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diff --git a/31320-8.txt b/31320-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bbbabb2 --- /dev/null +++ b/31320-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5173 @@ +Project Gutenberg's The Wooing of Calvin Parks, by Laura E. Richards + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Wooing of Calvin Parks + +Author: Laura E. Richards + +Release Date: February 18, 2010 [EBook #31320] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WOOING OF CALVIN PARKS *** + + + + +Produced by Donna M. Ritchey, Suzanne Shell and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. + + + + + + + + + + THE WOOING OF CALVIN PARKS + + + [Illustration: CALVIN PARKS.] + + + + + THE WOOING OF + CALVIN PARKS + + By LAURA E. RICHARDS + + + Author of "Captain January," "Melody," "Mrs. + Tree," "Geoffrey Strong," etc. + + _ILLUSTRATED_ + + + BOSTON * DANA ESTES & + COMPANY * PUBLISHERS + + + + + + + _Copyright, 1908_ + By DANA ESTES & COMPANY + + _All rights reserved_ + + THE WOOING OF CALVIN PARKS + + _COLONIAL PRESS_ + + _Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co._ + _Boston, U.S.A._ + + + + + TO + + H. H. R. + + WITH MUCH LOVE + + + +Transcriber's notes: Obvious printer errors have been silently corrected and +hyphenated words have been standardized. + + + + + CONTENTS + + CHAPTER PAGE + + I. INTRODUCING THE PRICIPAL CHARACTERS 11 + + II. BROTHERLY WAYS 21 + + III. CALVIN'S STORY 38 + + IV. THE CANDY ROUTE 48 + + V. CONCERNING PEPPERMINTS 63 + + VI. BOARD AND LODGING 76 + + VII. MATCH-MAKING 88 + + VIII. "PLAYING S'POSE" 101 + + IX. CANDY-MAKING 120 + + X. JOHN ALDEN--WITH A DIFFERENCE 134 + + XI. CONCERNING TRADE 148 + + XII. CALVIN'S WATERLOO 160 + + XIII. MERRY CHRISTMAS 187 + + XIV. AT LAST! 204 + + XV. BY WAY OF CONTRAST 219 + + XVI. TOIL AND TROUBLE 238 + + XVII. NIGHT 252 + + XVIII. MORNING 259 + + + + + LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS + + CALVIN PARKS _Frontispiece_ + + "HE LOOKED FROM ONE TWIN TO THE OTHER, HALF + AMUSED, HALF INDIGNANT" 40 + + "CALVIN REGARDED THEM BENEVOLENTLY" 49 + + MR. CHEESEMAN 120 + + "'HOLD ON, MISS HANDS!' SAID CALVIN, AS SHE MOVED + TOWARD THE DOOR" 137 + + "'THEN I HOVE HIM BACK INTO THE DRIFT TO COOL + OFF A SPELL'" 188 + + MARY SANDS 204 + + "THEN WITH ONE SWIFT MOTION, CALVIN TRANSFERRED + THE PIE FROM HIS PLATE TO THE STOVE" 233 + + + + +THE WOOING OF CALVIN PARKS + +CHAPTER I + +INTRODUCING THE PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS + + +"If I'm not mistaken," said Calvin Parks, "this is the ro'd where Sam +and Sim used to live!" + +He checked his horse and looked about him. "And there--well, I'm blowed +if that ain't the house now. Same old pumpkin-color; same old +well-sweep; same old trees; it certinly is the house. Well!" + +He looked earnestly at the house, which seemed to give him a friendly +look in return; a large, comfortable yellow house, with windows of +cheerful inquiry, and a door that came as near smiling as a door can. +Two huge elms mounted guard over it, and touched tips with a group of +splendid willows that clustered round the ample barnyard; the front yard +was green and smooth, with a neat flagstone path; a vast and +friendly-looking dog lay on the broad door-step; everything about the +place looked comfortable and sociable. + +"If that ain't a pictur'," said Calvin Parks, "I never see one, that's +all." + +He drove into the yard, and clambered rather slowly out of his wagon. He +was a tall, light-limbed, active-looking man, but the wheels seemed to +be in his way. + +"I never shall get used to this rig," he muttered; "I'd ought to have a +rope and tayckle to hi'st me out." + +He cast a disapproving look at the wagon, and hurried toward the house. +The vast dog rose, shook himself, yawned, and sniffed approvingly at his +trousers. + +"That's right, son!" said Calvin. "A friend is a friend, in pants or +tails! Now let's see where the boys be. I must wipe my feet good, +though, or I shall have the old lady after me!" + +He opened the front door; and after casting a look of friendly +recognition round the hall, tapped on the door at his left. + +"Come in!" said a voice. + +"Sam!" said Calvin Parks; and he stepped into the room. + +"How are you, Sam?" he began. "How are you--why, where's Sim?" he added +in an altered tone. "Where's your Ma?" + +A little man in snuff-brown clothes, with a red flannel waistcoat, came +forward. + +"Calvin Parks," he said, "don't tell me this is you!" + +"I won't!" said Calvin. "I'll tell you it's old John Tyseed if that'll +do you any good. What I want to know is, where's the rest of you? Don't +tell me there's anything happened to your Ma and Sim, Sam Sill!" + +The little man cast a curious look toward a door that stood ajar not +far from where he sat. He was silent a moment, and then said in a half +whisper, "Ma is gone, Calvin!" + +"Gone!" repeated the visitor. "What do you mean by gone?" + +"Dead!" said the little man. "Departed. No more." + +"Sho!" said Calvin Parks. "Is that so? Well, I'm sorry to hear it, Sam! +And I'm--well, astounded is the word. Your Ma gone! Well, now! she was +one, somehow or other of it, never seemed as if she _could_ go." + +"I expect," said Mr. Samuel Sill in the same subdued tone, "she is with +the blessed;" he reflected a moment, and added, "and with father!" + +"To be sure! naturally!" said Calvin Parks reassuringly. "How long since +you laid her away, Sam?" + +"We laid her away," said Sam, "a year ago, Calvin. She'd been poorly for +a long spell, droopin' kind of; nothing to take a holt of. Kep' up +round and done the work, but her victuals didn't relish, nor yet they +didn't set. She knew her time was come. She said to me and--the other +one," (again he cast a curious look toward the open door), "sittin' in +this very room--'Boys,' she says, 'my stummick is leavin' me; and +without a stummick I have no wish to remain, nor yet I don't believe it +would be wished. I expect I am about to depart this life.'" + +"I want to know!" murmured Calvin Parks sympathetically. "She come as +close to it as that, did she?" + +"About twice't a week," the little man continued, "she'd call us to come +in after she was in bed, and say she'd most likely be gone in the +mornin', and to be good boys, and keep the farm up as it should be. +First for a time we tried to reason her out of it like, for the Lord +didn't seem in no hurry, nor yet we weren't; but one night she seemed +set on it, told us goodbye, and all the rest of it. 'Well, mother!' I +says, 'if you see father, tell him the hay's all in!' I says. Sure +enough, come morning she was gone. Cut down like a--well!" he paused +again and reflected. "I don't know as you'd call Ma exactly a flower, +nor yet was she what you'd call real fruity, though ripe." + +"Call it grain!" said Calvin Parks gravely. "First crop oats, or good +winter wheat; either of them, Sam, would represent your Ma good. Well, I +certinly am astounded to find that she is gone. But that don't tell me +the rest of it, Sam. Where's Sim?" + +"Sim," replied the little man, turning his eyes toward the open door; +"Sim is--" + +At this moment a singular sound came from beyond the door; a sound half +cough, half call, and all cackle. + +"That's Sim!" said Mr. Sam. "You'll find him in there!" + +Calvin Parks's large brown eyes seemed to grow quite round; he stared at +the little man for a moment; then "Red-top and timothy!" he muttered; +"there's something queer here!" and stepped quickly into the other room. + +A stranger would have said, here was a juggler's trick. The little +snuff-colored man sitting hunched in the low chair was apparently the +same man, but he had changed his red waistcoat for a black one, and had +whisked himself in some unaccountable way into another room. But Calvin +Parks knew better. + +"How are you, Sim?" he said. + +"Calvin," said the second little man, "I am pleased to see you, real +pleased! Be seated! In regards to your question, I am middlin', sir, +only middlin'." + +Calvin Parks sat down, his eyes still round and staring. "What's the +matter?" he asked abruptly. + +"Some thinks it's lumbago," said the little man; "and more calls it +neurology. There is them," he added cautiously, "as has used the word +tuber-clossis; I don't hold with that myself, but I'm doctorin' for all +three, not to take no chances." + +"All that be blowed!" said Calvin Parks. "What's the matter between you +two? Why are you sittin' here and Sam in t'other room, you that have set +side by side ever since you knew how to sit? Siamese Twins you've been +called ever since born you was; dressed alike, fed alike, and reared +alike; and now look at you! What's the matter, I say?" + +The little man cast a look toward the door, a duplicate of the look +which Calvin Parks had seen cast from the other side of it. Then he +leaned forward, and fixed his sharp gray eyes on his visitor. + +"Calvin Parks," he said, "you never was a twin!" + +"No, I warn't!" said Calvin Parks. + +The little man waved his hand. "That's all I've got to say!" he said. +"We was. That's the situation. I've nothin' against Samuel, nor he as I +knows on against me; but we have had a sufficiency of each other, and we +are havin' us a rest, Calvin. We eat together, but otherwise we don't. +But I'll tell you one thing," he added, leaning forward and dropping his +voice, while his eyes narrowed to pinpoints. "When I don't like a man, I +don't like him any better for bein' twin to me, I like him wuss!" + +He leaned back again, and then repeated aloud, "Not that I've anything +against Samuel, or fur as I know, Samuel against me." + +"Well! may I be scuttled," said Calvin Parks, "if ever I see the beat +of this! Why, Sim Sill--" + +At this moment another door opened behind him, and a clear, pleasant +voice said, + +"Dinner's ready, Cousin Sim! Cousin Sam, dinner's ready!" + +Mr. Simeon Sill made a gesture of introduction. "Calvin," he said, "let +me make you acquainted with my cousin Miss Sands!" + +Calvin Parks rose and made his best bow. "Miss Hands," he said, "I am +pleased to meet you, I'm sure!" + + + + +CHAPTER II + +BROTHERLY WAYS + + +"You'll stay to dinner, Cal?" said Mr. Sim. + +"Calvin, you'll eat dinner with us?" cried Mr. Sam. + +Calvin Parks looked at Miss Sands, and saw hospitality beaming in her +face. + +"Thank ye, Sim;" he said, "I'm obliged to you, Sam; I'll stay with +pleasure, Miss Hands!" + +It was a singular meal. Mary Sands sat at the head of the table, with +all the dishes before her, and helped the three men largely to the +excellent boiled dinner. Calvin Parks faced her at the foot, and the +twins sat on either side. They talked cheerfully with their visitor and +Miss Sands, but did not address each other directly. + +Calvin remarked upon the excellence of the beef. "Fancy brisket, ain't +it?" he asked. + +"Yes!" replied Mr. Sim. "It's the best cut on the critter for cornin'." + +Mr. Sam looked at his cousin. "Tell him I don't agree with him!" he +said. + +"Cousin Sim, Cousin Sam don't agree with you!" said Mary Sands placidly. + +"Tell him the aitch bone is better!" continued Mr. Sam with some heat. + +"He says the aitch bone is better!" repeated Mary Sands. + +"Tell him it ain't!" said Mr. Sim. + +"Cousin Sim says it ain't, Cousin Sam," said Mary, "and that's enough on +the subject." + +She spoke with calm and cheerful authority; the twins glowered at the +corned beef in silence. + +"Speakin' of critters," said Calvin Parks hastily, "how many head are +you carryin' now, boys?" + +There was no reply. Looking at Miss Sands, her eyes directed his glance +to Mr. Sam. + +"How many head are you carryin', Sam?" he repeated. + +"Twenty!" replied Mr. Sam. + +"That's a nice herd," said Calvin. "Hereford, be they?" + +"Holstein!" said Sam. "They're the best milkers, and the best beef +critters too." + +Mr. Sim looked at Mary Sands with kindling eyes. "Tell him it ain't so!" +he said. "Tell him he knows better!" + +"Cousin Sim says it ain't so, and you know better, Cousin Sam," said +Mary Sands. + +"Tell him he knows wuss!" grunted Mr. Sam. + +"Cousin Sam says you know wuss, Cousin Sim, and that will do!" said +Mary Sands quietly. + +It was the same at dessert. Calvin praised the admirable quality of the +pie. + +"Now this," he said, "is my idee of a squash pie. It isn't slickin' up +and tryin' to look like custard, nor yet it don't make believe it's +pumpkin; it just says, 'I am a squash pie, and if there's a better +article you may let me know.'" + +"I'm real pleased you like it," said Mary Sands modestly; "it's Cousin +Lucindy's recipe. She must have been a master hand at pies." + +"She certinly was!" said Mr. Sam. "Squash and pumpkin and cranberry, Ma +was fust-rate in all; but mince was her best holt." + +"Tell him it warn't," said Mr. Sim, fixing his cousin with a burning +eye. "Tell him her apple bet it holler." + +"Cousin Sim says it warn't, Cousin Sam, and her apple bet it holler," +repeated Mary Sands cheerfully. + +"Tell him he's a turnip-head!" said Mr. Sam. + +"I don't repeat no calling names," said Mary Sands. "Mr. Parks, will you +have some more of the pie? Cousin Sam, another piece? Cousin Sim? well, +then, the meal is finished, Cousins!" + +Each twin, as he rose from the table, cast a glance of invitation at +Calvin Parks; but he hastily seized a dish. "I'm going to help Miss +Hands clear off," he said; and he followed Mary Sands into the kitchen. + +"Oh! Mr. Parks," said Mary, "you no need to do that! I'm well used to +washing dishes!" + +"I should suppose you was," responded Calvin Parks gallantly, "but if +you'll let me help, Miss Hands, it would be an accommodation, now it +would. Fact is," he continued, "I expect I shall bust if I don't find +out what this all means, and I want you to tell me. How long have the +boys been actin' this way?" + +"How long?" repeated Mary Sands. "Ever since I come. Haven't they always +been so?" + +"Always been so?" repeated Calvin Parks. "Why, Miss Hands--why--" he +looked about him helplessly. "Well, I am blowed!" he said plaintively. +"I'll have to ask you to excuse the expression, Miss Hands, but I really +am! Perhaps I'd better tell you how things used to be in this house, and +then you can see how--how blowed I am at findin' them as they be." + +"I should be real pleased if you would!" said Mary Sands. "I've been +wonderin' and wonderin', ever since I come, but there's no near +neighbors, you know, and I don't know as I should have cared to ask 'em +if there had been; but you are a friend of both, I see, and it seems +different." + +"I'll wash to your wipin'," said Calvin Parks, taking off his coat and +rolling up his shirt sleeves, "and we can talk as we go; I'm an old hand +at dishes too. Well! Friend of both? well, I should remark! I lived on +the next ro'd, not more'n half a mile across lots. You might have seen a +burnt cellar hole?--Well, that was our home. First I remember of Sam and +Sim was them sittin' together in their chair. 'Twas a queer chair, made +o' purpose to hold the two of 'em. There they set, and tell 'tother from +which was more than I could do, or anybody else for that matter, except +their Ma. They might ha' been nine then, and I s'pose I was four or +five. I rec'lect I went up to 'em and says, 'Be you one boy cut in two?' +Cur'us things children are, sure enough. They was dressed alike, then +and always; fed alike, and reared alike, every human way of it. Doctored +alike, too, poor young ones! One time when they was babies the wrong +one got the medicine, and after that Ma Sills always dosed 'em both, +whichever was sick. 'There's goin' to be no partiality!' she says; 'the +Lord made them children off the same last, and they're goin' to stay the +same!' Why, Miss Hands, she wouldn't so much as allow they could _think_ +different. If they got to scrappin', same as all boys do, y'know, Ma +would take 'em by the scruff of their necks and haul 'em up to the +looking-glass. 'Look at there!' she'd say. 'Do you see them boys? do you +see the way they look? Now I give you to understand that your souls +inside is just as much alike as your bodies outside. I ain't sure but +it's two halves of the same soul,' she'd say, 'and do you think I'm +goin' to let 'em quarrel? You make up and love each other pretty right +away, or I'll take the back of the hairbrush to you both!' + +"So they'd make up; they had to! There! Ma Sills certinly did rule the +roost, and no mistake. She'd been a widder ever since the boys were a +year old, so she had to do for herself and them, and she done it. She +was a master hand; a master hand!" + +He shook his head, and washed the platter vigorously. + +"Did it keep on that way after they grew up?" asked Mary Sands. + +"Did it?" repeated Calvin. "Yes, it did! Neither one of 'em could stand +against their Ma. Folks thought the boys would marry, and that would +break it up like, but Ma wouldn't have that. 'When I find two girls as +much alike as they is boys,' she'd say, 'we'll talk about gettin' +married; till then they're wife enough for each other.' + +"That was when Sam was takin' notice of Ivy Bell. She was a girl from +Vermont, come visitin' Ammi Bean's folks; her mother was sister to +Ammi. She was a pretty, slim little creatur', and I expect Sam thought +she was all creation for a spell; but she never could tell him from Sim, +and Sim didn't take to her no way, shape or manner. That suited their Ma +first rate, and she'd take a day when Sam was off to market, and then +she'd send Sim on an errant down to Bean's. I rec'lect I was there one +day when he come,--I guess I was some taken with Ivy myself, for she was +a pretty piece. When she see him she begun to roll her eyes and simper +up the way gals do--I ask your pardon, Miss Hands! I don't mean all +gals, nor I shouldn't want you to think it." + +"Thank you, Mr. Parks!" said Mary demurely; "I won't!" + +"Well, she did," said Calvin; "no two ways about that. 'Good mornin', +Mr. Sills,' she says, 'was you wishin' to see anyone?' + +"'Yes!' says Sim, 'I want to see Mr. Bean.' + +"'He's down in the medder,' says Ivy; and then she kind o' hung down her +head and looked up at him sideways. 'I don't suppose there's anyone else +would do instead, Mr. Sills?' + +"'No, there ain't!' says Sim; and off he legged it to the medder." + +"My!" said Mary Sands, "What did she say to that?" + +"Why, I snickered right out in meetin'," said Calvin. "I just couldn't +help it; and she was so mad she whisked into the house and slammed the +door in my face, and that was the last _I_ saw of Ivy. + +"But next time poor old Sam come along, slicked up for courtin', with +his heart in his vest pocket all ready to hand out, why, he got the door +in his face, too, and had to start in all over again. Well, sir--I beg +your pardon, ma'am, or I should rather say miss--that was pretty much +the way things was when I quit home, and that was pretty much the way I +expected to find 'em when I come back. It didn't seem as if a trifle of +fifteen years was going to make much difference in Ma Sill, nor yet in +Sam and Sim; they seemed sort of permanent, don't you know, like the old +well-sweep, or the big willows. I s'pose when Ma was laid away the boys +commenced to feel as if they was two minds as well as two bodies. You +don't know what started them actin' this way?" + +Miss Sands reflected a moment. + +"I shouldn't be surprised," she said, "if it was their vests." + +"Their vests?" repeated Calvin. + +"Yes! You noticed Cousin Sam had on a red one and Cousin Sim a black +one? Well--but suppose I tell you my end of it, Mr. Parks, just as it +come to me." + +"I should be fairly pleased to death if you would!" said Calvin Parks. +"That's what I've been layin' for right along. Yes, I spotted them vests +first thing, I guess it's the first stitch ever they had on that was +anyways different. Well! you was going to say?" + +Mary Sands was silent a moment, gazing thoughtfully at the blue platter +she held. + +"I'm a lone woman!" she said at last. "I was an only child, and parents +died when I was but young. I've kept house these ten years for my uncle +over to Tupham Corners. He was a widower with one son, and a real good +man; like a father to me, he was. Last year he died, and left the farm +to Reuben,--that was his son,--and the schooner, a coasting schooner he +was owner of, to me. I expect he thought--" she paused, and a bright +color crept into her warm brown cheek; "well," she continued, "anyhow, +Reuben and I didn't hit it off real well, and I left. I was staying with +friends when a letter come from Cousins statin' their Ma had passed +away and would I come to keep house for them. I'd never visited here, +but Cousin Lucindy was own cousin to my mother, and we'd met at +conference and like that, but yet I'd never seen the boys. Well, I +thought about it a spell, and I thought I'd come and try, and if we +suited, well and good, and if not there'd be no bones broke. So I packed +up and come over by the stage. Well!" + +She stopped to laugh, a little mellow tinkling laugh. "I guess I sha'n't +forget my first sight of Cousins. I come up the steps kind of quiet. The +door stood open, and I knocked and waited a minute, hearin' voices; then +I stepped inside the hall. The front sittin'-room door was open too, and +Cousins was standin' back to it, them same brown backs, each one the +other over again, and one of them was holdin' a red vest in each hand. +I coughed, but they didn't hear me, and he went right on speakin'. + +"'Ma bought this red flannel at the bankrupt sale,' he said. 'She +allowed 'twould keep us in vests and her in petticuts and thro't +bandages for ten years, and I'm not going to begin to waste the minute +she's under ground. She would say, "you go on wearin' them vests!" and +I'm goin' to.' + +"'She wouldn't!' said the other. 