpose of the lawyers who had
advertised.
When Joe, followed by Master Plummer, turned from the highway into the
lane which led to the cottage, the amateur detective scrambled over the
fence on the opposite side of the road, and scurried through the field
as if believing he was hotly pursued.
Not until they had arrived nearly at the house did Master Plummer make
any remark, and then he said, with a long-drawn sigh:
"Dan Fernald makes too much work out of his detective business to suit
me. I couldn't walk all night if it was to save me life."
"I don't believe there's any reason why we should, Plums. Because Dan
thinks the cops have followed us over to Weehawken doesn't make it so,
an' if we can't hide here, we can't anywhere, 'cordin' to my way of
thinkin'. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to go off so far that we can't
get back to the princess."
Then Joe advanced to the side door, and knocked gently, Plums
whispering, hoarsely, meanwhile:
"Be ready to skip, if you hear a dog. I've been told that folks out this
way keep reg'lar bloodhounds to scare away tramps."
"I ain't 'fraid of dogs as much as I am that the man who lives here will
run us off the place the first minute he sees our faces," Joe replied,
and at that instant the door was opened.
Holding a lamp high above her head, and peering out into the gloom as if
suffering from some defect of vision, stood a little woman, not very
much taller than Joe, whose wrinkled face told she had passed what is
termed the "middle age" of life.
Joe's surprise at seeing this tiny lady, when he had expected to be
confronted by a man, prevented him from speaking at once, and the small
woman asked, with mild curiosity:
"Whose children are you?"
This was a question Joe was not prepared to answer, and he stammered and
stuttered before being able to say:
"I don't know as we're anybody's, ma'am. You see we ain't got any place
to stop in for a day or two, an' thought perhaps a farmer lived here
what would have work we could do to pay for our board."
"Are you hungry, child?" the small woman asked, quickly, and, as it
seemed to Joe, anxiously.
"Not very much now, 'cause we've had a good supper; but we will be in
the mornin', you know."
And Master Plummer interrupted, as he pinched his companion's arm to
reduce him to silence:
"We've been walkin' a good while since then, an' it seems like I was
most starved."
"You poor child! Come right into the house, an' it'll be strange if I
can't find something to eat; though, to tell the truth, I didn't have
real good luck with this week's batch of bread; but if custard pie--"
"_If_ custard pie!" Master Plummer cried, ecstatically. "Why, I'd be
fixed great if I could have some!"
He was following the small woman as he spoke, and, after closing and
barring the outer door, the hostess ushered them into such a kitchen as
they had never seen before.
A spacious room, in which it seemed as if a hundred persons might have
found ample elbow-room, with a yellow, painted floor, on which not a
grain of dirt could be seen, and with numerous odd, stiff-looking
chairs ranged around the sides at regular intervals. At one end an
enormous fireplace, in front of which was a cook-stove actually
glittering with polish, and on the mantel behind it an array of shining
tins.
As seen from the road, in the gloom, the cottage had not appeared even
as large as this kitchen, and because of such fact the boys were more
surprised than they otherwise would have been.
Once in the room, where everything was so cleanly that, as Master
Plummer afterwards expressed it, "it come near givin' him a pain," the
boys stood awkwardly near the door, uncertain as to what might be
expected of them.
"You can sit right here while I get you something to eat," and the
hostess placed two chairs in front of a small table in one corner of the
room.
Master Plummer advanced eagerly, thinking only of the pleasure which was
about to be his, when the small lady exclaimed, as if in alarm:
"Mercy on us, child! You're tracking dust all over the floor. Go right
back into the entry, and wipe your feet."
Plums failed to see that he had soiled the floor to any extent, but both
he and Joe obeyed the command instantly, and while they were engaged in
what seemed to them useless labour, the small woman wiped carefully,
with a damp cloth, the dusty imprints of their shoes from the floor.
"I never had any experience in my own family with boys," the
odd-looking little woman said, half to herself, "and perhaps that's why
I don't understand 'em any better; but I never could make out why they
should be so reckless with dirt."
"I didn't think my shoes were so dusty when I come in, else I'd taken
them off," Joe said, apologetically. "You see, ma'am, we never saw a
floor as clean as this one."
This compliment was evidently pleasing, for the small woman looked up
kindly at her guests, and said, in a friendly tone:
"Don't call me 'ma'am,' child. I've been 'aunt Dorcas' to all the
children in this neighbourhood ever since I can remember, and anything
else doesn't sound natural."
"Do you want us to call you 'aunt Dorcas'?" Joe asked, in surprise, and
Plums winked gravely at his companion.
"Of course I do. Now, if your feet are clean, sit down, and I'll get the
pie."
The boys tiptoed their way to the table, as if by such method they would
be less liable to soil the floor, and aunt Dorcas, taking the lamp with
her, disappeared through a door which evidently led to the cellar,
leaving them in the darkness.
"Say, ain't this the greatest snap you ever struck?" Plums whispered.
"I'll bet aunt Dorcas is a dandy, an' if Dan Fernald knew what he's
missin', he'd jest about kick hisself black an' blue."
Master Plummer was still better satisfied with the situation when their
hostess returned with a large custard pie, which she placed on the
table, and immediately afterwards disappeared within the cellar-way
again.
"She's gone for more stuff!" Plums said, in a tone of delight. "If there
ain't too much work to be done 'round this place, I'd like to stay here
a year."
[Illustration: "SHE HAD A PLATE HEAPED HIGH WITH COOKIES."]
When aunt Dorcas entered the kitchen again, she had a plate heaped high
with cookies, on the top of which were three generous slices of cheese.
This collection was placed by the side of the pie; the odd little woman
brought plates, knives, and forks, and two napkins from the pantry,
and, having arranged everything in proper order, said, as she stood
facing the boys, with her head slightly inclined to one side, until to
Joe she presented much the appearance of a sparrow:
"If you can eat all there is here, I'll bring more, an' willingly.
Afterwards, we will talk about what is to be done for the night."
"I can eat an' talk, too, jest as well as not," Plums said, as he drew
the pie towards him.
Perhaps aunt Dorcas thought he intended to appropriate the whole to
himself, for she hurriedly cut it into four pieces, one of which she
placed on his plate.
From Plums's manner of beginning the feast, there was good reason to
believe he had told the truth when he said he was starving, and, as she
watched him, an expression of deepest sympathy came over aunt Dorcas's
face.
"It's too bad I haven't some meat to give you, child, for you must be
famishing."
"I'd rather have this," Plums replied, speaking with difficulty, because
of the fullness of his mouth, and it appeared to his hostess as if he
had no sooner begun on a quarter of the pie than it disappeared.
She gave the fat boy another section of the yellow dainty, watching him
like one fascinated, as he devoured it. Then Plums began an onslaught on
the cookies, after casting a wistful glance at the remaining quarter of
the pie.
Joe was ashamed because his companion ate so greedily, and kicked him,
under the table, as a warning that he restrain his appetite; but Master
Plummer failed to understand the signal, and ate all the more greedily,
because he believed Joe thought it time to bring the feast to a close.
"You mustn't think anything of his stuffin' hisself like this, ma'am,--I
mean, aunt Dorcas," Joe said, apologetically. "Plums always was the
biggest eater in New York, an' I guess he always will be."
"What did you call him?" aunt Dorcas asked.
"Plums was what I said. That ain't exactly his name, but it comes mighty
near to it. George H. Plummer is what he calls hisself when he wants to
be swell."
"I think 'George' sounds much better than 'Plums,'" aunt Dorcas said,
thoughtfully.
"Perhaps it does; but it don't fit him half so well."
Meanwhile, the subject of this conversation was industriously engaged
devouring the cookies, and one would have said that he had no interest
in anything else.
Aunt Dorcas stood looking questioningly at Joe, and, thinking he
understood that which was in her mind, he said:
"My name is Joe Potter. I used to keep a fruit-stand down on West
Street, in New York, till I busted up, an' then I found the princess,
but--"
Joe checked himself in time to preserve his secret. An instant later he
wished he had explained to aunt Dorcas why he was there, because of the
sympathy he read in her face.
The little woman waited a few seconds for him to continue, but, since
he remained silent, she asked, with mild curiosity:
"Who is the princess?"
"She's a swell little girl what's lost her folks, an' I'm takin' care of
her for a spell. Say, ma'am,--I mean, aunt Dorcas,--is there any work
Plums an' I can do to pay for a chance of stoppin' here over to-morrow?"
"I suppose I might find enough, Joseph, for there's always plenty to be
done around a place, no matter how small it is; but I'm not certain
you'd be strong enough to spade up the garden, and clear the drain, even
if you knew how. They say city boys are dreadful unhandy when it comes
to outdoor work."
"Jest you try us an' see!" Joe cried, with animation. "We ain't sich
chumps but that we know how to do most anything, after we've studied
over it a spell. Will you let us stay if we do work enough?"
"I surely ought to be willing to do that much for my fellow creatures,
Joseph, even though I get nothing in return; but I can't say it won't be
a trial for me to have two boys around the house after I've lived alone
so long. Martha, Mary, and I took care of this place, with the help of a
man in summer, a good many years after our parents died, and I suppose
we got fussy and old-maidish-like in our ways," aunt Dorcas said,
growing reminiscent. "Martha went home to heaven seven years ago in
September, and Mary followed her the next January. Since then I've been
alone, and it stands to reason I'm more old-maidish than ever; but I
hope I could keep two homeless boys twenty-four hours without
fretting."
Then aunt Dorcas crossed the room to the mantel, in order to light
another lamp, and Plums whispered, hoarsely:
"Say, Joe, what do you s'pose she put this clean towel here for? I've
got custard on it, an' I'm afraid that'll make her mad."
Joe unfolded his napkin inquisitively, and looked at it an instant
before he understood for what purpose it must have been intended.
Then, his cheeks reddening, he replied, in a low tone:
"She must have counted on our bein' willin' to wash our faces, but
didn't want to say so right out, so put the towels here to remind us,
an' I'm as ashamed as I can be 'cause I didn't think of it before."
The meal had come to an end, for the very good reason that there was
nothing more on the table to be eaten.
While aunt Dorcas was talking with Joe, Plums had slyly taken the last
remaining section of pie, having previously devoured the cookies and
cheese, and, with a long-drawn sigh of content, he replied to his
friend's remark by saying:
"I guess I couldn't eat any more if I'd washed my face a dozen times, so
it don't make much difference."
Joe arose from the table, and seated himself in one of the chairs which
were ranged precisely against the wall, Master Plummer following his
example.
Aunt Dorcas, having lighted the second lamp, said:
"I'll leave you boys here alone while I attend to making up a bed. You
could sleep in the spare-room, I suppose; but my best sheets are there,
and I don't just like to--Why, you didn't use the napkins!"
Joe's face was of a deep crimson hue, as he replied:
"If I'd seen any soap an' water I'd known what they meant; but it's been
so long since I was in a reg'lar house that I've kind'er forgot how to
behave."
Aunt Dorcas turned away quickly, and when she had left the room Plums
said, as he unbent from the awkward position he had at first assumed in
the straight chair:
"Dan Fernald ain't in this! He may be a mighty big detective, but he
slips up when it comes to hustlin' for these kind of snaps!"
"Aunt Dorcas is nice, ain't she?"
"She's a corker!"
"If the princess was only here we'd be jest about as snug as any two
fellers that could be found in this world."
"I'm going to give you the chamber over the kitchen; it is clean and
comfortable, but, of course, not as nice as the spare-room," aunt Dorcas
said, as she entered suddenly, causing Master Plummer to instantly
assume a less negligent attitude.
"Plums an' me ain't slept in a reg'lar bed for so long that a blanket
spread out on the floor would seem mighty good to us," Joe replied, and
the little woman held up both hands in astonishment.
"Haven't slept in a bed! Well, I've heard of the heathen in our midst,
but never believed I'd be brought in contact with them. How did
you--But, there, I won't ask questions to-night, when I know you must
be tired. We'll read a chapter, and then you can go to bed. I will wash
the dishes afterwards."
Reverentially the little woman took a well-worn Bible from the small
table beneath one of the windows, and while the two boys who were
fleeing from the officers of the law, as they believed, gazed at her in
wonderment and surprise, but not understanding that which they heard,
she read one of the psalms.
Then kneeling, she prayed in simple language which reached their hearts,
for the homeless ones within her gates.
Joe's eyes were moist when she rose to her feet, and Plums whispered, in
a voice choked with emotion:
"She's a daisy, that's what's the matter with her!"
CHAPTER VIII.
A HUNGRY DETECTIVE.
When aunt Dorcas had ushered the boys into the "room over the kitchen,"
and left them with a kindly "good night," they gazed around in such
astonishment as can best be depicted by Master Plummer's emphatic remark
shortly after the little woman went down-stairs.
"I've always thought swells had a pretty soft snap when they went to
bed; but I never counted on its bein' anything like this. Do you s'pose
she means for us to get right into that bed, an' muss it all up?"
Joe did not reply for several seconds, and then said, doubtfully:
"It seems as if that's what she must have meant, else why did she tell
about her best sheets bein' in the other room? I thought the old German
woman's house was mighty nice; but it wasn't a marker 'longside of this.
If the princess was only here!"
"You can bet I don't bother my head 'bout no princesses when I've got a
chance to crawl into that nest. I almost wish now I'd had sense enough
to use one of them towels we had on the table, 'cause my hands look
pretty dirty when you get 'em side of that sheet."
"Well, see this, Plums! If you'll believe it, here's a pitcher full of
water, an' soap, an' everything! Let's wash up now, will you?"
Ordinarily, Master Plummer would have met this suggestion with a decided
refusal; but, being surrounded as he was by so much luxury, it seemed
necessary he should do something in the way of celebrating.
It was not a very careful toilet which Plums made on this night, for he
was in too great a hurry to get between the lavender-scented sheets to
admit of spending much time on such needless work as washing his hands
and face; but he was more cleanly, and perhaps felt in a better
condition to enjoy the unusual luxury.
"Say, Joe, it's a mighty big pity we've got to go to sleep."
"Why?"
"'Cause we ought'er keep awake jest to know how much swellin' we're
doin'. I stopped at a Chatham Street lodgin'-house one night, when I was
feelin' kind of rich, an' thought the bed there was great; but it wasn't
a marker 'longside of this one. I shouldn't wonder if there were
feathers in it."
Joe was quite as well pleased with the surroundings as was his
companion; but he said less on the subject because his mind was fully
occupied with thoughts of the princess,--sad thoughts they were, for he
was beginning to believe he had been wickedly selfish in taking her away
from the place where her parents might have been found, simply to save
himself from arrest.
He fell asleep, however, quite as soon as did the boy on whose
conscience there was no burden, and neither of the fugitives were
conscious of anything more until aroused by a gentle tapping on the
chamber door, to hear aunt Dorcas say:
"It's five o'clock, children, and time all honest people were out of
bed."
"We're gettin' up now," Joe cried, and he was on his feet in an instant;
but Master Plummer lazily turned himself in the rest-inviting bed, as he
muttered:
"I don't see how it makes a feller honest to get up in the night when
he's out in the country where he hasn't got to go for the mornin'
papers, an' I guess I'll stay here a spell longer."
"You won't do anything of the kind," and Joe pulled the fat boy out of
bed so quickly that he had no time for resistance.
It was seldom Plums lost his temper; but now he was on the verge of
doing so because of having been thus forcibly taken from the most
comfortable resting-place he had ever known.
"Now, don't get on your ear," Joe said, soothingly. "Aunt Dorcas has
told us to get up, an' that settles it. We're bound to do jest as she
says, 'cause all these things are hers. It won't pay to turn rusty,
Plums, else we may find ourselves fired out before breakfast, an' I
_would_ like to stay till to-morrow."
"Don't you want to stop any longer than that?" and Master Plummer began
hurriedly to dress himself.
"'Course I'd like to; but you see I've got to go back to the old German
lady's in the mornin'."
"What good will that do? It ain't likely you can bring the princess
here."
"I know that as well as you do; but I promised to be there in two days,
an' I'm goin', so we won't have any talk about it."
Five minutes later, aunt Dorcas's guests were in the kitchen, where the
little woman was preparing a most appetising breakfast, and he would
have been a dull boy who did not understand that she must have been up
at least two hours before arousing her visitors.
"It ain't right for you to wait on us jest like we was reg'lar folks,
an' we ain't used to it," Joe said, in a tone of mild reproof. "Anything
would have been good enough for us to eat, without your gettin' up so
early an' workin' hard to cook it."
"Bless your heart, Joseph, I'm doing no more than if I was alone, except
perhaps there may be more victuals on the table. My appetite isn't as
hearty as it used to be; but I've got a pretty good idea how it is with
growing boys."
"You're mighty good to us, aunt Dorcas, an' I'll feel a heap better if
you'll give me some work to do before breakfast."
"I might have let you bring in the wood, if I'd thought; but I'm so
accustomed to doing such things for myself that it never came into my
mind. I wonder if you could split up a few kindlings? That is the most
trying part of keeping house alone, for whenever I strike a piece of
wood with an axe I never know whether it's going to break, or fly up and
hit me in the face."
"Of course we can do it. Where's the axe?"
Aunt Dorcas led the way to the shed, where was her summer's store of
wood, and before she returned to the kitchen Joe was causing the chips
to fly in a way which made the little woman's heart glad.
"It does me good to see you work, Joseph. I have always lived in mortal
terror of an axe; but you seem to know how to use one."
Joe earned his breakfast that morning fairly, and Plums appeared to
think he had done his full share by sitting on the saw-horse, watching
his comrade.
Then came the summons to breakfast, and Master Plummer was eyeing
greedily a particularly large roasted potato, which he intended to take
from the plate, if an opportunity presented itself, when aunt Dorcas
suddenly bent her head, and invoked a blessing on the food.
Plums kicked Joe, under the table, to express his surprise at this, to
him, singular proceeding, but, otherwise, behaved in a proper manner.
The meal was prolonged because of the fat boy's hearty appetite, and,
when it was finally brought to a close, Joe said, as he rose from the
table:
"Now, aunt Dorcas, if you'll show us something more to do I'll be glad,
'cause we've got to pay for what we've had, else it won't be a fair
shake."
"You boys may go out and look around the place until I do the dishes,
and then we will see what I am to set you about."
This was so nearly a request for them to leave the kitchen, that they
lost no time in obeying, and when they were in the open air Master
Plummer said, with an air of perplexity:
"She's a mighty fine woman, an' all that kind of thing; but I'd like to
know what she's hintin' at by leavin' them towels on the table; they was
both there jest the same's last night, even though she must have known
that we was washed up in great shape."
"I noticed 'em, but don't believe there's anything out of the way about
it. She's kind of funny, an' perhaps that's one of her queer spots."
Aunt Dorcas's property was not extensive, as the boys learned after
walking over it.
There was an orchard either side of the lane which led from the highway,
and, in the rear of the house, an acre of ground, which had been
cultivated at some time in the past.
The buildings consisted of the cottage itself, the wood-shed, a second
shed which might once have been used as a carriage-house, and a small
barn or stable.
By the time they had concluded their investigations, aunt Dorcas joined
them, and said, with an odd smile on her withered face:
"It isn't much of a farm, as farms go nowadays, boys, but it's my home,
and very dear to me. Mr. McArthur, one of the neighbours, cuts the grass
in the orchards, and pays me a little something for it. I usually have a
garden out here; but this year it was neglected, until now it seems too
late for early vegetables."
