as mrs. lane was hurrying home from the auction, that lammy need not be kept in suspense a moment longer than was necessary, she bumped into abiram slocum, who was trudging moodily along the road. his wife had left the house first, and in her anger appropriated the cutter and gone home, leaving him to walk.
mrs. lane intended to go by without speaking, and merely gave a civil nod, but he would not allow it; his ugly mood must find vent in words, and as she passed he squared about, saying:—
“you’ve no cause to feel so hoity toity if yer hev got the fruit farm; there’s underhand business been goin’ on here in laurelville, if the light o’ truth was let in. moreover, it’s time that husband o’ yourn as minstrator of that irish o’more’s debts should pay me the rent due; the fact of the furniture being burned don’t release him a copper cent’s worth, as he well knows. tell him from me he’d[226] best come down and settle up; ter-morrow i reckon to be at the tax office all forenoon, or”—with an evil sneer—“mebbe, as you seem to hold the purse, you’d like to pay the debt out of charity to the girl you bragged o’ being fond of, to save her the name of pauper.”
mrs. lane grew hot and cold by turns, and a torrent of words rose to her lips, but the thought of lammy waiting so patiently checked her in time, and she merely said, “yes, abiram slocum, you’ll hear from us to-morrer.”
as she reached the home gate, she saw dinah lucky, who was stationed at the window to give the first word of her return, and at the same time a wild-looking tawny head and a pair of big questioning gray eyes appeared above her fat shoulder, as lammy steadied himself by the window-frame. quick as a flash she pulled off her red knitted shawl and waved it joyfully, so that lammy knew at least two minutes before she could have reached his room to tell him.
once upstairs, she was obliged to begin at the beginning and tell him the story of the morning in every detail, holding his hand the while as if to convince him that she was real and what she told the plain truth.
[227]
presently dinah slipped downstairs, saying she would get the dinner and bring them both some upstairs, for she was sure “missy lane” must be clear tuckered out.
and so she was, though she had not realized it until that moment and sinking back in the homemade arm-chair, she closed her eyes in a state of perfect peace, and must have dozed, for she awoke with a start to hear lammy say, “this sort of makes up for the thanksgiving dinner i missed,” and there upon the various chairs and the bedstand dinah had spread a dinner tempting as only a coloured “born cook” knows how to make it, while the clashing of knives and forks below told her that joshua and the boys were provided for (they had all staid at home from the shop to attend the auction) and that this afternoon at least was her own.
after dinner lammy lay for a long time, looking at the wood fire flickering through the open front of the stove, planning how they would fix aunt jimmy’s—or rather his—house, as his mother called it, and when they would move. of course, lammy wished to go at once—even a week seemed a long delay. mrs. lane hesitated, for she had thoughts of waiting until spring; yet, on the other hand, she could not well leave the house empty or[228] travel up and down to tend the chickens. aunt jimmy’s house was by far the easier to heat, and now as they must keep a hired man permanently, he could be put into their present house and everything settle down for a comfortable winter of work, rest, and planning, so she said, much to lammy’s joy, that she thought they could be in by christmas and then make the improvements at their leisure.
“yes, we can wait to paper the rooms—that is, all except bird’s,” he added. “i’d like to have hers fixed up for her when she comes, white and a paper with wild roses—that’s what she likes, and she made a pattern for one once and was going to send it to the wall-paper man when her father finished the red piney pattern, only he never did.” and lammy told his mother of bird’s hopes about her work, ending by taking the string that held the key from about his neck and saying:—
“please unlock my lower drawer and give me bird’s bundle that her uncle would not let her take with her; if i can’t see her, i can look at her things. i know she wouldn’t mind, because i went back in through the cellar with her that last day and tied them up; only i didn’t do it very well because there was no good paper and string. i’d like to fix them better and put up the paint-box[229] by itself,” he said, fumbling with the knots, as his mother, much interested, took a fresh sheet of paper from the press closet behind the bed.
as she reseated herself, the string broke, and the contents of the hastily made bundle were scattered about the bed. lammy picked up the water-colour drawings carefully, one by one, and smoothed them out with the greatest care. there were a couple of dozen of them, besides those of the wild roses and the peony design, which mrs. lane at once recognized from its spirit, even though it was unfinished.
suddenly lammy cried out in delight, for there before him was a pen-and-ink sketch of bird herself, much younger and happier than when he had last seen her, but still his little friend to the life.