'She'd say, "you go on wearin' the coat +and pants, but if you are in mournin' for me, show it by puttin' on a +black vest, as is no more than decent."' + +"'I can mourn just as well in red flannel as what I can in black!' says +the first one. + +"'You can't!' says the other. + +"'I'll show you whether I can or not!' says the first. + +"And at that they turned face to face to each other and sideways to me, +and each riz up his right arm--honest, Mr. Parks, I couldn't believe +but 'twas the same person and him reflected in a mirror, they was so +like. I thought they was goin' to strike each other, so I stepped +forward and said, 'Good mornin', Cousins; I've come!'" + +Again she tinkled a laugh. "You never see men more surprised than what +they was; but they shook hands real pleasant, made me welcome, and then +walked one off one way and one the other, and so it has remained. At +first they wanted to eat in different rooms, but I told 'em I couldn't +have that, nor yet I couldn't have no quarrellin', so now we get on real +pleasant, as you see. But isn't it comical? There! when I see them--" + +At this moment a prolonged cough was heard from the direction of the +sitting-room; and at the same time a thin high voice called, "Calvin! +you got lost, or what?" + +"Cousins are gettin' uneasy!" said Mary Sands. "You'd best go in, Mr. +Parks, and I'm a thousand times obliged to you for helpin' me with the +dishes. You are an elegant washer, I must say." + +"Miss Hands," replied Calvin Parks as he drew on his coat, "the man who +wouldn't wash good to such wipin' as yours wouldn't deserve to eat out +of a dish. The thanks is on my side for enjoyin' the privilege." + + + + +CHAPTER III + +CALVIN'S STORY + + +Passing from the kitchen into the back sitting-room, Calvin found Mr. +Sim hunched in his chair, looking injured. + +"I didn't know but you had gone without comin' in," he said; "seems to +me you've ben a long time with them dishes." + +"They're handsome dishes!" replied Calvin. "You wouldn't have me hurry +and risk droppin' of them, would you? Well, Sim, I s'pose I must be +joggin' along." + +"What's your hurry? what's your hurry?" cried Mr. Sim peevishly. "I +didn't have no chance to talk at dinner, there was so much clack goin' +on;" and he cast a baleful glance at the doorway. "I want to know where +you've ben and what you've ben doin' all these years, Calvin. Sit down +and fill your pipe, and let's hear about it." + +Calvin looked about him. "Well!" he said slowly, "I don't know as +there's any such drivin' hurry. Hossy'll be pleased to stay a bit +longer, I reckon;" he glanced out of the window at the fat brown horse, +who was munching oats sleepily. + +"Want to hear where I've been, do you, Sim? All right! Where shall I +set? Sam'll want to hear too, won't he?" + +"Yes!" cried Mr. Sam from the other room. "Certin' I do, Calvin, certin' +I do." + +"Well, how about this? Come on into the front room, Sim!" + +"No! no!" cried Mr. Sim hastily. "I allus set here, Calvin. You might +set in the doorway," he added, "then the other one could hear too." + +"Well, of all the darned foolishness ever I heard of!" said Calvin +Parks. "Say, boys, how old was you last birthday? Was it fifty, or only +five? Mebbe I was mistaken!" + +Standing in the doorway, which he seemed to fill with his stalwart +sunburnt presence, he looked from one twin to the other, half amused, +half indignant. The brothers shuffled their feet and wriggled in their +chairs. Their motions were identical, and the furtive glance which Mr. +Sam cast at Calvin was mirrored by Mr. Sim. "I can hear fust rate if you +sit there, Cal!" said both brothers together. + +Calvin Parks pulled a chair into the doorway, and tilted it at a +convenient angle. Again he looked from one twin to the other. + +"If your Ma was here--" he said slowly; "but there! She ain't, and +that's all there is to it. Well, I'm here anyhow, ain't I? and you want +to know how I come here. Well, I come behind hossy. Whose hossy? My +hossy, and my waggin. Good enough hossy, good enough waggin; but +defend me from that way of gettin' about! Land is good to live on: take +a farm like this now; I admire it, and barrin' tomfoolishness, I call +you two lucky fellows; but come to gettin' about, give me water. This +rumblin' and joltin' about over clay ro'ds, and climbin' in and out over +a great wheel, and like as not hossy startin' up just as you've got your +leg over and throwin' of you into the ro'd--what I say is, darn it all! +And think you might be slippin' along in a schooner, and the water +lip-lappin', and the shore slidin' by smooth and pleasant, and no need +to say 'gerlong up!' nor slap the reins nor feed her oats--I tell you, +boys, I get so homesick for it I think some days I'll chuck the whole +concern." + +[Illustration: "HE LOOKED FROM ONE TWIN TO THE OTHER, HALF AMUSED, HALF +INDIGNANT."] + +"What concern?" inquired Mr. Sam. "You appear to me to ramble in your +talk, Calvin, same as you allus did. Ma allus said you was a rambler in +your talk and a rover in your ways, and you'd never settle down till +you married." + +"She did, did she?" said Calvin musing. "I expect she was about right. +Well--you see," he cast an apologetic glance at Mary Sands, who had come +in quietly and sat down with her sewing in the front room, "I've always +laid it to some to the fire. Look at your house here, boys!" he gave a +wistful glance round the two bright, tidy, cheerful rooms. "If I had a +home like this, would I be a rover? I guess not! I guess I shouldn't +need no cobbler's wax on the seat of the chair to hold me down; but if +all you had come home to was an empty cellar hole, not a stick nor a +stitch--nothing was saved, you remember,--why, you might feel different. +I took to the coastin' trade, as you know, and the past ten years I've +been master of the 'Mary Sands, Bath and Floridy with lumber.'" + +"I want to know!" said Mr. Sam. + +"Do tell me!" cried Mr. Sim. "Why--" + +Mary Sands had dropped her work at the sound of her own name, and looked +up quickly; meeting Calvin Parks's look of unconscious admiration, the +wholesome color flushed into her face again, and her brown eyes began to +twinkle. She broke in quickly on Mr. Sim's slow speech. + +"Was she a good vessel, Mr. Parks? You know I told you I was owner of a +schooner, and so I take an interest in vessels, especially coasters." + +"If I should say that she was as fine-lookin' a vessel as you was lady," +said Calvin deliberately, "you might cast it up that I was makin' +personal remarks, which far be it from me to do; but I will say that she +is a sweet schooner. There ain't a line of her but what is clean cut and +handsome to look at. And as for her disposition! there! I've knowed +vessels as was good-lookin', and yet so contrary and cantankerous that +you'd rather lay down and take a lickin' than sail in them, any day. +I've knowed poor-spirited vessels, and vessels that was just ornery and +mean; but 't is handsome is as handsome does with the Mary Sands. She's +sweet as her looks; she's capable and she willin'; she's free and yet +she's steady. If your Ma was here, Sim and Samuel, I'd say to her, 'Show +me the Mary Sands in petticoats and if she was agreeable I'd never need +to be called rover again." + +"Why," began Mr. Sim again; but again his cousin cut him short with less +than her usual courtesy. "She must be a picture of a vessel, surely, Mr. +Parks. And how come you to leave, if you liked the life so well? I'm +sure Cousins want to hear about that, and I should be pleased too." + +Calvin pulled at his pipe in silence for several minutes. + +"'Tis hard to explain," he said at last. "I don't know as I can make it +clear to you, Miss Hands; but it's a fact that a seaman, and especially +a coastwise seaman, now and then takes a hankerin' after the land. +Deep-sea voyages, you just don't think about it, and 'twouldn't make no +difference if you did. But slippin' along shore, seein' handsome +prospects, you know, and hills risin' up and ro'ds climbin' over them +and goin' somewhere, you don't know where--and now and then a village, +and mebbe hear the church bells ringin' and you forgettin' 'twas +Sunday--now and then, some ways, it gets a holt of you. + +"Well, it's goin' on a year now that one of them spells come over me. I +rec'lect well, 'twas a hot day in August. We was becalmed off the mouth +of the river, and the Mary couldn't make no headway, 'peared as though. +The crew stuck their jackknives into the mainmast, and whistled all they +knew for a wind; and I set there and watched the sails playin' Isick +and Josh, Isick and Josh, till, honest, I could feel the soul creakin' +inside me with tiredness. I expect the sun kind o' scrambled my brains, +same as a dish of eggs; for bumbye a tug come along, goin' to the city, +and I wasted good money by gettin' a tow and pullin' into port two days +ahead of schedule time. Now see what I got for it! I went to the office, +and there was a letter from a lawyer sayin' my owner was dead and had +left the schooner to his niece. I didn't read no further, and to this +day I don't know what the woman's name is. I set down and took up the +paper; at first I was too mad to read. I don't know just what I was mad +at, neither, but so it was. Pretty soon my eye fell on a notice of a +candy route for sale, hoss and waggin', good-will and fixtures, the +whole concern. 'That's me!' I says. 'No woman in mine!' + +"I'm showing you what an incapable pumpkin-head I was, Miss Hands, so +you can see I ain't keepin' nothin' back. All about it, I sent my papers +to the lawyer that night, and next day I bought the candy route and the +hoss and waggin! All the candies, lozenges, and peppermint drops; +tutti-frutti and pepsin chewin'-gum; peanut toffy and purity kisses; +wholesale and retail, Calvin Parks agent, that's me!" + +He brought his chair down on four legs and towered once more in the +doorway. "There's the first chapter of my orter-biography, Miss Hands +and boys," he said. "I must be off now, or I sha'n't get over my route +to-day." + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +THE CANDY ROUTE + + +"Hossy," said Calvin as he drove out of the yard, "what do you think of +that young woman?" + +(Mary Sands was nearer forty than thirty, but she will be young at +seventy.) The brown horse shook his head slightly as Calvin flicked the +whip past his ear. + +"Well, there you're mistaken!" said Calvin. "There's where you show your +ignorance, hossy. I tell you that young woman is A 1 and clipper built +if ever I see such. Yes, sir! ship-shape and Bristol fashion, live-oak +frame, and copper fastenin's, is what I call Miss Hands, and a singular +name she's got. Most prob'ly she'll be changin' it to Sill one of these +days, and one of them two lobsters will be a darned lucky feller. I +wonder which she'll take. I wonder why in Tunkett she should want either +one of 'em. I wonder--hello!" + +[Illustration: "CALVIN REGARDED THEM BENEVOLENTLY."] + +He checked the brown horse. A small boy was standing on a gate-post and +shouting vigorously. + +"What say, sonny?" said Calvin. + +"Be you the candy man?" cried the child. + +"That's what! be you the candy boy? lozenges, tutti-frutti and pepsin +chewin' gum, chocolate creams, stick candy--what'll you have, young +feller?" + +"I want a stick of checkerberry!" said the boy. + +"So do I!" cried a little girl in a pink gingham frock, who had run out +from the house and climbed on the other gate-post. She was a pretty +curly little creature, and the boy was an engaging compound of flaxen +hair, freckles and snub nose. Calvin regarded them benevolently, and +pulled out a drawer under the seat of the wagon. + +"Here you are!" he said, taking out a glass jar full of enchanting red +and white sticks. + +"Best checkerberry in the State of Maine; cent apiece!" and he held out +two sticks. + +The children's eyes grew big and tragic. "We ain't got any money!" said +the boy, sadly. + +"Not _any_ money!" echoed the little girl. + +"Then what in time did you ask for it for?" asked Calvin rather +irritably. + +"I didn't!" said the boy. "I just said I wanted it." + +Calvin looked from him to the girl, and then at the candy, +helplessly. + +"Well, look here!" he said. "Say! where do hossy and me come in? We've +got to get our livin', you see." + +"Could you get much living out of two sticks?" asked the little girl. + +Calvin looked again at the round wistful eyes. + +"This ain't no kind of way to do business!" he remonstrated. "You've got +to airn it some way, you know. Tell you what! Let me see which can +holler loudest, and I'll give you a stick apiece." + +The babes closed their eyes, threw back their heads, and bellowed to the +skies. + +"That's first rate!" said Calvin. "Good lung power there, young uns! go +it again!" + +The children roared like infant bulls of Bashan. At this moment the door +of the house flew open and a woman appeared wild-eyed. + +"What's the matter?" she cried. "Susy, be you hurt? Eben, has something +bit you?" + +"Don't you be scairt, Marm!" said Calvin affably. "They was just showin' +off their lung power, and they've got a first rate article of it." + +The woman's eyes flashed, and she hurried toward the gate. "You come +along and be spanked!" she cried to the children; "scarin' me into +palpitations, and your Aunt Mandy layin' in a blue ager! And as for +you," she addressed Calvin directly, "the best thing you can do is to +get out of this the quickest you know how. When I want peddlers round +here I'll let you know." + +The children were hurried into the house, shrieking now in good earnest, +but clutching their candy sticks. Calvin gazed after them ruefully. + +"Well, hossy, that didn't seem to work real good, did it?" he said. +"Fact is, we ain't got the hang of this business, no way, shape or +manner. Try to please the kids and you get 'em a spankin' instead. Well, +they got their candy anyway. 'Pears as if their Ma needed somethin', +howsomever." + +He sat pondering with his eyes fixed anxiously on the house; finally he +rummaged among his drawers, and taking out a small package, he climbed +laboriously out over the wheel, and making his way up to the house, +knocked at the door. The woman opened it with a bounce, and snorted when +she saw him. + +Calvin bent toward her confidentially, his face full of serious anxiety. + +"Say, lady!" he said gravely; "I'd like to make you a present of these +cardamom seeds. They do say they're the best thing goin' for the temper; +kind o' counter-irritant, y' know; bite the tongue, and--" + +The door banged in his face. He smiled placidly, and returning to his +wagon clambered in again and chirruped cheerily to the brown horse. + +"Gitty up, hossy!" he said. "I feel a sight better now. Gitty up!" + +They jogged on for some time, Calvin mostly silent, though now and then +he broke out into song. + + "Now Renzo was a sailor; + That's what Renzo was, tiddy hi! + He surely warn't a tailor, + So haul the bowline, haul! + He went adrift in Casco Bay, + Mate to a mud-scow haulin' hay, + And he come home late for his weddin' day, + So haul the bowline, haul!" + +Rounding a curve in the road, he saw a man walking in the same direction +in which he was going; a young man, slight and wiry, walking with quick, +jerky strides. Calvin observed him. + +"That young feller's in a hurry, hossy," he said. "See him? he's takin' +longer steps than what his legs are, and that's agin' natur'. What say +about givin' him a lift, hey?" + +The brown horse, his ear being flicked, shook his head decidedly. "Sho!" +said Calvin, "you don't mean that, hossy. Your bark--well, not exactly +bark--is worse than your--not precisely bite, but you know what I mean. +He's in a hurry, and he's in trouble too, and you and me ain't neither +one nor 'tother. Say!" he called as he came within hailing distance. +"Want a lift?" + +The man stopped with a start, and turned a pale face on Calvin. He had +red hair, and his blue eyes burned angrily. + +"Yes!" he said. Calvin stopped, and he jumped quickly into the wagon. +Calvin looked at him expectantly a moment; then "Much obliged!" he said. +"Real accommodatin' of you!" + +The young man colored like a girl. "I beg your pardon!" he said. "I'm +forgetting my manners and everything else, I guess. Much obliged to you +for takin' me up. I'm in a terrible hurry!" he added, looking doubtfully +at the brown horse, who was jogging peacefully along. + +"Four legs is better than two!" said Calvin. "Gitty up, hossy! He makes +better time than what he appears to, hossy does. He's a better ro'der +than you be. We'll git there!" + +"How far you goin'?" asked the man. + +"Oh, down along a piece!" said Calvin. "Where be you?" + +"I'm going to Tinkham," said the red-haired man with angry emphasis; "to +Lawyer Filcher. If there was any lawyer nearer I'd go to him." + +"I want to know!" said Calvin sociably. "Insurance?" + +"No!" the man broke out. "I'm goin' to get a bill!" + +Now in our part of the country a "bill" means a bill of divorce. Calvin +shook his head with sympathetic interest. + +"Sho!" he said. "A young feller like you? now ain't that a pity?" + +"I can't stand it any longer!" the lad cried, and his hands worked with +passion. "Nor yet I won't, I tell you. No man would. This ends it. We +was mismated from the first, and this is the last." + +"Well!" said Calvin. "Ain't that a pity now? If it's so, it's so, and +mebbe a bill is the best thing. Awful homely, is she?" + +The lad turned upon him, and his blue eyes flashed. + +"Homely?" he said roughly. "What you talkin' about? she was Katie +Hazard." + +"Nice name!" said Calvin. "Come from these parts?" + +"I guess you don't!" retorted the lad, "or you wouldn't have to be told. +She was called the prettiest girl in the county when I married her, and +she hasn't got over it yet." + +"You don't say!" said Calvin placidly. "Well, good looks is pleasant, I +always maintain; I'd full rather have a woman good-lookin' if other +things is 'cordin' to. I suppose likely she's a poor cook? A man has to +have his victuals, you know!" + +"She's the best cook in the State!" said the young man doggedly. "I'd +back her riz bread or doughnuts or pies against any woman's from +Portland to 'Roostick." + +"Quite a ways," said Calvin. "S'pose likely she's slack, hey? house +cluttered up? calicker wrapper and shoes down at the heel? that kind?" + +The blue eyes flared at him. "I don't want none o' this kind o' talk!" +he said sharply. "Slack! I'd sooner eat off Katie's kitchen floor than +any other woman's parlor table that ever I see. You find me a speck o' +dust or a spot o' dirt round our house and I'll find you a blue hen." + +"I see!" said Calvin. "Another fellow, is there?" + +"No!" shouted the young man, and he turned savagely on Calvin. "I'd like +to know why you're sayin' this kind of thing, when you never see nor +heard of me nor my wife before." + +"Well!" said Calvin comfortably. "I've been wonderin' ever since you got +in whether you was an ill-used man or a darned fool, and now I've found +out. Why, you loony, if you've got a wife like all that, why in Tunkett +are you goin' to get a bill?" + +His voice rang out like a ship's trumpet. The lad shrunk down in his +seat, and his face grew dogged and set. + +"We was mismated, I tell you!" he said. "She's got a temper!" + +"Well, how about you?" asked Calvin. "You ain't got that red hair for +nothin', son." + +"I know! I have one too," the lad admitted; "and each one stirs the +other up and makes it worse. It's no use, I tell you! We get jawin' and +the house won't hold us both, so I'm going to clear out." + +"Sho!" said Calvin. + +They were silent for a few moments, the young husband brooding over his +wrongs, Calvin meditating. At last he said slowly, "Young feller, I +ain't no lawyer, nor yet wishful to be; but I expect I can cure your +case." + +"What do you mean?" asked the lad. + +"I expect I can cure your case," Calvin repeated deliberately, "for less +money by a good sight, and more agreeable all round. Lemme see! two and +two is four, and seven times four is twenty-eight, and two more--yes, +sir! I'll undertake to cure your case for thirty cents, and do it +handsome." + +He opened a drawer, and after a careful inspection took out two small +objects which he held up. "See them?" he said. "This is your article. +All Day Suckers, they're called, and well named. The candy fills the +mouth and yet don't crowd it any; the stick is to hold on by, and take +it out when necessary. Pure sugar, no glucose in it; not a mite! Pure +sugar, cream o' tartar killed, and flavored with fruit surrup. Now, +young feller, you take fourteen of them suckers. They're two cents +apiece, that's two for every day in the week. Every time you two find +you're beginnin' to jaw, in goes your sucker, and you keep it there till +you feel pleasant again. Keep that up for a week, and finish up at the +end with a Purity Kiss--fifteen cents a dozen, call it two cents apiece, +and I'll lay my next lo'd--what's that?" + +A sharp rattle was heard. Both men turned round, and saw a light wagon +whirling toward them. The horse was galloping; the driver, a young woman +in a cloud of red gold hair, was urging him on with whip and voice. + +"Well!" said Calvin Parks. + +"Great hemlock!" cried the young man. "Katie, stop!" He leaped out over +the wheel, and set off running toward the advancing wagon. The young +woman pulled up with a jerk. + +"Joe!" she cried. "Oh, Joe! come back! I--I'm sorry I bit you!" + +She jumped out--over the wheel too--and the two red heads flamed +together. + +Calvin gazed for a moment, then turned round with a smile. + +"I guess they won't need them suckers after all!" he said. "Gitty up, +hossy!" + + + + +CHAPTER V + +CONCERNING PEPPERMINTS + + +Mary Sands stood in the doorway, leaning on her broom and looking out +over the pleasant autumn country. It was a golden morning, and the world +shone and sparkled in quite a wonderful way. + +The green dooryard had its special show of emeralds, set off here and +there by a tuft of dandelion that had escaped the watchful eye of Mr. +Sam. The stone wall of the barnyard was almost hidden by the hollyhocks; +they were a pretty sight, Mary thought; she did admire hollyhocks. + +The vast dog, who had been lying on the door-step, rose slowly, shook +himself elaborately, pricked his ears, and looked down the road. + +"What is it, Rover?" asked Mary Sands. "Do you feel good this mornin', +same as I do? What you lookin' at? Somebody comin' along the road? So +there is! It can't be Cousin Sam back again; he hasn't been gone but an +hour. Why--can it--it surely is Mr. Parks!" + +Involuntarily her hand went up to the smooth ripples of her brown hair; +unconsciously she glanced down at her fresh print dress and blue apron. + +"I wish't I'd had me a white apron!" she said. "But there! he'll have to +take me as he finds me. Workin' time ain't perkin' time, as Gran'm'ther +used to say. Good mornin', Mr. Parks! isn't this a pretty day?" + +"Good mornin' to you, Miss Hands!" said Calvin Parks as he drove up to +the door. "It is a pretty day, and everything to match, far as I can +see. And the prettiest thing I've seen this mornin' is you," he added, +but not aloud. + +"I was lookin' at them hollyhocks," said Mary. "See 'em down by the wall +yonder? Ain't they handsome? Them pink and white ones look to me like +girls, slim young ones all ready to bob a curtsey. I don't know but +you'll think it foolish, but I'm always seein' likenesses between +flowers and folks." + +"Be you?" said Calvin. "That's a pretty idee now. I believe women folks +have pretty idees right along; it must be real agreeable. Now when I see +a hollyhock there ain't nothin' to it but hollyhock--except the cheese!" +he added meditatively. "I used to think a sight of hollyhock cheese when +I was a youngster." + +"So did I!" cried Mary with her tinkling laugh. "But aren't you comin' +in, Mr. Parks? Do light down! Cousin Sam's gone to market, but Cousin +Sim'll be real pleased to see you. He's been feelin' slim for two or +three days." + +"That so?" said Calvin. "Well, I didn't know as I should stop, more'n +just to pass the time o' day, but if he's feelin' slim--" he threw the +reins on the horse's neck and clambered out of the wagon. + +"Hossy'll be glad to rest a spell, won't you, hossy?" + +"He looks real clever!" said Mary. "I should think he'd be pleasant to +ride behind." + +"You try it some day and see!" said Calvin. "He's the cleverest horse on +the ro'd, and the cutest. What do you think he did yesterday? Now I +don't know as you'll believe me when I tell you, but it's a fact. I was +in at the store down at the Corners, havin' some truck with Si Turner, +and there come along a boy as wasn't any more honest than he had to be, +and he thought 'twould be smart to reach in over the wheel and help +himself to candy out of the drawers. Well, mebbe 'twas smart; but hossy +was smarter, for he reached round his head and c'ot him by the seat of +his pants--Jerusalem! if you'll excuse the expression, Miss Hands, how +that feller did holler! Me and Si come hikin' out, thought he was killed +and got the hives besides; when we see what was up, we sot down and +laughed till, honest, we had to lean against one another or we'd rolled +over an' over on the ground. Hossy held on like a good 'un till I told +him to let go, and then he dropped the pants and went to work eatin' +grass as if nothin' had been goin' on at all." + +"Did you ever?" cried Mary Sands. "I never knew a hoss could have that +much sense, Mr. Parks. Why, 'twas like a person more than a dumb +critter." + +"There's critters and critters!" said Calvin Parks. "Hossy's a prize +package, that's a fact. Want a bite, hossy? tain't dinner time yet, but +a bite won't hurt you." + +He took a nose-bag from the wagon and hung it over the brown horse's +head. The horse, who had gone to sleep as soon as he stopped, opened one +eye, blinked at his master, and shut it again. + +"Oh, all right!" said Calvin. "Any time; suit yourself! Only I can't wag +your jaws for ye, ye know." + +Mary had turned to enter the house, saying something about telling +Cousin he was coming. + +"Oh! wait just a minute, Miss Hands!" Calvin called. "I took the +liberty--" he rummaged among his drawers, and finally brought out a +small parcel. + +"I dono--most prob'ly it ain't just what you'd like. I couldn't tell +what flavor you'd prefer, and I always think myself that pep'mint is the +wholesomest--" + +Amazed and embarrassed at finding himself embarrassed, Calvin paused +awkwardly, holding the box of peppermints in his hand; but when he saw +Mary Sands blushing in the delightful red and brown way she had, and +caught the twinkle in her eye, he was suddenly at ease again. + +"You try 'em!" he said simply, and gave her the box. + +"Why, Mr. Parks!" cried Mary. "You don't mean to say you brought these +for me? Well, you are more than kind, I must say. Why, they're +deleecious! There's nothing like pep'mint to my taste; now this is +surely a treat. I'm a thousand times obliged to you, Mr. Parks. These +don't taste like boughten candy; there's a real kind of home-made flavor +to 'em." + +"That's right!" said Calvin. "That's just it; they are home-made. Them +pep'mints is made by an old gentleman in East Cyrus. I lighted on 'em by +accident, as you might say, and 'twas a good job I did." + +"How was that?" Mary inquired civilly. + +"Why, I ain't greatly acquainted in these parts, you know, Miss Hands; +been away so much, you understand, and never was one to go much when I +was to home, only amongst the near neighbors. I dono as ever I was in +East Cyrus before. 