"It wouldn't take us long to chuck in a pile of seeds, if that's all
you want," and one to have seen Master Plummer, at that moment, would
have believed him the most energetic of boys.
After aunt Dorcas explained that it would be necessary to spade up the
ground, Plums's enthusiasm for gardening diminished; but Joe begged for
the privilege of showing what he could do, and the little woman supplied
them with such tools as she thought necessary.
"If you want to know about anything, come right up to the house. It is
baking-day with me, and I shall be busy in the kitchen until
dinner-time."
Then she left them, and Plums seated himself within the shadow of the
barn, explaining, as he did so, that perhaps it would be better if he
"kinder got the hang of the thing by seein' Joe work."
Eager to repay aunt Dorcas for her kindness, Joe Potter laboured
industriously, despite the blisters which soon appeared on his hands,
for half an hour or more, and then the two boys were startled by a
warning hiss, which apparently came from one end of the barn.
"There must be snakes 'round here!" and Plums sprang to his feet, in
alarm. "Jim Flannigan says they always hiss like that before they bite."
"Take hold of this spade for a little while, an' they won't bite you. It
seems to me I'm doin' all the work, an' I know you ate more'n your share
of the supper an' breakfast."
The hissing noise was heard again, and, as the two gazed in the
direction from which it came, the head of Dan, the detective, appeared
from behind the barn.
"What are you doin' there, tryin' to frighten us?" Plums asked,
indignantly. "Why didn't you come right up like a man? There's nobody
'round here but aunt Dorcas, an' she wouldn't hurt a fly."
The amateur detective rose slowly to his feet, looking displeased.
"You two are the most careless fellers I ever saw. Here's all the cops
in New York City out on your trail, an' you hollerin' fit to scare a
horse."
"S'posin' we are?" and Master Plummer spoke boldly. "S'posin' the road
was full of perlicemen, how could they see us while we're behind this
barn?"
"It don't make any difference whether they could or not. You've got to
mind your eye, if you want to keep out of jail, an' yellin' to me ain't
the way to do it. If the folks 'round here should know I was on this
case, jest as likely as not some of 'em would send word to the city, an'
then your game would be up."
Plums had lost faith in Dan's detective ability, because of the fact
that the latter had failed to take advantage of the opportunity to spend
the night in aunt Dorcas's home, therefore he replied, boldly, to his
friend's reproof:
"We're jest as safe here as we could be anywhere, an' I tell you what it
is, Dan, you ought'er seen the layout we had last night an' this
mornin'! Why, we slept in a bed that would make the tears come into your
eyes, it was so soft; an' talk 'bout spreads! You couldn't get a
breakfast down to McGinnis's restaurant, no matter how much you paid,
that would come up to what we had!"
"Yes, you fellers are takin' all the chances, an' I'm pretty nigh
starved to death. I haven't had so much as a smell of anything since
yesterday noon."
"You ought'er seen the custard pie aunt Dorcas put out before us last
night; thick as that!" and Plums measured on his finger the length of
three inches or more. "An' a crust that went to pieces in your mouth
like ice-cream."
"If I had a cold boiled potato I'd be mighty glad."
"We had a slat of hot roasted ones with nice butter on 'em, this
mornin'," Plums continued, as if it were his purpose to increase the
detective's hunger.
"I'd give a dime for a sandwich," Dan wailed, and Master Plummer
described the fresh bread and sweet boiled ham with which aunt Dorcas
had regaled them.
"Say, what's the use of tellin' 'bout what you've had, when I've been
fillin' up on wind? It only makes a feller feel worse. Why can't you
sneak in an' get something for me?"
Plums hesitated, as if willing to act upon his friend's suggestion, when
Joe said, sharply:
"Look here, Dan, I'm awful sorry if you're hungry; but Plums can't sneak
into aunt Dorcas's house an' get anything without her knowin' it, not
while I'm 'round. It seems kinder tough to ask her to put out more
stuff, after all we've had; but since you're starvin', we'll do it, an'
offer to pay for what you eat."
"You mean to tell her I'm here?"
"Of course. I wouldn't lie to her, not for any money."
"Then I'll have to starve," Dan replied, angrily, "for I wouldn't let
anybody know I was here while I'm tryin' to keep you fellers out of
jail. But--"
"Here comes aunt Dorcas now!" Plums exclaimed, as he turned towards the
house, and, in a twinkling, the amateur detective was screened from view
by the barn.
"I thought you boys might be hungry, working so hard, and I brought out
this plate of fresh doughnuts," the little woman said, as she placed on
the grass a dish covered with a napkin. "Mr. McArthur always likes a
bite of something when he is here, and it will do you good. How well you
have gotten along! I wouldn't have thought you could have spaded up so
much in such a short time."
Joe, feeling guilty, because he was keeping from aunt Dorcas the fact
that detective Dan was on the premises, was at a loss for a reply, but
Plums said, promptly:
"We'll be glad of 'em, aunt Dorcas, 'cause we're kinder tired jest now,"
and he would have begun to devour the doughnuts, but for a warning look
from his comrade.
"You must eat them while they are hot," aunt Dorcas said, gravely, and
Joe promised to do so as soon as he had finished a certain amount of
work.
Then the little woman went back to her cooking, and she had hardly
entered the dwelling before the amateur detective, with a hungry look in
his eyes, came out, hurriedly, from his hiding-place.
"Now you've got somethin' to eat without our lyin' about it, so pitch in
before aunt Dorcas comes back."
Dan did not need a second invitation, and an expression of deepest
regret came over Plums's face, as he watched the cakes disappear with
amazing rapidity.
"I guess I can stand it, now, till night," the detective said, in a tone
of relief, as the meal was brought to a close, because all the food had
been eaten.
"Are you countin' on stayin' 'round here?" Joe asked.
"Of course I am. How else would you fellers get out of the scrape, if I
didn't?"
"Now, look here, Dan, there's no sense in anything like that. You ain't
doin' any good, sneakin' 'round this house, 'cause, if the cops should
come, how could you prevent their luggin' us off?"
"There's a good many ways that I might pull you through," Master Fernald
replied, with an air of mystery. "If you knew as much about this
business as I do, you'd be mighty glad to have me stay, 'specially when
it ain't costin' you a cent."
"But I don't like to think of your bein' hungry, when it won't do the
least little bit of good. Take my advice, an' go right back to the
city."
"If I should do that, it wouldn't be two hours before you'd be in jail."
"We sha'n't go there any sooner if you leave us, an' it ain't jest
square to aunt Dorcas."
"You can't give me points on detective business, Joe Potter, an' I've
told the fellers in town that I'll look out for you. That's what I'll
do, whether you like it or not," and, after assuring himself, by
stalking to and fro and gazing in every direction, that there were no
enemies in the immediate vicinity, the amateur detective disappeared
around the corner of the barn.
"It's too bad for Dan to act the way he's doin'," Joe said, with a
long-drawn sigh. "I'm 'fraid, if aunt Dorcas gets a sight of him, we'll
have to clear out."
"I don't s'pose it would do any good to ask her to let him bunk in with
us, would it?" Plums said, hesitatingly.
"It would need big nerve, an', even if she was willin', he'd scare the
hair off her head talkin' 'bout lawyers an' detectives hoverin' 'round."
Then Joe continued his interrupted work, and Plums assisted him by
looking on, until the task was completed after which it became necessary
to ask for further instructions.
Although aunt Dorcas could not perform the labour herself, she knew how
gardening should be done, and under her directions, given during such
moments as she could safely leave the kitchen, the ground was prepared
in a proper manner by the time dinner had been made ready.
CHAPTER IX.
A FUGITIVE.
Plums enjoyed his dinner quite as much as if he had performed his full
share of the gardening, and, when the meal was concluded, there came
into his mind the thought that aunt Dorcas Milford's home was a most
pleasant abiding-place.
Even though he was, so to speak, in temporary exile, he was exceedingly
well content, save for the disagreeable fact that Joe had stated
positively he should go back to Weehawken on the following day.
It seemed as if the thoughts of both the guests were running in the same
channel, for Joe, after gazing a moment at aunt Dorcas's placid face,
gave vent to a sigh of regret, and then looked out of the window,
abstractedly.
"I s'pose we'd better get that garden planted this afternoon, if you've
got the seeds, aunt Dorcas, an' even then we sha'n't be payin' for what
we've had," Joe said, after a long pause, while the three yet remained
at the table.
"Perhaps it will be as well to wait until to-morrow, and give the newly
turned earth a chance to get warm," the little woman said.
"It seems as though we ought to do it to-day, if it would be jest as
well for the garden, 'cause we don't count on your keepin' us for ever;
an' after we leave here to-morrow it wouldn't be right to come back."
"I did think boys would be a dreadful nuisance around the house," aunt
Dorcas began, as if speaking to herself, "but somehow I've felt real
contented-like while you've been here, and it's a deal more cheerful
with three at the table than to sit down alone."
"It's the first time I was ever in a house like this," Joe added, in a
low tone. "It's awful nice, an' fellers what have a reg'lar home must be
mighty happy."
"Where did you live in the city?" aunt Dorcas asked, after a pause.
"I knocked 'round, mostly. Twice I've bunked with some other feller in a
room what we hired,--of course it wasn't anything like the one
up-stairs, but payin' so high for a bed was a little too rich for my
blood."
"But you had to sleep somewhere," aunt Dorcas suggested, her eyes
opening wider, as she gained an insight into a phase of life which was
novel to her.
The interest she displayed invited Joe's confidence, and he told her of
the life led by himself and his particular friends in a manner which
interested the little woman deeply.
It was not a story related for the purpose of exciting sympathy, but a
plain recital of facts, around which was woven no romance to soften the
hardships, and there were tears in aunt Dorcas's faded eyes when the boy
concluded.
"It seems wicked for me to be living alone in this house, when there are
human beings close at hand who haven't a roof to shelter them," the
little woman said, softly. "Why don't boys like you go out to the
country to work, instead of staying in the city, where you can hardly
keep soul and body together?"
"We couldn't do even that, if we turned farmers," Master Plummer
replied, quickly. "Nobody'd hire us."
"Why not?"
"I know of a feller what tried to get a job on a farm, an' he hung
'round the markets, askin' every man he met, but all of 'em told him
city boys was no good,--that it would take too long to break 'em in."
"But what's to prevent your getting a chance to work in a store, where
you could earn enough to pay your board?"
"I had a notion last year that I'd try that kind of work," Plums said,
slowly, "an' looked about a good bit for a job; but the fellers what
have got homes an' good clothes pick up them snaps, as I soon found out.
It seems like when you get into the business of sellin' papers, or
shinin', you can't do anything else."
"Selling papers, or what?" aunt Dorcas asked, with a perplexed
expression on her face.
"Shinin'; that's blackin' boots, you know. Here's Joe, he scraped
together seven dollars an' eighty-three cents, an' said to hisself that
he'd be a howlin' swell, so what does he do but start a fruit-stand down
on West Street, hire a clerk, an' go into the business in style. It
didn't take him more'n two months to bust up, an' now he ain't got
enough even to start in on sellin' papers, 'cause he spent it all on the
princess."
"Who is the princess?" aunt Dorcas asked, with animation.
"She's a kid what he picked up on the street."
"Oh!" and the little woman looked relieved. "I thought, last night, when
he spoke of the princess, that it was a child he meant."
"Why, didn't I tell you it was?"
"You said she was a kid."
"So she is, an' ain't that a child, or the next thing to it,--a girl?"
"Joseph, what does he mean? Who _is_ the princess?"
"She's a little girl, aunt Dorcas, who's lost her folks, an' I found her
in the street. She hadn't anywhere to go, so I had to take care of her,
'cause a bit of a thing like her couldn't stay outdoors all night,
same's a boy."
"And, even though having just failed in business, you took upon yourself
the care of a child?"
"I couldn't do anything else, aunt Dorcas. There she was, an' somebody
had to do it."
"You're a dear, good boy," and, leaning across the table, aunt Dorcas
patted one of Joe's hands, almost affectionately. "Where is the little
creature now?"
"We hired an old German woman down in Weehawken to take care of her for
a week, an' paid a dollar. You see the fellers lent us some cash when we
came away."
"But what made you leave, Joseph, if you were convinced it would be
impossible to earn any money in the country?"
"You see, we had to, when--"
Joe ceased speaking very suddenly. He could not bring himself to explain
to aunt Dorcas exactly why they had left New York, fearing lest she
would not believe him when he declared he was innocent of having
committed any crime, and it seemed to him it would be worse than any
ordinary lie to tell this kindly little woman that which was not
strictly true.
He hesitated, made several vain attempts at an explanation, and finally
said, his cheeks reddening with shame:
"I'd rather not tell you about that part of it, aunt Dorcas; but I
didn't do anything that wasn't jest straight, though all of 'em believe
I did."
The little woman thought she understood something of the situation, and,
once more caressing Joe's hand, said, kindly:
"I don't believe a boy who would try to help a child when he was in want
himself could do anything very wicked, Joseph. Sit right here while I do
the dishes, for that will give me a chance to think."
Then aunt Dorcas set about her household duties, while the boys remained
at the table, Plums sitting in such a position that he could gaze
through the window which overlooked the lane.
After five minutes or more had passed, during which time the silence had
been broken only by the rattling of dishes, aunt Dorcas asked,
abruptly:
"If you paid the child's board for a week, why do you feel that you must
go there to-morrow?"
"Because I promised Mis' Weber I'd come, an', besides, I want to make
certain the princess is all right."
Aunt Dorcas gave her undivided attention to the dishes once more, and
Joe was looking straight before him, but without seeing anything, for
his thoughts were of the advertisements which had made him a wanderer,
when he became aware of the singular gestures in which Master Plummer
was indulging.
It was some time before Joe understood that his comrade wanted him to
look out of the window, and when he did realise this fact sufficiently
to do as Plums wished, he saw that which disturbed him not a little.
Dan was making his way up the lane from the road in the same ridiculous
fashion which he appeared to think necessary a detective should employ,
and Joe was positive aunt Dorcas would be seriously alarmed, if she saw
Master Fernald indulging in such antics.
"Go out, Plums, an' make that bloomin' idjut keep away," he whispered to
his comrade. "I won't have him dancin' 'round here in that style, an' if
he does very much more of it I'll tell aunt Dorcas the whole story. I'd
rather be arrested ten times over than have her scared 'most to death."
It was evident this was not a mission which pleased Master Plummer, for
he feared to incur the anger of one who professed to be so powerful, and
he asked, tremulously:
"S'posin' he says the same thing he did this forenoon?"
"Tell him to go back to the city, or I'll make it my business to send a
reg'lar detective here to fix things up."
"If he gets mad, Joe, there's no knowin' what he might do."
"He sha'n't stay 'round here, an' that settles it; tell him I said so,
an' I mean it."
Plums stole softly out of the kitchen, but aunt Dorcas was so intent on
her thoughts that he might have made very much noise without attracting
her attention.
Looking through the window, Joe could see Plums as he performed his
mission, and, judging from the gestures in which the amateur detective
indulged, it was quite evident he was displeased at receiving such a
command.
After conversing together a short time, the two climbed over the fence,
and disappeared in the orchard, going, as Joe believed, towards the
barn.
The threat had failed of immediate effect, and there came into Joe's
mind the thought that it was necessary he go out to make it more
emphatic, when aunt Dorcas, having finished the work in hand, seated
herself by the boy's side as if for a chat.
"Where is George?" she asked, and Joe looked about him in astonishment,
not recognising the name for an instant. Then, finally understanding to
whom she referred, he explained that Plums had gone out for a few
moments, and proposed to summon him.
"There is no need of that, for it is with you I want to talk. I've been
thinking about that little child, Joseph, and wondering what you could
do with her. You said the German woman had promised to keep her only a
week."
"Yes, aunt Dorcas, and I was in hopes by that time I could go back to
New York."
"What will you do to-morrow, after you have seen her?"
"Jest hang 'round, I s'pose. I've got to go, 'cause I promised, an'
then, ag'in, it ain't right to leave the princess alone so long. I don't
know but what she's frettin'."
"How old is she, Joseph?"
"Not more'n six or seven years; but she can't talk."
"Then she must be much younger than you think."
"Well, perhaps she ain't more'n a year old; I don't know much about
kids, anyhow."
"It seems as if my duty was plain in this case," aunt Dorcas said,
solemnly. "The little property I've got is enough to take care of me,
with economy; but surely a child wouldn't be very much expense, an' if
you'd do what you could towards helpin', I believe I'd say that she
might be brought here. It's a great responsibility; but if a woman like
me turns a deaf ear to such a story as you have told, it is almost a
crime. There's that poor child without father, or mother, or home, and I
have no right to fold my hands in idleness."
Joe was about to explain that he hoped soon to find the princess's
parents, for aunt Dorcas's words sounded much as if she believed the
child to be an orphan; but, before he could speak, the little woman
said, emphatically:
"You shall bring her here, Joseph, and I rely upon you to help me take
care of her."
"Of course I'll promise that, aunt Dorcas, an' I'll do my best to find a
job somewhere near here, so I can come over evenings."
"But I'm depending on your staying here, Joseph."
"Do you mean for me to live in this house till I can go back to New
York?" and Joe looked bewildered.
"Certainly; I shouldn't think of trying to take care of a child and do
my housework at the same time, even though there isn't a great deal to
be done. You see I'm not accustomed to children, an' wouldn't be as
handy as some other people."
"But, aunt Dorcas, you can't afford to have two big chumps like Plums
an' me livin' on you."
"We'll do all that lies in our power. If you and George are industrious,
you can do considerable gardening, and the vegetables you raise will go
a long ways towards our living."
"You're awful good, aunt Dorcas,--you're the best woman I ever saw, an'
I wouldn't think of hangin' 'round here if I couldn't do somethin'
more'n run that little bit of a garden. Things will get straightened
out, after a spell, an' then I can go back to town, where I'm certain of
earnin' money."
Again Joe was on the point of explaining that it was his duty to make
search for the princess's parents at the earliest possible moment, but
aunt Dorcas, fancying she understood the entire matter thoroughly,
checked him by saying:
"We won't talk any more about it now, Joseph. Wait until the experiment
has been tried, and then we shall know better how to make our
arrangements. You're going to Weehawken in the morning?"
"That's what I counted on."
"But how can you get the child out here? It is three or four miles,
Joseph."
"I'd walk twice that far, an' carry the princess all the way, for the
sake of havin' her where I am."
Aunt Dorcas was not satisfied with this arrangement; but she could think
of nothing better just then, and appeared determined there should be no
further discussion on the subject.
"We'll go into the garden and finish the task there. I don't suppose it
is anything more than one of Mr. McArthur's whims to let the upturned
ground remain twenty-four hours before putting the seed in; and even if
it is necessary, we can't afford to wait, because there won't be much
chance for such work after the baby is here."
While she was speaking, the little woman had been putting on her
sunbonnet, and Joe was seriously alarmed.
Unquestionably, detective Dan was in the vicinity of the garden, and,
not expecting aunt Dorcas to come out, neither he nor Plums would be on
the alert.
