CHAPTER XIX.
MOTHER FISHER AND CHARLOTTE.
David's blue eyes flashed dangerously. "Tell all you know, Percy," hesaid briefly.
"Dobbs heads it, as he did the first one," said Percy; "they've changedtheir tactics, and will get at Joe on their way home from thatconfounded meeting. Dave, can't you keep him from that?" and Percy,forgetting himself, peered anxiously over his glasses.
"No," said David shortly, "and I sha'n't try."
"You're an idiot," cried Percy, in a passion, "a stupid, blind olddonkey! Joe will be mauled dreadfully," he howled, beating his handstogether in distress; "no help for it but to keep him away from that oldassociation meeting."
"Anything more to tell?" asked David.
"No," Percy shot out. "Bingley told me all he knew; but they wouldn'tlet him catch much of it, because he's left the gang"--
David's feet by this time were flying over the Campus, so that Percy wasobliged to shout the remainder of the sentence after him. Theconsequence was that several heads were popped out of as many windows inthe long gray dormitory fronting the Campus, their owners all engaged inthe pleasing duty of staring at Percy and the flying figure across thegrass.
"Now I'm in for it, for there's Dobbs, I vow," exclaimed Percy tohimself, in dismay; "he'll guess I've given Dave warning," and he triedto strike a careless attitude, picking off his glasses to hold them upand gaze long and earnestly through them into the nearest tree.
"You can't come it," jeered Dobbs, from his window. "No birdsnesting, Ipromise you, Whitney; ha, ha!" And the other heads popped farther outthan ever, to add a few hisses.
Percy, maddened by the failure of his plan to divert suspicion, now losthis head entirely, and sticking his eyeglasses on again, ran off likelightning to his room, followed by "Little coward, we'll treat youtoo--Look out!"
* * * * *
"Well, Jasper; now I'm bound for the next thing--Percy and Joel andDavid," declared old Mr. King as Jack Loughead was cleverly off; "we areso near, it's a pity not to drop down on them."
"Don't you think you ought to hurry back to Brierly?" asked Jasper,having hard work not to show that he cared anything about it one way orthe other.
"No, I don't," answered his father, in his crispest fashion. "No oneneeds me there; Mrs. Cabot is a host in herself, and those boys may--whoknows? At any rate, I must see how they are getting on, so we will go assoon as you can get your things packed and sent home," and the oldgentleman glanced around the room at the various keepsakes and familyadornings that Jasper had brought with him to make life less lonelywhile he made a business man of himself.
"Very well, father," said Jasper, he could not trust himself to saymore; and for the first time had to hurry away that his father might notsee his face. But old Mr. King was the farthest removed from carryingthe look of a person holding any interest whatever in Jasper's trouble,for he went on to say, "And I do hope you will get it over with asquickly as possible, Jasper, so that we may be off," then he fell toreading the evening paper with great gusto.
Jasper seized his hat, rushed down stairs two steps at a time, nearlyoverturning Buttons leaning on the post at the foot.
"Oh! beg pardon," said Jasper, quite as if it had been a gentleman hehad run against.
"You hain't hurt me none," said Buttons, staggering back to his support,where he craned his neck in curiosity to watch young Mr. King'simpatience.
Once out in the park, a half-mile away, his hands thrust in theirpockets, Jasper slackened his pace, and breathed freer. Before himseemed to be the little brown house; it was the first time he had seenMrs. Pepper--and they had just finished their long talk, when the motherhad thanked him for rescuing Phronsie from the organ-grinder. The fivelittle Peppers were begging him to come over again to see them, but Mrs.Pepper laid her hand on his arm. "Be sure, Jasper," she warned, "thatyour father is willing." He could see her black eyes looking down intohis face. What would she say now?
Jasper threw himself down on one of the seats under a friendly tree. "Atleast, Polly, you sha'n't be ashamed of me," he said in a moment or two,"and dear Mrs. Fisher," then he walked quietly off to make the lastpreparations that his father had ordered.
* * * * *
"Well, now, Charlotte," said Mrs. Fisher, "you needn't worry, not asingle bit," and she went on calmly sorting out the small flannelpetticoats in her lap. "That is rather thin," she said, holding up onebetween her eyes and the light; "King Fisher, how you do kick thingsout!"