'Tis a pleasant-lookin' place. Nice street; not many +stores, but what there was was ship-shape and Bristol fashion; folks +personable and well-appearin'; I was pleased with East Cyrus. I druv +along kind o' slow, lookin' for my kind of a place; sure enough, I come +to a little store with candy in the window. Hossy saw it too, and +stopped of his own accord. + +"'That so?' says I. 'Friend of yours, hossy?' He nods his head real +sociable, hossy doos, and I was just goin' to ramble down out of that +squirrel-cage, when the door opens kind o' smart, and someone hollers +out, 'I don't want any! You can go right along!' + +"'Can!' says I. 'Now that's real accommodatin' of you. Anywheres +special you'd like me to go? That's what I come to inquire about,' I +says. + +"He was a little man, kind o' dried up, but yet smart-lookin', and he +_was_ smart. He looks at hossy. 'You can go to Thunder!' he says. + +"'First turn to the right, or second to the left?' says I. Then he looks +at me. 'Hello!' he says; 'it ain't you!' + +"'No,' I says; 'it ain't. It's my half-uncle's widder from out west,' I +says. + +"He kind o' laughed. 'What are you doin' with his hoss, then?' says he. + +"'I bought it off'n him,' says I; 'it's my hoss now, and my team. Like +to know how many teeth we've got between us?' + +"'Well, all the same I don't want any!' he says; and he starts to go +back into the store. + +"'Excuse _me_!' I says, as polite as I knew how. 'Would you have any +objections to namin' over the things you don't want? I didn't know as +I'd offered you anything, but mebbe I done it in my sleep.' + +"'Glucose is one thing,' he says. 'Terry alba, coal-tar, +plaster-of-Paris; them's some of the things I don't want. And you're +another. Is that enough?' + +"'Not quite I says. 'Go slow, shipmate! If you wanted them things the +wust way in the world you couldn't get 'em off'n me, 'cause I ain't got +'em." + +"He grunted. 'Tell that to the monkey!' he says. + +"'I am,' I says, 'or the nearest I can see to one.' + +"'He always had 'em he says,'and tried to sell 'em to me every time he +come by.' + +"'I know!' says I. 'I found 'em in the stock, and I sot 'em on the fire +and seen 'em burn. Gitty up, hossy!' I says. 'We'll go on and see if +there's any place in this village where they keep manners,' I says, +'and we'll send this old gentleman a half a pound to stock up with!' I +says. + +"'Hold on!' he says. 'I spoke too quick. Come in and we'll talk.' + +"So I went. Had half a mind not to, but 'twan't the sensible half. I +tell you, I had a real pleasant time, Miss Hands. Come to get him +smoothed down and combed out, and he was as pleasant an old gentleman as +ever I see. But he was an old-fashioned candy-maker, you see, and he +didn't like these new-fangled ways any more than what I do. Never had a +pound of glucose on his premises, nor never will; nothin' but pure +sugar. We had a real good time together; and he gave me them pep'mints, +and I'm goin' to have 'em reg'lar every week. He's got a little kitchen +in back there that's a perfect pictur' to look at. I'd like to have you +see it, Miss Hands, honest I would." + +At this moment a loud and peevish crow was heard from the house. + +"There!" said Mary Sands. "We must be goin' in, Mr. Parks. Cousin's +gettin' impatient, I expect." + +They found Mr. Sim fairly spluttering with impatience. + +"What--what--what--" he began as they entered; "I didn't know as you was +ever comin', Cousin. I'd oughter have had my med'cine--that you, +Cal?--half an hour ago; set down, won't you? half a glass, with sugar +and hot water! pretty well, be ye? I'm most choked to death, settin' +here waitin'." + +"There, Cousin!" said Mary Sands in her mellow, soothing voice. "I'll +get you the medicine right away; though if the truth was told I expect +you'd be better off without it. I don't hold with all this dosin', do +you, Mr. Parks?" + +"I do not!" said Calvin Parks. "Looks to me as if all the doses he'd +been takin' for a week was havin' it out inside him, and no two +agreein'. Say, Sim! s'pose you let Miss Hands throw away all that stuff, +and take a pep'mint instead." + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +BOARD AND LODGING + + +"Take a seat, Mr. Parks!" said Mary Sands, hospitably. "Talk of angels! +Cousins and I were just speakin' of you, and sayin' you never told us +the rest of that nice story you began the first time you was here." + +"What story?" asked Calvin Parks. + +"Why, your own story, to be sure. You told us how you was displeased at +a woman's bein' owner of your schooner,--" her eyes twinkled +mischievously,--"and how you come ashore and set up your candy route; +but Cousins were just sayin' they didn't know where you lived, nor how +you was fixed anyways, except that you had that nice hoss and waggin." + +"That so?" said Calvin, musing. "Well, I don't know as there's any +particklar story to the rest on't. I drive my route, you know; quite a +ways it is; takes me about a week to git round it all. 'Tis pleasant +doin's for the most part, only when it comes to gettin' in and out of +this shay; that gits me every time. But I see the country, you +know--pretty country it is; I never see a prettier,--and meet up with +folks and all,--" + +"Where do you reside?" inquired Mr. Sam. He had moved his chair near the +door of Mr. Sim's sitting-room, where Calvin was, and now peered round +the doorjamb, his body invisible, his little wizen face appearing as if +hung in air. + +"Great snakes, Sam!" exclaimed Calvin Parks. "Don't scare the life out +of us. Where's the rest of you? No use your pretendin' to be one of them +cherub articles, 'cause you don't look it, and don't let anyone deceive +you into thinkin' you do. I live--if you call it livin',--down Tinkham +way, about ten miles from here. I'm boardin' with Widder Marlin and her +daughter. Ever hear of Phrony Marlin? Well, she's a case, Phrony is, and +the old lady's another. Widder of a sea-cap'n that I sailed with in +former days. She has a little home, and she lets me have a room. I don't +know as the old lady is quite right in her mind--I don't know as either +one of 'em is, come to think of it; and she ain't much of a cook; but as +she says, it's only suppers and breakfasts, and it's all dust and ashes +anyway. It ain't worth while to make trouble, and I git on first-rate." + +"I'm afraid they don't make you real comfortable, Mr. Parks!" said Mary +Sands. "I should think they might; I don't believe but what you do your +part and more too." + +"Well, I dono!" said Calvin simply. "I try to help out, split the wood, +kerry water and like that; two lone women, ye know, no man belongin' to +'em; I wouldn't wish to let 'em feel forsaken any." + +"Do they give you enough to eat?" inquired Mr. Sim. + +"Oh, I guess so. They don't feed me any too high, but they don't live +any higher themselves. Phrony has the dyspepsy--I dono as it's +surprisin' that she should--and the old lady has an idee that eatin' is +a snare of the evil one, and she gits along on next door after nothin', +as you may say." + +"The idea!" cried Mary Sands, indignantly. "Mr. Parks, why do you stay +there? I wouldn't if I was you, not another day." + +"Oh! they don't mean no harm," said Calvin; "not a mite. I git on +first-rate so long as they do; it's only when they get to quarrellin' +that I mind. When they fall afoul of each other, it ain't real +agreeable; but there's where it comes in handy bein' a man. Hossy and +me can git out from under foot most times, and leave 'em to train by +themselves." + +He paused, and shook his head with a reminiscent chuckle. + +"Last week we had us quite a time!" he said. "Phrony got some kind of a +bee in her bunnet--I dono what it was! seemed to have a kind of idee +that she was goin' to git married, if only she had some money. I never +see no man round the house, nor yet heard none speak of her; and, too, +if she'd looked in the glass she'd have seen 'twarn't real reasonable to +expect it. However it was, so it was; she's got her eye on somebody, no +question about that. Well, it's a small farm, and the soil ain't any too +rich; they git along, but no more than, I expect; and yet they don't +spend a cent more'n they have to, you may resk your eye-teeth on that. +Well, anyways, here's what happened. I come in one night, and the old +lady was sittin' studyin' over a letter or like that. When she saw me, +'Cap'n,' she says (always calls me Cap'n, same as she did the old man), +'will you cast your eye over that,' she says, 'and tell me what you +think of it?' + +"I looked it over, and you may call me a horn-pout, Miss Hands and boys, +if 'twarn't a bill from Phrony, drawed up in reg'lar style, chargin' her +mother three dollars a week wages for thirty years. Now, Miss Hands, I'd +like to know what you think of that." + +"I think 'twas scandalous!" cried Mary Sands, emphatically. "I think she +ought to be ashamed of herself. The idea!" + +"Well, it didn't seem to me real suitable," said Calvin; "I couldn't +_make_ it seem so, and so I said. 'What's got into her?' I said. 'You +and her belong together; and what's one's is 'tother's, ain't it, so far +as livin' goes?' + +"The old lady looks at me kind o' queer. 'Phrony ain't satisfied,' she +says. 'She thinks the Lord designs her to be a helpmeet, and that He's +manifestin' Himself at present, or liable so to do.' + +"Well, I studied over that a bit, but I didn't make nothin' out of it. +The old lady has spells, as I told you, when she ain't just right in her +head. Makes me laugh sometimes, the things she'll say. Take last night, +now! I didn't have no fork, and I asked her to please give me one. +Honest, if she didn't take and bring me a spoon! 'There, Cap'n!' she +says. 'It don't look like a fork,' she says, 'but I dono what's the +matter with it. The Lord'll provide!' she says. 'It's all dust and +ashes!' Other days, she'll be as wide awake as the next one, and talk +straight as a string. Well, about the bill! I told her she'd better let +it go, and Phrony'd come round and see she wa'n't actin' real sensible, +nor yet pretty. But not she! Next mornin' before I left she come out to +the barn and showed me another paper, and--Jerusalem crickets! if it +warn't a bill against Phrony for board and lodgin' for forty-seven +years! Haw! haw! That's where the old lady come out on top. There warn't +no bee in _her_ bunnet that time!" + +"He! he!" cackled Mr. Sim. + +"Ho! ho!" piped Mr. Sam. + +But Mary Sands looked troubled. "Mr. Parks," she said; "you'll excuse +me, as am little more than a stranger to you; but yet I can't help but +say I do wish you was in a different kind of place. There must be lots +of nice places where you would be more than welcome." + +"Mebbe so, and mebbe son't!" said Calvin Parks placidly. "Folks is real +friendly, all along the route. Yes, come to think of it, there's several +has said they would be pleased to take me in for a spell, if I should +be thinkin' of a change. But old Widder Marlin, she needs the board +money, and--well, here's where it is, Miss Hands; I don't know as she'd +be real likely to get another boarder. I knew the Cap'n, you see, and he +was always good to me aboard ship. But I'm full as much obliged to you," +he added, with a very friendly look in his brown eyes, "for givin' it a +thought. Bless your heart, this old carcass don't need much attention; +it gets all it deserves, I presume likely, and more too. + +"Well, I must be ramblin' along, I guess. I promised to pick up Miss +Phrony at the Corners. She's been visitin' there to-day, and she'll +think I'm lost for good. I tell you what it is, though, Miss Hands and +boys; it's easier to turn in at this gate than what it is to turn out +again, and I expect I shall be comin' in real often, if no objection is +made." + +"So do, Calvin! so do!" cried both twins together. Calvin looked at +Mary Sands, and her eyes were as friendly as his own. "The oftener you +come, Mr. Parks," she said, "the better I shall be pleased, for certin." + + * * * * * + +"Gitty up, hossy!" said Calvin. "We're late for supper now, and it don't +do for me to get too sharp-set; there ain't likely to be more supper +than what I can get away with. There's the store now, and there's Miss +Phrony, sure enough, lookin' out for me. Now I put it to you, hossy; +what was the object, precisely, of makin' a woman look like that? The +ways is mysterious, sure enough. There's a plenty of material there for +a good-lookin' woman, take and spread it kind o' different." + +A tall, scraggy woman, with pale green eyes seeking each other across a +formidable beak, and teeth like a twisted balustrade, greeted him with +a reproachful look as he drove up to the corner store. + +"Good afternoon, Miss Phrony," he said comfortably. "I expect I'm just a +mite late, ain't I?" + +"I should think you was!" replied the scraggy woman. "I've been waitin' +full two hours, Cap'n Parks." + +"Have!" said Calvin affably. "Now ain't that a sight! But it's a good +thing you had such pleasant company to wait in; I'm glad of that. How +do, Si? how do, Eph?" he nodded to two men who were leaning against the +door-posts, chewing straws and observing the universe. "Any trade doin' +with little Calvin to-day?" + +"Nothin' only a box of wintergreen lozenges, I guess," said Si, the +storekeeper. "Mebbe you might leave another box of broken," he added, +after a glance in at his showcase. "Trade hasn't been real smart this +week. You ain't goin' to charge me full price for them goods, are you, +Cal?" + +"If I took off anything," replied Calvin, "'twould be because you were +so handsome, and that wouldn't be real good for your disposition, so I +expect I shall have to deny myself the pleasure. Three dollars and +ninety cents--thank you, sir! Now, Miss Phrony, if you're ready--these +your bundles? Why, you've been buyin' out the store, I expect! Let me +help you in; up she comes! So long, boys!" + +"Think she'll get him?" said Si to Eph, as they watched the wagon +disappearing down the road. + +"I--don't--know!" replied Si slowly. "Sometimes I think he's as simple +as he is appearin', and then again I have my doubts. But one thing's +sure; she's goin' to do her darndest towards it!" + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +MATCH-MAKING + + +"Cal!" said Mr. Sim. + +"Wall!" said Calvin Parks. "That's poetry, Sim, or as nigh to it as you +and me are likely to come." + +"Quit foolin', Cal! I want to speak to you serious." + +"Fire away!" said Calvin, leaning back in his chair and stretching his +long legs. + +"I want to know what you think of Cousin!" Mr. Sim went on. + +Calvin sat up, and drew in his legs. + +"She's all right!" he said shortly. + +"Of course she's all right!" said Mr. Sim peevishly. "She wouldn't be +here if she was all wrong, would she? I want to know what you _think_ of +her." + +"I think she's a fine-appearin' woman!" said Calvin slowly. "And smart. +And personable. A 1, clipper-built and copper-fastened, is the way I +should describe your cousin if she was a vessel." + +"You're right, Cal; you're right!" said Mr. Sim. "She's all that and +more. She's agreeable, and she's capable, and she's savin', Calvin; +savin'. Ma allers said, 'If the time comes when you _have_ to marry, +marry a saver!' she'd say." + +Calvin said nothing. He felt the honest middle-aged blood mounting in +his cheeks, but reflected comfortably that it would not show through the +brown. + +"Now, Cal," Mr. Sim went on; "a woman like that ain't goin' through life +single." + +"You bet she ain't!" said Calvin briefly; "you darned old weasel!" he +added, but not aloud. + +"She ain't no more than forty, and she don't look that. She's well +fixed, too; she ain't no need to work, Cousin ain't; she come here to +accommodate, you understand." + +"I understand!" said Calvin; "you blamed old ferret!" Calvin was fond of +finishing his sentences in silence. + +"Now what I say is,--" and Mr. Sim leaned forward, and sank his voice to +a whisper,--"What I say is, that woman ought not to go out of the +family, Calvin Parks!" + +Calvin grunted. A grunt may mean anything, and Mr. Sim took it for +assent. + +"Jes' so! That's what I'm sayin'. I knew you'd see it that way. Now, +Calvin, I want you to help us." + +A spark came into Calvin's brown eyes. "Help you!" he repeated. "What's +the matter? Ain't you old enough to speak for yourself?" + +"Not for myself, Calvin!" cried Mr. Sim. "No, no, no! for Sam'l! for +Sam'l!" + +"Well, I am blowed!" said Calvin Parks. + +Mr. Sim leaned forward anxiously. "Don't you see, Cal?" he cried. "I +ain't a marryin' man; that's plain to be seen. Sam'l was allers the one +for the gals, you know he was. You remember Ivy Bell?" + +Calvin nodded. + +"Well, that's the way of it!" Mr. Sim continued. "His mind allers run +that way; mine didn't. Besides, I ain't a well man; I ain't in no shape +to marry, Calvin, no way in the world, if I wanted to, and I don't. Now, +Calvin, I want you to kind of urge Sam'l on. We ain't speakin', Sam'l +and me, you know that. I told you how 'twas, fust time you come round. +Nothin' agin one another, only we don't like. So I can't urge him +myself; and fust thing we know some outlandishman or other'll step in +and kerry her off, and then where should we be, Sam'l and me? I ask you +that, Calvin Parks. We're gettin' on, you know, Cal; we're five years +good older than what you be, and we couldn't abide hired help, no way in +the world. You urge Sam'l on to speak to Cousin, won't you now? I'd take +it real friendly of you, Cal. I allers thought a sight of you, and so +did Ma. 'Twould please Ma if you got a good woman for Sam'l, Cal. Say +you'll think about it!" + +"I'll think about it!" said Calvin Parks. + + * * * * * + +An hour later, Calvin was out in the barnyard, leaning over the pigsty, +and looking at the finest hogs in the county. Mr. Sam pronounced them +so, and he ought to know, Calvin thought. Calvin had never cared for +hogs himself. + +"You see them hawgs," said Mr. Sam with squeaking enthusiasm, "and you +see the best there is. Take 'em for looks, or heft, or eatin', there's +no hawgs can touch 'em in this county. I'll go further and say State. +They're a _lovely_ hawg, sir! that's what they are; lovely!" + +"All black, be they?" asked Calvin, for the sake of saying something. + +"All black!" said Mr. Sam. "I bought 'em off'n Reuben Hutch. They was +Cousin's choice in the fust place. She likes 'em black; says they look +cleaner, and I guess they do. I don't know as you've remarked it, Cal, +but I think a sight of Cousin." + +He cast a sly glance at Calvin, who again returned inward thanks for the +solid brown of his cheeks. + +"I should s'pose you might!" he said shortly. + +"A sight!" repeated Mr. Sam emphatically. "You show me a smarter woman +than that, Calvin Parks, and I'll show you a toad with three tails." + +He paused, as if waiting for Calvin to avail himself of this handsome +offer. + +"Well!" said Calvin, rather morosely. "I ain't got no smarter woman to +show. What are you drivin' at, Sam Sill?" + +Mr. Sam's little eyes were twinkling, and his sharp features were +twisting themselves into knots which were anything but becoming. + +"Calvin," he said, "when I look at that young woman--at least not +exactly young, but a sight younger than some, and all the better for +it--what word do you think I use to myself?" + +"I don't know!" said Calvin shortly. + +Mr. Sam leaned back, and expanded his red flannel waistcoat. + +"Take time, Cal!" he said kindly. "Find a good solid-soundin' word +suitable to the occasion, and spit it out!" + +"Look at here!" said Calvin, still more shortly. "I come out here to see +your hogs, and I've seen 'em. I didn't come out to play guessin' games; +if you've got anything to say to me, say it! If not, I'm goin' home." + +Mr. Sam leaned forward, and poked Calvin in the ribs with a skinny +forefinger. + +"Matrimony's the word, Cal!" he said. "Holy matrimony! Ain't that a good +word? ain't it suitable? ain't it what you might call providential? +ain't it? hey?" He paused for a reply; but none coming, he went on. + +"I made use of that word, Calvin, the fust time Cousin stepped across +our thrishhold, four months back; and I've ben makin' use of it every +day since then. Now, Cal, I want you to help me!" + +"Help you!" repeated Calvin, mechanically. + +"Help me!" repeated Mr. Sam. "If you can help me to bring about +matrimony between Cousin and Simeon,--" + +"_What_!" said Calvin Parks. + +Mr. Sam stared. "Between Cousin and Simeon!" he repeated. "What did you +think I said? You could be of assistance to me, Calvin. You know Sim and +me ain't havin' any dealin's jest at present, and direckly you come +along I says to myself, 'Calvin,' I says, 'is the one who can be of +assistance to me.'" + +"I thought 'twas you was goin' to marry her!" said Calvin grimly. + +"Me, Cal? no! no! What put that into your head?" and Mr. Sam screwed his +features afresh, and shook his head emphatically. "I admire Cousin, none +more so; but if I was marryin',--and I don't say but I shall, some +day,--I should look out for something jest a mite more stylish. But +there's plenty of time, plenty of time. Besides, I want to travel, +Calvin. I want to see something of the world. Here I've sot all my days, +and never ben further than Bangor. Ma never held with the notion of +folks goin' out of the State of Maine. 