Joe knew that if Dan was brought face to face with the little woman,
without an opportunity of escape, he would boldly declare himself a
detective, and this would be sufficient to cause her anxiety, if not
alarm, for she could hardly be expected to know that he was a detective
only in his own mind.
"Let me go out and find Plums first," he said, hurriedly. "He ought'er
know what we're talkin' about, so if we don't get through with the work
to-night, he can finish it while I'm gone."
Without waiting for her to reply, lest she should insist on going with
him, Joe ran out-of-doors, and, as he had expected, found Dan Fernald
and Plums behind the barn.
"What did you come up here for, in the daytime, when anybody might have
seen you? I thought it wasn't safe to be hangin' 'round here."
"Well, it ain't; but you don't s'pose I'm goin' to starve to death, do
you?"
"Starve! Didn't you have somethin' to eat, this forenoon?"
"How long do you think I can stand it on four doughnuts? Here are you
fellers livin' high, an' I'm goin' 'round jest about ready to die."
"Well, that ain't our fault. I don't want to have a row with you, Dan,
'cause I s'pose you think you're helpin' us out. But I tell you you
ain't, an' carryin' on in this way only makes matters worse. Why can't
you go back to town an' leave us alone?"
"Why can't I? 'Cause I promised the fellers I'd see you through, an' I'm
goin' to do it. Besides, by this time folks know I'm on the case, an'
would arrest me 'bout as quick as they would you."
"Do you count on three of us livin' on one poor little old woman like
aunt Dorcas? Ain't you ashamed to hang 'round here when there's no need
of it, tryin' to make us steal something for you to eat?"
"There's no reason for your stealin'. I've been thinkin' over what Plums
said 'bout that bed, an' the custard pie, an' I don't see why I
shouldn't get my share. You could tell her I am your pardner, an' in
hard luck."
Now Joe was positively alarmed. If Master Fernald had made up his mind
that he desired to become an inmate of aunt Dorcas's family, he would
most likely do everything in his power to bring about such a result; and
the happiness which had been Joe's because the little woman had decided
to give the princess a temporary home, suddenly vanished.
Rather than ask aunt Dorcas to support three boys, as well as a child,
he would go his way alone, after telling her exactly the truth of the
matter.
"I'll loaf 'round here till 'long towards night, an' then I'll start up
to the house through the lane," Dan said, believing Joe did not dare
oppose him. "That'll give you a chance to tell her what hard luck I'm
in; an' lay it on as thick as you know how, so's she'll be willin' to
take me. Plum says this is about the softest snap he ever struck, an' I
want my share of it."
Joe remained silent while one might have counted ten, trying to restrain
his anger, and then he said, quietly, but firmly:
"Aunt Dorcas is too good a woman for us to beat in such a way as that,
an' I promise, Dan Fernald, that if you show your head on the lane
to-night, or try to come into the house, I'll first tell her the whole
thing, an' then go straight to the city. I ain't givin' you any fairy
story; I mean every word. There's no need of your starvin' 'round here,
'cause you can go back to town. The folks there don't think you're sich
an awful big detective that they're goin' to keep their eyes on you all
the time. I'll bet there ain't a single soul, except some of our crowd,
that know you've ever talked with us 'bout this."
Dan looked at his friend in mute astonishment. It seemed to him the
height of ingratitude that Joe Potter should thus threaten, when he had
made so many sacrifices to aid him in escaping from the officers of the
law.
More than all this was he hurt by the insinuation that his detective
ability was not of a high order, and in a very short time his
astonishment gave way to anger.
"You can put on as many airs as you want to, Joe Potter, an' we'll see
whether I'm a detective or not. I went 'round among the fellers
borrowin' money, didn't make any account of my own time, an' walked 'way
out here, jest to help you. Now I'm goin' to do as much the other way,
an' we'll see what'll happen between now an' to-morrow night! You'll be
in jail, that's where you'll be, an' Plums with you!"
"Here comes aunt Dorcas," Master Plummer whispered, hoarsely, and
instead of stalking away in a dignified fashion, as he had intended, the
amateur detective ran hurriedly around the corner of the barn to screen
himself from view of the little woman.
"We're in an awful mess now," Plums whispered to Joe. "It's a good deal
worse than it was before, 'cause Dan will do everything he's threatened,
an' we can count on seein' as many as a dozen perlicemen here before
to-morrer night."
Joe did not dare reply, for, by this time, aunt Dorcas was so near that
his words would have been overheard; but he appeared quite as disturbed
as did Master Plummer.
CHAPTER X.
THE JOURNEY.
Aunt Dorcas was so intent on the plans for the future which had just
been formed, that she failed to observe the constraint which had been
put upon the boys by her coming.
There was in the little woman's mind only speculations concerning the
proposed addition to her family, which she believed, owing to the fact
that Joe had not had an opportunity of making the proper explanation,
would be permanent, and in connection with this was the making of the
garden.
Therefore it was she set about directing the young workmen in her
customary manner, determined that no more time should be spent on the
task than was absolutely necessary.
Aunt Dorcas had brought with her a small basket containing many tiny
packages, each neatly tied and labelled, and she had her own opinion as
to where the different kinds of seeds should be sown.
"George, you make the hills for the potatoes, while Joseph and I plant
the sweet corn."
It was necessary for her to speak twice before Master Plummer realised
she was addressing him, so unfamiliar did the name sound, and when he
finally became aware of the fact, he asked, in a careless tone, as if
planting potatoes were work with which he was thoroughly conversant:
"How many hills do you want, aunt Dorcas, an' how big do they generally
run out this way?"
"Put in four rows, and there is no need of making them very large until
after the plants are up."
Then aunt Dorcas went with Joe to the opposite side of the garden, and,
intent on having the corn planted after a certain peculiar fashion of
her own, gave no heed to what Plums was doing, for ten minutes or more;
but when she did observe that young gentleman's method of working, a cry
of surprise and disapproval burst from her lips.
"Whatever are you doing, George?"
"Makin' these hills, of course," Plums replied, quietly, without ceasing
his work of shovelling the soft earth up into huge mounds, each of which
was twelve or fifteen times as large as it should have been.
"Well, bless the boy, he don't even know how to plant potatoes!" and the
little woman regarded the results of Master Plummer's labour in dismay.
"Weren't you ever on a farm, George?"
"I never was so far in the country as this before in my life," and Plums
wiped the perspiration from his flushed face; for, strange as it may
seem, he had, during these few moments, been working quite
industriously.
[Illustration: "'WELL, BLESS THE BOY, HE DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO PLANT
POTATOES!'"]
"You need a hoe instead of a shovel, and the hills should be made
something like these," aunt Dorcas said, as she pointed to where Joe,
thanks to her minute instructions, was performing his part of the task
in almost a workmanlike manner.
Plums would have grumbled when the little woman insisted on his
demolishing the grotesque mounds which had cost him so much labour, but
that he remembered how dependent he was upon aunt Dorcas for food and
shelter, and held his peace.
The remainder of the work done on this afternoon was performed under
aunt Dorcas's personal supervision, for she soon came to understand that
her assistants were absolutely ignorant of such tasks, and, if left to
their own devices, even for a few moments at a time, would succeed only
in making blunders.
Thanks to her patience and Joe's willingness, however, the garden was
planted before sunset, and Master Plummer did but a small share of the
labour. After his exploit in building miniature mountains for
potato-hills, he became discouraged, and aunt Dorcas soon realised that
the task would progress more rapidly if he acted the part of spectator,
instead of farmer.
"There is considerably more work to be done; but we must put it off
until morning, for it is time to get supper now. Can you boys build a
fire better than you can plant a garden?"
Joe ran on ahead, to show what he could do in that line, and Plums
walked painfully by the side of aunt Dorcas towards the house.
"Whatever makes you limp so, George?" the little woman asked,
solicitously, and Master Plummer replied, with a long-drawn sigh:
"I don't know, 'less it is I'm all tired out. You see I never did much
farmin' before, an' it kind er strains me."
"Do you think you've been doing any now?" and aunt Dorcas looked up at
the fat boy, with an odd twinkle in her eye.
"Ain't that what we've been doin'?"
"It's what Joseph and I have been about; but you were lying down most of
the time. George, can it be possible you are lazy?"
"Some of the fellers say I am; but that's 'cause they don't know. It
tires me all out to move 'round very much."
"You look as if you never had any very active exercise; but there's one
thing we have to be thankful for: there isn't an indolent bone in
Joseph's body. If I had seen any symptoms of it, I don't believe I
should have had the courage to make such a change in my way of living as
we have decided upon."
Plums quickened his pace; he understood, both from her words and her
manner of speaking, that the little woman had no sympathy for "tired"
people, and the thought came into his mind that it was possible he might
not long remain an inmate of the cottage unless he proved he could be of
some service.
When they entered the kitchen Joe was building a fire in such a manner
as met with aunt Dorcas's warmest approval, and the glance she bestowed
upon him told Master Plummer, even more strongly than her words had
done, that he must exert himself if he wished to enjoy what he had
believed was a "soft snap."
After supper, on this evening, aunt Dorcas took up her knitting, the
boys seated themselves near the window, where they could see Dan, the
detective, if he should be so bold as to come again after Joe's warning,
and the three discussed the journey which the princess was to make on
the following day.
Aunt Dorcas thought it would be only right for Mrs. Weber to return
five-sevenths of the money which had been paid her to take care of the
child for one week; but the boys were doubtful whether the old lady
would take the same view of the case.
"I'll be willin' enough to let her keep it, so long's I can have the
princess with me," Joe said, finally, and aunt Dorcas reproved him,
gently.
"Remember, Joseph, 'a penny saved is better than a penny earned,' and
you should never be careless about money matters. If the German woman
has boarded the child only two days, there is no reason why she should
be paid for seven."
"Except that we gave her the money at the start, and she may say there's
no need to take princess away till the week is ended," Plums suggested,
sagely, and aunt Dorcas brought the argument to a close by saying,
severely:
"If she insists on keeping the whole dollar, I shall never look upon her
as an honest woman."
On this evening aunt Dorcas read two chapters, instead of one, and her
prayer was nearly twice as long as on the night previous.
Then, as before, she accompanied the boys up-stairs, to make certain
everything in the chamber was in proper order, although it was already
scrupulously clean, and when, after having bidden them "good night,"
they heard her light footsteps as she descended the stairs, Joe said,
with an air of perplexity:
"I'm dead certain we don't do the right thing when she's prayin'."
"I didn't make any noise," Plums replied, indignantly.
"Course you didn't, else I'd thumped your head. I'd like to see the
feller that would kick up a row, or even so much as laugh while aunt
Dorcas was prayin'. What I mean is, that we ought'er do somethin',
instead of settin' up there like a couple of chumps, an' she on her
knees. Do you s'pose it would be right for us to kneel down when she
does?"
"I don't know. It couldn't do much harm, I s'pose, an' if you think it
would please her any better, why, I'm willin' to stay on my knees half a
day."
"We'll try it to-morrer night, and see how she takes it. Say, I've found
out what them towels are for. Aunt Dorcas had one side of her plate, an'
she wiped her mouth on it."
"Perhaps she didn't have a handkerchief."
"Now, look here, Plums, you don't s'pose that a woman what's so slick
an' clean as aunt Dorcas is would go 'round without a handkerchief, do
you?"
"It seems as though she must, if she used the towel; but that ain't
botherin' me half so much jest now as Dan Fernald is. I reckon he's
pretty near wild by this time, an' it would be a terrible thing if the
perlice should come an' drag us out of this place, wouldn't it?"
"I ain't afraid he'll kick up a row. That detective business is all in
his eye. He don't 'mount to any more'n Sim Jepson does, when it comes to
law matters."
"But he might do something for all that."
"If he does, it can't be helped. We'll know, whatever happens to us,
that princess has got a good home."
"Of course, there's somethin' in that; but, all the same, I'd rather
know _I_ was goin' to stay in a good one," and Master Plummer crept
between the lavender-scented sheets with an expression of most intense
satisfaction upon his face.
Day had but just dawned, when Joe Potter awakened after a long and
restful sleep.
"Come, turn out, Plums," he said, as he shook his friend roughly. "I'm
goin' down-stairs to build a fire for aunt Dorcas before she gets up,
an' you'd better come along. If we're goin' to eat her food an' sleep in
her bed, it stands us in hand to try to pay our way."
Master Plummer promised to get up in "two minutes" but the fire had been
built, and breakfast was nearly ready, when he made his appearance.
Aunt Dorcas had made no remark, when she came down-stairs and found Joe
performing such of the household duties as he was familiar with; but he
knew, by the expression on her face, that she was pleased, and this was
sufficient reward for having left the rest-inviting bed at such an early
hour.
According to the arrangements made on the previous evening, Joe was to
set out on his three-mile journey immediately after breakfast, and, as
soon as the meal was brought to a close, aunt Dorcas made up a
reasonably large parcel of seed-cakes and doughnuts, intended, as she
explained, to serve as lunch for the travellers.
"But I won't be hungry, aunt Dorcas, 'cause I'm about as full as I can
be, now, an' the princess couldn't eat all you've got there if she tried
for a week."
"I dare say you won't be sorry for taking it," and Joe made no further
protest.
Aunt Dorcas actually kissed him, much to his embarrassment, as he left
the house, and called after him, while he was yet in the lane:
"Don't try to make the child walk too far, Joseph, and be careful not to
carry her very long at a time. You've got plenty of food, even if you
shouldn't get back until nightfall, and it's better to go slowly than
overtax yourself."
Perhaps never before in his life had Joe Potter been cautioned against
undue exertion, and he fully appreciated the little woman's
solicitousness.
"If I was any kind of a feller, I'd turn to an' tell her the whole
story, but I don't dare to, for fear she'd believe I'd done somethin'
awful wicked, an' turn me out of the house. Of course it's got to come
some day, but it'll be tough,--mighty tough."
There was but little room for bitter thoughts in Joe's mind on this
June morning when it seemed good to be alive, and before he had
traversed half a mile he put far from him all forebodings, thinking only
of what he would do to add to the comfort of aunt Dorcas, and the
happiness of the princess.
There was in his mind a well-defined idea that it was his duty to search
for the child's parents, but he wholly failed to realise the mental
anguish which must be theirs while in ignorance of the baby's
whereabouts, and believed there was no especial reason why he should
inconvenience himself to find them.
"If she wasn't all right, it would be different," he said, arguing with
himself. "After we get her into aunt Dorcas's home, she couldn't be
fixed any better if she was living with the President, so of course her
folks won't fuss so awfully much about her."
He enjoyed this journey, because every step was bringing him nearer to
the princess, whose devoted slave he was, and the tramp of three miles
came to an end before he was conscious of having walked one-third of the
distance.
He had arrived within sight of Mrs. Weber's home, and was hoping to
catch a glimpse of the princess's curly head in the window, when some
one stepped deliberately in front of him, barring his passage.
"Hello, Dan, ain't you gone back to the city yet?" he cried, in
surprise, as he recognised the amateur detective.
"I started last night, an' if I'd got there, you an' Plums would be in
jail by this time; but I wasn't such a chump as to run right over
without findin' out if things had been goin' wrong. You think I don't
'mount to anything as a detective, eh? Well, jest look at this, an' see
what would have happened if I'd gone there same's you'd done!"
As he ceased speaking Dan handed his friend a copy of an evening paper,
folded in such a manner that a certain advertisement stood out
prominently.
Joe's face paled, as he read the following lines:
One hundred dollars will be paid for information concerning
the whereabouts of a fruit vendor known as Joseph Potter,
and two newsboys, one of whom answers to the nickname of
"Plums," and the other known as Dan Fernald. The above
reward will be paid to any one who will secure for the
undersigned an interview with either of the boys named.
Address Cushman & Morton, Attorneys at Law, 47-1/2 Pine
Street, New York.
As before, he failed to see immediately below this an advertisement
requesting information concerning a little girl who had strayed from the
Grand Central Depot, and offering one thousand dollars reward for the
same.
"You see I got myself into a scrape tryin' to help you through and how's
it turned out! You wouldn't so much as give me a bite to eat when I was
starvin', even when you had plenty of it without costin' a cent. Now, if
I'm caught, I've got to go to jail, jest the same's if I'd done whatever
you did."
"But I haven't done anything crooked, Dan. I can't so much as guess what
these lawyers want me for."
"Oh, you tell that to the marines! Fellers what get so swell they can't
sell papers for a living, but splurge out into a fruit store, with a
clerk, an' all them things, have to get money somehow. I don't say as
you've robbed a bank, 'cause I don't see how you could get into one; but
it must be something pretty nigh as bad, else who'd offer a hundred
dollars jest to get hold of you? I ain't so certain but I shall snoop in
that cash, an' take the chances of goin' to jail."
"I don't s'pose it's any use for me to keep on tellin' you I've been
straight ever since I started out sellin' papers," Joe said, sadly.
"It's true all the same, though, an' you can't find a feller what'll say
I ever did him out of one cent."
"That's all in my eye, 'cause here's the advertisement what proves
different. All I want to know is, how am _I_ goin' to get out of the
scrape?"
"I wish I could tell you."
"If you did, I s'pose you'd say, 'Get over to the city, an' let them do
what they want to with you; but don't hang 'round me,' same's you did
yesterday."
"Dan, I never believed the lawyers would know you had come away with us,
'cause it didn't seem reasonable, an' it's terrible to have you countin'
on livin' with aunt Dorcas, when she is feedin' two of us already."
"What's the reason _you_ couldn't step out an' let _me_ have the snap
for a spell? _I_ ain't been stealin' money! _I_ wasn't advertised for,
till I took up _your_ case! No, that don't suit you; but _I_ must be the
one to starve, an' sneak 'round anywhere I can, while _you're_ bein'
filled up with custard pie, an' sleepin' on a bed so soft that Plums
thought it was feathers. You make me tired, you do!"
"See here, Dan, I'm willing to do anything you say, now that you're
really in the scrape with us. Go to aunt Dorcas an' tell her I couldn't
come back. Perhaps she'll take you in my place."
"Perhaps she will, an' perhaps she won't. I s'pose you've been coddlin'
the old woman up so she thinks there's nobody in the world but Joe
Potter; an' I wouldn't want to bet a great deal of money that you
haven't been tellin' her I'm a chump, an' all that kind of stuff, so she
wouldn't look at me if I should go there."
"I never told her so much as your name--"
"Where are you goin'?" Dan interrupted, suspiciously.
"To get the princess; aunt Dorcas said I might bring her there."
"So! You felt awful bad about lettin' your aunt Dorcas feed three when
_I_ was 'round starvin', yet you can make it three by luggin' in your
bloomin' princess."
"Havin' a little baby in the house is different from a big boy like you,
Dan. There's no use for us to stand here chinnin' about it. I'm ready to
say I'm sorry for the way I talked to you yesterday, an' I'll 'gree
never to go back to aunt Dorcas's. Now, what more can I do?"
"But I want you to go back," Dan replied, angrily.
"What for?"
"I'm no chump, Joe Potter, an' I know what kind of a stew would be
served up to me if I went there alone. I want you to go an' introduce me
to the family."
"It's a dead sure thing, Dan, we can't all live there. You know Plums
won't work any more'n he has to, an' we're jest spongin' right off of a
poor woman what ain't got enough for herself."
"It ain't any worse for me than it is for you."
Joe was in a pitiable frame of mind.