"Mrs. Fisher!" exclaimed Charlotte Chatterton in amazement, "how can yousit picking over flannel petticoats, when perhaps Polly will--oh, doexcuse me," she broke off hastily, "for speaking so."
"Polly? I'd trust my girl to know what was sense, and what wasnonsense," declared Mother Fisher crisply, and not taking off herattention in the slightest from Baby's petticoats.
"Ar-goo--ar-goo!" screamed little King.
"So we would--wouldn't we, Birdie?" she said, nodding at him.
"But people do such very strange things in--in--love," said Charlotte,her face full of distress, "I mean when love is in the question, Mrs.Fisher."
"Polly doesn't," said Mrs. Fisher scornfully. "Polly has never been inlove; why, she is only twenty."
Charlotte gave an uneasy whirl and rushed off to the window.
"And there's that dreadful, hateful Mrs. Cabot," she cried, plungingback, her pale eyes afire. "Oh! I feel so wicked, Mrs. Fisher, wheneverI think of her, I'd like to tear her, I would, for picking at Polly,"she declared with venom.
"You needn't be afraid," repeated Mrs. Fisher calmly, "Polly knows Mrs.Cabot through and through, and will never be influenced by anything shesays."
"Oh, dear, dear, dear!" cried Charlotte, wringing her long hands, "andthere's that Mr. Loughead, and everything is mixed up, and I can'tfrighten you."
"Now, just see here, Charlotte," cried Mother Fisher, casting aside theflannel petticoats to look up, "you must just put your mind off from allthis; I should never know you, my girl, you are always so sensible andquiet. Why, Charlotte, what has gotten into you?"
"That's just it," cried Charlotte, a pink passion in her sallow cheeks,"everybody thinks because I don't rant every day, that I haven't anymore feeling than a stick or a stone. Oh! do excuse me, Mrs. Fisher, butI love Polly so!" And she flung herself down on her knees, burying herface among the little flannel petticoats in Mother Fisher's lap.
"There--there, my dear," said Mrs. Fisher, smoothing Charlotte's palestraight hair, "of course you love Polly; everybody does."
"And I don't--don't want her to marry that Pickering Dodge," mumbledCharlotte.
"Certainly not; and she's no more likely to marry him than you are,"said Mrs. Fisher coolly, giving gentle pats to Charlotte's head, whileKing Fisher screamed and twitched his mother's gown in anger to see thepetting going on.
"Well, now I have two babies," said Mother Fisher, with a smile, liftinghim up to her lap, where he amused himself by beating on Charlotte'shead with both fat fists, till his mother seized them with one hand,while she gently smoothed the girl's hair with the other. "Polly can betrusted anywhere; and when she is in too much of a dilemma, then shebrings everything to mother."
Charlotte sat up straight and wiped her eyes.
"And we've got somebody else to worry about much more, and all oursympathies ought to go out to him," said Mrs. Fisher gravely.
"Charlotte, I don't mind telling you that I am dreadfully sorry thatGrandpapa has taken Jasper away from his business." She sat King Fisherabruptly on the floor, all the little petticoats tumbling after him, andwalked away so that Charlotte could not see her face. "Poor Jasper, heloved his work so."
"WELL, NOW I HAVE TWO BABIES," SAID MOTHER FISHER]
"And that's just it," gasped Charlotte, somehow finding her feet tohurry over to Mrs. Fisher, "Jasper has lost his work, and now ohdear!--oh! can't you see, Mrs. Fisher"--and then frightened at herboldness, she ran back to Baby.
"Charlotte Chatterton!" exclaimed Mrs. Fisher. There was something sodreadful in her tone, that Charlotte, without a word, ran out of theroom--to meet little Dr. Fisher hurrying upstairs with his hands full ofletters. "A whole budget from Brierly," he announced joyfully; "two foryou, my girl," casting them into her hands. "And the folks are cominghome next week; that is, our folks--good news--eh, Charlotte?" then hesped on to find his wife.
And at dinner Charlotte, sitting pale and immovable amidst all the chat,let the news of Mr. and Mrs. Mason Whitney's and Dick's determination tocome on to greet the arrivals from the Brierly farmhouse, fall onapparently unheeding ears.
"Charlotte!" cried Dr. Fisher at last, looking at her through his bigspectacles, "why, I thought you would rejoice with us," he addedreproachfully.