“oh, mother,” he said, as soon as he had feasted his eyes on it, “do you think there could be any harm in putting this up on the mantel-shelf where i could look at it—just for a few days until we go to get bird back?” and of course his mother assured him that there could be no possible harm. then, completely satisfied, he laid the sheets of drawing-paper together again and prepared to make them into a neat, flat package.
“you’ve dropped this out,” said his mother,[230] reaching across the bed to pick up something that had slid down between the coverlid and the wall, and laid what seemed to be a letter in a long, heavy, brown manila envelope tied with pink tape in front of lammy.
“i don’t know what that is,” he said, looking it over; “it must have been between the pictures when we pulled them out of her father’s box, because those were all i saw when i made the bundle up. see, there’s writing on this side,” and holding it up to the light, for the winter twilight was setting in, he read slowly:—
“‘papers concerning the turner mill farm property,—to be recorded.’ i wonder what that means.”
mrs. lane’s eyes fairly bulged, and great drops of sweat stood on her forehead as she answered: “means? it means, lammy lane, that the lord don’t forget the orphan, and if bird o’more is in new york, he’s lookin’ after her business right here in laurelville.
“the meaning of that letter is what abiram slocum burnt up his cross-road house to conceal, which he wouldn’t hev done if it was of no account.” and mrs. lane poured out her suspicions and ideas concerning the matter.
at the supper-table that night mrs. lane repeated abiram slocum’s message to her husband, and he, rubbing his chin with a troubled air, replied, “truth be told, lauretta ann, owin’ to the burnin’ of that furniture there isn’t a cent left to pay that claim, and i do hate to have poor o’more held up as an insolvent around here for sixty dollars, ’count o’ bird. he was a good-natured, harmless sort o’ feller, enjoyin’ of himself as he went, very much like i’d be if you hadn’t taken up with me, mis’is lane.”
at this compliment mrs. lane blushed like a girl and murmured something about all men bein’ the better for women’s handling, provided it was the right woman, which mis’is slocum wasn’t.
“now as far as that sixty dollars goes, if it wasn’t owed to ’biram slocum, i’d undertake ter pay it myself, so as to get the receipt and settle everything square up and clean billed, but, by jinks, it sticks me to pay that low-down swindler.”
“joshua lane!” cried his wife, in a tragic tone, standing up and pointing her pudgy finger at him with such a jerk that it made him start as if it had been a bayonet, while she used the most grandiloquent language she could muster: “the estate of the late lamented terence o’more does not owe abiram slocum a bent penny,[232] and as to the receipt for the same, i’ll hand it to you this time to-morrow night, leastwise if it doesn’t blow a blizzard ’twixt now and then, or mis’is slocum turn ’biram into pickled peppers by the sight of the face she wore home from the auction.”
“come now, lauretta ann,” wheedled joshua, “you ain’t minded of paying it, be ye? i’d think twice—that i would.”
“pay!” snorted lauretta. “don’t i tell you there’s nothin’ owed?”
“you’re talkin’ an’ actin’ enigmas and charades. not thet it’s anything new, but if i was you, i’d be mighty keerful how i baited ’biram slocum; he is too cute for most men, and he would take to the law for a heedless word jest now, he’s that riled about the wardrobe story leakin’ out and losing the fruit farm.”
“that’s all right, and don’t you fret, joshua; if there is any law called in, it’ll be by me.” and pump and quiz as he might, not another word could he extract from his wife upon the subject.
early the next morning mrs. lane harnessed the “colt,” which, though ten years old, still bore his youthful name, to the cutter, and after putting her egg-basket deep under the robe and depositing[233] her satchel on top of it, turned up the hill road toward northboro, waving her whip good-by to lammy, who, seated in the big chair in his window, smiled at her, with his finger pressed to his lips, as if cautioning silence.
as the sleigh bells jingled and the “colt” loped easily along, mrs. lane leaned back as if the motion and jolly sound expressed her own feelings admirably, and the miles flew swiftly by.