Believing that Dan was being searched for by the attorneys simply
because of what he had done in the affair, Joe considered the amateur
detective had such a claim upon him as could not be resisted; yet, at
the same time, he was determined not to add a fourth member to aunt
Dorcas's family.
"Dan, you go an' tell her all I said,--tell her the whole truth if you
want to,--an' most likely she'll let you stay; but I can't ask her to
open up a reg'lar 'sylum for us fellers. Course I'm bound to do anything
you say, seein's you got into this trouble through me; but I won't 'gree
to sponge a livin' off the best woman that ever lived, when there's
three others doin' the same thing."
"Look here, you've _got_ to go back with me."
Joe was in deepest distress, and after a pause of several seconds he
said, slowly:
"If you lay right down on my goin' to her house with you, I'll do it;
but I won't stay there a single minute. The princess can be left where
she is till I get back."
Now was the time when Dan Fernald could exert his authority with effect,
and he said, sharply:
"If you go back without the kid, the old woman'll lay it to me. Now this
is what you've _got_ to do. Take your bloomin' princess, an' act jest
the same as if you hadn't met me. I'll wait till your aunt Dorcas gets
through fussin' over the kid, an' then I'll flash up. Tell her I'm one
of your friends, an' we'll see how she takes it."
"But I don't want to do that, Dan," Joe cried, in distress.
"You must, or I'll have to go to jail, an' when it comes to anything
like that, the whole boilin' of us are in it. Go ahead, an' get the
kid."
Joe was no longer able, because of his sorrow and perplexity, to contend
against the amateur detective, and, without making any further reply, he
walked slowly towards Mrs. Weber's home, his heart heavier even than on
that morning when he first read the advertisement which seemingly
branded him as a criminal.
CHAPTER XI.
A BRIBE.
It appeared very much as if Dan suspected Joe of treachery even in this
matter of reclaiming the princess, for he followed him to Mrs. Weber's
home, and there stood within a few paces of the door, where he might
overhear all that was said.
Now that the amateur detective was thoroughly alarmed concerning his own
safety, he had ceased his grotesquely mysterious movements, and behaved
very much like an ordinary boy.
Not until Joe had knocked twice at the door was his summons answered,
and then the old German lady stood before him, with the princess in her
arms.
He had hoped the child would recognise him, but was not prepared for
such a hearty greeting as he received.
The princess, looking less dainty than when he first saw her, because of
a coarse calico frock which the careful Mrs. Weber had put on, in the
place of her more expensive garments, leaned forward in the old lady's
arms, stretching out both tiny hands to Joe, as she twittered and
chirped, after her own peculiar manner, what was evidently a greeting
to the boy who had acted a guardian's part to the best of his ability.
"She really knows me!" Joe cried, in an ecstasy of joy, forgetting for a
moment his own sorrow, and, as the child nestled her face against his
neck, he kissed the curly brown hair again and again.
Mrs. Weber welcomed the princess's guardian in her own language, which
was as unintelligible to Master Potter as the baby's cooing, and only
served to arouse the amateur detective's suspicions.
"What's that old woman sayin'?" Dan asked, sharply. "You don't want to
try any funny games with me, 'cause I won't stand it."
Joe did not hear the unkind words; his heart had been made so glad by
the princess's joy at seeing him, that he would hardly have been
conscious of the fact had the officers of the law come forward at that
moment to make him a prisoner.
Mrs. Weber, observing Dan for the first time, addressed him in a kindly
tone, which only served to deepen the frown on the amateur detective's
face.
"I dunno what you're drivin' at, missis; but you won't pull wool over my
eyes by jabberin' away in that lingo."
It so chanced that Joe heard this remark, and, turning quickly towards
the boy who, he believed, held him in his power, he said, sharply:
"Now, don't make a bigger fool of yourself than you can help, Dan
Fernald! Mrs. Weber can't talk our way, an' is only tryin' to treat you
decent."
"I'm keepin' my eyes open, all the same, cause I don't count on gettin'
left the same as I was yesterday."
Accepting the invitation given by gestures, Joe entered the house with
the princess in his arms, and followed by the boy who considered himself
his master.
Now a serious difficulty presented itself.
Mrs. Weber's grandson was not at home, and it would be necessary to
dispense with the services of an interpreter.
"I don't know how I'm going to fix it," Joe said, speaking half to
himself, and Master Fernald believed he was addressed.
"What is it you can't fix?"
"I want to get back some of the money I paid Mrs. Weber; but how am I
goin' to tell her I'll carry the princess away for good?"
"She must know what you say, of course. Who ever heard of a woman what
didn't understand how to talk?"
"But she's a German, you know."
"I can't help that. If you tell her right up an' down what you mean,
she's bound to know it, 'less she's a dummy."
There was little in the way of advice to be gained from the alleged
detective, and Joe began a pantomime which he intended should convey the
idea.
He pointed to the princess's clothes, then out of the window; put on his
hat, and, with the child in his arms, walked towards the door.
Then he opened the parcel aunt Dorcas had given him, displaying the
food, and pointed up the street in the direction from which he had just
come.
After a time, Mrs. Weber appeared to understand something of what he was
trying to convey, and, with a volley of words which sounded very much
like a protest, took the princess from him.
The child screamed violently, clinging to Joe with all her little
strength, and the boy was seriously disturbed; but the smile on Mrs.
Weber's face told that she did not consider the outburst as anything
very serious.
"What's she goin' to do with the kid?" Dan asked, as the German woman
disappeared in an adjoining room.
"I s'pose she's gone to put on the princess's other clothes, 'cause it
seemed like as if she understood what I'd been tellin' her."
"It would be a precious good job if she didn't come back. That kid has
got you into a heap of trouble, Joe Potter, an' it'll grow worse instead
of better so long as you stick to her."
Joe made no reply. It is doubtful if he heard the words, for the
princess was crying so loudly he feared she might do herself an injury.
Five minutes later, Mrs. Weber reëntered the room, bringing the princess
clad in her own garments, and the little maid ran with outstretched arms
to Joe, pressing her tear-stained face against his cheek in such a
manner as went straight to his heart.
After a prolonged caress, Joe said to Dan, as if answering the remark
which the amateur detective had made a few moments previous:
"No matter how much trouble she might get me into, I'd stick to this
little thing as long as I lived, if she needed me."
"Course you've got the right to be jest as big a fool as you like; it
ain't any of my business, so long's I don't have to starve to death on
her account. What about the money you was goin' to try to get from the
old woman?"
"I'll have to let that go, 'cause I can't make her understand what I
mean. Will you carry the cakes?"
Master Fernald seized the parcel with avidity, and straightway began
devouring its contents.
With the princess in his arms, Joe arose, put on his hat, and held out
his hand in token of adieu.
Mrs. Weber looked at him in surprise an instant, and then, after saying
something in German, hastened out of the room, returning a moment later
with several silver coins in her hand.
Joe hesitated, and then took from the outstretched palm fifty cents,
motioning that she keep the remainder.
The old lady shook her head, energetically, and literally forced him to
take all the coins, which amounted in value to ninety cents.
"You've only kept a dime," he said, in protest, "an' it isn't enough to
pay for takin' care of the princess two days."
Mrs. Weber smiled, kindly, patted Joe on the head, kissed the princess
affectionately, and by opening the door signified that she would not
accept further payment for her services.
"I'll come back some day an' square up for what you've done," Joe cried,
as he stepped down on to the sidewalk, and then he remembered that if
matters were arranged as seemed necessary, he would soon be in prison.
"Anyway, I'll come back as soon as I can," he added to himself, and
kissing the tiny hand which the princess had wilfully placed over his
mouth, he set forward, resolutely, on the journey, followed by the boy
who claimed the right to dictate as to his future movements.
During half an hour Joe walked steadily on towards aunt Dorcas's
peaceful home, listening to the princess's childish prattle, and
banishing all forebodings from his mind with the thought that the baby
trusted and loved him.
Then Dan, who had been walking a few paces in the rear, came to his
side, appearing a trifle more friendly than when they first met.
"At this rate you'll get back in time for dinner."
"It seems as though I ought to, but it's kind of hard work carryin' the
princess. Aunt Dorcas gave me the cakes so's we wouldn't need to hurry
on the road, an'--where are they?"
"Do you mean that little bunch of cakes you gave me?"
"Little bunch! Why, there was a stack of 'em!"
"It don't make any difference how many there was, 'cause I ate the whole
lot."
Joe looked at the amateur detective as if about to make an angry reply;
but checked himself, and Dan said, defiantly:
"The time's gone by when you can put on airs with me, Joe Potter. I
ain't goin' to starve to death when there's anything 'round I can eat."
"No, you'd rather let a little baby like this one go hungry. I wouldn't
have touched the cakes any sooner'n I'd cut my finger off, 'cause they
was for her."
"You make me tired with your bloomin' princess. She's stuffed jest about
as full as she can hold, an' I'm the same as starved."
Joe did not so much as look at the selfish boy, but walked more rapidly
than before until fully one-half the distance from Mrs. Weber's to aunt
Dorcas's had been traversed.
Light though the burden was, his arms ached from long carrying the
child, and it seemed absolutely necessary to come to a halt.
The princess was more than willing to take advantage of the opportunity
to search for flowers or wintergreen plums by the roadside, and Joe
stretched himself out at full length on the cool grass, keeping jealous
watch all the while over the happy little girl.
Dan seated himself near by, having once more assumed an air of injured
innocence, and Master Potter could not longer delay having an
understanding with this boy, who was bent on claiming even more than his
right.
"So you're bound on goin' straight to aunt Dorcas's with me?" he said,
after a brief pause.
"It's got to be that, or jail."
"I don't see why; there are other places 'round here besides hers."
"Yes; but I ain't sure of gettin' into 'em for nothin'. When you strike
a house where Plums is so contented, it must be a pretty soft snap."
"It ain't certain you can get in there, an' it's dead sure you're
drivin' the princess an' me away."
"I ain't doin' anything of the kind. You're gettin' on your ear 'cause I
want to be treated decent, that's the size of it."
"You know very well we can't ask that poor little woman to take care of
four, an' somebody must go, if you're comin'. Now, of course, I must
take the princess with me, an' I don't want to leave the very minute I
get there. Will you hang off a couple of days, an' give me a chance to
find out how I can fix things?"
"I'd starve to death in two days, an' you know it."
"That's all foolishness; you've got plenty of money in your pocket that
was borrowed from the fellers to help Plums an' me through."
"I haven't so much that I can go sportin' 'round the country like a
swell, have I?"
"You've got enough to keep you from starvin' for a week."
"All the same, I'm goin' to live with you an' Plums," Dan replied,
doggedly, and Joe remained silent while one might have counted twenty,
after which he said, with the air of a boy who has suddenly decided upon
a course of action:
"Mis' Weber gave me back ninety cents. Now I'll turn over seventy-five
of it if you agree not to show up at aunt Dorcas's until three o'clock
to-morrow afternoon."
"What kind of a game are you tryin' to play on me now?" Master Fernald
asked, suspiciously.
"It ain't any game. I'm hirin' you to stay away, so I can stop there
till that time, an' then I'll leave."
"Yes, an' you're goin' to tell her a whole lot of stuff 'bout me, so's
she won't let me stop there."
"I'll promise never to speak your name except to tell her you come as
far's this with us, an' was up behind the barn twice. Now with
seventy-five cents you can live a good deal more swell somewhere else
than at aunt Dorcas's, an' at three o'clock to-morrow afternoon you may
do what you please."
"How do I know you'll keep your promise?"
"'Cause neither you nor anybody else can say I ever went back on my
word, an' fix it any way you're a mind to, it's the best trade you can
make. I'm certain she wouldn't take in four of us, an' the only show
you've got is for me to leave."
"But where'll I find a chance to buy something to eat?"
"There are plenty of stores 'round here, an' you can get a lodging most
anywhere, for twenty-five cents."
"Hand over your money."
"Do you 'gree not to show your nose 'round there till three o'clock
to-morrow?"
"Of course I do."
Joe counted out the amount agreed upon, and said, warningly, as he gave
it to Master Fernald:
"I'm reckonin' on your keepin' your word, same's I will mine; but don't
make the mistake of goin' back on me, Dan Fernald, for if you come to
aunt Dorcas's before the time we've 'greed on, I'll make it hot. You
know I can do it, so be square, or you'll get into worse trouble than if
the detectives found you."
"That's right; threaten a feller when you think you've got him in a
hole!"
"I ain't doin' half so much threatenin' as you did, an' besides, I'm
payin' for the privilege when I give you pretty nigh all the money I've
got, an' you with a pocket full."
The amateur detective did not think it advisable to reply to this
remark, and the two remained silent until Joe believed the time had come
when the journey should be resumed.
The princess was weary with running to and fro, and willingly allowed
the boy to take her in his arms again.
"The next time we stop it'll be at aunt Dorcas's," Joe said, as he set
out, and then he halted suddenly, for Master Fernald was following close
in the rear.
"Where you goin'?"
"With you, of course."
"Didn't I buy you off till three o'clock to-morrow afternoon?"
"Does that mean I can't so much as walk up the road when you're on it?"
"It means you mustn't follow me to aunt Dorcas's house, an', after all
that's been said and done, I shouldn't think you'd want to do anything
of the kind."
"I'll keep my promise, an' I'll do whatever else I please. You better
not be too smart, 'cause I might back out of the trade."
"It would be a sorry job for you," Joe said, threateningly, and, turning
once more, he continued the journey without heed to Master Fernald's
movements.
[Illustration: "THE PRINCESS SUFFERED AUNT DORCAS TO KISS HER."]
It was not yet eleven o'clock when Joe and the princess arrived at aunt
Dorcas's home, and the little woman cried, in delight, as Master Potter
led the child towards her:
"What a sweet little darling! What a beautiful baby! Why, Joseph, I had
no idea she was such a lovely child as this!" and the princess suffered
aunt Dorcas to kiss her rapturously.
"There's no flies on her, anyhow," Joe said, with an air of pride.
It is doubtful if aunt Dorcas heard this last remark. She was as pleased
with the princess as a child would have been with a doll, and behaved
much after the same fashion.
Joe and Plums listened with greatest satisfaction to her words of
praise.
The little maid and the little woman had apparently conceived a most
violent admiration each for the other, and straightway it seemed as if
the boys were entirely forgotten, for the two went into the house
without so much as a backward glance.
"'Cordin' to the looks of things, I guess they'll get along pretty well
together," Plums said, in a tone of satisfaction. "I'm mighty glad
you've come back, 'cause aunt Dorcas kept me humpin' myself ever since
you left. Why, I've finished up the whole garden, an' it seems to me as
if I'd done the work of four men. Did you get the money from the German
woman?"
"Yes; but it didn't do me any good;" and then Joe told in detail of the
meeting with the amateur detective, and the bribe he had been forced to
give.
"It seems as though Dan must be pretty smart if they're advertisin' for
him, too," Plums said, reflectively. "I can't make out what them lawyers
are up to, offerin' a whole hundred dollars for either one of us, an'
when it comes right down to dots, I don't s'pose we're actually worth
twenty-five cents."
"I can't understand it, either, and I expect aunt Dorcas will think I'm
a terrible bad feller, when I tell her the story."
"But you ain't goin' to do anything like that?" Plums cried, in alarm.
"Yes, I am; I won't go away from here without tellin' her the truth, an'
I've got to leave before three o'clock to-morrow afternoon."
"Now, look here, Joe, this ain't right to let Dan Fernald drive you off.
Where'll we find another place like this?"
"I don't reckon we ever can; but it's got to be done. I'd be 'shamed
enough to die if Dan should settle hisself down here, after we've
brought the princess. That would make four of us for aunt Dorcas to
feed, an' we know she has 'bout all she can do to pay her own bills. It
seemed pretty tough when you an' I come; but I said to myself it was
only for two or three weeks, an' we could patch it up somehow, after we
got back to town."
"But Dan's a fool!" Master Plummer cried, excitedly. "It's no dead sure
thing aunt Dorcas will take him in same's she has us, even if you do go
away."
"But he thinks she will, so it 'mounts to the same thing."
"Where are you goin'?"
"I don't know," Joe replied, mournfully. "Perhaps it'll be better to go
straight to town, an' let 'em arrest me. Aunt Dorcas will tell me what's
best, an' I shall do as she says."
"You ain't goin' to talk to her to-night?"
"No, Plums, I'm countin' on holdin' out till to-morrow mornin', an'
enjoyin' myself all I can, 'cause it ain't no ways likely I'll ever have
the chance of stoppin' again in sich a place as this."
Master Plummer was silent for a moment, and then a different aspect of
the case presented itself to him.
"Why, what's goin' to become of me?" he cried. "I don't believe aunt
Dorcas'll keep me after you leave, an' what'll I do?"
"If I let the lawyers get hold of me, that'll ease up on you, 'cause I'm
the only one they'd want to arrest, an' you can go back to town."
"Yes, perhaps I can; but I'll hate to, mightily. That shanty of mine
won't seem half so nice, after we've lived here, an' I'll have to go to
work sellin' papers!"
Master Plummer was now so absorbed in the contemplation of his own
unfortunate position as to be wholly unable to sympathise with his
friend, and the two sat on the greensward just outside aunt Dorcas's
door, in painful silence.
CHAPTER XII.
A STRUGGLE IN THE NIGHT.
During the remainder of this day it appeared to Joe and Plums as if they
were abandoned by the little woman who had hitherto treated them with so
much attention.
Immediately after Joe arrived with his charge, aunt Dorcas and the
princess disappeared inside the house, and neither of them seemed to
desire the companionship of the boys until, at an unusually late hour,
they were summoned to dinner.
To Plums's great disappointment, the noonday meal was a lunch, rather
than a dinner, and aunt Dorcas apologised, by saying:
"I was so interested in making the acquaintance of your princess,
Joseph, that, for perhaps the first time in my life, I forgot my
household duties, and it was half past eleven before I remembered we
hadn't had dinner."
"'Cordin' to the slat of stuff you've got here on the table, I should
think you'd been at work all the forenoon," Joe said, approvingly, but
there was the faintest suspicion of jealousy in his heart because the
princess no longer demanded his attention.
Aunt Dorcas had arrayed her in some plain garments which might once have
belonged to herself or her sisters, and the little maid was so well
content with this new friend that she had but curt greetings for the boy
who considered himself her guardian.
Perhaps aunt Dorcas understood from the expression on Joe's face
something of that which was in his mind, when the princess chattered and
cooed to the little woman, paying no attention to the others at the
table, for she said, in a kindly tone:
"It's to be expected, Joseph, that a baby like this one would take more
readily to a woman than a boy."
"Oh, I know that, aunt Dorcas," Joe replied, with a poor assumption of
carelessness, "an' I'm awful glad you like her."
"Indeed I do, Joseph. Even in the short time she has been here I have
realised what a comfort it is to have a child around the house, and I
believe God has been very good in sending you and her to me."
Aunt Dorcas made no mention of being grateful because Plums was a member
of the family, but that young gentleman gave no apparent heed to the
omission, so intent was he upon the pleasure of eating.
Joe had expected aunt Dorcas would question him closely concerning the
journey, and want to know if the princess had eaten the cookies she
sent. He feared he might not be able to answer her questions without
revealing some of the disagreeable events of the morning; but, to his
surprise, she never so much as referred to the subject. All her thoughts
were centred upon the child; how she should amuse her; how provide her
with new garments, and the little woman even went so far as to speculate
upon the time when it would be necessary to send her to school.