"Adoniram," exclaimed Mrs. Fisher across the table, for the first timein her life looking as if she would like to step on his toes. The littledoctor stared at her a moment--"Oh--er--never mind, my dear," he criedabruptly, turning to Charlotte. "I suppose you do not feel well."
"Yes, I do feel well," said Charlotte truthfully, not daring to look atMrs. Fisher, but keeping her eyes on the tablecloth.
"I have a letter from Mr. King--a very long one; he is going to see Joeland David," Mother Fisher made haste to say; "I hope he hasn't heardanything wrong about them," and a little anxious pucker came on herforehead.
Charlotte Chatterton glanced up quickly, and seeing it, "Oh, I dobelieve everything is all right, Mrs. Fisher," she exclaimedinvoluntarily.
Mother Fisher looked straight at her with one of her brightest smiles."I guess so," she said, her brow clearing.
And after they had pulled back their chairs from the table, and thelittle doctor had gone into his office for a minute, Mrs. Fisherfollowed Charlotte out into the hall.
"Charlotte," and she put both hands on the girl's shoulders, "you and Iwon't meddle with the Lord's will for Polly. Promise me that you'll notsay one word of what we were talking, to any one."
"I won't!" said Charlotte Chatterton.
"And now," said Mother Fisher, dropping her arms and resuming her usualcheery manner, "you and I, Charlotte, have got to put our minds ongetting ready for the Whitneys and the home-coming, and we must make itjust the brightest time that ever was. I'm no good at thinking up waysto celebrate," added Mrs. Fisher, with a little laugh, "Polly always didthat; so you must do it for me, you and the doctor, Charlotte. And youbetter run in to his office now and make a beginning, for next week willcome before we know it," and with a motherly pat, and a "run along,child," Mrs. Fisher waited to see Charlotte well on the way before sheturned to her own duties.
"Come in!" cried little Dr. Fisher, as she rapped at the office door."Oh, it's you, Charlotte," with a sigh of relief; "I'm sure I don't feelmuch like dragging on my boots and going off to the Land's End to-night,on a call."
"Mrs. Fisher thought I ought to come and see you, sir, about getting upa plan to celebrate the home-coming next week," said Charlotte, feelingher heart bounding already with delight. Would they really all betogether in a week?
"Now that's something like," exclaimed Dr. Fisher joyfully, and pushingaside with a reckless hand his books and vials on the table; "sit down,do, Charlotte; there," as Charlotte settled her long figure in theopposite chair. "Now then!"
"I never got up a plan to celebrate anything in my life," saidCharlotte, folding her hands in dismay.
"Nor I either," confessed the little doctor in an equal tremor, "Pollywas always great at those things. But I suppose that's the reason mywife set us two together, Charlotte, for she's the wisest of women, andperhaps we ought to learn how to get up celebrations."
"If only Phronsie were home," breathed Charlotte wistfully. "I'm soafraid our affair will be worse than nothing."
"I dare say," replied the little doctor cheerily, "but we can try, andthat goes a great way, Charlotte--trying does."
"I'VE ALWAYS FOUND," SAID DR. FISHER, "THAT ALL YOU HADTO DO TO START A THING, WAS TO BEGIN."]
Charlotte drew a long breath and moved uneasily in her chair. "If weonly knew how to begin," she said at last doubtfully.
"I've always found," said Dr. Fisher, springing from his chair, "thatall you had to do to start a thing was to--begin."
"Yes, that's just it," ruminated Charlotte, bringing up her hands tohold her head with, "I think we are in a tight place, Dr. Fisher."
"Hum, that may be," assented the little man, "I like tight places. Now,then, Charlotte, how do you say begin?"
Charlotte sat lost in thought for a minute, then she said, "Any way, Ithink it would be best for us to get up something very simple, so longas we are beginners."
"I think so too," agreed Dr. Fisher, "so that's settled. Now for thefirst thing; what do you say we should do, Charlotte?"
"How would it do," asked Charlotte suddenly, "to invite everybody afterthey have gotten over the first of the home-coming--after dinner, Imean--into the drawing-room, and then tell them that we are not smartenough to think up things, and ask them to give a recitation apiece, orsomething of that sort?"
"Charlotte Chatterton!" exclaimed the little doctor, cramming his handsinto the side pockets of his office coat and staring at her.