when northboro was reached, she drove to the stable where she always left her horse in unseasonable weather, but instead of carrying the familiar egg-basket into town, she stowed it away under the sleigh seat, and hanging her satchel securely on her arm, drew on her best gloves that she had brought in her pocket, and started up the main street at a vigorous trot. coming to a gray stone building next the court-house, where many lawyers had offices, she read the various signs anxiously, and then spying that of mr. cole, opened the swinging outside door and climbed the two flights of stairs that led to it.
mr. cole greeted her pleasantly, for he had a very kindly feeling toward this generous-hearted woman; but when he heard her story and saw the legal-looking envelope, he became doubly interested. untying[234] the tape, he read the various papers through, one after the other, while mrs. lane watched his eagerness with evident satisfaction. when he had finished, he replaced the papers and tied them up deliberately before he said: “these papers appear to me to be of great importance to o’more’s daughter, though exactly what they amount to i cannot tell until i see the dates of certain mortgages and transfers on record in milltown. fortunately the attorney, mr. king, who drew up the papers before he went to california four years ago, has returned on a visit, and i am to meet him in court this afternoon.”
“i suppose you know bird hasn’t anything to pay what joshua says they call the retainment fee, but if a little money ’ll help her get her rights, you may hold me good for it.”
“that will not be necessary,” said the lawyer, smiling, “for my client, mr. clarke, is as anxious to have the title to the mill farm cleared as you are, so in serving him i may be able to aid bird. slocum, the present owner, seems a slippery man at best. you know that the insurance company, for which i also happen to be the agent, withholds his claim because he gave the date of june 9 for his fire when it took place the 10th.”
at this mrs. lane’s eyes grew steelly bright, and[235] she moistened her lips nervously. then mr. cole put the papers in his safe and closed the door with its mysterious lock, and mrs. lane breathed a sigh of relief and, asking him to write as soon as he had news, either good or bad, went carefully down the shallow marble stairs of the office building, for elevators she would have none of.
once more in the street, she spied a bakery and, going in, ordered a cup of coffee and half a custard pie, which she ate with relish and then returned to the stable for the “colt” without doing any of her usual market-day trading.
it was only half-past eleven when mrs. lane, coming down the hill road, saw laurelville lying before her in the valley, and five minutes later when she hitched the colt in front of the town-house, throwing the coon lap-robe over him in addition to his blanket.
the selectmen had been in consultation, and were now standing outside, making holes in the snow with their boot toes and finding it difficult to break away, after the usual manner of rural communities. mrs. lane nodded pleasantly and asked if every one else had gone home to dinner.
“mostly,” replied first selectman penfield, “but judge ricker’s in his office, i reckon, and slocum,[236] he’s in the end room as ’cessor, waitin’ for folks to swear their taxes, for which they appear to be in no hurry.”
this was exactly the information mrs. lane wanted, and she walked directly down the corridor, this time firmly grasping the egg-basket and leaving the satchel outside.
opening the door without knocking, she had entered, closed it, and seated herself opposite abiram slocum before he was aware of her presence, and do what he could, he was not able to control the slight start that her appearance gave him.
“morning, marm,” he said formally, putting his thumbs in the armholes of his vest and puffing out his cheeks with importance; “want to swear your taxes?”
“not to-day; joshua always attends to that. i’ve jest dropped in ter get that receipt for the o’more rent, as joshua intends settling the matter up with judge ricker this afternoon.”
“very glad to hear it, mrs. joshua lane; it saves me lots of trouble, and i hate to go to law unless required.” and he drew a blank form from a desk, which he filled in, signed, and was about to hand across the table, when he suddenly withdrew it, saying, “well, where are the sixty dollars?”
[237]
“they was paid you june the 10th.”
“what!” shouted abiram, really believing the woman to be crazy, and retreating behind the table.
“just so; by that i mean all that good furniture you set fire to along with your house.”
slocum turned ghastly white and almost staggered, but quickly recovering himself, he sprang forward furiously, and for a moment mrs. lane thought he was going to strike her, but glancing out the window she saw that selectman penfield was below, and this reassured her.
“i’ll have you arrested for slander as sure as my name’s abiram slocum,” he gasped, trying to get out the door in front of which she stood.