Joe did not enjoy the food as he would have done but for having met with
Dan, the detective.
A big lump came into his throat, with the thought that this might be the
last dinner for him in the cottage, the last time he would see aunt
Dorcas, and it was only with difficulty he could swallow.
He had said he would give himself wholly up to the pleasure of being
there during the remainder of this day, and not until morning came
should aunt Dorcas hear his story; but before the dinner was eaten, he
began to question whether it might not be wiser to make the explanations
at once, and have done with them, so painful was the suspense.
While the little woman washed the dishes, Joe was permitted to amuse the
princess, but, as soon as aunt Dorcas was at leisure, she took the child
in her arms, and said, preparatory to seating herself in the comfortable
rocking-chair near the west window:
"The princess and I are going to have our nooning now, and you boys had
better go out-of-doors, where you can't disturb us with your noise."
The lump in Joe's throat seemed to increase in size, but he forced it
back bravely, as he asked:
"Isn't there any work we can do, aunt Dorcas? There's no reason why we
should hang 'round here with our hands in our pockets."
"I'll venture to say George isn't eager to be doing anything, for I kept
him busy this morning. It appears to me he isn't a great lover of hard
work, and I am certain you need rest. A walk of six miles--and I dare
say you carried the child a good deal more than half the distance--is as
much as ought to be expected of a boy in one day."
"But I'm not so awful tired, an' I guess Plums can hold out a spell
longer, so if there's anything you'll be wantin' done for the next week
or two, I wish you'd let me know it now."
"I don't think of a thing, Joseph. Go into the orchard, and amuse
yourself in almost any way except by throwing rocks at the birds, until
the princess and I have had our nap."
Joe could do no less than obey, and, once they were out of the house, he
said to Plums:
"Of course I'm a big fool to think any such things, but I can't help
feelin' sorry because the princess had rather be with aunt Dorcas than
me."
"I'd say it was a mighty lucky thing if we were goin' to stay here; but,
in case you stick to what you said about goin' away to-morrow, it will
be kinder tough on both of 'em."
"I wouldn't wonder if aunt Dorcas wanted us to go, after I tell her why
I left the city. She's too good a woman to keep a feller 'round, if she
thinks he's been doin' something wicked."
"But you say you haven't."
"An' it's the truth, Plums; but I can't make other folks believe it,
not even you, on account of that advertisement. Everybody says I must
have been up to something crooked, else the lawyers wouldn't try so hard
to get hold of me."
Plums could give no consolation. Although he had never known Joe to do
anything which was not absolutely just and honest, he was convinced that
some wrong had been committed, otherwise the advertisement would never
have appeared.
Joe lay down on the grass, under one of the apple-trees, and, despite
the sorrow in his heart, the chirping of the birds, the soft murmur of
the leaves as they were moved to and fro by the breeze, and the hum of
insects, soon lulled him to sleep.
The sun was far down in the west when he awakened, and, leaping to his
feet, surprised that he had spent nearly the entire afternoon in
slumber, he looked around for Master Plummer.
That young gentleman was sitting with his back against the trunk of a
tree, looking idly up at the fleecy clouds, while an expression of
discontent overspread his face.
"I guess I must have had a pretty long nap," Joe said, as if to make an
apology for his indolence. "I don't believe I ever did a thing like that
before. Hasn't aunt Dorcas called us yet?"
"Not as I know," Master Plummer replied, curtly.
"Then she an' the princess must be sleepin' as sound as I was. Of course
you'd heard if she'd called?"
"I haven't been here all the time."
"Where have you been?"
Master Plummer hesitated an instant, and then replied, speaking rapidly,
as if to prevent Joe from interrupting him:
"I saw Dan Fernald sneakin' 'round down by the road, an' went to see
him. We've been talkin' this thing over, Joe, an' it don't seem to me as
though there was any need for you to go off with the princess. You might
walk 'round the country for a week without findin' so good a place as
this. I'm sure aunt Dorcas had rather keep half a dozen boys than let
that youngster go, now she's begun to like her."
"I wish I'd known Dan Fernald had come here. It was in the agreement he
should keep away, an' I'd 'a' pounded him if I'd caught him sneakin'
'round."
"But, say, why can't you keep quiet, an' let him do as he's a mind to?
Perhaps aunt Dorcas won't take him in, after all."
"I ain't goin' to say a word against him; but I shall tell her the whole
story to-morrow morning, an' then clear out."
"Even if she wants you to stay?"
"Yes; 'cause I'd be ashamed to own I was alive if I'd let her take care
of such a crowd as ours."
Plums showed plainly that he was displeased by the stand his friend had
taken, and walked in silence down the lane to the road.
"Any decent feller'd do the same's I'm countin' on." Joe said to
himself, as he went slowly towards the cottage. "He wants to stay 'cause
he gets plenty to eat an' no work to speak of, so he won't look at the
thing the way he ought'er."
Arriving near the rear door of the cottage, he saw aunt Dorcas and the
princess playing on the grass with two dolls made of aprons, and the
little woman appeared to be enjoying herself as hugely as did the little
maid.
"I declare, I'm almost ashamed of myself, Joseph, to be seen at such
games; but I couldn't resist your princess's coaxing, and I believe I've
really had a good time. We must find some more Christianlike name for
her than princess. I think she calls herself Essie."
"I thought so, too; but I couldn't make out what kind of a name that
was. Did you call us after you got through with your nap, aunt Dorcas?"
"Certainly I did, Joseph; but I suppose you were too far away to hear
me."
Joe explained how he had spent the afternoon, whereat the little woman
laughed merrily, and invited him to play with them at keeping house.
Not until fully half an hour after her usual time for preparing the
evening meal, did aunt Dorcas cease her share in the childish sport, and
then Joe had his princess all to himself until they were summoned to
supper.
Meanwhile, Master Plummer had returned from his walk, but without having
concluded his fit of the sulks, and he apparently gave no heed to
anything around him until he was called to partake of supper.
On this night aunt Dorcas's prayer was one of thanksgiving rather than
supplication; there was a cheery ring in her voice which the boys had
never heard before, and Joe wondered at it, without once guessing that
the coming of the princess had made the little woman more womanly and
younger.
When the boys were in their room, Joe, who had almost forgotten, since
the moment he joined in the game of "keeping house," that, on the
morrow, he was to leave this pleasant abiding-place, realised even more
keenly than before how hard it would be to carry out the purpose he had
formed; but yet he did not falter for a single moment.
"I'll do it in the mornin', sure, an' I wish I'd told her to-night; then
the hardest part would be over," he said to himself, as he crept into
bed by the side of the yet indignantly silent Master Plummer.
Owing to his long sleep during the afternoon, and also the unpleasant
thoughts in his mind, Joe's eyes refused to close in slumber. He tossed
to and fro on the rest-inviting bed, while Plums slept audibly, until it
seemed to him as if the night must have passed and the morning was near
at hand.
This belief was strengthened when he heard a noise as if the kitchen
window was being raised, and he leaped out of bed, vexed with himself
because he had not gone down sooner to build the fire.
It was yet dark in the room, and he turned to pull aside the curtain,
when he found that it was already raised at full height.
"It ain't mornin', that's certain," he said to himself. "I wonder what
aunt Dorcas is doin'? Perhaps the princess is sick."
He went to the door and listened. A certain faint rustling, as if some
one was moving around in the room below, came to his ears; but it was so
indistinct he questioned whether it might not be fancy.
One, two, three minutes he stood silent and motionless, and then, not
satisfied that everything was as it should be, crept softly down the
stairs.
On nearing the kitchen he became positive some one was moving around the
room; but since no ray of light appeared from beneath the door when he
stood at the foot of the stairs, the startling thought came into his
mind that an evil-disposed person had effected an entrance.
It seemed preposterous burglars should come to the cottage in the hope
of finding anything of very great value, and yet Joe felt convinced
there was an intruder in the house.
Then it was that he believed he knew the person who was moving so
stealthily in the adjoining room.
"Dan has broken in here to steal something to eat," he said to himself.
"He thinks neither Plums nor I would dare do anything to him, for fear
he'd tell the detectives where we are, and knows aunt Dorcas couldn't
make much of a row if she wanted to."
Determined to punish the amateur detective soundly for his misdemeanour,
Joe crept softly to the door until his hand was on the latch, and at
that instant it was suddenly opened from the inside.
Not anticipating any such movement as this, the boy, who had been
partially leaning against the door, was precipitated into the room.
Only with difficulty did he prevent himself from falling, and had but
just recovered his balance when he was seized from behind by some one
who had evidently intended to clutch him by the throat, but, failing,
grasped his shirt-collar.
Even now, Joe believed it was with Dan he had to deal, and wrenching
himself free, which was not difficult, since the cloth tore in the hand
of the intruder, he struck out right and left, with the hope of dealing
an effective blow.
Before many seconds had passed, however, he understood that he was
battling with a man, and not a boy.
Once he received a blow on the cheek which sent him staggering back
several paces, and, when he would have renewed the battle, was met by a
thrust in the face which almost dazed him.
The intruder made no outcry, probably hoping the other inmates of the
house might not be aroused, and Joe remained silent, lest aunt Dorcas
should learn of the burglar's presence.
After receiving a third blow, and not having been able to deliver one in
return, Joe understood that the battle would speedily be brought to an
end by his discomfiture, unless there was a change of tactics, and he
closed with the man at once, seizing him around the waist in such a
manner that the fellow could not do him much injury.
The boy had but little hope he would come off victor in this unequal
battle; but yet he clung to his adversary, striving to overthrow him,
until, in their struggles, the two were at the open door through which
Joe had entered.
Leading from the kitchen by this way was a short hall, ending in three
steps which led to the shed beyond, and Joe believed the time had come
when he might gain an advantage.
At that instant, the burglar was standing with his back towards the
passageway, and putting all his strength into the effort, Joe flung his
whole weight upon the enemy.
The man, taken for the instant at a disadvantage, yielded a single step,
and this was sufficient for his discomfiture.
Joe forced him back, until the fellow toppled down the stairs, striking
his head against the threshold of the shed door with sufficient force to
render him unconscious.
The crash which followed the burglar's fall literally shook the little
cottage, and before Joe fully realised he had vanquished the foe, aunt
Dorcas was calling him loudly by name.
"It's all right; don't you come down, but send Plums here if you can,"
he shouted, in reply, and then stood irresolutely wondering what could
be done.
He had an ill-defined idea that the burglar should be made a prisoner;
but how that might be accomplished was more than he could say at that
moment.
Aunt Dorcas had ceased to call for him, when he understood that it would
be more prudent on his part to secure a light before taking any steps to
fetter the burglar, and he stepped back into the kitchen for this
purpose; but he had not yet found a match when the little woman entered,
holding high above her head a lamp, as she had done on the night when
Joe first saw her.
"Goodness gracious, Joseph! What _is_ the matter? You're covered with
blood! Have you met with an accident?"
"Now don't get frightened, aunt Dorcas; I ain't hurt."
"Why do you tell me that, Joseph, when I can see for myself? You must be
bleeding to death!"
"But I am not, I tell you. I jest got a clip on the nose, an' another
one behind the ear; neither of 'em will do any harm. Now don't you get
frightened; but I s'pose I've got to tell you what happened."
"Of course you have, Joseph. You don't fancy I can remain silent with
such goings on in my house, and not attempt to understand them. What
have you been doing to yourself? Why don't you answer? Can't you see you
are making me very nervous?"
"I didn't want to tell you, aunt Dorcas, 'cause I was 'fraid you'd get
scared; but there's a burglar out here in the shed. I knocked him silly
by pitching him down-stairs, an' now I'm tryin' to think how we can keep
him from gettin' away."
"A burglar! Keep him from getting away? Why, Joseph Potter, we don't
want any burglars 'round this house! For mercy's sake, if the poor,
misguided creature will go, don't you try to stop him! Did you hurt him
very much?"
Joe was relieved in mind because aunt Dorcas, instead of being terrified
at the information that a burglar was in the house, was only solicitous
lest he might have been injured, and he replied, grimly:
"I reckon I'm the one what got the worst of that little fuss. You
needn't feel so very bad 'bout him, 'cause he's only bumped his head.
But say, we mustn't let him go after what he's tried to do. I'll tie
him, an' you call Plums to go for a perliceman."
"Joseph, I never would consent to have a poor fellow arrested; but he
shall be talked to severely, for injuring you as he has done. The idea
of a grown-up man striking a child so hard as to bring blood!"
However serious the situation, Joe could not have restrained his mirth.
Aunt Dorcas's pity for the burglar, and fear lest he had been injured,
was to him very comical, and he laughed heartily, until the little woman
said, in a tone of reproof:
"Joseph, that poor man may be dying, and by your hand, while you are
making merry. Where is he?"
Joe stifled his mirth as best he could, and, taking the lamp, and the
tender-hearted little woman's hand, led the way towards the shed door,
as he replied:
"I'll show him to you, aunt Dorcas, an' then if you want to tie a rag
'round his throat, or put a plaster on his head, you can."
But Joe did not make as thorough an exhibition of his burglar as he had
anticipated.
The man had regained consciousness, and all aunt Dorcas saw of the
intruder was a dark form which ran past her into the kitchen, and from
there leaped through the open window.
Joe could not have stopped the burglar if he wished, so sudden and
unexpected had been the fellow's movements; but he was deeply chagrined
that his enemy should thus have escaped so readily.
"He's gone, an' I ought'er be kicked for standin' here chinnin' with
you, as if he'd wait till I got ready to tie him up!"
"We should be thankful to him for going without making any more of a
disturbance. I'm relieved to know he wasn't seriously hurt, and--How
wicked I am to stand here talking about anything, when your wounds
should be attended to! It's a mercy you haven't bled to death long
before this."
"There's no danger of anything of that kind, aunt Dorcas, and if you'll
go right back to bed, I'll tend to myself in great shape. There's no
need of your fussin' 'round."
"You must believe me a perfect wretch if you think I could leave you in
such a condition. But, Joseph, I would like to go back and dress myself
properly."
"There's no reason why you shouldn't leave me till mornin' jest as well
as not, so go ahead, aunt Dorcas, an' do whatever you please."
[Illustration: "A DARK FORM LEAPED THROUGH THE OPEN WINDOW."]
"Sit down here by the table, where you will have something on which to
rest your head if you grow faint, and I'll be back in a moment."
Aunt Dorcas closed the kitchen door, lest a draft of air should come
upon the boy she believed so grievously wounded, and went to her own
room, Joe saying to himself, meanwhile:
"I'd been willin' for him to have pounded me into shoestrings, if it
would save me from havin' to tell a woman as good as she is that I ran
away from New York to keep out of jail."
CHAPTER XIII.
A CONFESSION.
It seemed to Joe as if aunt Dorcas had but just left the room when she
returned, ready for the work of binding up his wounds.
"Do you feel any worse, Joseph?" she asked, laying her hand gently on
his shoulder.
"Not a bit of it," Master Potter replied, stoutly.
"Do you think you can bear up until I have built a fire and heated some
water?"
"Now, look here, aunt Dorcas, I ain't hurt any to speak of, even though
there is a good deal of blood on my face, an' as for bearin' up, why, it
wouldn't do me a bit of harm if there wasn't anything done to my face.
I'll build a fire, if it's warm water you're after," and, before the
little woman could prevent him, he had set about the task.
While waiting for the fire to burn, aunt Dorcas collected such articles
as she believed would be needed, and Joe found it difficult to prevent a
smile from appearing on his bruised face, as he watched the
preparations.
Several rolls of clean, white cloth, in sufficient quantity to have
bandaged the heads of twenty boys, arnica, antiseptic washes, adhesive
plaster, a sponge, cooling lotions, and, as Joe afterwards told Plums,
"a whole apothecary's shop full of stuff," was placed on the table in a
methodical fashion.
"I guess while this water's bein' heated I'll wash some of the blood off
my face, an' then you'll see that there ain't any need of worryin' much
'bout me," Joe said, with a laugh, as he turned towards the sink, and
aunt Dorcas cried, excitedly:
"Don't do it, Joseph! Don't you dare to do it; it might be as much as
your life is worth to put cold water on that bruised flesh! It won't be
many minutes before we shall have plenty of the proper temperature."
"Of course I'll do jest as you say, aunt Dorcas; but I've been hurt
worse'n this a good many times, an' never had any one to touch me up the
same's you seem bound on doin'."
"If you have been foolhardy in the past, it is no reason why you should
run unnecessary risks now," the little woman said, severely, and Joe
made no further attempt to dissuade her from her purpose.
When the water was sufficiently warm, aunt Dorcas set about her
self-appointed task, passing the moist sponge over Joe's face with an
exceedingly light touch, as if afraid of causing him pain, and he said,
with a stifled laugh:
"You needn't be afraid of hurtin' me, aunt Dorcas. I can stand a good
deal more'n that without yippin'. I'd been willin' to got it twice as
bad, if we could have held on to that duffer."
"You shouldn't harbour revengeful thoughts, Joseph. I am truly glad he
made his escape."
"If you treat burglars in that way, this place will be overrun with them
before next winter."
"Of course I don't like the idea of having strange men prowling around
the house in the night; but there is nothing here for them to steal, and
I am certain they couldn't be wicked enough to hurt a poor old woman
like me. Instead of harbouring revengeful thoughts, we should endeavour
to do good to those who would injure us, remembering the words spoken on
the Mount, 'That ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on
the right cheek, turn to him the other also.'"
"If a feller went 'round doin' anything like that, I reckon he'd soon be
in worse shape than I am. Do you mean, aunt Dorcas, that I ought to have
stood still an' let that burglar have fun with me?"
"I can't think it was intended we should take the words literally; but
they certainly were meant that we should be forgiving,--that we should
love our enemies so heartily as to lead them from their evil ways. The
man who beat you so cruelly will never be brought into a better life by
harsh words. Now, I am going to put some arnica on these bruises; it
will hurt, but you must try to bear the pain manfully."
"Don't be afraid of me, aunt Dorcas. You couldn't do anything that would
make me yip."
The little woman treated Joe's wounds with such simple remedies as she
had near at hand, and then proceeded to bandage his head, until but
little more than his eyes and mouth could be seen, striving, meanwhile,
to show him how much better the world would be for his having lived in
it, if he would govern himself strictly by the Golden Rule.
During all the while she was putting the many bandages in place, Joe was
saying to himself that now was come the time when he should make that
confession he had decided upon, and, although aunt Dorcas had said so
much concerning the blessedness of forgiving those who have done us an
injury, he did not believe she would so far carry her precepts into
practice as to be willing to shelter one who appeared to be as great a
criminal as himself.
"I believe, Joseph, I have done all that is possible to-night," the
little woman finally said, as she fastened in place the last bandage.
"You are not to get up in the morning until after I have made certain
you are in no danger of a fever. Now, go to your room, and if you think
George may disturb you, I'll put him in the spare chamber."
"Wait a minute, aunt Dorcas; I want to tell you something," and Joe laid
his hand on the little woman's arm to prevent her from rising. "You
never knew why Plums an' I left New York to come out here where there
isn't a chance to earn a living."