'If folks want to go to +Massachusetts,' she'd say, 'they'd orter be born there.' Now, no +disrespect to Ma, you understand, Cal, but that ain't my idee. I want to +go to Boston, and maybe New York. I dono but I might go out west and +locate there. But there's the farm, you see, Cal, and there's Simeon. +Sim ain't a man that's fit to travel, nor yet he ain't able to see to +things as should be. But if he and Cousin was man and wife, don't you +see, the two of 'em could get on fust-rate, and I could go off. You see +how 'tis, Calvin, don't you?" + +Calvin Parks turned upon him with a flash. + +"What makes you think she'd be seen dead with either one of you two +squinny old lobsters?" he asked fiercely. + +Mr. Sam stared again. + +"A woman, Calvin, wants a home!" he said solemnly. "Anybody can see +that. Cousin has money in the bank, and she's owner of a schooner, but +she has no home. I expect she'd have married Reuben if he'd been anyways +agreeable _to_ marry. He expected she would, sure as shootin'; lotted on +it, they say. But take a man with one eye and that rollin', and snug, +_and_ a bad disposition, why, it ain't no great of an outlook for a +woman, even if the farm was better than it is. Anyways, she wouldn't +look at him, and that's how she come here. Now here,"--he waved his hand +in a circle. "Look around you, Calvin Parks! Where is she goin' to find +a home like this? for stock, or for truck, or for sightliness, there +ain't its ekal in the county. There ain't its ekal in the State. Now, +Cal, I'm a fair-minded man. A woman brought this farm up to what it is. +Ma done it, sir! I don't say but Sim and me done our best since we +growed up, but Ma done the heft on't, and it needs a woman now. It needs +a woman, Calvin, and Cousin needs a home; and I'm of the opinion that +she won't get such a bad bargain, even with Simeon thrown in. There's no +harm in Simeon, Cal, not a mite!" + +"Not a mite!" Calvin echoed mechanically. + +"Now,"--Mr. Sam drew himself up, and tapped Calvin on the shoulder. "I +want you to help me, Calvin Parks!" + +Calvin growled, but a growl may mean anything. Mr. Sam took it for +assent. + +"That's right!" he said. "That's it, Calvin. You talk to Cousin, and +tell her about the farm, and kinder throw in a word for Sim now and +then. Why, he's a real good fellow, Sim is, when he ain't a darned fool. +They'd get on fust-rate. And you talk to him, too, when she's out of the +way! Tell him he needs a woman of his own, and like that. Mebbe you +might drop a hint about my goin' away, if you see a good openin'; why, +you're jest the one to make a match, with your pleasant ways, kind o' +jokin' and cheerful. Make her feel as if she wanted a man of her own, +too. Think about it, Cal! Say you'll think about it!" + +"I'll think about it!" said Calvin Parks. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +"PLAYING S'POSE" + + +Calvin did think about it. He thought about it as he drove out of the +yard, and it was a grave salute that he waved to Mary Sands, smiling on +the door-step in her blue dress, with the low sun glinting on her +nut-brown hair. + +He thought about it on the road; and hossy missed the usual fire of +cheery remarks, grew morose, and jogged on half asleep. He was still +thinking about it, when he came to a narrow lane that branched off from +the main road, some half a mile from the Sill farm. It was a pretty +lane, but it had a deserted look, and there were no wheel-marks on its +grass and clover. Coming abreast of this opening, Calvin checked the +brown horse with a word, and sat for some time looking thoughtfully +down the lane. It ended, a few hundred yards away, in an open gateway; +there was no gate. Beyond stood some huge old maple trees, which might +hide anything--or nothing. + +"Want to go in, hossy?" asked Calvin. He flicked hossy on the ear, but +his tone was not the usual one of friendly banter. Hossy shook his head. + +"Might as well!" said Calvin. "I've kep' away so fur, but it's there, +you know, hossy, all the same. Gitty up!" + +Thus urged, the brown horse jogged slowly up the grassy lane, snatching +now and then at the tall grass as he went. Passing through the empty +gateway, they came to the maple trees, and saw--only one of them knew +before--what they hid. A yawning hole in the ground; at one side of it a +well, its covering dropping to pieces, its sweep fallen on the ground; +behind, a tangle of bushes that might once have been a garden. In front, +almost on the edge of the hole, some long blocks of granite lay piled +one atop of the other; these had been the door-steps, when there was a +door. + +Calvin Parks sat silent for a long time looking at these things. +Then,--"Hossy," he said, "look at there!" + +Hossy looked; saw little that appealed to him, and fell to cropping the +grass. + +"What did I tell you?" said Calvin, addressing some person unseen. "Even +the dumb animal won't look at it. Hossy, what do you think of this +place, take it as a place? Speak up now!" + +Hossy, flicked on the ear, shook himself fretfully, whinnied, and +returned to his cropping. + +"Nice home to offer a woman?" said Calvin. "Cheerful sort of habitation? +Hey? Well, there! you see how 'tis yourself. A +rolling--stone--gathers--no--moss, little hossy." + +As he spoke he was climbing down from his perch; now he threw the reins +over the brown horse's neck, and walking to the edge of the empty +cellar-place, sat down on one of the granite blocks. + +"But I want you to understand that I warn't born rollin'!" he continued +with some severity. "If you think that, hossy, you show your ignorance. +I was a stiddy boy, and a good boy, as boys go. Mother never made no +complaint, fur as I know. Poor mother! if I'm glad of anything in this +mortal world, it's that mother went before the house did. That old +lobster was right, darn his hide! a woman has to have a home. Poor +mother! She thought a sight of her home and her gardin. I can't but +scarcely feel she must be round somewheres, now; pickin' gooseberries, +most likely. Sho! gooseberries in October! well, butternuts, then! The +old butternut tree warn't burned. Hossy, I tell you, it seems as though +if I was to turn round this minute I should expect to see mother's white +apurn--" + +He turned as he spoke, and stopped short. Something white glinted behind +the withered bushes of the garden plot. + +Calvin Parks sat motionless for a moment, gazing with wide eyes. A cold +finger traced his spine, and his heart thumped loud in his ears. The +something white seemed to move--a swaying motion; and now a soft voice +began to croon, half speaking, half singing. + +"I'd--I'd like to know what you are scairt of!" said Calvin Parks, +addressing himself. "You might put a name to it. It would be just like +mother, wouldn't it, to come back if it was anyways convenient, and see +to them butternuts? Well, then! You wouldn't be scairt of mother, would +you? I've no patience with you. The dumb critter there has more spunk +than what you have." + +The brown horse had raised his head, and his ears were pointed toward +the something white that glinted through the bushes. + +Another instant, and Calvin rose, and casting a scared look at the brown +horse, made his way with faltering steps round the cellar-hole and put +aside the bushes. + +A small girl in a white pinafore cowered like a rabbit under a +straggling rose-bush, and looked up at him with wide eyes of terror. +Calvin's eyes, which had been no less wide, softened into a friendly +twinkle. + +"How de do?" he said. "Pleased to meet you!" + +The child drew a long, sobbing breath. "I thought you was ghosts!" she +said. + +"So I thought you was!" said Calvin. "But we ain't, neither one on us; +nor yet hossy ain't. See hossy there? you never heard of a ghost hossy, +did you now?" + +The child's face brightened as she looked at the brown horse, stolidly +cropping his clover. The tucked-in corners of her mouth looked as if a +smile were trying to come out, but was not allowed. + +"And what was you doin' here all by your lonesome?" asked Calvin. + +"I was playin' s'pose," said the child soberly. + +"I want to know!" said Calvin. "How do you play it?" + +The child inspected him critically for a moment; then the smile fairly +broke loose, and twinkled all over her face. + +"I'll show you!" she said; and with a pretty gesture she patted the dry +grass beside her. Calvin was down in an instant, his long legs curled up +in some mysterious way so that they showed as little as might be. + +"Up anchor!" he said. "Yo heave ho, and off we go, to the land of +Spose-y-oh!" + +The child bubbled into a laugh. + +"I guess you're funny!" she said. + +"I guess I am!" said Calvin Parks. "Comical Cal--well now, how long is +it since I heard that?" + + "Comical Cal, + Scairt of a gal!" + +"There was a little gal jest about your age used to say that whenever I +passed her house." + +"Was you?" inquired the child. + +"Was I what? scairt? yes, I was! scairt out of my boots, if I'd had +any." + +"Why was you?" + +"Why was Silas's gray hoss gray? This ain't playin' s'pose, little un. +S'pose you start in!" + +"Why," said the child; "well--you see--you just s'pose, you know. You +can s'pose about anything; I do it at home, and sometimes--only don't +tell--I s'pose in meetin', if I had a bunnet like--but you never saw +her, I s'pose. But most of all I like to s'pose about this place, +because there isn't anything, so you can have anything you like. See?" + +"_I_ see!" said Calvin. + +"There used to be a house here!" the child went on. "There truly did." + +"You don't say!" said Calvin. + +"That was the cellar of it;" she nodded toward the yawning gulf, full of +briars and blackened brick and timbers. "The house was burned up--no, I +mean down--no, I mean _all_ burned, both ways, long ago; ever 'n' ever +'n' ever so long." + +"Ever 'n' ever 'n' ever so long!" repeated Calvin. + +"This was the gardin. This is a rose-bush I'm settin' under. It has +white roses in summer, white with pinky in the middle." + +"You bet it has! and the next one has red damask, big as a piny, and +sweet--there!" + +The child stared. "How did you know?" she asked. + +"I'm jest learnin' the game," said Calvin. "Clap on sail, little un!" + +"But it's funny, because you s'posed right! Well--and so I play s'pose +the house was there, and it was all white marble with a gold roof. And +s'pose a little girl lived there, about as big as me, with golden hair +that came down to her feet; and she had a white dress, and a blue dress, +and a pink dress, and a silk dress, and all kinds of dresses; and shoes +and stockin's to match every single one. Have you s'posed that?" + +"I'm gettin' there!" said Calvin. "Gimme time! I can't s'pose all them +stockin's to once, you know." + +"I can s'pose things right off!" said the child. "But p'raps it's +different when you are old. Well! And s'pose she had a mother, and _she_ +was a beautiful lady, and she had a velvet dress, purple, like a piece +in Aunt Susan's quilt. It's as soft as a baby, or a new kitten. And +s'pose the little girl came out into the gardin, and said, 'Mittie May, +come and play with me!' and s'pose I went, and s'pose she took me into +the house, and into a room that was all pink, with silver chairs and +sofys, and pink curtains, and a pink pianner,--" + +"Belay there, young un!" said Calvin. "You're off soundin's. You don't +want the pianner should be pink. Why, 'twould be a sight!" + +"_I_ think 'twould be lovely!" cried the child. "All smooth, like the +pond looks when the sun is goin' down." + +Calvin shook his head gravely. "I don't go with that!" he said, "not a +mite. _I_ say, s'pose the pianner was white, with pink roses painted on +it. I see one like that once, to Savannah, Georgia, and it was handsome, +I tell ye. Make it white with pink roses, little un!" + +"All right!" said the child. "And anyhow, s'pose the lady played on it, +and the little girl--" she turned suddenly shy, and hung her head. + +"Will you laugh if I say her name?" she asked wistfully. + +"Laugh!" said Calvin. "Do I look like laughin', young un? nor yet I +don't feel like it. What is her name?" + +"S'pose it's Clementina Loverina Beauty! I made up the middle one +myself. S'pose she asked me to dance, and we danced, and the floor was +pink marble, and we had gold slippers on, and my hair grew down to my +feet too, and--and--and then s'pose we was hungry, and Clementina +Loverina Beauty waved her hand, and a table come up through the floor +with roast chicken on it, and cramb'ry sauce, and grapes, and icecream +and cake, and--and we eat all we could hold, and then we went to sleep +in a gold bed with silk sheets. There! now it's your turn." + +"My turn?" said Calvin vaguely. + +"Yes! your turn to s'pose. What do you s'pose, about this place?" + +"Oh! this place. Well, now you're talkin'. Only I don't know as I can +play this game as pretty as you do, Mittie May. I don't believe I can +git you up any white marble buildin's, nor gold floors, nor that kind of +thing. 'Tain't my line, you see." + +"Why not?" asked the child. "Because you are a brown man can't you?" + +Calvin nodded. "I expect that's about the size of it," he said gravely. +"I'm a brown man. Yes, little un, you surely hit it off that time. And +bein' a brown man, it stands to reason that I can't s'pose nothin' +risin' out of that hole but a brown house. S'pose it's there now, what? +a long brown house, facin' south, see? This is the way it lays. Over +this main sullar is the kitchen--big kitchen it is, with lots of +winders, and all of 'em sunny, some ways of it; I dono just how they can +be, but so they seem. Flowers in 'em, too; sweet--I tell ye; and then +the settin'-room openin' out of it." + +"What's in the settin'-room?" asked Mittie May. "S'pose we're in it now; +tell me!" + +"S'pose we are! There's a rag carpet on the floor; see it? hit-or-miss +pattern. Mother made it herself; leastways, the mother of the boy I'm +comin' to bimeby. I always liked hit-or-miss better than any other +pattern. Then there's smaller rugs, and one of 'em has a dog on it, with +real glass eyes; golly, but they shine! And a table in the middle with a +lamp on it, glass lamp, with a red shade; and a Bible, and Cap'n Cook's +voyages, and Longfellow's poems. Mother was a great hand for +poetry--that is, the boy's mother, you understand." + +"S'pose about the boy!" said Mittie May eagerly. + +"Well--s'pose he was a brown boy, same as I am man; brown to match the +house. Hair and eyes, jumper and pants, just plain brown; not much of a +boy to look at, you understand. S'pose there was jest him and father and +mother. There had been a little gal;--s'pose she was like you, little +un, slim and light on her feet, singin' round the house--but she was +wanted somewheres else, and she went. S'pose the boy thought a sight of +his mother, specially after the little gal went. Him and her used to +play together for all the world like two kids. S'pose he dug her gardin +for her, and sowed her seeds, and then he'd take and watch the plants +comin' up, and seems though he couldn't wait for 'em to bloom so's he +could git a posy to carry in to mother. Yes, sir! she liked them posies, +mother did; she liked 'em, sure enough!" + +He was silent a moment. "Go on!" cried the child. "You ain't half +s'posing, brown man." + +"No more I am!" said Calvin Parks. "Well, little un, I dono as I can +play this game real well, after all. S'pose after a spell the boy's +mother went away too. Where? Well, she'd go to the best place there was, +you know; nat'rally she would." + +"That's heaven!" said the child decidedly. + +"Jes' so! to be sure!" Calvin assented. "S'pose she went to heaven; to +see after the little gal, likely; hey? That'd leave father and the boy +alone, wouldn't it? Well now, s'pose father couldn't stand it real well +without her. What then, little un? S'pose the more he tried it the less +he liked it, till bumby he begun to take things to make him forget, as +warn't the best things in the world for him to take. S'pose he did; do +you blame him?" + +"N--no!" said the child. "Unless you mean stole 'em!" + +"No! no! not that kind of takin', little un; 'tother kind, like when you +take med'cine. S'pose he kind o' made believe _'twas_ med'cine for a +spell. Then s'pose he got so he warn't jest like himself, and spoke kind +o' sharp, and took a strap to the boy now and then, harder than he would +by natur', you wouldn't blame him, would you? Not a mite! But s'pose +things went on that way till they warn't real agreeable for neither one +of 'em. Then--s'pose one night--when he warn't himself, mind you!--he +shook out his pipe on the settin'-room carpet and set the house afire. +You wouldn't blame him for that either, would you? Poor father!" + +He paused. + +"What do you s'pose then?" cried the child eagerly. "Did the house burn +up?" + +Calvin made a silent gesture toward the ruined cellar. Something in it +struck the child silent too. She crept nearer, and slid her hand into +Calvin's. + +"You don't s'pose they was burned, do you?" she said in an awestruck +whisper. + +"No, they warn't burned," said Calvin slowly. "But father never helt his +head up again, and 'twarn't a great while before he was gone too, after +mother and the little gal. So then the boy was left alone. See?" + +"_Poor_ brown boy!" said the child. "S'pose what he did then!" + +"S'pose he lit out!" said Calvin Parks; "And s'pose I light out too, +little gal. It's gettin' towards sundown, and I've got quite a ways to +go before night." + +He rose, and stretched his brown length, towering a great height above +the rose-bush. + +"But before I go," he added; "s'pose we see what hossy's got in back of +him. I shouldn't wonder a mite if we found a stick of candy. S'pose we +go and look!" + +"S'pose we do!" cried Mittie May. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +CANDY-MAKING + + +"If there's a pleasanter place than this in your village, I wish you'd +show it to me!" said Calvin Parks. "I declare, Mr. Cheeseman, it does me +good every time I come in here." + +Mr. Cheeseman looked about him with contented eyes. + +"It is pleasant," he said. "I'm glad you like it, friend Parks, for you +are one of the folks I like to see in it, and them isn't everybody." + +Mr. Ivory Cheeseman certainly did look rather like a monkey, but such a +wise monkey! He was little and spare, with nothing profuse about him +save his white hair, which grew thick and close as a cap; his whole +aspect was dry and frosty, "like the right kind of winter mornin'," +Calvin Parks said when he described the old man to Mary Sands. The +kitchen in which he and Calvin were sitting was just behind the shop; a +low, dark room, with a little stove in the middle, glowing like a red +jewel, and waking dusky gleams in the pots and pans ranged along the +walls. They were not altogether ordinary pots and pans. Uncle Ivory, as +East Cyrus called him, was a collector in a modest way, and his bits of +copper, brass and pewter were dear to his heart. Lonzo, the village +"natural," found the gaiety of his life in polishing them, and receiving +pay in sugar-plums. He was at work now in a dim corner, chuckling to +himself as he scoured a huge old pewter dish. + +[Illustration: MR. CHEESEMAN.] + +The air was full of the warm, homely fragrance of molasses candy; a pot +of it was boiling on the stove, and from time to time Uncle Ivory +stirred it, lifted a spoonful, and watched the drip. On a table near by +other candies were cooling, peanut taffy, lemon drops, and great masses +of pink and white cream candy. + +"Yes," said Calvin, pursuing his own thoughts. "This is another pleasant +home. Considerable many of 'em in these parts, or so it appears to a +lone person. I judge you're a single man, Mr. Cheeseman?" + +"Widower!" said Mr. Cheeseman briefly. + +"That so!" said Calvin. + +They watched the molasses for a time, as it bubbled up in little +gold-brown mounds that flowed away in foam as the spoon touched them. + +"She's killin' good to-day!" remarked the old man. + +"Cream-o'-tartar?" asked Calvin. + +"Yes! I never use any other. Yes, sir; I had a good wife, a real good +one; and might have had another, if I'd judged it convenient." + +Calvin looked up expectantly; it was evident that more was coming. + +Mr. Cheeseman began to stir the molasses with long, slow sweeps of the +spoon, talking the while. + +"It was this way. My wife had a friend that she thought the world of. +Well, she thought the world of me too, and when it come time for her to +go, nothin' to it but I must marry this woman. The night before 'Liza +was taken, she says to me, 'Ivory,' she says, 'I've left it in writin' +that if you marry Elviry you'll get that two thousand dollars that's in +the bank; and if not it goes to the children.' Children was married and +settled, two of 'em, and well fixed. 'I want you to promise me you +will!' she says." + +"And did you?" asked Calvin. + +"No, I didn't. I warn't goin' to tie myself up again. I'd been married +thirty years, and that was enough." + +"What _did_ you say, if I may ask?" + +"I said I'd think about it, and let her know in the mornin'. I knew +she'd be gone by then, and she was." + +Again they watched the boiling in silence. Calvin looked somewhat +disturbed. + +"But yet you liked the married state?" he asked presently. + +"Fust-rate!" said Mr. Cheeseman placidly. He glanced at Calvin; stirred +the candy, and glanced again. + +"You ain't married, I think, friend Parks?" + +"N--no!" said Calvin slowly. "I ain't; but--fact is, I'm wishful to be, +but I don't see my way to it." + +"I want to know!" said Mr. Cheeseman. "Would you like to free your mind, +or don't you feel to? I'm not curious, not a mite; but yet there's times +when a person can tell better what he thinks if he outs with it to +somebody else. Like molasses! Take it in the cask, and it's cold, and +slow, and not much to look at; but take and bile it, and stir it good, +and--you see!" + +The molasses boiled up in a fragrant geyser, threatening to overflow the +pot; but obedient to the spoon, fell away again in foamy ripples. + +"Like that!" Mr. Cheeseman repeated. "If it would clear your mind any to +bile over, friend Parks, so do!" + +Calvin glanced toward the corner. "Does he take much notice?" he asked. + +"Lonzo? no! he's no more than a child. But yet 'tis time for him to go +home. Lonzo! dinner-time!" + +The simpleton rose and shambled forward, a huge uncouth figure with a +face like a platter; not an empty platter now, though, for it was +wreathed in smiles. He held out the shining dish. "Done good?" he +asked. + +"Elegant, Lonzo, elegant! you are smart, no mistake about that. Help +yourself to the cream candy! that square pan is o' purpose for you." + +Lonzo stowed a third of the contents of the pan in his cavernous mouth, +the rest in various pockets, and departed grinning happily. + +"He's as good as gold!" said Mr. Cheeseman. "Not a mite of harm in +Lonzo; I wish all sensible folks was as pleasant. Now, friend Parks, +bile up!" + +Calvin pulled his brown moustache, and looked shy. + +"I guess I'm pretty slow molasses, Mr. Cheeseman," he said. "I ain't +used to bilin', except in the way of gettin' mad once in a while, and I +don't do that real often; but yet I'll try my best." + +In a few words he described the twins and his relation to them. "No kin, +you know, blood nor married; only just neighbors all our lives till +late years. I should expect to do a neighbor's part by the boys, +week-days and Sundays, and I dono as ever I've done contrary." + +Then he told, with more reserve, of "Miss Hands's" coming; of his +finding her there; of her striking him as, take it all round, the +likeliest woman ever he saw; of his saying to himself that if ever +things turned out so that he had a right to ask a woman to hitch her +wagon to a middle-aged hoss that had some go in him yet, here was the +woman. + +"But yet I told myself first thing," he added, taking up the poker and +tapping the bright little stove with it; "I told myself she would be +marryin' one of the boys most likely; I kep' that in mind steady, as you +may say. I thought I was so used to the idee that it wouldn't jar me +much of any when it come to the fact. But it did; yes siree, it did, +sure enough. 