"I am ashamed of you! that would be shabby enough--not so bad either,"he added quickly, a sudden thought striking him, "as you'll do your partin singing."
"Oh! I couldn't sing," cried Charlotte, drawing back into her shell ofcoldness again, "they don't any of them care for it; they've heard me somuch," she finished, trying to smooth her refusal over.
"You'll sing," declared the little doctor decidedly, "we could never betired of hearing you; and for the rest, I have a notion that this mightsuit. See here," and he threw himself into his office chair, and lookedCharlotte squarely in the face, "why not ask Alexia and Cathie and theothers, to take hold and get up some fandango--eh?"
Charlotte caught herself on the edge of saying "No," then drew a longbreath and said, "Well," trying not to seem indifferent over the plan.
"Don't like it--eh?" asked Dr. Fisher, regarding her keenly.
"It might be the best thing in the world," said Charlotte slowly. "Thosegirls act splendidly; they've had little plays so often, and Polly hasdrilled them, that they'll know just how to go to work, and it willplease Polly. Oh, yes, do let us have that," she cried, beginning to waxquite enthusiastic.
"It will please them too," said the little man, not withdrawing hisgaze.
"Yes, it will please them," said Charlotte, after a minute, "and I willrun over in the morning and ask them."
"That's good!" cried Dr. Fisher, bringing his hands together with ajoyful clap; and getting out of his chair he began to skip up and downlike a boy. "And let Amy Loughead do the piano music, do; that willplease Polly to see how the child has gone ahead. I can't hardly believeMiss Salisbury; she tells me the chit practices every minute she cansave from other things. Be sure to have her asked, Charlotte, child."
"I will ask Amy," promised Charlotte, with a pang at the thought of thedelight over Jack Loughead's handsome face at her invitation.
"And you are to sing," cried the little doctor jubilantly. "Now we areall capitally fixed. It takes you and me to get up celebrations, doesn'tit?" and he stood as tall as he could and beamed at her. "I'd go over asearly as I could, Charlotte," he advised, "and tell those girls, becauseyou know a week isn't much to get ready in."
"I will," said Charlotte, "go the very first thing after breakfast."
And after breakfast, the next morning, she tied her hat on, and nottrusting herself to think of her expedition, actually ran down the longcarriage drive to the avenue--then walking at her best pace, she stoodbefore Alexia Rhys' door and rang the bell.
"There, now, I can't go back," she said to herself, and in a minute ortwo she was in the reception room, and Alexia Rhys was running over thestairs and standing with a puzzled expression on her face, before her.
"Oh, my goodness me--oh, oh!" exclaimed Alexia, with a little la
ugh. "Isthis you, Miss Chatterton?"
"Yes," said Charlotte Chatterton, "I came to ask if you would get upsomething nice to celebrate the home-coming of all the family fromBrierly; and Mr. Whitney's family are to come too, next week. Will you,Miss Rhys?"
"Well, I never!" cried Alexia Rhys, sinking into the first chair shecould find. "You want me--I shouldn't think you would," she addedtruthfully.
"I didn't at first," said Charlotte Chatterton, "but I do now, MissRhys--oh! very much, you and Miss Harrison, and all those girls--you canget up something beautiful; and Dr. Fisher and I don't in the least knowhow, and we want you to do it." Then she sat quite still.
"Well, I declare!" cried Alexia Rhys, unable to find another word. Thenshe looked out of the window. "Oh, here's Clem," and, rushing out,Charlotte could hear a whispered consultation with, "Did you ever?" and"I'm awfully ashamed," while Clem's voice said, "So am I."
"Well, come in," said Alexia audibly at last, dragging Clem after herinto the reception room, "we've got to do what's right now, any way."
"I'm awfully ashamed, Miss Chatterton," said Clem Forsythe, goingstraight to Charlotte's chair and putting out her hand; "we girlshaven't been right to you since you came, and I, for one, want to askyour pardon."
"Dear me, so do I," cried Alexia, crowding in between with an eager handstretched out, "but what good will that do--we said things, at least Idid the most. Oh, my hateful tongue!"
"If you'll only take hold and make a nice celebration for Polly and allthe others, that will be all I'd want," said Charlotte. "Thank you, youare so good," she brought up happily.
"And then we'll do something for you some time," declared Alexia, "allfor yourself, won't we, Clem--something perfectly elegantly splendid?"
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