"I understood from something you said, Joseph, that there was a reason
for your leaving home suddenly; but I can't believe, my boy, you have
done anything wrong."
"An' I haven't, aunt Dorcas; as true as I live, I haven't, though
everybody, even Plums, thinks I've been cuttin' a terrible swath! Of
course, when that advertisement come out, I had to run away, else they'd
carried me to jail--"
"To jail?" aunt Dorcas repeated, in horror. "What advertisement do you
mean, Joseph?"
"The one that was in the paper 'bout payin' anybody who'd tell where I
was."
"But who wanted to know where you were?"
"The lawyers, of course,--the fellers that advertised."
"Why did they want to find you?" aunt Dorcas asked, in perplexity.
"That's what knocks me silly, 'cause I don't know a thing about it, any
more'n you do."
"Did you say the advertisement knocked you silly, Joseph?" and the
little woman now looked thoroughly bewildered.
"Course it did, an' it would have paralysed 'most anybody that didn't
know what they'd been about."
"Joseph, I'm afraid I don't understand you. It is a printed
advertisement you are telling me about, isn't it?"
"Of course. I saw the first one in the _Herald_, an'--"
"I thought you said some one had dealt you a blow. Tell me what there
was in the advertisement."
Joe repeated the words almost verbatim, and then told aunt Dorcas all
the details of the flight, up to the moment they arrived at her home.
Regarding the threats made by the amateur detective he remained silent,
because of the promise to Dan.
"There must be some terrible mistake about it all, Joseph. If you
haven't committed a crime, and I feel certain you couldn't have done
such a thing, then it is some other boy these lawyers are hunting for."
"There's no such good luck as that, aunt Dorcas. I don't believe there's
another feller in town named Joseph Potter, who's been sellin'
newspapers an' then went into the fruit business. You see, that's me to
a dot, an' now Plums an' Dan are in the scrape because they helped me
away. Just as likely as not Dan will come here to-morrow to ask you to
take him in, too, an' I've made up my mind that the princess an' I have
got to leave. We're goin' away about noon, aunt Dorcas, an' some time
I'll be back to pay you for bein' so good to us."
The little woman looked at Joe for an instant, as if not understanding
what he had said, and repeated:
"Going away?"
"Yes, aunt Dorcas, we've got to. Even if you was willin' we should stay,
after what I've told you, I wouldn't agree to hang 'round, livin' on
you, while there are two other fellers doin' the same thing."
Aunt Dorcas gazed at Joe steadily during several seconds, and then said,
in a decided tone:
"I don't understand what you have tried to tell me; but it is certain,
Joseph Potter, that you sha'n't leave my house while you are wounded so
seriously."
"I ain't wounded, aunt Dorcas, an' I'm as well able to go this minute as
I was when I came."
"It doesn't make any difference whether you are or not. I sha'n't allow
you to step your foot off of these premises until I know more about this
affair. It is all a mistake from beginning to end; there can be no
question of that, and I'll get at the bottom of it before we are very
much older. Now go straight to bed, and mind what I told you about
getting up in the morning."
Aunt Dorcas pulled the bandages apart sufficiently to admit of her
kissing Joe on the lips, and then, putting the lamp in his hand, she led
him to the stairway.
"You're an awful good woman, aunt Dorcas, an' some day I'll be able to
do more than tell you so."
"Good night, my boy. Put this matter entirely out of your mind and go to
sleep."
When Joe gained the chamber once more, it was as if a great weight had
been lifted from his heart.
The confession which caused him so much anxiety had been made, and,
instead of reproaching him for having come to her home, aunt Dorcas was
the same kindly, Christianlike woman as when he first saw her.
Master Plummer, who had slept peacefully during all the adventures of
the night, was disturbed by the light of the lamp, as it shone full in
his face, and opening his eyes, he said, petulantly:
"What are you doin'--" He ceased speaking suddenly, as he saw his
friend's bandaged face, and cried, in something very like alarm,
"Wha--wha--what's happened to you?"
"There was a burglar in the house, an' I tackled him."
This was sufficient to bring Master Plummer to a sitting posture at
once, and he demanded to be told all the particulars.
Joe began to comply with his friend's request, but was interrupted by
the voice of aunt Dorcas from the room below.
"George! Don't you allow Joseph to say a single word to-night. He must
be kept perfectly quiet, or no one can say what may be the result of his
terrible wounds. Go to sleep immediately, both of you, and to-morrow
morning I'll do the talking, if Joseph isn't strong enough."
"Go on, an' tell me all about it," Plums whispered. "She won't hear if
we talk low."
"I'll do jest exactly as aunt Dorcas told me, even if she said I was to
stand on my head for half an hour. A feller who wouldn't mind what she
tells him ain't fit to live," and Joe got into bed, refusing to so much
as speak when Plums plied him with questions.
Although he had made light of his wounds when talking to aunt Dorcas,
they gave him no slight amount of pain, and this, together with his
anxiety of mind, would seem to have been sufficient to keep his eyes
open until morning; yet within a very short time he was sleeping as
peacefully as if attorneys and burglars had never been known in this
world.
Not until aunt Dorcas tapped gently on the door next morning did either
of the boys awaken, and then Joe would have leaped out of bed
immediately after answering her summons, but for the words:
"You're not to get up, Joseph, until I am positive you are out of
danger."
Joe laughed aloud, in the gladness of his heart; such solicitude for his
welfare was something he had never known before, and it seemed very
sweet to him.
"Let me get up, aunt Dorcas, an' if I don't show you I'm all right, I'll
come straight back to bed. There's no need of my layin' here, 'cause I'm
sound as a nut."
The little woman hesitated, but finally gave the desired permission, and
when Joe was in the kitchen once more, she insisted on removing the
bandages to examine the wounds before even so much as allowing Master
Plummer to partake of the breakfast already prepared.
To Joe and Plums, who were accustomed to such injuries, there appeared
to be no reason why the bandages should be replaced, but aunt Dorcas,
who could be as firm as she usually was gentle, when occasion required,
insisted upon obedience, and once more Joe's face was enveloped in white
cloth, until he presented a most comical appearance.
Then aunt Dorcas brought the princess down-stairs, and the little maid,
not recognising her young guardian, positively refused to speak to him,
but nestled close by the little woman's side until Joe, by dint of much
coaxing and bribing, persuaded her to accept him as a new, if not an
old, acquaintance.
When the meal was brought to an end, and before the breakfast dishes
were cleared away, aunt Dorcas referred to the confession of the
previous night, by saying:
"I've been thinking over what you told me, Joseph, and verily believe I
should have awakened you before daylight this morning to ask a few
questions, if you had not been in such a serious condition. You have no
objection to my speaking about the matter before George?"
"Of course not, aunt Dorcas. He knows the whole thing as well as I do,
except he believes I must have done something pretty tough."
"You should never think evil of any person, George, no matter how much
appearances are against him."
"Well, if Joe didn't do anything, what are these lawyers offerin' to
give a whole hundred dollars to catch one of us for?"
"That is what I hope to find out. There is something in connection with
the matter which you boys have failed to explain, that will make it all
very simple. Have either of you a copy of that advertisement?"
"No, aunt Dorcas, I wasn't achin' to lug such a thing as that 'round
with me."
"Does it still appear in the papers?"
"It did yesterday mornin', 'cause Dan showed it to me, an' his name and
Plums's were 'longside of mine."
"Then George must go to Weehawken and buy one of those papers."
Master Plummer looked up in dismay. A six-mile walk was to him such
exercise as amounted almost to torture, and he said, petulantly:
"What good will it do for you to read it in the paper, when we can tell
you every word?"
"Indeed, I don't know; but there must be something which you have failed
to remember."
"Truly, there isn't, aunt Dorcas. I said over the words jest as they was
printed, 'cause I'd be sure to remember a thing like that," Joe replied.
"I am set, when I make up my mind, as all old maids are," the little
woman said, grimly, "and it seems to me absolutely necessary I should
see that advertisement. Now, if George thinks he cannot walk to
Weehawken, I must go myself."
"Indeed you mustn't, aunt Dorcas," and Joe spoke in a tone of authority,
such as he had never before used. "There's nothin' to prevent my walkin'
a dozen miles, if anything is to be gained by it, an' I'll start this
very minute."
To such a proposition as this, aunt Dorcas positively refused to listen.
She was certain Joe's wounds were of such serious nature that violent
exercise might be fatal to him, and Master Plummer began to fear he
would be forced to take that long walk when there was no real necessity
for so doing, until a happy thought came to him, and he cried,
animatedly:
"There's no need for anybody to go to Weehawken, 'cause Dan Fernald must
have that paper he showed to Joe, in his pocket now."
"Where is he?" aunt Dorcas asked, quickly.
"Loafin' 'round here somewhere," Plums replied. "He counted on comin'
here this afternoon to ask if you'd let him stop a spell, so's the
lawyers couldn't catch him. He would have come last night, but Joe hired
him to keep away."
Aunt Dorcas looked at Master Potter, inquiringly, and the latter said:
"I promised Dan I wouldn't speak a word to you about what he was goin'
to do; but you'll know it all when he comes."
"_I_ didn't promise, so there's nothing to keep me from tellin'," Master
Plummer cried, and, before his friend could prevent him, he had added,
"Joe thought it was playin' too steep on you for Dan to come, when you
had him, an' me, an' the princess, so he gave him seventy-five cents to
keep away till three o'clock this afternoon. He counted on goin' off
with the kid before then."
Aunt Dorcas did not appear to fully understand this explanation; but her
impatience to see the advertisement was so great that she evidently
could not wait to ask further concerning the matter.
"Can you find Dan Fernald now?" and she turned to Plums.
"Well, I guess it wouldn't take very long, 'cause he's somewhere close
'round."
"Go out this minute, George, and hunt for him."
"He'll count on stoppin', once he gets in here," Plums said, warningly.
"If the poor boy hasn't any home, and is hidin' here in the country for
the same reason you are, I will give him a shelter so long as may be
necessary."
"But you see, aunt Dorcas, you can't afford to jam this house full of
boys what have got into a scrape," Joe cried. "I'm willin' to go away,
so's to give Dan the chance; but I won't hang 'round here when there's a
whole crowd."
"You will remain exactly where you are, Joseph Potter, until this
matter is settled, so don't let me hear anything more of that kind.
George, go directly and find your friend."
The boys did not dare oppose aunt Dorcas when she spoke in such a tone,
and although Plums was not inclined to do even so much as go in search
of Dan, when he might be resting quietly in the house, he obeyed.
CHAPTER XIV.
A RAY OF LIGHT.
The amateur detective was a boy who had but little faith in the honesty
of his fellows, perhaps because he himself could not be trusted
implicitly, and even though Joe Potter had solemnly promised he would
say nothing in his disfavour, Dan entertained grave suspicions that the
little woman was being prejudiced against him.
Therefore it was he had been loitering near the cottage since early
morning, in the hope of gaining speech with Plums, and, when that young
gentleman finally appeared, Master Fernald came out from his
hiding-place amid a clump of bushes.
"What's up, now?" he cried, suspiciously.
"You're to come right in, an' see aunt Dorcas," Plums replied, with no
little show of excitement.
"What's wrong? Has Joe been tellin' her not to take me in?"
"Look here, Dan, I may not like his threatenin' to leave 'cause you was
comin', an' perhaps I said a good many hard things against him, when I
talked with you yesterday; but I won't let anybody accuse him of lyin'.
When Joe promised not to tell aunt Dorcas anything 'bout you, he meant
to keep his word, an' he'll do it. I told her he'd paid you
seventy-five cents to stay away till this afternoon."
"What did you do that for? Are you turnin' sneak, Plums? 'Cause if you
are, I'll break your jaw!"
"Perhaps you could do it; but I ain't so certain. Anyway, I told the
story, 'cause Joe gave the advertisement business dead away last night,
when he got thumped."
"Did he have a row?"
"He tackled a burglar, an' got the best of him, that's what Joe Potter
did. A feller has got nerve what'll jump on to a man in the dark, an'
don't you make any mistake."
"Was there a real burglar in the house?" Dan asked, incredulously.
"Course there was, an' Joe knocked him silly. The feller come in through
the kitchen window, an'--"
"I'd made up my mind that 'most everybody knew I was out here on your
case," the amateur detective said, as if speaking to himself, and Plums
asked, in surprise:
"What's that got to do with it?"
"Nothin'; only it shows that some folks don't know it, else the burglar
never'd dared to show his nose 'round here."
"'Cause he'd be afraid of you?"
"He wouldn't run the risk of my gettin' on his trail," Master Fernald
replied, with dignity, and Plums could not repress a smile, for he had
already begun to question his friend's detective ability.
Dan pretended not to see this evidence of incredulity, for it did not
suit his purpose to have hard words with Plums now, when he was, as he
believed, about to become his roommate.
"See here, you've got to come right up to the house, 'cause aunt Dorcas
wants to see that paper," Master Plummer cried, as if but just reminded
of his mission.
"What for?"
"She wants to read the advertisement."
"Oh, she does, eh? Well, if the old woman is willin' to promise that I
can come here to live, I'll let her take the paper; that's the only way
she'll get it."
Plums looked at his friend, as if believing he had not heard him aright.
"I mean what I say. I've got the chance now to have things my way, in
spite of all Joe Potter may do. Go up an' tell her so; if she agrees,
whistle, an' I'll be there before she can wink."
"Come with me, an' tell her yourself; I won't carry a message like that
to aunt Dorcas," Plums replied, indignantly.
"All right; then she can go without the paper. It don't make any
difference to me."
"She won't go without it, 'cause one of us will walk over to Weehawken,
an' perhaps that would be cheaper for her than to feed you."
The amateur detective began to understand that he was not exactly in a
position to drive a very hard bargain, although confident the possession
of the paper would give him the home he desired. Therefore, instead of
attempting to force Plums into acting the part of messenger, he said, in
a tone of condescension:
"If you're so perky 'bout it, I s'pose I can go with you, though I'd
rather have the thing settled before I flash up."
Without replying, Plums turned, and began to retrace his steps,
regretting, now, that he had spoken harshly to Joe concerning this
fellow who was displaying such a mean spirit.
Master Fernald followed, with the air of one who is master of the
situation, rehearsing in his mind what he should say when the little
woman asked for the paper.
The matter was not arranged exactly as he intended it should be.
When they arrived at the cottage, Plums opened the door for him to
enter, and Dan stepped inside with a jaunty air, unsuspicious of his
companion's purpose.
Aunt Dorcas greeted the newcomer kindly; but, before Joe could speak,
Plums, standing with his back against the door, to prevent the alleged
detective from making his escape, cried, in a loud tone:
"Dan's got the paper, but says he won't give it up unless aunt Dorcas
agrees that he shall live here till we get out of the scrape."
"Did you say that, Dan Fernald?" Joe asked, mildly. And the amateur
detective replied, with a great show of firmness:
"That's what I told Plums; but I didn't mean to spring it on the old
woman quite so sudden."
"Do you really mean it?"
"Course I do; I ain't such a fool as to let a chance like this go by me.
I've got her where she can't help herself, now, an' we'll see who'll--"
Dan did not conclude the threat, for, regardless of aunt Dorcas's
presence, Joe leaped from the table, and seized the pretended detective
by the throat, forcing him back against the wall.
With a cry of fear, aunt Dorcas sprang to her feet, and would have gone
to Dan's relief, but that Plums, moving more quickly than he had ever
been known to move before, stepped directly in front of her, as he said,
imploringly:
"Now, don't mix into this row, 'cause it wouldn't be fair. I knew pretty
well what Joe would do, after I'd told him how Dan was countin' on
gettin' pay for his paper, an' if he hadn't gone for the duffer, I'd had
to do it myself."
"But I can't have any quarrelling in this house. Why, George, I'd rather
never see a paper in my life than to have a right-down fight here!"
"There won't be any fight, aunt Dorcas," Plums said, with a smile,
"'cause Joe will chew him all up before he can wink."
Brief as this conversation had been, before it came to an end there was
no longer any employment for a peacemaker.
Joe had shaken the amateur detective until he was glad to give up the
worthless newspaper, and, before aunt Dorcas could step past Plums,
Master Fernald was literally thrown out of the kitchen door.
"I'll have every perliceman in New York City here before you're an hour
older!" he screamed, shaking his fist in impotent wrath when he was at a
safe distance.
"Go ahead, an' do what you can, an' when it's all over I'll finish
servin' you out for talkin' as you did to aunt Dorcas!" Joe replied,
after which he closed the door and resumed his seat at the table, as if
nothing unusual had occurred.
"Now you can see the advertisement," Plums said, as he handed the paper
to the little woman; but she hesitated about taking it.
"It seems as if we had robbed that poor boy," she said, in distress. "I
do wish, Joseph, that you hadn't been so hasty."
"Now don't fret over the sneak, aunt Dorcas, 'cause he ain't worth it.
Robbed him of nothin'! What was the paper good for to him? Yet he
counted on makin' you do as he said for the sake of gettin' it."
"Last night I wanted him to come here, an' thought Joe was kind er hard
when he wouldn't 'gree to it; but I'll take all that back now. Dan
Fernald's the meanest kind of a sneak," and Master Plummer, realising he
was indulging in too much exercise by thus allowing himself to be angry,
sank into a chair, as if exhausted.
It is doubtful if aunt Dorcas would have taken the paper procured by
such a questionable method, but for anxiety to read the advertisement
which had made of Joe an exile. As a matter of fact, she did not take it
until after considerable urging from both the boys, and, even then, only
when Joe held it so near that it would have been necessary to close her
eyes in order to prevent herself from seeing the printed lines.
[Illustration: JOE AND DAN DISAGREE.]
The princess, who had been frightened into silence by Joe's attack on
Dan, crept into aunt Dorcas's lap, and, sitting directly opposite, the
two boys watched the little woman's face intently as she read the
fateful lines.
It seemed to them as if she had kept her eyes fixed upon that particular
portion of the paper fully fifteen minutes before a look of relief came
over her face, and she asked, suddenly:
"Did you tell me the princess's parents were dead?"
"Oh, no; I said she'd lost 'em," Joe replied.
"I understood you found her in the street."
"An' that's true. I was up by the Grand Central _De_pot, lookin' for a
job to carry baggage, when she came along, an' I waited there till
pretty nigh dark without seem' anybody that belonged to her. We went to
Plums's shanty, an' stayed all night. I was countin' on findin' her
folks in the mornin', when Dan Fernald come up an' showed this
advertisement. Then, of course, we had to skip, an' you know the rest,
except that I'm goin' back as quick as ever I can, to hunt 'em up."
"Did any one near the station know you had found a little girl?" aunt
Dorcas asked, now looking really cheerful.
"Nobody that I knew, except Plums," Joe replied; and added, an instant
later, "Yes, there was. I'd forgot 'bout that feller who works in the
fruit store pretty near the _de_pot. He saw me when I was luggin' her
down to Plums's shanty, an' almost knocked us over."
Aunt Dorcas looked straight up at the ceiling for as many as two
minutes, and then said, abruptly, as if having decided upon some course
of action:
"George, I want you to go right over to Mr. McArthur's, and tell him
that I must be carried to the ferry at once. Be sure you say 'at once'
very emphatically, because I want him to understand that my business
admits of no delay, otherwise he will be putting me off with all manner
of excuses. Now go immediately; don't sit there looking at me," and aunt
Dorcas spoke so sharply that both the boys were amazed.