'Peared as if a cog slipped somehow, and my whole works +was jolted out of kilter." + +He looked anxiously at Mr. Cheeseman, who nodded with grave +comprehension. + +"And when it comes," he went on, "to each one of them beseechin' me to +get her to marry the other--why--I really am blowed, Mr. Cheeseman, and +do you wonder at it?" + +"She's done!" said Mr. Cheeseman, rising. "Lend a hand with that pan, +friend Parks; the big square one yonder." + +A moment of anxious silence followed, as the thick golden-brown mass +flowed into the pan, curled into the corners, and finally settled in a +smooth glossy sheet. + +"There!" said Mr. Cheeseman. "Now we'll let her cool a spell till she's +fit to handle. Take your seat, friend Parks! No, I don't wonder no way +in the world at your bein' blowed, or jolted either. What gets me is, +why don't you speak for yourself, like that other feller in the story?" + +Calvin Parks pulled his moustache meditatively. + +"I know!" he said. "Longfellow's poems. Mother thought a sight of +Longfellow's poems. John Alden, warn't it? and the old fellow was Miles +Standish? Yes, I rec'lect well. But you see, Mr. Cheeseman, the young +woman herself give him the tip that time. 'Why don't you speak for +yourself, John?' I rec'lect well enough. Now, Miss Hands never give me +any reason to think she'd rather have me than ary one of the boys." + +"Has she given you any reason to think she wouldn't?" queried the old +man. + +"Well--no! I don't know as she has." + +"Well, then, where does the trouble come in? You're twice the man they +are, I take it, from all accounts. Don't know as ever I saw them, but I +knew the old woman, and used to hear of her goin's on bringing these +young uns up. I don't see as you're bound to canvass for them, no way in +the world. Rustle in and get her yourself, is what I say." + +Calvin looked at him anxiously. + +"You see, Mr. Cheeseman, it's this way," he said. "I think a sight of +her, don't I? I've said so, and I haven't said half. That bein' so, +nat'rally I want her to be well fixed, don't you see? The best that can +be, ain't that so? Now, either one of those two darned old huckleberries +can give her a first-rate home; as nice a place as there is in this +State, house, stock and fixin's all to match. A woman wants a home; one +of them old gooseberries said so, and it's true. Now, what have I got to +offer her? I've got a hole in the ground, and a candy route. You see how +it is, don't you, Mr. Cheeseman?" + +Mr. Cheeseman reflected for a few minutes. + +"Where's your savin's?" he asked abruptly. "You were master of a +coasting schooner for ten year, you say. Single man, and no bad habits, +I should judge,--you'd ought to have money in the bank, young man. What +have you done with it?" + +Calvin hung his head. + +"That's right!" he said. "That's so, Mr. Cheeseman. I had money in the +bank. Last year I drawed it out, like a fool; somebody'd been talkin' +investments to me, and I thought I could do better with it; and--well, I +had it on board, and there was a feller,--well, I needn't go into that. +I never thought he would have, if his mind had been quite straight. Wife +died, and he warn't the same man afterwards. You can see how 'twas! He +took it, and then got drownded with it in his pants pocket--or so it +seemed likely--so nobody got much out of that deal. I had some part of +it in another place, though, sufficient to buy me the route, and five +dollars over. I put the five dollars in the bank, but it don't yield +what you'd call an income precisely. So there it is, Mr. Cheeseman, and +I can't see that things looks much like matrimony for little Calvin. +Honest now, do you?" + +Mr. Cheeseman rumpled his thick hair till it gave the impression of Papa +Monkey's having married a white cockatoo. He glanced at Calvin sidewise. + +"She has money,--" he said slowly. + +"And she can keep it!" said Calvin Parks. "I ain't that kind." + +"Just so!" said Mr. Cheeseman. "Precisely. Where are you livin' now, +friend Parks?" + +"I'm boardin' with Widder Marlin;" said Calvin. + +The old man looked up sharply. "You are?" he said. "Humph! that don't +seem a very likely place, 'cordin' to folks's ideas round here. Them +two aren't thought specially well of by their neighbors." + +"That so?" said Calvin. "I guess they won't hurt me any. I sailed mate +to Cap'n Marlin," he added, "and he was always good to me." + +"Humph!" said Mr. Cheeseman again. "I see." He rumpled his hair again, +and rose to his feet. "Friend Parks," he said, slowly, "you've got to +lay by, that's all there is to it; and I'm going to show you how." + + + + +CHAPTER X + +JOHN ALDEN--WITH A DIFFERENCE + + +Winter had come. Early December though it was, the snow lay deep and +smooth over meadow and hill, and hung in fluffy masses on the branches +of pine and fir. Calvin Parks had got rid of the wheels that never +ceased to incommode him, and jingled along merrily on runners, both he +and Hossy enjoying the change. + +It had become a matter of course that he should turn in at the Sills' +gateway whenever he passed along their road, and he managed to pass once +or twice a week. So on this crystal morning he found himself driving +into the stable yard almost unconsciously. The brown horse whinnied as +he clattered into the stable, and an answering whinny came from the +furthest stall in the corner. + +"That's old John sayin' good mornin', hossy!" said Calvin. "How are you, +John? Who else is to home?" + +He looked along the row of stalls. "Here's the old hoss of all, and +here's the mare. The young colt is out; presume likely Sam is gone to +market, hossy. What say to gettin' a bite in his stall? He won't be back +till dinner time." + +Hossy approving, Calvin unharnessed him, and he stepped into the stall +without further invitation. + +"Now you be real friendly with old John and the mare!" said Calvin, "and +I'll come for you sooner than you're ready." + +The brown horse flung him a brief snort of assurance, and plunged his +head into the manger; and Calvin fastened the door and made his way +slowly toward the house. + +The back view of the Sill farmhouse was hardly less pleasant than the +front, especially when, as now, the morning sun lay full on the warm +yellow of the house, the bright green of the door, and the reddish +granite of the well-scoured steps. A screen of dark evergreens set off +all these cheerful tints; and to make the picture still gayer Mary +Sands, a scarlet "sontag" tied trimly over her blue dress, was sitting +on the cellar door, picking over tomatoes. + +Calvin Parks was conscious of missing Hossy. He wanted some one to +appeal to. + +"Do you see that?" he murmured, addressing the landscape. "Do you call +that handsome? because if you don't, you are a calf's-head, whatever +else you may be." + +Mary Sands looked up, and her bright face grew brighter at sight of him. + +"Oh, Mr. Parks!" she cried. "I am glad to see you. I've been wishin' all +the week you'd come by and stop in a bit. Now this is a pleasure, +surely! Come right in!" + +"Hold on, Miss Hands!" said Calvin, as she moved toward the door. +"Hold on just a minute. How about the tomaytoes?" + +[Illustration: "'HOLD ON, MISS HANDS!' SAID CALVIN, AS SHE MOVED TOWARD +THE DOOR."] + +"Oh, they can wait!" said Mary. "I was just turning 'em so they'd get +the sun on all sides." + +"Ain't it remarkable late for tomaytoes?" asked Calvin. "I dono as ever +I see ripe ones at this season. I expect you can do what you like with +gardin truck, Miss Hands, same as with most things." + +Mary blushed and twinkled. + +"Oh, I don't know!" she answered. "I've always had good luck with late +vegetables. I do suppose I've kept these tomaytoes on later than common, +though; I confess I'm rather proud of them, Mr. Parks. Cousins say I +tend 'em like young chickens, and I don't know but I do. I put 'em out +mornings, when 'tis bright and warm like this, and take 'em in before +sundown, fear they'll get chilled. Anything ripens so much better in +the sun." + +"I don't believe you've turned 'em all," said Calvin. "I should admire +to set here a spell, if 'tis warm enough for you. I ripen better in the +sun, too;" he twinkled at her. "_Is_ it warm enough for you?" he added +anxiously. + +"My, yes!" said Mary Sands. "Why, 'tis like summer in this bright sun, +and this cellar door is warm as a stove. Well, if you're really a mind +to help, Mr. Parks,--I'm sure you're more than kind." + +There was plenty of room on the cellar door for them and the tomatoes. +Calvin curled up his long legs under him, and gave his attention for +several minutes to the Crimson Cushions and Ponderosas, turning them +with careful nicety. + +"Pretty, ain't they?" he said; "some of 'em, that is." + +"Real pretty!" said Mary Sands. "I do enjoy them, Mr. Parks; 'tis a +kind of play with me, tending my tomaytoes. I expect I'm foolish about +growin' things." + +"I expect if there was more had your kind of foolishness," replied +Calvin, "the world would be a better place than it is." + +"See this one!" Mary went on; "for all the world like a red satin +pincushion my grandmother used to have in her basket. 'Tis well named, +the Crimson Cushion is." + +"Look at this feller," said Calvin, "all green and yeller, and squinnied +up like his co't was too tight for him. It looks like the boys; honest +now, don't it, Miss Hands?" + +Mary tinkled a reproachful laugh. + +"Now Mr. Parks, I wonder at you. Poor Cousins!" + +"I ain't takin' up no collection for the boys!" said Calvin coolly. +"Where's Sam? I see the young colt is out." + +"He's gone to market; and Cousin Sims' in a dreadful takin', for fear +he'll get run away with, or hove out, or something." + +Calvin stared. "Why, the colt is ten year old if he is a day!" he said. + +"I told him that; but he said it didn't make no odds, he'd never found +out he was grown up, and acted accordin'. He werries terrible about +Cousin Sam every time he goes out, and Cousin Sam werries about him. I +notice it growin' on the two of 'em. Mr. Parks, I believe that down in +their hearts them two are missin' each other more than tongue can tell, +and neither one of them knows what's the matter with him." + +"You don't say!" said Calvin. "Why don't they make up, then? Ridic'lous +old lobsters!" + +"They don't know how!" said Mary. "Even if they mistrust what ails 'em, +and I don't believe they do as yet." + +She was silent a moment, and then added: "Mr. Parks, I feel I can speak +out to you, that have been their friend right along. I wish't one of +Cousins would marry; there! I do so!" + +Calvin Parks's face, which had been radiant with cheerfulness, turned to +brown wood. He looked straight before him, with no more expression than +the green tomato he held in his hand. + +"That so!" he said slowly. "Which--which one of 'em would you consider +best suited to matrimony, Miss Hands, if 'tisn't too much to ask?" + +"I don't know as I care which it is," cried Mary, earnestly,--Calvin +winced, and dropped the tomato, which rolled slowly down the cellar door +and plumped into the snow,--"so long as it's one of 'em. They ought to +have a woman _belongin'_ to them, Mr. Parks, as would take an interest +in things because they was hers, you understand, and care for whichever +one she'd marry and the other one too. They'd never ought to have been +_let_ act so foolish. You see, they'd always had a woman to do for 'em, +and think for 'em, and _live_ for 'em; and the minute she was gone they +fell to pieces, kind of; 'tis often so with men folks," she said simply. +"They ain't calc'lated to be alone. But even now, if there was a woman +belongin' to 'em, that had the right to say how things should be, I +believe she could bring 'em together in no time." + +There was a long silence, Mary turning tomatoes, Calvin staring straight +ahead of him with the same wooden countenance. At length he cleared his +throat and spoke slowly and laboriously. + +"There's something in what you say, Miss Hands, and I'm bound to confess +that--that I've had thoughts of something of the kind before you spoke. +But--well, we'll put it this way. Which of them two old--of them two +individuals, we'll call 'em for this once--would a woman be likely to +fancy? I--I should be pleased to have your opinion on that p'int." + +Mary considered, turning the Crimson Cushions meanwhile with a careful +hand. Calvin, misunderstanding her silence, went on. + +"What I mean is--if a woman was thinkin' of matrimony--" he winced +again, seeming to hear Mr. Sam's voice squeaking out the word,--"if a +woman was thinkin' of matrimony, and one of them two should take her +fancy more than the other--why--a person as was friendly to all +concerned might try his hand in the way of helpin' to bring it about." + +Mary glanced up quickly at him, but no friendly twinkle responded to her +glance. Calvin's brown eyes were still dark with trouble, and he still +stared moodily away from her. + +"'Tis hard to say!" she replied after a pause. "Cousin Sim needs the +most care." + +"He does so!" said Calvin Parks. "Sim certinly needs care. And--he's a +home-lovin' man, Simeon is, and sober, and honest. There's things you +could find in Sim that's no worse than what you'd find in some others, I +make no doubt; and--and any one would have a first-rate home, and every +comfort." + +"Oh! Mr. Parks, but do you think any woman _could_ make up her mind to +marry Cousin Sim?" said Mary. + +Calvin gave her a bewildered look, and went on, still slowly and +laboriously. + +"Not bein' a woman myself, ma'am, nor had any special dealin's with the +sex since I growed up, it ain't easy for me to form an opinion. But +since you ask me honest--well--maybe not! This brings us to Sam'l. Now +Sam'l is a man that has his faculties, such as they are. He has his +health, and he's smart and capable. A good farmer Sam has always been, +and a good manager. Careful and savin'; and there'd be the house, same +as in Simeon's case. Anybody would have them a good home, and--" + +"Oh! my _goodness_!" cried Mary Sands. Calvin looked up with a start, +and saw her face on fire. + +"What is it?" he asked, helplessly. + +"Oh! don't you see?" she cried. "I was thinkin' about them, poor old +things, and wishin' they might find some one; but you've shown me the +other side. Mr. Parks, they never, never, _never_ could find any woman +_to_ marry them!" + +Calvin Parks's face was a study of bewilderment. + +"I--I don't understand!" he faltered. "Do you mean that you +wouldn't--couldn't--fancy either one of the boys, Miss Hands?" + +"_Me_!" cried Mary Sands; "me fancy one of them!" + +Involuntarily she rose to her feet; Calvin rose too, looking anxiously +down at her. There was a moment of tense silence. "Do--do you _want_ me +to marry one of them, Mr. Parks?" asked Mary, in a small shaking voice. + +"Want you to?" cried Calvin Parks. "_Want_ you to?" + +At this moment Mr. Sam came round the corner. Mary Sands fled, and as +she ran into the house there floated back from the closing door--was it +a sound of laughter--or of tears? + +"What in the name of hemlock is goin' on here?" asked Mr. Sam. "Calvin +Parks, what are you about, treadin' of them tomaytoes under foot? You've +creshed as much as a dozen of 'em under them great hoofs of your'n." + +"That you, Sam?" said Calvin Parks. "How are you? I'd shut my mouth if I +was you. You look handsomer that way than what you do with it open." + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +CONCERNING TRADE + + +It was Christmas week, and East Cyrus was making ready for the festival. +The butcher's shop was hung with turkeys and chickens, and bright with +green of celery and red of cranberries and apples. The dry-goods store +displayed in its window, beside the folds of gingham and "wool goods" +and the shirt-waist patterns, a shining array of dolls and sofa-pillows, +pincushions and knitted shoes; while the bookstore had all the holiday +magazines, and a splendid assortment of tissue paper in every possible +shade. + +But delightful as all this was to the eyes of East Cyrus, there was one +shop that so far outshone the rest that all day long an admiring group +of children stood before it, gazing in at the window, and fairly +goggling with wonder and longing. This was the shop of Mr. Ivory +Cheeseman. Across and across the window were strings of silver tinsel, +wonderful enough in themselves, but still more wonderful for the freight +they bore; canes of every description, from the massive walking-stick +that might have supported Lonzo's giant frame, down to dapper and +delicate affairs no bigger than one's little finger; and all made of +candy, red and white and yellow. That was a sight in itself, I should +hope; but that was not all. The broad shelf beneath was covered with +tinsel-sprinkled green, and here were creatures many, cats and lions and +elephants, dromedaries and horses and turtles, all in clear barley +sugar, red and yellow and white. Chocolate mice there were, too, bigger +than the cats as a rule; and flanking these zoölogical wonders, row upon +row of shining glass jars, containing every stick that ever was +twisted, every drop that ever was dropped. + +Inside, a long counter overflowed with the more recondite forms of +goodies, caramels, and burnt almonds, chocolate creams and the like; +behind this counter a pretty girl stood smiling, ready to dispense +delight in any sugary form, at so much a pound. + +In the kitchen behind the shop the little stove was glowing like a +friendly demon, and beside the long table stood Mr. Cheeseman and Calvin +Parks, deep in talk. + +"Now you want," said the old man, "to get a _good price_ for these +goods, friend Parks. I'm lettin' you have 'em at wholesale price, +because you're a man I like, and because I wish to see you well fixed +and provided with a partner for life. Now here's your chance, and I'm +goin' to speak right out plain. You're a good fellow, but you are not a +man of business!" + +"That's right!" murmured Calvin meekly. "That's straight, stem to +stern." + +"I hear about you now and again, in the way of trade," Mr. Cheeseman +went on. "Folks come in, and talk a spell; you know how 'tis. I've gone +so fur as to ask folks about you, folks whose opinion was worth havin'. +They all like you fust-rate; say you're a good feller, none better, but +you'll never make good. Ask 'em why, and they tell about your givin' +goods away right along; a half a dozen sticks here, a roll of lozengers +there, quarter-pounds all along the ro'd so to say. Now, young man, that +ain't trade!" + +Calvin's slow blood crept up among the roots of his hair. "I don't know +as it's any of their darned business!" he said slowly. + +"It ain't, nor yet it ain't mine to tell you; nor yet it ain't the +wind's; yet it keeps on blowin' just the same, and while you're cussin' +it for liftin' your hat off, it's turnin' your windmill for you. See?" + +Calvin raised his head with a jerk. + +"I see!" he said. "That's straight. I see that, Mr. Cheeseman, and thank +you for sayin' it. But--well now, see how 'tis at my end. I'm joggin' +along the ro'd, see? hossy and me, who so peart, lookin' for trade. +Well, here come a little gal; pretty, like as not,--little gals mostly +are, and when they ain't you're sorry enough to make it even--and when +she sees us she stops, and hossy stops. He knows! wouldn't go on if I +told him to. Say she don't speak a word; say she just looks at me kind +o' wishful; what would you do? She's a child, and she wants a stick of +candy; that's what I'm there for, ain't it, to see that she gets it? +Well! and she hasn't got a cent. What would you do? Would you drive off +and leave her cryin' in the ro'd behind you?" + +"I would!" said Mr. Cheeseman firmly. "She'd ought to have got a cent +from her Ma, and she'll do it next time if you don't give in now." + +"Mebbe she has no Ma!" said Calvin gloomily. "Mebbe her Ma's a Tartar." + +"That ain't your lookout!" retorted Mr. Cheeseman. "Now, friend Parks, +it comes to just this. You put this to yourself straight; are you +runnin' a candy route, or an orphan asylum?" + +Calvin was silent, gazing darkly at the pan of cinnamon drops before +him. Mr. Cheeseman, having driven his nail home, put away his hammer. + +"Now about your stock!" he said cheerfully. "You rather run to sticks in +your fancy, but if I was you I'd go a mite more into fancy truck +Christmas time. Gives 'em a change, and seems more holiday like. Take +this lobster loaf, now!" + +He laid his hand on a huge mass, chocolate-coated, its side displaying +strata of red and white. "This is a good article when you strike a +large family or a corner store. It's cheap, and it's fillin'. You let me +put you up a couple of loaves; what say?" + +"All right!" said Calvin, still gloomily. "What next?" + +"Well, here's chicken bones!" and Mr. Cheeseman picked up a handful of +short white sticks. "These is good goods; try one!" + +Calvin crunched a stick. "Chocolate fillin'?" he said. + +"Yes; with just a dite of peanut butter to give it a twist. Children +like 'em; like the name, too; makes 'em think of the turkey that's +comin'. Two or three pounds of them? That's right! All the sticks, I +s'pose? and all the drops? That's it! I expect you to make your fortune +this time, and no mistake. Now we come to gum drops! how about them?" + +"Well," said Calvin, "I never found gum drops what you'd call real +amusin' myself; I like something with a mite more snap to it, don't +you?" + +"Did, when I had teeth like yours!" Mr. Cheeseman replied. "But you take +old folks, or folks that's had their teeth out, and say, 'gum drops' to +'em, and they'll run like chickens. They like something soft, you see. +How's your route off for teeth?" + +"Why--I don't know as I've noticed specially!" said Calvin, his brown +eyes growing round. + +"Fust thing a candy man ought to notice! Well, you take a good stock of +gum drops, that's my advice. Now come to the animals--what is it, +Lonzo?" + +Lonzo shambled in from the shop; the tears were running down his platter +face, and his huge frame shook with sobs. + +"She--she won't give me the el'phant!" he said. + +"What elephant? Cheer up, Lonzo! don't you cry, son; Christmas is +comin', you know." + +"You said--you said--if I cleaned the dishes all up good for Christmas I +could take my pick, and I picked the el'phant, and she won't give it to +me!" + +At this juncture the pretty girl appeared, flushed and defiant. + +"Mr. Cheeseman, he wants that big elephant, the handsomest thing in the +window; and it's a shame, and he sha'n't have it. I offered him the one +you made first, that got its leg broke, and he won't look at it. There's +just as much eatin' to it, for I saved the leg." + +"I don't want to eat it!" sobbed Lonzo. "I want to love it a spell +fust." + +Mr. Cheeseman looked grave. "Well!" he said, "we'll see, son! You stop +cryin', anyhow." + +He went into the shop, Calvin following him, and they looked over the +low green curtain into the show-window. In the very centre, towering +above the lions, camels and rabbits, stood a majestic white elephant +fully a foot high. His tusks were of clear barley sugar; he carried a +gilded howdah in which sat an affable personage with chocolate +countenance and peppermint turban; the whole was a triumph of art, and +Mr. Cheeseman gazed on it with pride, and Calvin with admiration. + +"It's the handsomest piece of confectionery I ever saw!" said Calvin +with conviction. + +"It _is_ handsome, I'm free to confess!" said Mr. Cheeseman. "It cost me +consid'able labor, that did. Take it out careful, Cynthy!" + +"Mr. Cheeseman! you ain't goin' to give it to Lonzo!" cried the pretty +girl indignantly. + +"Certin I am!" said the old man. "I told him he should take his pick, +and he's taken it. I didn't think of that figger, 'tis true, but what I +say I stand to. Easy there! I guess you'd better let me lift it out, +Cynthy!" + +Very tenderly he lifted out the glittering trophy and placed it in +Lonzo's outstretched hands. The simpleton chuckled his rapture, and +retired to his dim corner--to worship, one might have thought; he put +his prize on a low table and grovelled before it on the floor. + +Mr. Cheeseman, heedless of Cynthy's lamentations, proceeded to +re-arrange the show-window, trying one effect and another, head on one +side and eyes screwed critically. Satisfied at length, he turned slowly +and rather reluctantly toward Calvin Parks, who had been standing +silently by. + +"After all," he said apologetically, "Christmas is for the children, and +Lonzo is the Lord's child, my wife used to say, and I expect she was +right." + +Calvin's twinkle burst into a smile. + +"That's all right, Mr. Cheeseman!" he said. "That suits me first-rate. I +was only wonderin' whether it was just exactly what you would call +trade!" + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +CALVIN'S WATERLOO + + +Christmas Eve. All day a blaze of white and gold, softening now into +cold glories of rose and violet over the great snow-fields. The road, +white upon white, outlined with fringes of trees, and here and there a +stretch of stump fence, was as empty as the fields, the solitary sleigh +with its solitary occupant seeming only to emphasize the loneliness. + +Calvin Parks looked down the long stretch of road into which he had just +turned, and gave a long whistle. + +"Hossy," he said, "do you know what this ro'd wants? It wants society! I +don't know as it would be reasonable to expect a house, or even a barn, +but it does seem as if they might scare up a cow; what?" + +Hossy whinnied sympathetically. + +"Just so!" said Calvin. "That's what I say. Christmas Eve and all, it +does really appear as if they might scare up a cow. Not that she'd be +likely to trade to any great extent. What say? She'd buy as much as that +last woman did? That's so, hossy; you're right there. But we ain't +complainin', you and me, I want you to understand. We've done real well +this trip, and before we get our little oats to-night we'll work off +every stick in the whole concern, you see if we don't, and have money to +put in the bank, io, money to put in the bank. Gitty up, you hossy!" He +flourished his whip round the brown horse's head and whistled a merry +tune. + +"Hello! What's up now?" + +Some one was standing at the turn of the road ahead, waving to him; a +child; a little girl in cloak and hood, her red-mittened hands +gesticulating wildly. + +"We're a-comin', we're a-comin'!" said Calvin Parks. "Git there just the +very minute we git there, you see if we don't. Why, Mittie May! you +don't mean to tell me this is you?" + +"Oh! yes, please!" cried the child. "Oh! please will you come and see +Miss Fidely? oh! please will you?" + +"There! there! little un; why, you're all out of breath. Been runnin', +have ye?" + +"Oh, yes!" panted Mittie May. "I ran all the way, for fear I wouldn't +get here before you went by. Will you come and see Miss Fidely, Mr. +Candy Man?" + +"Well!" said Calvin, "that depends, little gal. There's three p'ints I'd +like to consider in this connection and as touchin' this matter, as old +parson used to say. First, is Miss Fidely good-lookin' and agreeable +_to_ see? Second, does she anyways want to see me? Third, how far off +does she live? It's gettin' on towards sundown, and hossy and me have a +good ways to go before we get our oats." + +"It's not far," said the child. "And she wants to see you terrible bad. +Her goods ain't come that she ordered, and the tree's all up, and the +boys and girls all comin' to-morrow, and no candy. And I told her about +you, and how you mostly came along this road Wednesdays, and she said +run and catch you if I could, and I run!" + +"I should say you did!" said Calvin. "Now you hop right in here with me, +little gal! Hopsy upsy--there she comes! Let me tuck you in good--so! +now you tell me which way to go, and hossy and me'll git there. That's a +fair division, ain't it?" + +Still panting, the child pointed down a narrow cross-road, on which at +some distance stood a solitary house. + +"That the house?" asked Calvin. Mittie May nodded. + +"I hope Miss Fidely ain't large for her size," said Calvin; "she might +fit rayther snug if she was." + +It was a tiny house, gray and weather-beaten; but the windows were trim +with white curtains and gay with flowers; on the stone wall a row of +milk-pans flashed back the afternoon sun; the whole air of the place was +cheerful and friendly. + +"I expect Miss Fidely's all right!" said Calvin with emphasis. "Smart +woman, to judge by the looks of her pans, and there's nothing better to +go by as I know of. Them's as bright as Miss Hands's, and more than that +I can't say. Now you hop out, Mittie May, and ask her will she step out +and see the goods, or shall I bring in any special line?" + +The child stared. "She can't come out!" she said. "Miss Fidely can't +walk." + +"Can't walk!" repeated Calvin. + +"No! and the path ain't shovelled wide enough for her to come out. Come +in and see her, please!" + +His eyes very round, Calvin followed the child up the narrow path and in +at the low door. Then he stopped short. + +The door opened directly into a long, low room, the whole width of the +house. The whitewashed walls were like snow, the bare floor was painted +bright yellow, with little islands of rag carpet here and there. There +were a few quaint old rush-bottomed chairs, and in one corner what +looked like a child's trundle-bed, gay with a splendid sunflower quilt. +These things Calvin saw afterwards; the first glance showed him only the +Tree and its owner. It was a low, spreading tree, filling one end of the +room completely. Strings of pop-corn festooned the branches, and flakes +of cotton-wool snow were cunningly disposed here and there. Bright +apples peeped from amid the green, and from every tip hung a splendid +star of tinsel or tin foil. No "boughten stuff" these; all through the +year Miss Fidely patiently begged from her neighbors: from the women the +tinsel on their button-cards, from the men the "silver" that wrapped +their tobacco. Carefully pressed under the big Bible, they waited till +Christmas, to become the glory of the Tree. The presents might not have +impressed a city child much, for every one was made by Miss Fidely +herself; the aprons, the mittens, the cotton-flannel rabbits and +bottle-dolls for the tiny ones, the lace-trimmed sachets and bows for +the older girls. Mittie May, all forgetful of marble palaces, stole one +glance of delighted awe, and then remembered her manners. + +"Here's the Candy Man, Miss Fidely!" she said. + +Miss Fidely turned quickly; she had been tying an apple to one of the +lower branches with scarlet worsted. + +"Pleased to meet you!" she said. "Do take a seat, won't you? I can't +rise, myself, so you must excuse me!" + +Miss Fidely sat in a thing like a child's go-cart on four wheels. Her +little withered feet clad in soft leather moccasins peeped out from +under her scant brown calico skirt. They could never have supported the +strong square body and powerful head, Calvin thought; she must have +spent her life in that cart; and at the thought a mist came over his +brown eyes. But he took the hard brown hand that was held out to him, +and shook it cordially. + +"I am real pleased to make your acquaintance!" he said. "Nice weather +we're havin'; a mite cold, but 'tis more seasonable that way, to my +thinkin'." + +"I was so afraid Mittie May wouldn't catch you!" Miss Fidely went on. "I +s'pose she's told you my misfortune, sir. I order my candy from a firm +in Tupham Centre; and I had a letter this mornin' statin' that they had +burned up and lost all their stock, and couldn't fill any orders. 'Twas +too late to order elsewhere, and I couldn't make enough for all +hands--thirty children I expect to-morrow, and some of 'em comin' from +nine or ten miles away--and what to do I didn't know; when all of a +sudden Mittie May thought of you. She lives on the next ro'd, not fur +from here, Mittie doos, and she helps me get the tree ready; don't you, +Mittie May? I don't know what I should do without her, I'm sure." + +She smiled at Mittie May, who glowed with pride and pleasure. Calvin +thought he had seen only one smile brighter than Miss Fidely's. + +"It did seem real providential," she went on, "if only she could catch +you, and I'm more than pleased she did. Here's my bags all ready," she +pointed to a neat pile that lay on a table beside her; "and if you've +got the goods to fill 'em, I guess we sha'n't need to do much +bargainin'. I've got the money ready too." + +"I guess that's all right!" said Calvin, rising. "I'll bring my stock +right in, what's left of it, and you can take your pick. I've sold the +heft of it, but yet there's a plenty still to fill them bags twice't +over." + +"Mittie May, it's time for you to go," said Miss Fidely. "Your Ma'll be +lookin' for you to help get supper. Mebbe you can run over to-night to +hang the bags, or first thing in the morning." + +"I'll hang the bags!" said Calvin Parks. + +"Oh!" said Miss Fidely. "You're real kind, but that's too much to ask, +isn't it?" + +"I guess not!" said Calvin. "I guess I'd rather trim a Christmas Tree +than eat my supper any day in the week. You run along, Mittie May; I'll +tend to this." + +The rose and violet were deepening over the snow-fields, and stars were +piercing the golden veil of sunset. Calvin filled the brown horse's +nose-bag and hung it over his head, and covered him carefully with the +buffalo robe. + +"You rest easy a spell, hossy!" he said. "This is trade, you know. +Christmas Eve, you can't expect to get to bed real early." + +Hossy shook himself, whinnied "All right!" and addressed himself to his +supper. Calvin pulled out one drawer after another, studying their +contents with frowning anxiety. "She's goin' to have the best there is!" +he said. "There's a look in that lady's eyes that puts me in mind of +Miss Hands; and take that with her bein' afflicted and all--I guess +we'll give her a good set-off, hossy. I guess--that--is--what we'll do!" + +While he spoke, he was piling box upon box, jar upon jar, holding the +pile firm with his chin. Entering the house again, he deposited them +carefully on the table, and proceeded to spread them out. + +"There!" he said. "I guess you'll find what you want here. All the +candies, stick, drop and fancy; tutti-frutti and pepsin chewing-gum, +chocolate creams and marshmallow goods. You didn't say what amount you +was calc'latin' to lay out--?" + +Miss Fidely looked round her carefully. "I didn't care to say before the +little gal!" she said. "My neighbors is real careful of me, and they +grudge my spendin' so much money. I tell 'em it's my circus and fair and +sociable and spring bunnet all in one. There! I calc'late to spend five +dollars, and I've got it to spend. I'm a stranger to you, sir, and mebbe +you'd like to see it before we go any further." + +"I guess not!" said Calvin Parks. "I guess I know a straight stick when +I see one--" his eyes fell on the twisted outlines covered by the brown +calico skirt, and he finished his sentence in silence. "Your one +comfort," he said, "is that it ain't likely the Lord made another fool +like you when he see the way you'd act." + +"That's a handsome sum of money," he added aloud. "You'll get a handsome +set-out for it." + +"I've got no one belongin' to me," said the lame woman simply; "and I'm +far from church privileges. I never touch my burial money, but I do feel +that I have a right to this. Well! you have got elegant goods, I must +say. Now we'll get down to business, if agreeable to you." + +It was most agreeable to Calvin Parks, and he made it so to Miss Fidely. +She must taste every variety of sugar-plum, so that she could know what +she was giving. + +"That's trade!" he said, when she remonstrated. "That's straight trade; +no samples, no buyers! You try this lemon taffy! I do regard it as +extry. These goods is all pure sugar, every mite; I know the man as made +'em, and helped some in the makin'. Some of the pineapple sticks? That's +a lovely candy to my mind. I helped make these only yesterday morning. +You try a morsel; here's a broken stick!" + +"Why, I never had no such candy as this before!" cried Miss Fidely, +crunching the white and scarlet stick. "Why, 'tis as different from the +goods I've bought before as new-laid eggs is from store. I guess you'll +have a steady customer from now on, as many Christmases as I have to +live." + +"That so?" said Calvin. "Well, I aim to give satisfaction, and so does +the man who makes for me. All pure sugar; no glucose, terry alby, nor +none of them things, destroyin' folks's stomachs. Nothin' else than +poison, some of the stuff you'll find in the market is; but good sugar +and good flavorin' is wholesome, I claim, taken moderate, you know, and +the system craves it, or so appears to do. Say we commence to fill the +bags now, what? And so you toll in the neighborin' children and give 'em +a Christmas Tree! Now that's a pleasant thing to do; I don't know as +ever I heard of a pleasanter." + +Miss Fidely glowed again, and again she looked like Mary Sands. "I've +been doin' it for ten years now," she said, "and shall, I expect, as +long as the Lord thinks I'm best off here. You see, not havin' the use +of my limbs, I can't go much; and I do love children, and they've got +the habit of runnin' in here for a cooky or a story or like that. This +ain't a wealthy neighborhood; the soil's rather poor; folks has moved +away; I scarcely know how it is, but yet 'tis so. And, too, they haven't +had the habit of makin' of Christmas same as they do in most places. +Some ten year ago I spent a winter in the city. There was a man thought +he could cure me of my lameness, or made me think so; and though I was +old enough to know better, I give in, and went and let him try. Well, I +didn't get any help that way, but I got an amazin' deal other ways. +There was a Tree to the hospital where I was, and they carried me in to +see it; and I said that minute of time, 'There shan't any child round +our way go without a Tree after this, as long as I live!' I says. I +count it a great mercy that I've been able to keep that promise. I begin +Near Year's day to make my presents--doin' it evenin's and odd times, +you know, and 'tis my child's play all the year through till Christmas +comes again. They ask me sometimes if I ain't lonesome; any one can't be +lonesome, I tell 'em, while they're makin' Christmas presents." + +"You don't live all sole alone?" asked Calvin Parks. + +"Certin I do! I've no kin of my own, and them as wished to marry me +warn't more than what I had time to say no to," she laughed gleefully; +"and I wouldn't be bothered with no stranger messin' round. I'm used to +myself, you see, but I don't know as any person else could get along +with me real well, come to stay right along. I expect I'm as caniptious +as an old hen. The neighbors is real good; any one couldn't ask for +better help than they be when I need help, but 'tis seldom I do. I'm +strong and well, and everything is handy by, as you may say. Only when +it comes Christmas, I can't fetch in the tree nor yet mount up to trim +the upper branches, and then I have to call on some one. My! ain't you +smart? you've got all them bags hung while I've been talkin'. They do +look pretty, don't they?" + +"They look handsome!" Calvin assented warmly, "they certainly do. But if +you'll excuse me takin' a liberty, I think there's just one extry touch +this tree needs, and with your permission I'm goin' to put it on. Excuse +me a half a minute!" + +He ran out, and soon returned beaming with pleasure and good will, his +hands full of small tissue paper parcels. + +"I had these all wrapped up separate," he said, "'cause they're +fraygile. How many children did you say there was? Thirty? Well, if that +ain't a nice fit! Here's three dozen left; and not one of them is goin' +any further to-night." + +He unwrapped the parcels, and displayed to Miss Fidely's wondering eyes +dogs, lions, camels, rabbits, all sparkling in barley sugar, all +glittering in the sunset light. The lame woman clasped her hands, and +her eyes shone. + +"Oh!" she cried. "I see the like of them in the hospital; I never see +them before or since. I can't believe it's true. Oh! I do believe the +Lord sent you, sir!" + +"I believe so too!" said Calvin Parks. + +Suddenly Miss Fidely's face changed. + +"My goodness!" she cried. "I never thought, and I know you never either. +I can't take them, sir! I've spent all my money, and more too, I expect, +for I know well you give me extry measure in some of them candies. But +I'm just as pleased at you takin' the pains to bring 'em in, and the +children haven't seen 'em, so there's no harm." + +"Now what a way that is to talk!" said Calvin, "for a lady as sensible +as you be. Didn't I know you had laid out your money, and a good sum, +too? Did you think you was the only person that liked to do a little +something for the children Christmas time? Now ain't that a sight! +Them's my present to Mittie May and her friends, that's all. Now see me +hang 'em on!" + +He turned hastily to the tree, for Miss Fidely was crying, and Calvin +did not know what the mischief got into women-folks to make 'em act that +way. Drawing a ball of pink string from his pocket, he proceeded to hang +his menagerie, talking the while. + +"I've had quite a time to-day. Any one sees a good deal of human natur' +drivin' a candy route, yes sir, I would say ma'am! Hossy and me has come +a good ways to-day, and seen 'most all kinds. Are you acquainted any +with a woman name of Weazle, down the ro'd about four mile from here? +Ain't? Well, she's a case, I tell you. Long skinny kind of woman, looks +like she'd bleed sour milk--skim--if she scratched her finger. She made +up her mind I was goin' to cheat her, and she warn't goin' to be +cheated, not she. Quite a circus we had. + +"'How much is them marshmallers?' she says. + +"'Twenty cents a pound,' I says. + +"'It's too much!' she says. + +"'Is that so?' I says. + +"'It's scandalous!' she says. + +"'I want to know!' I says. + +"'You won't sell none at that price!' she says. + +"'Is that a fact?' I says. + +"'Well, what'll you take for em?' she says. + +"'Twenty cents a pound,' I says. + +"'I tell you it's too much!' she says. + +"'I know it's too much for you,' I says, 'and so is the marshmallows. +They might give you the dyspepsy!' I says. 'Gitty up, hossy!' and I druv +off and left her standin' there with her mouth open. There! now they're +all up and I must be ramblin' along, or I sha'n't get nowheres by the +end of time." + +Miss Fidely had dried her eyes, but the look she fixed on Calvin +disturbed him almost as much as the tears. + +"I won't say nothin' more," she said; "I see the kind you are; but I +wish you could come in to-morrow and see the children. I expect their +faces will be a sight, when they see them elegant presents; yes, sir, I +do! I expect you'd never forget this Christmas, as I'm certin I never +shall. Oh!" she cried with a sudden outburst. "You good man, I hope +you'll get your heart's desire, whatever it is." + +"I hope I shall!" said Calvin Parks gravely. + +"And now," said Miss Fidely, brightening up, "we'll settle. If you'll +just lift the lid of that old teapot standin' on the mantel-shelf, +you'll find three one-dollar bills and a two. I wish 'twas a hundred!" +she cried heartily. + +Calvin Parks stepped to the mantelpiece and lifted the lid of the +teapot. + +"I guess you made a mistake this time," he said cheerily; "where'll I +look next?" + +Miss Fidely turned very pale. "What--what do you mean?" she faltered. + +Calvin handed her the teapot; it was empty. + +"You forgot and put it somewheres else!" he said. "Anybody's liable to +do that when they have a thing on their mind. I've done it myself time +and again. How about a bureau drawer; what? We'll find it; don't you be +scared!" + +"No!" said Miss Fidely faintly. "No, sir! it was there. I counted it +last night the last thing, and there ain't no one--my Lord! that tramp!" + +"What tramp?" + +"He came here this morning and asked for some breakfast. He seemed so +poor and mis'able, and he told such a pitiful story, I went out to get +him a drink of milk--he must have taken it. I remember, he was standin' +over there when I come in, but I never mistrusted--" + +Her voice failed, and she covered her eyes with her hands. Calvin Parks +cast a rapid glance behind him, and ascertaining the position of the +door, began to edge quietly toward it. + +"Don't you fret!" he said soothingly. "I shall be round this way again +some time; mebbe you'll find it some place when you least expect. I've +known such things to happen, oftentimes." + +"No! no!" cried the cripple, her distress increasing momentarily. "It's +gone, sir! The look in that man's face comes back to me, and I know now +what it meant. Oh! he must have a hard heart, to rob a cripple woman of +her one pleasure, and on Christmas Eve!" + +She flung her hands apart with a wild gesture, but the next moment +controlled herself and spoke quietly but rapidly. "I am ashamed to +trouble you, sir, but if you'll take down the bags I'll empt 'em as +careful as I can. I wouldn't trouble you if I could help myself." + +"I--I'm afraid I can't stop!" muttered Calvin; and he hung his head as +he spoke, for a dry voice was saying in his ear, "Put this straight to +yourself; are you running a candy route or an orphan asylum?" + +"Oh! if Mittie May would only come!" cried the lame woman. "I'll _have_ +to trouble you, sir; it won't take you long." + +Calvin mumbled something about calling again. + +"No!" cried Miss Fidely. "There'd be no use in your calling again; +that's all I can save in a year, and there's no more--" + +She stopped short, and the blood rushed into her thin face. + +"No!" she said after a pause. "I can't take the burial money, even for +the children. Oh! you kind, good man, take down the bags, and take your +candy back!" + +"I've got to see to my hoss!" cried Calvin irritably. "Hear him +hollerin'? Jest wait a half a minute--" he sneaked out of the door, +closed it carefully behind him, and bolted for his sleigh. He snatched +the nose-bag from Hossy's nose, the robe from his back; clambering +hastily in, he cast a guilty glance around him, and saw--Mittie May, +standing a few paces off, staring at him round-eyed. + +"Here!" he cried. "You tell her I ain't feelin' real well, and I've got +to get home. Tell her--tell her my name's Santy Claus, and my address is +the North Pole. And--look here! tell her Merry Christmas and Happy New +Year, and the same to you! Gitty up, hossy! gitty up!" and laying his +whip over the astonished flanks of the brown horse, Calvin Parks fled +down the road as if Blücher and the Prussians were after him. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +MERRY CHRISTMAS + + +"But that ain't the end of the story, Miss Hands!" said Calvin Parks, +after telling as much as he thought proper of the foregoing events. +"That ain't the end. This mornin' I stopped down along a piece to wish +Merry Christmas to Aaron Tarbox's folks, and I left hossy standin' while +I ran into the house. I stayed longer than I intended--you know how 'tis +when there's children hangin' round--and when I come out, you may call +me mate to a mud-scow if there warn't a feller with his head and +shoulders clear inside the back of my cart. I can't tell you how, but +some way of it, it come over me in a flash who the feller was. I don't +know as ever I moved quicker in my life. I had him by the scruff of his +neck and the slack of his pants, and out of that and standin' on his +head in a snow-drift before he could have winked more than once, certin. + +"'Have you got three ones and a two,' I says, 'belongin' to a lady as +sits in a cart, 'bout four mile from here? 'cause if you have, and was +keepin' them for the owner, I'll save you the trouble,' I says. He +couldn't answer real well, his head bein' in the drift, so I went +through his pockets, and sure enough there they was, three ones and a +two, just as she said." + +"My goodness!" cried Mary Sands. "What did you do?" + +"Well, I give him his Christmas present, a good solid one, that'll last +him a sight longer than the money would have, and then I hove him back +into the drift to cool off a spell,--he was some warm, and so was +I,--and come along. So now I've got the money, and that lady can rest +easy in her mind; only I've got to let her know. Now, Miss Hands, I'm +no kind of a hand at writin' letters; I've been studyin' all the way +along the ro'd how to tell that lady that she ain't owin' me a cent; and +I don't know as I've hit it off real good." + +[Illustration: "'THEN I HOVE HIM BACK INTO THE DRIFT TO COOL OFF A +SPELL.'"] + +He felt in his pockets, and produced a scrap of paper; with an anxious +eye on Mary Sands, he read aloud as follows. + + "Dear Ma'am;--I got that money and give the feller one instead, so + no more and received payment from yours respy C. Parks." + +"How's that, Miss Hands? Will it do, think?" + +Mary's eyes twinkled. "It's short and sweet, Mr. Parks," she said; "it +tells the story, certin, though I don't doubt but she'd be pleased to +hear more from you." + +"That's all I've got to say!" said Calvin simply; "I'm glad to get it +off my mind. How's the boys this morning?" + +"That's why I made an errand out here before you went into the house!" +said Mary Sands. + +They were sitting in the harness-room, she in the chair, he on the +bucket. There was a fire in the stove, and the place was full of the +pleasant smell of warm leather. Their speech was punctuated by the +stamping and neighing of the brown horse, the young colt, the old horse +of all, the mare, and Old John, in the stable adjoining. + +Mary Sands' hazel eyes were full of a half-humorous anxiety. + +"I wanted to talk to you a little about Cousins!" she said. "They've +been actin' real strange the past week, ever since you was here last. +Honest, I don't believe they've thought of one single thing besides each +other. Werryin' and frettin' and watchin'--I'm 'most worn out with 'em. +There! if it warn't so comical I should cry, and if it warn't so pitiful +I should laugh. That's just the way I feel about it, Mr. Parks." + +"Sho!" said Calvin sympathetically. "I don't wonder at it, Miss Hands, +not a mite. They haven't got round to speakin' to each other yet, I +s'pose?" + +Mary shook her head. "No!" she said. "They want to, I'm sure of that, +but yet neither one of 'em will speak first. Such foolishness I never +did see. Now take yesterday! Cousin Sam went to town, and Cousin Sim +werried every single minute he was gone. The mare was skittish, and the +harness might break, and he might meet the cars, and I don't know what +all. If he called me off my work once he did a dozen times, till I +thought I should fly. By the time Cousin Sam got back he was all worn +out, and soon as he heard him safe in the house he dropped off asleep in +his chair. Well! then 'twas all to do over again with Cousin Sam. How +had Simeon been, and what had he been doin' while he was gone, and +didn't I think he had a bad color at breakfast? Then Cousin Sim begun to +snore, and Cousin Sam would have it that 'twarn't natural snorin', and +he must be in a catamouse condition." + +"What did he mean by that?" asked Calvin. + +"That's what he said!" Mary replied. "It's a medical term, but I don't +know as he got it just right. It means sleepin' kind of heavy and +unhealthy, I understand. 'Well,' I says, 'Cousin Sam, just you step here +and look at Cousin Sim!' So he did, and see him sound asleep with his +mouth open, lookin' peaceful as a fish. He stood and looked at him a +spell, and I see his mouth begin to work. 'There's nothin' catamouse +about that sleep, Cousin!' I says. 'There couldn't a baby sleep easier +than what he is.' He shakes his head mournful. 'Simeon's aged terrible +since Ma went,' he says. He stood there lookin' at him a spell longer, +and then he give a kind of groan and went back to his own chair. + +"Now, Mr. Parks, it's time this foolishness was put a stop to." + +"That's right!" said Calvin Parks. "That's so, Miss Hands. I believe +you've got a plan to stop it, too." + +"I have!" said Mary Sands. "I've been studyin' it out while I was +settin' here waitin' for you. This is Christmas Day, Mr. Parks; and if +you'll help me, I believe we can bring it about to-day. Will you?" + +"Will I?" said Calvin Parks. "Will a dog bark?" + + * * * * * + +"Merry Christmas, Sam!" said Calvin Parks. + +"Same to you, Calvin, same to you!" said Mr. Sam. "Come in! come in! +Shet the door after you, will ye?" + +Calvin shut the door into the entry. Mr. Sam glanced about him uneasily. + +"You might shet the other too, if you don't mind!" he said. "Thank ye! +Have you seen Simeon this mornin', Calvin?" + +"Not yet," said Calvin. "I come straight in the front door and in here. +What's the matter? Ain't he all right?" + +"Simeon is failin'!" replied Mr. Sam. "He's failin' right along, Calvin. +I expect this is the last Christmas he'll see on earth. I--I was down +street yesterday," he added, after a solemn pause, "and it occurred to +me he hadn't had a new pair of slippers for a dog's age. I thought I'd +get a pair, and mebbe you'd give 'em to him." + +"Mebbe I'd stand on my head!" retorted Calvin. "Give 'em to him +yourself, you old catnip!" + +"No! no, Calvin! no! no! I'd ruther you would!" said Mr. Sam anxiously. +"I'd take it real friendly if you would, sir!" + +"Well, we'll see!" said Calvin. "Hello! dressed up for Christmas, be +ye?" + +Mr. Sam looked down in some embarrassment. His red flannel waistcoat was +replaced by a black one. + +"We never made so much of Christmas as some," he said; "but yet Ma +allers had us dress up for Christmas dinner, and I thought this seemed a +mite more dress, you understand, Calvin. What say?" + +"Looks first-rate!" said Calvin cheerfully. "You don't look a mite worse +than you did before, as I see. Now I guess I'll step in and pass the +time of day with Sim." + +"Hold on jest a minute!" said Mr. Sam anxiously. "Hold on jest a half a +minute, Cal! That ain't all I was wishful to say to you. Have you--I +would say--have you approached that subject we was speakin' of a while +back, to Cousin?" + +"What subject?" said Calvin Parks doggedly. + +"Don't be cantankerous, Calvin! now don't!" said Mr. Sam. "It's +Christmas Day. The subject of matrimony, you know." + +"I have!" said Calvin. "She won't look at him! She wouldn't look at him +if the only other man in the world was Job Toothaker's scarecrow, that +scared the seeds under ground so they never came up. There's your +answer!" + +"Dear me sirs!" cried Mr. Sam, wringing his hands. "Dear me sirs! I +don't know what's goin' to become of us, Calvin, I reelly don't!" + +"Well!" said Calvin; "I guess likely you'll werry through the day, Sam. +I know what's goin' to become of me; I'm goin' in to see Sim." + +"Take the slippers, won't ye, Calvin?" cried Mr. Sam. "Tell him to wear +'em and save his boots. He's allers ben terrible hard on shoe-leather, +Simeon has." + +Calvin took the slippers with a grunt, and went into the next room, +closing the door after him. + +"Merry Christmas!" he cried. "How are you, Sim?" + +"I'm obliged to you, Calvin; I am slim!" replied Mr. Sim. "I am unusual +slim, sir. Take a seat, won't you?" + +"I said Merry Christmas!" Calvin remarked gruffly. "Can't you speak up +in the way of the season? Come, buck up, old timothy-grass! Merry +Christmas!" + +"Merry Christmas!" echoed Mr. Sim meekly; "though if your laigs was as +bad as mine, Calvin, you might think different. If I get through this +winter--what you got there?" + +"Slippers!" said Calvin. "Christmas present from Sam. Wants you to wear +'em and save shoe-leather." + +"The failin's of Sam'l's mind," said Mr. Sim gravely, "are growin' on +him ekal to those of his body. Shoe-leather! when I ain't stepped foot +outside the door since Ma died. But they are handsome, certin; you may +thank him for me, Calvin." + +"May!" said Calvin. "That's a sweet privilege, no two ways about that. +Hello! what in Tunkett--" he stopped, abruptly, staring. "Splice my +halyards if you haven't got a red one!" Mr. Sim glanced down with shy +pride at his waistcoat. + +"Christmas Day, you know, Calvin!" he said. "We allers made some little +change in our dress, sir, for Christmas dinner. I thought 'twould please +Ma, and Cousin, and--and the other one, too!" he added, with a furtive +glance toward the door. + +"Well, I am blowed!" said Calvin Parks plaintively. "I certinly am this +time. You boys is too much for me." + +Mr. Sim coughed modestly, and cast another coy glance at the red +waistcoat. "How is poor Sam'l this mornin', Calvin?" he asked +mournfully. "Do you find him changed much of any?" + +"I do not!" said Calvin. "He's just about as handsome, and just about as +takin' as he was last time, fur as I see." + +"Ah!" sighed Mr. Sim. "You don't see below the surface, Cal." + +"Nor don't wish to!" retorted Calvin. "That's quite sufficient for me." + +"I've got the feelin' in my bones," Mr. Sim went on, "that somethin' is +goin' to happen to Sam'l, Calvin. He's that reckless, sir, I look 'most +any day to see him brought home a mangled remain. Call it a warnin', or +what you will, I believe it's comin'. I hear him cuttin' round them +corners, and reshin' in and out the yard with them wild hosses,--" + +"Wild hosses!" repeated Calvin Parks. "Sim Sill, you feel in your pants +pocket, won't you, and see if you can't scare up some wits, just a mite. +Old John is thirty if he's a day, and the old hoss of all--well, nobody +knows how old he is, beyond that he'll never see forty again. The mare +has been here ever since I can remember, or pretty nigh, and your Ma +bought the young colt before ever I went to sea. Now talk about wild +hosses!" + +"It ain't their age, Cal, it's their natur'!" responded Mr. Sim with +dignity. "That mare, sir, has never ben stiddy, nor yet will she ever so +be, in my opinion." + +"Well!" said Calvin Parks. "I'll tell him next time he goes to market, +tie her to the well-sweep and walk; you don't cal'late his legs would up +and run away with him, do ye? Now I'm goin' to help Miss Hands dish up +dinner." + +"Hold on, Calvin! hold on jest a minute!" cried Mr. Sim anxiously. "I've +got a little present I'd like for you to give Sam'l from me, sir. +It's--" he got up, shuffled across the room, and opened a cupboard door. +"It's something he's allers coveted." + +Fumbling in a box, he took out an ancient seal of red carnelian, and +rubbed it lovingly on his coat-sleeve. + +"Belonged to Uncle Sim Penny," he said. "Ma give it to me, on accounts +of me bein' his name-son; I don't know as ever I've used it, or likely +to, and Sam'l has always coveted it. You give that to Sam'l, Calvin, +will you?" + +"Oh molasses!" said Calvin impatiently. "Give it to him yourself, you +ridic'lous old object!" + +"No! no, Calvin! no, no, sir!" cried Mr. Sim piteously. "We don't +speak, you know; we--we've lost the habit of it, and we're too old to +ketch holt of it again. You give it to him, Cal, like a good feller! +And--and there's another thing, Calvin. Did you have any dealin's with +Cousin about what we was speakin' of some time along back, in regards to +Sam'l?" + +"I did!" said Calvin Parks. + +"Well--well, Cal, what did she say?" Mr. Sim leaned forward anxiously. +"Was she anyways favorable, sir?" + +"She was not!" replied Calvin. "She give me to understand--not in so +many words, but that was the sense of it,--that she'd full as soon marry +a cucumber-wood pump as him, or you either. So there you have it!" + +"Dear me!" cried Mr. Sim; and he wrung his hands with the identical +gesture that Mr. Sam had made. "Dear me sirs! what is to become of us, +Calvin?" + +"Dinner is ready, Cousin Sim!" said Mary Sands, putting her head in at +the door. "Cousin Sam, dinner's ready! Merry Christmas to you, Mr. +Parks, and pleased to see you!" + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +AT LAST! + + +Mr. Sim shuffled in from one door, Mr. Sam from the other. As each +raised his eyes to look at the table, he saw the figure opposite; both +stopped short, and the two pairs of little gray eyes glared, one at a +black waistcoat, the other at a red. + +"Take your seats, Cousins, please!" said Mary Sands, quickly. "Mr. +Parks, if you'll set opposite me--that's it! The Lord make us thankful, +Cousins and Mr. Parks, this Christmas Day, and mindful of the wants of +others, amen! You said you didn't mind carvin', Mr. Parks, so I've give +you the turkey." + +The four gray eyes, releasing the waistcoat buttons opposite, glanced +furtively over the table, and opened wide. Never had the Sill farm +seen a Christmas dinner like this. "Ma" had liked a good set-out, but +she aimed to be saving, holidays and all days. They always had a turkey, +but it was apt to be the smallest hen in the flock, and the rest was to +match. But here,--here was the Big Young Gobbler, the pride and glory of +the poultry yard, no longer ruffling it in black and red, but shining in +rich golden brown, with strings of nut-brown sausages about his portly +breast. Here was cranberry sauce, not in a bowl, but moulded in the +wheat-sheaf mould, and glowing like the Great Carbuncle. Here was an Alp +of potato, a golden mountain of squash, onions glimmering translucent +like moonstones, the jewels of the winter feast, celery tossing +pale-green plumes--good gracious! celery enough for a hotel, Mr. Sam +thought; here beside each plate was a roll--was this bread, Mr. Sim +wondered, twisted into a knot and shining "like artificial?" and on +each roll a spray of scarlet geranium with its round green leaf. And +what--_what_ was that in the middle of the table? The twins forgot the +waistcoats; forgot the waste too, forgot even each other, and stared +with all their eyes. A castle! a real castle, towers and battlements, +moat and drawbridge, all complete, all sparkling in crystal sugar. From +the topmost turret a tiny pennon floating; in the gateway a knight on +horseback, nearly as large as the pennon, with fairy lance couched. It +was the triumph of Mr. Ivory Cheeseman's life. + +[Illustration: MARY SANDS.] + +"You take that to your lady friend," he said, "and say the man as made +it wishes her well, and you too, friend Parks, you too!" + +Mary Sands was gazing at it with delighted eyes. + +"Did you ever, Cousins?" she said. "Now _did_ you ever see anything so +handsome as that? It's a Christmas present from Mr. Parks, and it beats +any present ever I had in my life. I declare, this _is_ a Christmas, +isn't it, Cousins? and look at you both dressed up to the nines, and +lookin' real--" she caught Calvin's eye over the turkey, and +faltered,--"real nice, I'm sure! And each one of you changin' his vest +for Christmas! I'm sure it's real smart of you. Cousin Sim's got on his +new slippers, Cousin Sam! Cousin Sim, you see Cousin Sam's got the seal +on, and don't it look elegant? Why, I'm just as proud of you both! Now +you want to make a good dinner, Mr. Parks and Cousins, or I shall think +it _isn't_ good, and I own I've done my best." + +"Good!" said Calvin Parks, as he handed a solid ivory slab to Mr. Sim; +"if there's a better dinner than this in the State of Maine, the folks +wouldn't get over it, I expect. I've seen dinners served from the +Roostick down to New Orleans, and I never see the ekal of this for +style nor quality." + +"I'm sure you are more than kind to say so!" said Mary Sands. "Dear me! +times like this, any one thinks of days past and gone, don't they? You +must have had real good times Christmas, when you was boys together, Mr. +Parks, Cousins and you together." + +"Well, I guess!" said Calvin Parks. "Sam, do you rec'lect one time I +come over to spend Christmas Day with you when we was little shavers +about ten year old, and we left the pig-pen gate open, and the pigs got +all over the place? Gorry! do you rec'lect the back door stood open, and +nothin' to it but old Marm Sow must projick right into the kitchen where +your Ma was gettin' dinner? Haw! haw! do you rec'lect that?" + +"He! he!" piped Mr. Sam; "I guess I do! and Ma up and basted her hide +with hot gravy! My Juniper, how she hollered!" + +Mr. Sim fixed Mary Sands with a glittering eye. "You tell him 'twarn't +gravy, 'twas puddin' sauce!" he said. + +"Cousin Sam, Cousin Sim says 'twas puddin' sauce!" said Mary Sands +cheerfully. + +"Think likely 'twas!" said Mr. Sam. "Tell him he's right for once, and +put that down on his little slate." + +"Then another time," Calvin went on; "another morsel, Miss Hands? just a +scrap? can't? now ain't that a sight! I can, just as easy--watch me now! +I rec'lect well, that Methody parson was here with his boy. What was his +name? Lihu, was it, or 'Liphalet?" + +"'Liphalet!" said Mr. Sim, a faint twinkle coming into his dim eyes. +"'Liphalet Pinky!" + +"'Liphalet Pinky! that's it!" Calvin laid down his knife and fork to +slap his thigh. "Jerusalem crickets! how we did play it on that +unfort'nate youngster! Miss Hands, you see Sim settin' there, sober as a +judge; you'd think he'd been like that all his life now, wouldn't you? +You'd never think he'd get an unfort'nate boy into the bucket and h'ist +him up and down the well till he was e'enamost scairt to death, would +you now?" + +"I certin should not!" cried Mary Sands gleefully. "Why, Cousin Sim!" + +"And he hollerin' all the time, 'Lemme out! I'll tell Pa on you, and +he'll call down the wrath to come! You lemme out!' and then we'd slack +on the old sweep and down he'd go again--haw! haw!" + +"He! he!" cackled Mr. Sim, rubbing his little withered hands. "I can see +the tossel on his cap now, bobbin' up and down, and his little pickéd +nose under it--he! he!" + +"Ho! ho!" chimed in Mr. Sam suddenly. "And I can see you--I mean, tell +him I can see _him_ bobbin' up and down on Ma's knee when she spanked +him for it." + +"That's too long to say," said Mary Sands placidly; "think likely he +heard it, didn't you, Cousin Sim?" + +"Tell him he got jest as good!" retorted Mr. Sim. + +"Cousin Sam, Cousin Sim says you got it just as good!" said Mary. "Now, +Mr. Parks, if you're a mind to carry the turkey out while I bring in the +pies--if nobody'll have any more, that is to say!" + +"Well!" said Calvin Parks, rising and lifting the huge platter; "if all +had eat what I have, there'd be nothin' _to_ carry out, that's all I +have to say. After you, Miss Hands!" + +He closed the pantry door cautiously after him. + +"How do you think it's goin'?" he asked eagerly. + +"Splendid!" cried Mary Sands under her breath. "It's goin' splendid! +They've looked at each other much as four or five times, and twice they +only just stopped in time or they'd have spoke to each other. I saw +Cousin Sam catch his breath and fairly choke the words back. Keep right +on as you are, Mr. Parks, and we'll have 'em talkin' in another hour, +see if we don't!" + +The pies--such pies!--had come and gone. With furtive blinks, Mr. Sam +had unbuttoned the lower buttons of a black, Mr. Sim of a red waistcoat; +they leaned back in their chairs, their sharp little features relaxed, +and they stirred their coffee with the air of men at peace with the +world. + +Calvin Parks bent over his cup with an attentive look. + +"Boys," he said pensively, "warn't this your Ma's cup?" + +The twins started, and looked at the dark blue cup with gold on the +handle. + +"It was so!" said Mr. Sam. + +"Certin!" said Mr. Sim. + +"I thought so!" said Calvin. "Miss Hands, you ought to have this cup by +rights; and yet I'm pleased to have it, for I thought a sight of the +boys' Ma, and she knowed it. She was always good to me, if she did call +me a rover; always good to me she was, from the time I was knee high to +a grasshopper. The boys was bigger than me in those days, Miss Hands; I +dono as you'd think it now, but so it was. They stopped growin' at the +same time; didn't you, boys? Along about fourteen year old, warn't it? +You've been just the same height since then, haven't ye?" + +"I'm a mite the tallest!" said Mr. Sam, raising his head. + +"Tell him it ain't so!" piped Mr. Sim. "Tell him I am!" + +"Sho!" said Calvin Parks. "I don't believe either one of you has the +least idee, reelly. If there _was_ any difference, I should say Sim was +just a shade the tallest; how does it look it to you, Miss Hands?" + +"I think Cousin Sam is!" replied Mary Sands promptly. + +"You don't say!" said Calvin. "Now that's queer! Looks to me--well! I +say, let's find out! 