“i wouldn’t be too hasty; if you wait, you will hear more to get up that slander claim on, mostlike. jest you go back and set down while i have my say, and if you want witnesses to it, judge ricker will step in, i’m sure, or mr. penfield either; they are both real handy. as you said yesterday, there’s underhand business been goin’ on in town if the light o’ truth could be let in, which i’m now doin’.”
so abiram hesitated, and sank back into the chair, casting an uneasy look at his visitor, who proceeded to state her case both rapidly and clearly.
[238]
“’twas friday, the 10th of june, you fired that house, though you did give into the insurance company ’twas the 9th.” (here again slocum jumped, and his hands worked nervously.)
“the 10th was circus day, and most all the town had gone to northboro. likewise lockwood’s field-hands went, and so there were no men folks working up beyond four corners; this gave you a clear coast.
“you started for the circus with mis’is slocum and ’ram; you turned back, giving it out you’d got important business at the mill farm. but you didn’t go, and turned up before noon at the turnpike store, where you never trade. there you bought a new gallon can of kerosene, saying you was going up to the north lots to make a wash of it fer tent-worms in the apple trees. now there ain’t even a wild crab tree in the north lots—only corn-fields.
“you went up that way all right, and a-spookin’ around the house. everything was tight fast, and so the only place you could get in was by crawlin’ through the cellar winder, which you did, tearin’ a new pair o’ herrin’-bone pattern trousers so doin’.”
again slocum started, and his face wore a look of intense wonder mixed with fear.
“after you looked about for what you didn’t find,[239] you spilled the kerosene about and set fire so’s nobody could get what maybe you’d overlooked.
“then you scooted back in the corn lot and hid the can in the big blasted chestnut stump, and when a hue and cry was raised walked down as innercent as may, from hoein’ corn that wasn’t yet above ground!”
by this time slocum had pulled himself together, and his defiance returned.
“woman, you are crazy, and what you say is perfectully redeclous; i’ll have you behind asylum bars, if not in jail. mere talk! you can’t prove a word you say, and what is this ’thing’ that i couldn’t find and wanted to burn? just tell me that!”
“prove? oh, yes, i can; lauretta ann lane is no random talker.
“here’s the pants you wore, and that you sold the pedler the same afternoon—they smell yet o’ kerosene, and here’s the piece ye tore out on the winder-catch!” and mrs. lane whipped the telltale trousers out of her egg-basket.
“the kerosene can’s in the stump yet, but i’ve got it all straight; that poor polack woman you turned out of house and home seen you hide it. now what else was there?” and mrs. lane affected a lapse of memory.
[240]
“oh, yes; you wanted to know what you was a-lookin’ for. why, don’t you know? it was a big lawyer’s envelope marked ‘papers concerning the turner mill farm property,—to be recorded.’”
slocum breathed hard and grasped the table edge to steady himself.
“jest why you wanted them papers i don’t know, but lawyer cole in northboro, who’s got ’em, is goin’ to find out.”
“lawyer cole has them?” slocum whispered hoarsely; “lawyer cole, did you say?”
“yes, i did!” repeated mrs. lane; “and if you don’t think the testimony i’ve been givin’ you is true, and consider it a slander, i’ve got it writ out, and i’ll have him search that out too.”
“no, no,” said slocum, speaking as if to himself. “how did you ever find—” and then he remembered and stopped. mrs. lane waited a few minutes, and then said:—
“it’s full noon now, and i must get home to dinner, so i’ll trouble you for that rent receipt. thanks, and i’ll give you a word of advice in return. the lord mostly finds out evil-doers, and not infrequent he trusts women to help him, and i want you to consider that if i don’t give this matter a public airin’, it isn’t from either pity or fear of you, but because i don’t[241] want the county to know that we harboured such a skunk among us so long; my last word being that you’d better get away from my neighbourhood before i change my mind!”
so it came about that before christmas abiram slocum gave it out that his wife’s health was poor and he had been advised to go to california, where he intended to buy a vineyard, hinting at the same time that as he expected to sell a large tract of land to mr. clarke, he had no further interest in laurelville; and though only four people knew the real reason, the whole village rejoiced without the slightest effort at concealment.
at the same time joshua lane found that his work as administrator of the o’more property had only begun instead of being closed.