The little woman, putting the princess down from her lap, began to clear
away the breakfast dishes, but stopped before the work was well begun,
as she said:
"Why do I spend my time on such trifling matters, when it is so
necessary I get into the city at once? Haven't you gone yet, George?"
"Say, aunt Dorcas, how do you s'pose I know where Mr. McArthur lives?"
"You should know; he is our next-door neighbour; the first house on the
right, just above here. Now don't loiter, George, for I am in a great
hurry."
Master Plummer, looking thoroughly bewildered, went out of the house
almost rapidly, and aunt Dorcas said to Joe:
"Of course I am depending upon you to take care of the princess, and
when she goes to sleep this noon, perhaps you can put these soiled
dishes into the sink. I haven't the time now, because I must change my
clothes."
"Are you goin' into the city, to try to help us out of the scrape?"
"Of course I am, and it can be done. I knew there was some mistake about
it all when you told me the story; but I haven't time to talk with you
now, Joseph. You will find food enough in the pantry, in case I am not
back by dinner-time, and see to it that the princess doesn't go hungry.
I am depending upon your keeping things in proper order while I'm away."
Before the astonished boy could ask any further questions, aunt Dorcas
had actually run up the stairs, and the princess immediately raised a
wail of sorrow at being separated from her particular friend, thereby
forcing Joe to devote all his attention to her for the time being.
Before aunt Dorcas had completed her preparations for the journey, Joe
succeeded in inducing the little maid to walk out-of-doors with him, and
they were but a short distance from the house, down the lane, when Plums
returned with Mr. McArthur.
The worthy farmer, alarmed by a peremptory message from a neighbour who
had never before been known to give an order save in the form of the
mildest request, had harnessed his horse with all possible despatch, and
was looking seriously disturbed in mind when he drove up to where Joe
was standing.
"I reckon by your looks you're the boy what tackled the burglar last
night? Well, you showed clean grit, an' no mistake. Can you tell me what
the matter is with aunt Dorcas? This 'ere friend of yours seems to be
all mixed up; don't appear to know much of anything."
"She wants to go to the city, sir, an' to get there quick."
"There must be some powerful reason behind it all for Dorcas Milford to
send any sich message as this boy brought. I allow he mistook her
meanin', so to speak, eh?"
"I didn't mistook anything," Plums cried, indignantly. "She said to tell
you she must be carried to the ferry at once, very emphatically, an' she
didn't want you to be puttin' her off with any excuses."
"Is that so, sonny?" the farmer asked of Joe.
"I don't think she said it exactly that way, an' Plums wasn't told you
shouldn't make any excuses; but aunt Dorcas wants to go in a hurry, I
know that much."
"Anybody dead, eh?"
"No, sir."
"The burglar didn't get away with anything, eh?"
"No, sir."
Before the farmer could ask any more questions, aunt Dorcas herself
appeared on the scene.
"I'm glad you came quickly, Mr. McArthur, because I'm in a great hurry,"
she said, nervously. "Don't stop to drive up to the house, but turn
around right here."
The farmer looked at her for a moment, and then, mildly urging the
patient steed on, he drove in a circle as wide as the lane would permit,
saying, meanwhile:
"It seems to me, Dorcas Milford, I'd send some word by telegraph, rather
than get into sich a pucker. I never knowed you to be so kinder flighty
as you're appearin' now."
"I shall be a good deal worse, Mr. McArthur, if you don't start very
soon," aunt Dorcas replied, in a matter-of-fact tone, which alarmed her
neighbour more than a threat from some other person would have done.
"Take good care of the princess; don't get crumbs on the floor, an' be
sure to eat all you need," aunt Dorcas cried, as the vehicle was whirled
almost rapidly around the corner of the lane into the highway. And Plums
shouted:
"When'll you be back?"
"I can't say; be good boys, an' I'll come as soon as ever it's
possible."
Then the little woman had disappeared from view, and Master Plummer,
turning to his friend, asked, seriously:
"Do you s'pose there's anything gone wrong with aunt Dorcas's head? It
seems to me she don't act as if she was jest straight."
"Now don't be foolish, Plums. If everybody in this world was as straight
as she is, us boys would have a snap."
"But she seems to think she can fix all this, else why did she rush off
so?"
"If anybody can straighten things out, she's the one, though I don't see
how it's goin' to be done. Let's go into the house, an' do the work. I
b'lieve I can wash the dishes without breakin' any of 'em."
"What's the use to rush 'round like this? I'm all tired out goin' over
to McArthur's, an' there's no knowin' what'll happen if I can't get a
chance to rest."
"Now, don't be so foolish, Plums. You haven't done enough to hurt a
kitten, since we come here, an' all I'll ask of you is to take care of
the princess while I'm fixin' up."
With this understanding, Master Plummer agreed to his friend's proposal,
and during the next half hour Joe laboured faithfully at the housework,
while Plums amused the princess, when it was possible for him to do so
without too great an exertion.
Then it was that the child, who had been looking out of the window for a
moment, clapped her tiny hands, and screamed, as she pointed towards the
orchard, thereby causing Master Plummer to ascertain the cause of the
sudden outburst.
"There goes Dan Fernald!" he exclaimed.
"Where?"
"Sneakin' up through the orchard. It looks like he was goin' to the
barn."
"He's on some of his detective sprees, I s'pose. That feller can make an
awful fool of hisself without tryin' very hard," and Joe would have gone
back to his work but that Plums prevented him, by saying:
"He ain't sneakin' 'round there for any good. It would be different if
he thought we was in the garden. I wouldn't be 'fraid to bet he was
where he could see aunt Dorcas, when she went away, an' is countin' on
makin' it hot for us."
[Illustration: "'COME ON QUICK, PLUMS! DAN'S SET THE BARN A-FIRE.'"]
"It would be a sore job for him if he did. Look out for the princess,
an' I'll snoop 'round to see what he's doin'."
Joe went through the shed door, which led out of the garden, but could
see no one. If the amateur detective had not gone inside the barn, he
must be loitering at the further end, where he was screened from view of
any one on either side the building.
"If I go 'round there, he'll think it's because I'm 'fraid he'll make
trouble for us, an' that's what would please him," Joe said to himself.
Then, passing through the shed, he looked out of the door on the
opposite side.
No one could be seen from this point, and he returned to the garden just
as Dan came out from around the corner of the barn, running at full
speed towards a grove, situated a mile or more from the main road.
"What have you been doin' 'round here?" Joe shouted, angrily, and the
amateur detective halted long enough to say:
"You think you're mighty smart, Joe Potter, but you'll find there are
some folks that can give you points. What I've done to you this time
ain't a marker 'longside of what it'll be when I try my hand again."
Then Master Fernald resumed his flight, much to Joe's surprise, and
halted not until he was within the friendly shelter of the trees.
"Now, I wonder what he meant by all that talk? It seems like he was more
of a fool this mornin' than I ever knew him to be before."
At that moment Joe saw, or fancied he saw, a tiny curl of blue vapour
rising from the corner of the barn, and, as he stood gazing in that
direction, uncertain whether his eyes might not have deceived him,
another puff of smoke, and yet another, arose slowly in the air, telling
unmistakably of what Master Fernald had done.
Joe darted into the house, and seized the water-pail, as he cried,
excitedly:
"Come on quick, Plums! Dan's set the barn a-fire! Get anything that you
can carry water in, and hump yourself lively!"
"But what'll I do with the princess?" Master Plummer asked, helplessly.
"She'll have to take care of herself," Joe cried, as he ran at full
speed towards the smoke, which was now rising in small clouds, giving
token of flames which might soon reduce aunt Dorcas's little home to
ashes.
CHAPTER XV.
AN UNEXPECTED ARRIVAL.
It was really the princess who saved aunt Dorcas's home from
destruction. Had she not seen Dan Fernald, as he made his way through
the orchard, the barn would most likely have been in a blaze before Joe
or Plums were aware of the fact.
Thanks to her warning, Joe saw the smoke before the fire gathered
headway, and when he arrived on the scene, the flames had but just
fastened upon the side of the barn.
Plums, aroused to something like activity by the knowledge of danger,
followed Joe with remarkable promptness, and the amount of water thus
brought by both was sufficient to extinguish what, a few moments later,
would have been a conflagration.
Not until he had pulled the charred sticks from beneath the end of the
barn, and assured himself every spark had been drowned out, did Joe
speak, and then it was to relieve his mind by making threats against the
would-be incendiary.
"It's all well enough for a woman like aunt Dorcas to tell about doin'
good to them what tries to hurt you, for she couldn't so much as put up
her hands. If you keep on forgivin' duffers like Dan Fernald, you're
bound to be in such scrapes as this all the time. What he needed was a
sound thumpin', when he begun talkin' so rough to aunt Dorcas; then he
wouldn't dared to try a game of this kind. When I get hold of him again,
I'll make up for lost time."
"I'll bet he's somewhere 'round here, watchin' out, an' when he sees
this game didn't work, he'll try somethin' else."
"Not much he won't. I know pretty near where he is, an' I'm goin' to
make him--"
At this moment the voice of the princess could be heard in vehement
protest against thus being left alone, and Joe was forced to defer his
punishment of the amateur detective until a more convenient season.
"Stay here, Plums, an' watch for Dan, while I go and get the princess.
He went among them trees over there, so's to have a reserved seat while
the house was burnin'; but he's got to come out some time."
"Don't stay away too long, for I ain't certain as I'd dare to tackle him
alone,--you see I'm too fat to be much of a fighter."
A certain quaver in Plums's voice told that he was afraid to be alone
even while Dan was a long distance away, and Joe thought it extremely
comical that any one should fear the amateur detective.
The princess did not object to taking a walk, fortunately for Master
Plummer's peace of mind, and, in a short time, the three were patrolling
the grounds, Joe carrying the little maid whenever she insisted upon
such service.
At noonday, a certain amount of food was brought out on the lawn in
front of the house, and, even while the boys ate, they continued their
self-imposed duty of guarding the premises.
Then the princess wanted to sleep, and Joe sat by her side, while Plums
kept watch from the windows, or walked rapidly around the buildings.
So far as Dan was concerned, they might as well have amused themselves
according to their own fancies, for he never showed himself after having
sought refuge in the grove.
When the excitement consequent upon the attempt to destroy aunt Dorcas's
home had subsided in a measure, the boys began to speculate upon the
reasons for the little woman's hurried departure, but could arrive at no
satisfactory conclusion as to what it might be she hoped to accomplish.
"Of course she could do a pile of beggin' off for a feller, 'cause
anybody would have to listen to her; but when the lawyers are willin' to
pay a hundred dollars for either one of us three, I don't believe she
can do very much by talkin'," Joe said, reflectively, as he summed up
the situation according to his belief. "I expect she'll be terribly
disappointed when we see her again, 'cause she counts on straightenin'
things out in a jiffy."
"Do you s'pose Dan Fernald will hang 'round here till he gets a chance
to do her some mischief?"
"As soon as aunt Dorcas gets back I'm goin' to skirmish through them
trees, an', if he's there, it won't take more'n three minutes to make
him sick of this part of the country."
The boys were yet discussing what should be done to Dan to prevent him
from attempting to work more mischief, when a covered carriage, drawn by
two horses, whose harness was resplendent with silver, and driven by a
coachman in livery, turned from the highway into the lane leading to the
cottage.
"Hi, Joe!" Plums cried, excitedly. "See the swells what are comin' to
visit aunt Dorcas!"
"They want to ask the way somewhere, an' seein's we couldn't even tell
'em where the post-office is, I guess we'd better keep kind er shady.
Now the princess is awake! We'll have to show ourselves, 'cause she's
bound to make a noise," Joe added, as the little maid clambered upon his
knee.
"I'm goin'--Say, aunt Dorcas herself is in that funny rig!"
"What are you givin' me?" and Joe leaned forward eagerly, in order to
have a better view.
"It's her, dead sure! There! Look at that! What do you think, now?"
It was, indeed, as Master Plummer had said.
Aunt Dorcas was getting out of the carriage, assisted by a gentleman who
spoke to the driver in such a manner as one would expect from the owner
of the equipage, and immediately behind the little woman could be seen a
younger lady.
"I wonder if aunt Dorcas thinks them swells would help two chumps like
us out of our scrape!" Joe exclaimed. "If she does, her head ain't--"
"Papa! Papa!" the princess screamed in delight, as she pounded on the
window with her tiny fists, and instantly the gentleman left aunt Dorcas
to alight from the vehicle as best she could, while he ran at full speed
up the sharp ascent to the house.
"I'll be blowed, if aunt Dorcas hasn't found the princess's folks!" Joe
cried, as an expression of bewilderment came over his face. "That dude
is comin' in, an' we'd best leave."
Followed by Plums, Joe ran out of the kitchen door, just as the
gentleman came through the main entrance of the cottage, and the boys
heard a wild scream of delight from the princess.
Master Potter threw himself, face downward, on the grass near the
garden, and Plums seated himself by his comrade's side, asking again and
again how it was aunt Dorcas had so readily found the princess's
parents.
"When we first come here, I didn't think she 'mounted to very much,
'cause she was so little an' kind er dried up. Then, when she struck out
so heavy prayin', I begun to think there might be more to her than I'd
counted on. But now,--why, Joe, little as she is, aunt Dorcas has done
more'n all the cops in town put together. When we told her the princess
had lost her folks, what does she do but go right out and hunt 'em up,
an' don't look as though she'd turned a hair doin' it."
Joe made no reply.
"Didn't she hump herself, when we showed her that advertisement? She
was jest like a terrier after a rat, an' bossed me 'round till, as
true's you live, I run more'n half the way over to Mr. McArthur's. Then
how she jumped on him when he begun to ask questions! If I only had
somebody like aunt Dorcas to look out for me, I wouldn't have to work so
hard."
Joe remained silent; but Plums was so intent on singing aunt Dorcas's
praises, that he failed to pay any especial attention to the fact that
his comrade had not spoken since they knew the princess's parents had
arrived.
"Joseph! George!"
"Here we are, aunt Dorcas," Plums replied.
"Come into the house this very minute, both of you."
"Come on, Joe; I s'pose we've got to go. The dude wants to thank us for
lookin' after the princess."
"You can go; I sha'n't," Joe said, with difficulty, as if he were
choking, and Plums gazed at him in surprise.
"Joseph! George! Where are you?"
"Out here by the garden, aunt Dorcas. Joe won't come in."
"Go on by yourself, an' leave me alone," Master Potter said, angrily,
still keeping his face hidden from view.
"It can't do any hurt to have one look at the dudes, an' seein's how
there's nothin' else goin' on, I guess I'll take the show in."
Then Master Plummer sauntered leisurely towards the cottage, and Joe,
believing himself alone, began to sob as if his heart were breaking.
He failed to hear aunt Dorcas as she came swiftly out through the shed
door and kneeled by his side. Not until she spoke did he think there was
a witness to his grief.
[Illustration: "JOE, BELIEVING HIMSELF ALONE, BEGAN TO SOB AS IF HIS
HEART WERE BREAKING."]
"Josey, my poor boy, are you grieving because Essie's parents have found
her at last?"
Joe tried to speak, but could not, and the little woman continued:
"You should rejoice because the sufferings of that poor father and
mother are at an end. Try to imagine their distress when the dear child
was missing, and they could not know whether she was alive or dead.
Think of them, as they pictured her alone in the streets, wandering
around until exhausted, or falling into the hands of wicked people who
would abuse her. Fancy what their sufferings must have been as compared
with yours, when you know that she will receive even better treatment
than we could give her. It is wicked, Josey, my boy, to grieve so
sorely, for a mother's heart has been lightened of all the terrible load
which has been upon it for so many days."
Then aunt Dorcas patted the small portion of cheek which was exposed to
view between the bandages, and in many a loving way soothed the
sorrowing boy, until he suddenly sat bolt upright, wiping both eyes with
the sleeve of his coat, as he said, stoutly:
"I'm a bloomin' idjut, aunt Dorcas, that's what I am, an' if you'd turn
to an' kick me, I'd be served nearer right than by havin' you pity me."
"You're very far removed from an idiot, Joseph, and I am glad to know
your heart is still so tender that you can feel badly at the loss of a
dear little child like Essie,--Esther is her name. Now, Josey dear,
don't you want to know why those lawyers tried to find you?"
"Have you been to see them, too?" Joe cried, in surprise.
"Yes, indeed, dear. In the paper you took from Dan Fernald was another
advertisement directly below the one referring to you, and it was
concerning a little child who had been lost in the vicinity of the Grand
Central Station. The same names were signed to it, and on seeing that, I
believed I understood why so much money would be paid for information
concerning you."
"I s'pose it's all straight enough, aunt Dorcas; but I can't seem to
make out what you mean."
"Nothing can be plainer, my child. Little Essie was left in charge of a
nurse at the station, and when the foolish woman missed the baby,
instead of making immediate inquiries, she spent her time fainting. Not
until nearly eight o'clock that evening did the poor mother learn of her
terrible loss, and then detectives were sent out at once. The boy at the
fruit store, on being questioned, as was every one else in that
vicinity, described the baby he saw in your arms, and told the officers
your name. You had disappeared, and the only thing left was to offer a
reward for information as to your whereabouts."
"Then they didn't think I'd done anything crooked?"
"If by that you mean 'wrong,' they didn't. It was the only clew they had
to the child; but on the following day it was learned you had been seen
with George, and then his name appeared in the advertisement. After
that, some of the newsboys from around City Hall Square brought word
that Dan Fernald was with you, and a reward was also offered for
knowledge of his whereabouts. You see, Josey dear, if Mr. Raymond--that
is the name of Essie's father--could find either of you three boys, he
was reasonably certain of getting news regarding his baby."
"Then I ran away from nothing, did I?"
"Yes, Josey dear, you did what many older persons than you have done,
and what God's Book tells us the wicked do,--fled when no man was
pursuing."
"Well, I _have_ been a chump!"
"Do you mean that you've been foolish?"
"I s'pose that's what you'd call it. I'm a reg'lar jay from Jayville,
an' yesterday mornin' I let that bloomin' imitation detective scare me!"
"Those wiser than you might have misconstrued that advertisement,
Joseph; but this shall teach you that there is nothing to fear when your
conscience is clear. Meet trouble half-way, and it dwindles into mere
vexation. Now, dear, I want you to come into the house with me and meet
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond. They know how kind you have been to Essie, and
wish to thank you."
"Well, they can't thank me for takin' care of the princess, an' I only
wish she'd never had a father and a mother, for then I could have kept
her all the time."
"Won't you come to please me, dear?" and aunt Dorcas laid her hand on
the boy's arm affectionately.
"When you put it that way, I'll have to go," and Joe rose slowly to his
feet.
"Of course you want to see Essie before she leaves?"
"Are they goin' to take her right away?"
"Certainly, Joseph. Do you fancy that poor mother could go away without
her?"
Joe made no reply, and, linking her arm in his, aunt Dorcas led him in
through the shed, but before they had reached the cottage Plums came
towards them at an unusually rapid rate of speed, crying, excitedly:
"The dudes have gone, aunt Dorcas. They've gone, and that very same
swell carriage is comin' here to-morrow mornin' to take me an' Joe an'
you into the city to see the princess."
"Gone?" aunt Dorcas exclaimed, in surprise.
"Yes; I told 'em Joe was kind er grumpy 'cause princess was goin' away,
an' the boss said perhaps it would be better if they took a sneak. He
left a letter in the front room for you,--wrote it on a card he got out
of his pocket."
It was plain to be seen from the expression on aunt Dorcas's face that
she was disappointed; but she repressed her own feelings to say to Joe:
"Perhaps it is the best way, dear, for it would have caused you still
more sorrow to say good-bye to Essie. Now you will have time to grow
accustomed to the loss before you see her again."
Plums was in such a state of delirious excitement, owing to the fact
that he was to reënter New York like a "reg'lar swell," that it seemed
impossible for him to behave in a proper fashion.
He danced to and fro, as if active movement was his greatest delight,
and insisted on bringing to aunt Dorcas the card which Mr. Raymond had
left, even while she was making her way as rapidly as possible to the
front room.
The message to the little woman read as follows:
MY DEAR MISS MILFORD: I understand that the lad who has been
so kind to Essie does not wish to see her just at present;
therefore, perhaps it is better we go at once, and without
ceremony. Will you yet further oblige me by coming to my
house to-morrow? The carriage shall be here about ten
o'clock. Very sincerely yours,
EDWARD RAYMOND.
"There is no reason why we shouldn't go, dear?" aunt Dorcas asked Joe,
after reading the message aloud.
"There's Dan Fernald cuttin' across the orchard, down towards the road!
Now's our time to catch him!" Plums shouted, before Joe could reply to
aunt Dorcas's kindly words, and in another instant the two boys were in
hot pursuit.
Aunt Dorcas, believing they were trying to catch the amateur detective
in order to punish him for what had been said during the morning, cried
shrilly for them to come back; but her words were unheeded, because
unheard.
Master Fernald was not in condition for a race, owing to his having
travelled to and fro a goodly portion of the day in search of revenge,
and the chase was soon ended.
In attempting to climb over the orchard fence into the road, he tripped,
fell, and, before it was possible to rise again, Joe was on his back.
"I'll have the law on you if you dare to strike me!" Dan cried, in
accents of terror, and Joe replied, disdainfully:
"Don't be afraid, you bloomin' duffer. I ain't goin' to hurt you now,
'cause I feel too good. I'm only countin' on showin' what kind of a
detective you are, an' tellin' what'll happen if you hang 'round here an
hour longer."
"I'm goin' to New York an' have the perlice on your trail before dark
to-night," Dan cried, speaking indistinctly because of Joe's grasp upon
his throat.
"I'm willin' you should do that jest as soon's you get ready. It won't
bother me a little bit, 'cause aunt Dorcas told the story this mornin',
an' the man what put the advertisement in the papers has been out here.
Now, you listen to me, Dan Fernald, and perhaps after this you'll give
over your funny detective business. All them lawyers wanted of me was to
find out where the princess was, an' if, instead of runnin' away, I'd
flashed myself up on Pine Street, there wouldn't have been any trouble.
I ought'er black both your eyes for tryin' to set fire to aunt Dorcas's
barn; but somehow I can't do it, 'cause she don't like to have fellers
fight. Now you can get into New York an' fetch your perlice."
Joe released his hold of Master Fernald; but the latter was so
astonished by the information given, that he made no effort to rise.
"Is all that true, or are you foolin' me?" he asked, after a time.
"Say, the best thing you can do is to come up an' talk with aunt Dorcas.
It would do you a heap of good, Dan, an', come to think of it, you've
_got_ to go."
Master Fernald was not as eager to visit the cottage now as he had
been, for he understood that Joe was speaking the truth, and the
prospect of meeting the little woman, after all he had said and
attempted to do, was not pleasing.
"Don't let up on him," Plums cried, vindictively. "He's to blame for
this whole racket, an' ought'er be served out a good deal worse'n aunt
Dorcas will serve him."
Dan struggled manfully, but all to no purpose. His late friends were
determined he should visit the woman he had intended to wrong, and half
dragged, half carried him up the lane, until they were met by aunt
Dorcas herself, who sternly asked why they were ill-treating a boy
smaller than themselves.
"It's Dan Fernald, aunt Dorcas," Plums said, as if in surprise that she
should have interfered. "It's the same feller what wasn't goin' to show
you the paper till you'd 'greed to board him the balance of the summer,
an' in less than a half an hour after you went away he set the barn
afire. We thought it would do him a heap of good to talk with you a
spell."
"Let him alone, children. If he doesn't wish to speak with me you must
not try to force him. Suppose you two go into the garden a little while,
and leave us alone?"
This did not please Plums, for he had anticipated hearing the little
woman read Master Fernald a lecture; but he could do no less than act
upon the suggestion, and as the two went slowly towards the barn, Master
Plummer said, regretfully:
"It's too bad we couldn't hear what she had to say, after I told her
about his settin' the barn afire."
"Look here, Plums, you'd been disappointed if she'd let you listen. She
ain't the kind of a woman that would rave, an' scold, an' tear 'round;
but when she gets through with Dan Fernald, he'll feel a mighty sight
worse than if she'd knocked his two eyes into one."
CHAPTER XVI.
THE REWARD.
The conversation did not lag during the two hours or more the boys
remained near about the garden, waiting for aunt Dorcas to summon them
after the interview with the amateur detective should have come to an
end.
Now that there was no longer any mystery concerning the advertisement,
it seemed strange they had not understood why the attorneys wished to
see Joe.
"We must be awful chumps, to let Dan Fernald frighten us as he did," Joe
said, thoughtfully, after they had discussed the matter in all its
different phases. "Why we didn't see that it was the princess they was
after, beats me! Perhaps it might have come 'round to it if I'd been
alone; but that imitation detective seemed to have it down so fine, that
I didn't stop to think of anything but what he said."
"Anyhow, he did us a good turn, 'cause if we hadn't skipped we'd never
found out there was a woman like aunt Dorcas."
"That's a fact, Plums, an', come to look at it that way, I ain't so
certain but we ought'er let up on the duffer. Say, it'll be mighty
tough to go back an' live in that shanty of your'n after bein' out here,
won't it?"
"Do you s'pose we've got to leave this place?" and Master Plummer looked
alarmed.
"Course we have. You don't count on spongin' a livin' out of a poor
little woman like aunt Dorcas, I hope?"
"I wouldn't reg'larly do her up for my board; but I was thinkin' perhaps
she'd have work enough so's we could pay our way. You come pretty near
squarin' things when you tackled the burglar."
"I didn't do so much as a flea-bite. If aunt Dorcas had been alone an'
heard the man sneakin' 'round, she'd been prayin' with him in less'n
five minutes, an' he'd gone away a good deal more sore than he did."
"I guess that's straight enough," Plums replied, with a sigh, for as it
was thus proven that the little woman did not stand in need of their
services, his heart grew sad.
"She can take care of herself, you bet, an' come up bright an' smilin'
every time. We've got to go back to-morrow, Plums, an' hustle for
five-cent stews."
"I don't want any more of it, after knowin' how aunt Dorcas can cook.
Are you goin' into the paper business ag'in?"
"I guess I'll have to, after I pick up enough cash to start in with.
I'll tackle the _de_pot, for that job was pannin' out mighty well till I
found the princess," Joe replied, and then he relapsed into silence, for
the thought that the child was no longer dependent upon him brought
more sorrow to his heart than had come to Plums because of being forced
to go to work again.
Then came the summons for which the boys had been waiting, and when they
entered the house, expecting to find aunt Dorcas alone, a disagreeable
surprise awaited them.
The amateur detective was in the kitchen regaling himself with a quarter
section of custard pie, while the little woman fluttered to and fro
between the table and the pantry, as if bent on tempting his appetite to
the utmost.
"Dan will stay here till morning," she said, cheerily, as the boys
entered, "and then we'll take him to the ferry in Mr. Raymond's
carriage."
"Are you goin' to keep him, after he set the barn afire?" Joe asked, in
surprise, as he shook his fist at the amateur detective, while aunt
Dorcas's back was turned.
"He didn't really intend to do me an injury, and feels sorry because of
harbouring such revengeful thoughts."
At that instant, aunt Dorcas saw Master Plummer making threatening
gestures, which were replied to vigorously by Dan, and she added,
quickly:
"I want you boys to be firm friends from this day. All three have made a
mistake; but there will be no evil result from it unless through your
own wilfulness. Joe, try, for my sake, to be good, and treat Dan as if
there had been no hard feelings."
Master Potter would have been better pleased if aunt Dorcas had asked of
him something which could only be performed after great suffering and
painful endurance; but with a slight show of hesitation he approached
the amateur detective in what he intended should appear like a friendly
manner, and said, stiffly:
"I'll do what aunt Dorcas says, though it comes mighty hard after what
you threatened yesterday, Dan. We're friends now; but I'll wipe the
floor up with you, if you don't walk pretty near straight."
The little woman was not particularly well pleased at this evidence of
friendliness; but she professed to be satisfied, and the three boys
glared at each other like so many pugnacious cats until the evening
devotions were begun.
Then aunt Dorcas read, with great fervour, the first chapter of the
Sermon on the Mount, and afterwards prayed so earnestly for those
"within her gates," that Joe resolved then and there to treat Dan as he
had done before the princess was found,--at least, during such time as
the amateur detective behaved himself in what he considered a proper
manner.
"Joseph and George are to sleep in the spare-room to-night, and Daniel
will occupy the chamber over the kitchen," aunt Dorcas announced, when
the devotions were brought to a close.
"Did you take off the best sheets?" Master Potter asked.
"Of course not, Joseph."
"Why don't you do it? Plums an' me would be snug enough if there wasn't
any clothes at all on the bed."
"We will leave it as it is, dear. Perhaps I was wrong in not letting you
occupy it before."
"How could that be?" Joe asked, in astonishment.
"I have allowed myself to be proud of the chamber, and the Book
particularly warns us against pride. It is better that I accustom myself
to seeing it used."
When Joe and Plums were in the spare-room that night, neither daring to
stretch out at full length lest he should soil the sheets more than was
absolutely necessary, Master Potter whispered confidentially to his
friend:
"Aunt Dorcas is a mighty good woman, Plums; but, 'cordin' to my way of
thinkin', she's makin' a pile of trouble for herself."
"How?"
"Some day a reg'lar duffer like Dan Fernald will come along, an' then
she'll get taken in mighty bad."
"Seems almost as if we ought'er stay here an' take care of her, don't
it?"
"There's no sense thinkin' anything like that, Plums. This is our last
night in a first-class bed, an' from to-morrow mornin' we've got to
hustle jest the same as if we'd never had it so rich."
Then Joe fell asleep, to dream of the princess, and until aunt Dorcas
awakened him, next morning, it was as if nothing had occurred to depose
him from the position of guardian.
There was work enough for all three of the guests in the Milford cottage
after breakfast had been served.
The little woman was preparing for her visit to the city as if she
expected to be absent from home several days, instead of only a few
hours, and the boys were called upon to assist in the household duties,
although it is quite probable they were more of a hindrance than a help.
Dan was doing his best at washing the kitchen floor, Joe was trimming
the lamps, and Plums piling up wood in the shed, when the Raymond
carriage rumbled up the lane, causing the utmost confusion and dismay
among aunt Dorcas's assistants.
Because of having been kept thus steadily employed, the time had passed
wonderfully quick, and, until each in turn had looked at the clock, it
was impossible to realise that the coachman had not arrived long in
advance of the hour set.
Even the little woman herself was unprepared for so early a coming of
the carriage, and during the ensuing ten minutes the utmost confusion
reigned.
Then aunt Dorcas and her family were ready for the ride, and Plums said,
with an air of content as he leaned against the wonderful cushions of
the front seat:
"We're a set of sporty dudes now, an' I only hope that feller won't
drive very fast, 'cause we shouldn't have any too long to stay in this
rig, even if he walked the horses every step of the way. Say, this is
great, ain't it?"
Dan made no remark during the ride; but it was evident he enjoyed
himself quite as well as did any other member of the party, and when the
carriage was on the New York side of the river, Master Fernald looked
with undisguised envy at his companions, as he said to aunt Dorcas:
"I s'pose I've got to get out now, eh?"
"Yes, Daniel, for we are going directly to Mr. Raymond's home, and could
not take you there. Come to see me some time, and remember what you have
promised about being a good boy."
"I'll keep as straight as I can," Master Fernald replied, and then he
glanced at the boys, as if doubtful whether he ought to bid them
good-bye.
Perhaps Joe would have said no word in parting but for the gentle
pressure of aunt Dorcas's hand on his. He understood from it what the
little woman would have him do, and leaning forward, said, in a kindly
tone:
"We'll see you later, Dan. Plums an' I won't be swellin' much longer,
but will be at work by this time to-morrow."
Then Master Plummer did his part by adding:
"We'll let up on the detective business, eh, Dan, an' settle down to
reg'lar work as soon as this swellin' is over."
The coachman gave rein to the horses, and Dan Fernald was soon left far
in the rear.
* * * * *
On the afternoon of this same day, when the rush for evening papers had
subsided and the merchants of Newspaper Row were resting from their
labours, as they listened to Dan Fernald's story of his adventures,
Plums suddenly appeared, looking remarkably well pleased with himself
and the world in general.
[Illustration: "THEN AUNT DORCAS AND HER FAMILY WERE READY FOR THE
RIDE."]
"Hello! We thought you was settin' round up-town with the rest of the
dudes. Dan says you come down from the country in a swell turnout,"
Jerry Hayes cried, with something very like envy in his tones.
"Dan couldn't laid it on any too thick, for we've been humpin' ourselves
in great style," Master Plummer replied, with an air of satisfaction.
"Did you really go into the dude's house?"
"Yes, an' what's more, we eat dinner there! Say, boys, McGowan's
restaurant ain't in it alongside of what we struck up at the princess's
house. There was more stuff on the table than this crowd could have got
away with,--an' talk 'bout silver dishes! I never had any such time
before, an' I thought aunt Dorcas run a pretty fine place!"
"Where's Joe Potter?"
"Up there, actin' like he owned the town."
"Do you mean that he's stoppin' with the dude all this time?" Jerry
asked, incredulously.
"Yes, an' that ain't the worst of it. He's likely to hang 'round the
place quite a spell. Say, there was a thousand dollars reward to whoever
found the princess, an' her father says Joe was to have it!"
"What? A thousand dollars? Go off, Plums; you're dreamin'."
"You'll find out whether I am or not, when you see Joe. Say, I s'pose
you think he'll come 'round sellin' papers again, don't you? Well, he
won't. He's goin' to work down on Wall Street, for the princess's
father; an' him an' me are to live with aunt Dorcas from now out. He'll
come into town every mornin', an' I'll hang 'round the place livin'
high, with nothin' to do but tend to things."
"What kind of a stiff are you puttin' up on us, Plums?" Tim Morgan
asked, sternly.
"It's all straight as a string. When we got up to the princess's house,
she jest went wild at seein' Joe, an', if you'll believe it, she set on
his knee more'n half the time I stayed there. Her father made us tell
all we'd done from the minute Joe found the kid, an' then he said a
thousand dollars was promised to the feller what would find her. Of
course we didn't s'pose he'd pay the money after givin' us a ride in his
team, an' settin' up the dinner; but he stuck to it like a little man.
Aunt Dorcas is to take care of the wealth, an' seein's how she told him
where we fellers was, he's to give her what the advertisement promised,
an' that's a hundred dollars apiece for the three of us. When all this
was fixed, the princess's father offered Joe a job, an' he's to have six
dollars a week, with a raise every year if he minds his eye. They're out
buyin' clothes now, an' I slipped down to see you fellers, 'cause we're
goin' back to aunt Dorcas's house this evenin'."
Master Plummer's friends were not disposed to believe what he told them,
until the story had been repeated several times, and all the details had
been given.
Then it appeared as if there could be no doubt, and each boy vied with
the other in his attentions to Plums, who was now a very desirable
acquaintance, since it might possibly be in his power to invite them to
that cottage of aunt Dorcas's, concerning which Dan Fernald had given
such glowing accounts.
[Illustration: "'McGOWAN'S RESTAURANT AIN'T IN IT ALONGSIDE OF WHAT WE
STRUCK UP AT THE PRINCESS'S HOUSE.'"]
Plums had promised to meet the little woman and Joe at the Weehawken
ferry-slip at seven o'clock, and since at that hour there was no
business to be done on Newspaper Row, his friends decided to accompany
him to the rendezvous.
To the delight of all the boys, aunt Dorcas and Joe arrived in Mr.
Raymond's carriage, and instantly they appeared, the assembled throng
set up such a shout of welcome as caused the little woman to grip Master
Potter's hand nervously, as she cried:
"Mercy on us, Joseph, what _is_ the matter?"
Joe had caught a glimpse of Plums's following before the outcry was
heard, and replied, with a laugh:
"It's only a crowd of the fellers come to see us off. Most likely Plums
has been tellin' 'em about the good luck that has come to me, an' they
want to give us a send-off."
"Do try to stop them from making such a noise, Joseph. What will the
neighbours think of us?"
"They'll believe you're a howlin' swell, aunt Dorcas, an' everybody will
be wantin' to look at you."
"Let us get out as quick as ever we can, or the policeman will accuse us
of making a disturbance."
It was necessary aunt Dorcas should remain where she was until the
driver had opened the carriage door. By that time Plums's friends had
gathered around the vehicle, gazing with open-mouthed astonishment at
Joe, who was clad in a new suit of clothes, and looked quite like a
little gentleman.
Aunt Dorcas was actually trembling as she descended from the carriage,
Joe assisting her in the same manner he had seen Mr. Raymond, and the
cheers which greeted her did not tend to make the little woman any more
comfortable in mind.
The princess's father would have sent his carriage the entire distance
but for the fact that aunt Dorcas preferred to arrive at her home in
such a conveyance as could be hired in Weehawken.
"It is more suitable," she had said. "While I enjoyed every inch of the
ride this morning, I could not help feeling as if we were wearing
altogether too fine feathers for working people."
Plums's friends insisted on crossing the ferry with him, and during the
passage aunt Dorcas was presented to each in turn, a proceeding which
entirely allayed her fears lest they would create an "unseemly
disturbance."
"I know I should come to like every one of them," she whispered to Joe,
"and before we go ashore you must invite them out to the cottage for a
whole day."
"They'd scare the neighbours, aunt Dorcas," Joe said, with a laugh, and
the little woman replied, quite sharply:
"Mr. McArthur is the only one who would hear the noise, and if I have
not complained because his dogs howled around the cottage night after
night these twenty years, I guess he can stand the strain one day."
Joe repeated aunt Dorcas's invitation while the boat was entering the
slip, and when the little woman went on shore, the cheers which came
from twenty pairs of stout lungs drowned all other sounds.
"Walk quickly, boys," she said, forced to speak very loud, because of
the tumult. "Your friends mean well, I have no doubt; but they are
making a perfect spectacle of us."
It was not possible for the little woman to walk so rapidly but that she
heard distinctly, when at some distance from the ferry-slip, Jerry
Hayes's shrill voice, as he cried:
"Now, fellers, give her three more, an' a tiger for the princess an' Joe
Potter!"
[Illustration]
End of Project Gutenberg's The Princess and Joe Potter, by James Otis
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