'Tis easy done. Come on into the front room, boys, +and stand back to back, and I'll measure ye!" + +The front room was open in honor of Christmas Day; "Ma's" best parlor, +with its cross-stitch embroideries, its mourning pictures, its rigid +black horse-hair chairs and sofas. Above the mantelpiece, with its tall +vases of waving pampas grass, "Ma" herself gazed down from a portentous +gold frame with a quelling glance; "Pa" hung beside her, a meek young +man with a feeble smile of apology; one could understand that he had +backed out of existence as soon as might be. In one corner stood a tall +dim mirror, and before it a little double chair of quaint shape, +evidently made for two children. + +"Sho!" said Calvin Parks. "How did that chair come here? Why, I haven't +seen that for forty year. Jerusalem! that takes me back--why, Sim and +Sam, it seems only yesterday, the first time ever I set foot in this +room, and there sat you two in that little chair gogglin' at me, and +your Ma standin' beside you. Say, boys, that kind of takes holt of me! +your Ma was a good woman, if she did know her own mind. Well, we're all +poor creatur's. Here! you stand back to back in front of the glass, and +then I can see--hold your chins up--shoulders back; shoulders _back_, +Sim! don't scrooch down that way; you ain't really a crab, you +know--head up, Sam! there! now shut your eyes; any one can stand +straighter with their eyes shut; now,--" + +A voice spoke from the doorway; a woman's voice, full and clear, with a +sharp ring of decision. + +"Now you love each other pretty, right away, or I'll take the back of +the hairbrush to you both!" + +"_Ma_!" cried the twins; and they fell on their knees beside the little +chair. + + * * * * * + +"I told 'em shut their eyes, and then slipped out!" said Calvin Parks. +"They never missed me. Jerusalem! Miss Hands, if you'll excuse the +expression, how did you manage it? you got her tone to the life, I tell +you." + +"I always had the trick of followin' a voice," said Mary Sands modestly. +"And I remembered Cousin Lucindy's to Conference, for she used to speak +an amazin' deal. Oh! Mr. Parks, listen! do listen to them two poor old +creatur's!" + +They listened. From the front room came a babble of talk, two voices +flowing together in a stream, pauseless, inseparable; so fast the stream +flowed, there seemed no time for breathing. But now, as the conspirators +listened, dish-cloth in hand and joy in their hearts, the voices ceased +for a moment, and then, with one consent, broke out into quavering, +squeaking, piping song. + + + "Old John Twyseed; + Old John Twyseed; + Biled his corn, + As sure's you're born, + And come to borrow my seed. + + "Old John Twyseed, + Bought a pound o' rye seed; + Paid a cent, + And warn't content, + But thought 'twas awful high seed. + + "Old John Twyseed, + Sold his neighbor dry seed; + Didn't sprout; + Says he 'Git out! + I thought 'twas extry spry seed!'" + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +BY WAY OF CONTRAST + + +"I wish't you could stay to supper!" said Mary Sands. + +"I wish't I could!" said Calvin. "I want you to understand that right +enough; and I guess you do!" he added, with a look that brought the +color into Mary's wholesome brown cheek. "But they plead with me kind o' +pitiful, and--honest, I'm sorry for them two women, Miss Hands. They +don't seem to be real pop'lar with the neighbors--I don't know just how +'tis, but so 'tis,--and they kind o' look to me, you see. You understand +how 'tis, don't you, Mary--I would say Miss Hands?" + +"I expect I do, Mr. Parks!" said Mary gently, yet with some +significance. + +Calvin looked down at her, and his heart swelled. An immense wave of +tenderness seemed to flow from him, enfolding the little woman as she +stood there, so neat and trim in her blue cashmere dress, her pretty +head bent, the light playing in the waves of her pretty hair. + +"For two cents and a half," Calvin Parks said silently, "I'd pick you up +and carry you off this minute of time. You're my woman, and don't you +forget it!" Then he spoke aloud, and his voice sounded strange in his +ears. + +"You and the boys," he said, "are always askin' me for stories. If--if I +should come and tell you a story some day--the very first day I had a +right to--that the boys warn't goin' to hear, nor anybody else but just +you--would you listen to it, Miss Hands?" + +Mary's head bent still lower, and she examined the hem of her apron +critically. "I expect I would, Mr. Parks!" she said softly. + +But when Calvin had driven off, chirrupping joyfully to the brown horse, +Mary's little brown hands came together with a clasp, and she looked +anxiously after him. + +"If they don't get you away from me!" she said. "Oh! my good, +kind,--there! _stupid_ dear, if they don't get you away from me!" + + * * * * * + +"Hossy," said Calvin; "do you feel good? Do you? Speak up!" + +The brown horse shook his head as the whip cracked past his ear, and +whinnied reproachfully. + +"Sho!" said Calvin. "You don't mean that. I know it's a mite late, but +we'll get there, and you're sure of a good supper, whatever I be. But +we've had us a great day, little hossy! we've had us a great day. Them +two poor old mis'able lobster-claws is j'ined together, and betwixt the +two they'll make a pretty fair lobster, take and humor 'em, and kind of +ease 'em along till they get used to each other again. And they ain't +the only ones that's feelin' good, little hossy; no siree and the +bob-cat's tail! You take them four good-lookin' legs of your'n round the +Lord's earth, and if you find a happier man than little Calvin is +to-night, I'll give you a straw bunnet for Easter. Put that in +your--well, not exactly pipe and smoke it--say nose-bag and smell it! +Gitty up, you little hossy!" He flourished the whip round the head of +the brown horse, who, catching the holiday spirit, flung up his heels +incontinent, and broke into a canter even as his master broke into song. + + "Now Renzo had a feedle, + That's what Renzo had, tiddy hi! + 'Twas humped up in the meedle, + So haul the bowline, haul! + He played a tune, and the old cow died, + And the skipper and crew jumped over the side, + And swum away on the slack of the tide, + So haul the bowline, haul!" + +The moon came up over the great snow-fields, and the world from ghostly +white flashed into silver and ebony. The "orbéd maiden" seemed to smile +on Calvin Parks as he jogged along the white road; perhaps in all her +sweep of vision she may have seen few things pleasanter than this +middle-aged lover. + +"Looks real friendly, don't she?" said Calvin. "And no wonder! Christmas +night, and a prospect like this; it's what _I_ call sightly! I wish't I +had my little woman along to see it with me; don't you, hossy? What say? +You speak up now, when I talk to you about a lady! Where's your +manners?" + +The whip cracked like a pistol shot, and the brown horse flung up his +heels again from sheer good will, and whinnied his excuses. + +"Now you're talkin'!" said Calvin Parks. "And you'd better, little +hossy. I want you to understand right now that if you warn't the hossy +you are--and if two-three other things were as they ain't--summer +instead of winter, for one of 'em--it ain't ridin' I'd be takin' that +little woman, no sir! I'd get her aboard the Mary Sands, and we'd go +slippin' down along shore, coastwise, seein' the country slidin' past, +and hear the water lip-lappin', and the wind singin' in the +riggin,'--what? I tell you! there'd be a pair of vessels if ever the +Lord made one and man the other. + +"Sho! seein' in that paper that Cap'n Bates was leavin' the Mary and +goin' aboard a tug has got me worked up, kind of. If it warn't that I +had sworn off rovin' and rollin' for ever more--I tell you! Jerusalem! +but I'd like to hear the Mary talkin' once more--never was a vessel had +a pleasanter way of speakin'--there again they're alike, them two. Take +her with all sails drawin', half a gale o' wind blowin', and if she +don't sing, that schooner, then I never heard singin,' that's all. And +even in a calm, just lying rollin' on a long swell, and she'll say 'Easy +does it! easy does it! breeze up soon, and Mary knows it!' and the water +lip-lappin', and the sails playin' 'Isick and Josh, Isick and +Josh,'--great snakes! Gitty up, hossy, or I shall take the wrong turn +and drive to Bath instead of Tinkham." + +Spite of moonlight and good spirits, the way was long, and it was near +nine o'clock when Calvin drove in at the Widow Marlin's gateway. He +whistled, a cheerful and propitiatory note, as he drove past the house +to the barn. + +"Presume likely they'll be put out some at me bein' late," he said; "but +you shall have your supper first, hossy, don't you be afeared! They +can't no more than kill me, anyway, and I don't know as they'd find it +specially easy to-night." + +The house was ominously silent as Calvin entered. The kitchen was empty, +and he opened the door of the sitting-room, but paused on the threshold. +Miss Phrony Marlin was sitting in the corner, weeping ostentatiously, +with loud and prolonged sniffs. Her mother, a little withered woman like +crumpled parchment, cowered witch-like over the air-tight stove, and +looked at Calvin and then at her daughter, but said nothing. + +"Excuse _me_!" said Calvin, stepping back. "I'll go into the kitchen. I +didn't know; no bad news, I hope, Mis' Marlin?" + +"She's all broke up!" said the old woman. + +"So I see. Anything special happened?" + +"Oh! you cruel man!" moaned Miss Phrony from the corner. + +"Who?" said Calvin. "Me? Now what a way to talk! What's the matter, Miss +Phrony? What have I done? Why, I haven't been here since breakfast +time." + +"That's it!" said the widow. "She's ben lookin' for you all afternoon, +and she had extry victuals cooked for you, and you never come." + +"Now ain't that a sight!" said Calvin cheerily. "Why, I told you I'd +most likely be late, don't you rec'lect I did? We've been a long ways +to-day, hossy and me have. How about them victuals, now? I could eat a +barn door, seem's though." + +"How long was you at them Sillses?" demanded Miss Phrony, wiping her +eyes elaborately. "You didn't keep _them_ waitin', I'll be bound." + +"Why, I took dinner with 'em," said Calvin, indulgently. "I told you I +was goin' to, you know. Gorry! you wouldn't have wanted me here to +dinner if you'd seen the way I ate. How was your chicken, old lady? He +looked like a good one. I picked out the best nourished one I could +find." + +"I wish't those folks was dead, and you too, and me, and everybody!" +broke out Miss Phrony suddenly. + +"Sho!" said Calvin Parks. "The whole set out, eh? Now I am surprised at +you. Just think what all them funerals would come to; why, we should +have to call on the town, certin we should. Come now, Miss Phrony, cheer +up! I'll go and get my own supper, if you'll tell me what _to_ get." + +"The Lord will provide!" piped up the old woman shrilly. + +"I don't doubt it," said Calvin Parks. "I'll kind o' look round, though; +I don't want to give no trouble." + +"If you'll set down, Cap'n Parks," said Miss Phrony majestically, "I'll +get your supper." + +Once more wiping her eyes, she sailed out of the room. Calvin looked +after her meditatively. "I didn't think of her scarin' up a tantrum," he +said, "or mebbe I'd have hastened more. I dono, though. Christmas Day, +appears as though a man had a right to his time, don't it? Not that I +ain't sorry to have discumbobberated her, for I am. I'd like to see +everybody well content to-night, same as I be." + +"She says you're breakin' her heart!" said the old woman, her black eyes +fixed on him. + +"Sho! now what a way that is to talk! Why, s'pose I hadn't come home at +all; s'pose I'd stopped to supper, as they asked me to; you'd have saved +victuals then, don't you see? I wish't I had now!" he added +reflectively. "I never thought of her cookin' anything special." + + * * * * * + +"Supper's ready!" sighed Miss Phrony from the doorway. + +In the kitchen a cloth, not too clean, was laid, and on it, with much +parade of knife and fork, appeared a very dry knuckle of ham, a plate +of yellow soda biscuit, and a pallid and flabby pie. Spite of himself, +Calvin's cheery face fell as he looked on this banquet; but he sat down, +and attacked the ham-bone manfully. + +"How are ye, old feller?" he said. "I certinly thought I'd seen the last +of you, but you come of a long-lived stock, that's plain. Could I have a +drop of tea, Miss Phrony? Seems' though something hot would help this +spread on its downward way. Fire out? Well, never mind! I'll get along." + +"I had the spasms come on so bad," said Miss Phrony, "along about eight +o'clock, when I give you up, my stren'th went from me, and I couldn't +heave the wood to keep the fire up. I had coffee for you, but it's cold. +Would you like some?" + +"I guess not!" said Calvin, recalling the coffee at breakfast. "I'll do +first-rate. Well! did you try on your tippet, what? real becomin', was +it?" + +Miss Phrony's face softened, and she gave him a languishing glance--with +one eye, the other trying to see what it was like, with little success. + +"'Tis elegant!" she said. "'Tis the handsomest ever I saw. I've put it +away--for the future!" + +"Sho!" said Calvin. "You don't want to do that. You want to wear it to +meetin' next Sunday, Miss Phrony. Any one oughtn't to wait too long to +look handsome, you know, fear they mightn't get round to it." + +"Oh! not _next_ Sunday, Cap'n Parks!" cried Miss Phrony, with another +languishing glance. "That is _too_ suddin! The Sunday after, p'raps, if +you will have it so." + +"Just as you say!" said Calvin, struggling with a specially dry chip of +ham. "The sooner the better, Miss Phrony, if things is as you said." + +"Have some pie!" cried the lady with sudden tenderness. "Do! I made it +o' purpose for you, Cap'n!" + +"Did!" said Calvin, and he eyed the pie gravely. "Well, just a leetle +portion, Miss Phrony! I made a hearty dinner, and--mince, is it, or--or +what?" he added, after the first mouthful. "I don't seem to recognize +the flavor." + +"It's Pie-fillene!" said Miss Phrony complacently. "I got a sample +package when I was over to the Corners, and I saved it for you." + +"Now that was real thoughtful of you!" said Calvin. + +"Do you like it?" asked the maiden coyly. + +"It's consid'able different from mince!" said Calvin. "Yes, it is a +remarkable pie," he added, after a second bite; "no two ways about +that. I never tasted one like it. Do you s'pose I could have just a mite +of butter on this biscuit, Miss Phrony?" + +[Illustration: "WITH ONE SWIFT MOTION, CALVIN TRANSFERRED THE PIE FROM +HIS PLATE TO THE STOVE."] + +Miss Phrony assented, and went into the pantry. Then, with one swift, +stealthy motion, Calvin Parks transferred the portion of pie from his +plate to the stove, replaced the stove-cover noiselessly, and was in his +seat and gazing placidly at his empty plate before Miss Phrony appeared +with the butter. + +"Why, you've eat your pie real speedy!" she cried joyfully. + +"It's all gone!" said Calvin soberly. "Not a mite left. No--no thank +you, not another morsel! but it certinly is a remarkable pie. Now if +you'll excuse me, I'll go in and have a pipe with the old lady." + +"So do!" said Miss Phrony graciously. "I'll be in as soon as I've done +the dishes, Cap'n." + +"Don't hasten!" said Calvin Parks earnestly. + +Old Mrs. Marlin was still cowering over the stove, her fingers spread +like a bird's claws. + +"Did you like your supper, Cap'n?" she asked, as Calvin entered. + +"That's what!" replied Calvin enigmatically. + +"It's all dust and ashes!" said the old lady unexpectedly. + +"Well!" said Calvin. "I dono as I'd go so fur as that, quite, but it was +undeniable dry." + +"Jesus'll kerry me through!" the widow went on, rocking herself back and +forth. "Dust and ashes, and Jordan rollin' past, rollin' past!" Her eyes +glittered, and her voice rose in a sing-song whine. + +"Hold on there, old lady," said Calvin Parks. "Come out o' that now, and +let's be sociable Christmas night. I dono as you'd think it right and +proper to allow of me smokin', what?" + +The glitter died out of the old lady's eyes; she stopped rocking, and +cackled gleefully; this time-worn joke never failed to delight her. With +eager, trembling fingers she brought out a cob pipe from a corner behind +the stove, and handed it to Calvin, who filled it from his own pouch and +returned it to her. Then he lighted his own pipe, and soon they were +puffing in concert. In the pantry close by Miss Phrony was rattling +dishes; they sounded like dry bones. + +"There!" said Calvin comfortably. "Now you feel better, don't you, old +lady?" + +The old lady nodded like a Salem mandarin. + +"Jordan ain't rollin' so fast now, is it?" + +"Nothin' like!" said the old lady. + +"Then, since we're all comfortable and peaceful," said Calvin, "I've +half a mind to tell you something, old lady." + +He paused and seemed to listen; his next words were spoken silently. + +"What say? Oh, you go along! I tell you I've got to tell some one, or I +shall bust. I can't fetch hossy into the settin'-room, can I? 'Tis +betwixt sawdust and kindlin's with these two, but yet I like the old one +best." + +Then he spoke aloud. "Yes, ma'am! I reelly have--a half a mind to tell +you something. Some time or other--not right away, you needn't go +thinkin' that, but when I get round to it, you understand--I am thinkin' +of--of changin' my condition." + +The widow uttered an exclamation, and fixed her beady eyes on him +eagerly. The rattling of dishes in the pantry stopped suddenly. + +"Yes!" Calvin went on, musing over his pipe. "I've been a rover and a +rambler all my life. Old Ma Sill used to say it, and it's true. When I +was at sea I'd hanker for the shore, and sim'lar the other way round. +Take last night, now--but no need to go into that. Fact is, it ain't +only a woman needs a home of her own," he went on, half to himself. "A +man needs it too; his own place and his own folks; yes, sir! And come to +find them folks at long last, and find 'em better than what he thought +the world contained, why, what I say is, it's a pity if he can't scare +up a place. What say, old lady? Ain't that about the way it looked to +you and Cap'n along back? You poor old dried up stockfish," he added to +himself, "I s'pose you was young once, though no one would suspicion it +to look at you." + +"Dust and ashes!" said the old woman. "Dust and ashes! Jesus'll kerry me +through." + +"I shouldn't wonder!" said Calvin Parks. And just then Miss Phrony +Marlin came in from the pantry with shining eyes. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +TOIL AND TROUBLE + + +"Happy New Year!" said Calvin Parks. "Happy New Year, Mr. Cheeseman! +Happy New Year, Lonzo! happy New Year, the whole concern!" + +"Humph!" said Mr. Ivory Cheeseman. + +"If this ain't a pretty day to start the new year with, then I never see +one, that's all," Calvin went on. "Crisp and clear, everything cracklin' +with frost. Hossy's got a white mustash on him like a general. How's +trade, Mr. Cheeseman?" + +"Humph!" said Mr. Cheeseman again. + +Calvin looked at him. The old gentleman's alert cheerfulness was gone; +his aspect was grim, and the glance that met Calvin's was stern enough. + +"What's wrong, sir?" Calvin inquired solicitously. "Ain't you feelin' +well? You don't seem like yourself." + +"I ain't!" said Mr. Cheeseman briefly. + +"I want to know!" said Calvin, with an inflection of sympathetic +inquiry. "Is it anything you feel disposed to mention, Mr. Cheeseman, or +do I intrude?" + +"It's something I've got to mention!" said Mr. Cheeseman. + +He looked at Calvin again, and meeting his glance of open wonder, his +own softened as if in spite of himself. + +"Step inside, Mr. Parks!" he said, gravely. "I guess we've got to have a +little talk. Lonzo, you might run on home if you're a mind to; that's a +good son!" + +In the warm, cosy kitchen, where the little stove still glowed like a +friendly demon, the old man took his customary seat, and Calvin Parks, +his brown eyes very round and large, sat down beside him. There was a +moment's silence; then-- + +"Friend Parks," said Mr. Cheeseman, "I've taken a great interest in you +ever since you first come to my store. You've been a man I liked, and a +man I trusted; and I've tried to help you when and how I could." + +"I should say you had!" said Calvin warmly. "You've been the best friend +ever I had, Mr. Cheeseman, except one, and I want you to understand that +I appreciate it, sir." + +"I've tried," Mr. Cheeseman repeated, "partly on the accounts just +mentioned, and partly because I understood you was wishful to marry a +lady that is well spoken of by all, and that you appeared to set store +by. That's so, ain't it?" + +"That's so!" said Calvin briefly. + +"Well, now!" the old man continued. "Havin' so helped, and so +understood, it ain't real pleasant to me to hear all round that you are +goin' to marry another woman." + +"_What_!" Calvin Parks sprang from his seat, and seemed to fill the +little room. "Say that again! Me marry another woman? What do you mean, +sir?" + +"Easy there!" said the old man fretfully. "Don't set down in the +butter-scotch; it's just behind ye. It's all over town that you are +goin' to marry Phrony Marlin a week from Sunday." + +He looked up, and after one glance at Calvin, rose hurriedly in his +turn. + +"There, friend Parks! there! don't say a word! I see by your face it +ain't true, and I ask your pardon. Set down, son!" + +But Calvin Parks still towered up among the rafters, and his brown eyes +blazed down on the old candy-maker. + +"It's a lie!" he said simply. "Don't tell me you believed it, Mr. +Cheeseman; don't!" + +The old man groaned. "I'm a woodenhead, friend Parks; a plumb, dum old +woodenhead!" he said; "but I won't add another lie to that one. I did +believe it, and I've been half sick about it all day. I won't say +another word till you set down, except to ask your pardon again. I'm an +old man, Calvin," he added, with a piteous quaver in his voice, "and I +regard you as a son, sir!" + +Calvin sat down instantly, and laid his hand on the old man's arm for a +moment. + +"That's all right, Mr. Cheeseman!" he said briefly but kindly. "We'll +forget that part. Now let's get on to the rest on't." + +Mr. Cheeseman drew a long breath that was almost a sob, and his frosty +blue eyes were dim for a moment. He wiped them quietly with a blue +cotton handkerchief. + +"I thank you, sir!" he said. "Well, I found the whole street buzzin' +with it yesterday. They said you gave her a fur tippet. How was that, +friend Calvin?" + +"I did!" Calvin's brown face flushed. + +"I just plain fool did. She as good as asked me for it, Mr. Cheeseman, +and what could I do? If ever I gredged money in my life 'twas that, and +me turnin' every cent twice to make it go further. But when she went on +about her brown keeters, and the doctor sayin' she must wrop her throat +up, and if only she could have a fur tippet it might save her life--and +goin' so fur as to name the special one she wanted in Hoskins's +window--and Christmas time and all, and nobody seemin' to have any +feelin' for them two forlorn creatur's--Mr. Cheeseman, if you're a +woodenhead, I'm a sheep's-head, that's all there is to it. So that +started the talk, did it? What in caniption makes folks want to talk I +don't know!" he broke out. "Darn their hides!" + +"That started it!" said Mr. Cheeseman; "and she has seen to it that the +talk went on. She was in town all day yesterday, flyin' round like a hen +with her head cut off--" + +"She'd look a sight better with hers that way!" said Calvin _sotto +voce_. + +"Buyin' this and that, and givin' folks to understand 'twas her weddin' +things. I don't know as she used them precise words, but I do know she +said to Hoskins--she was in there gettin' some dress goods, and he told +me himself--'I'll take the blue,' she says, "for Cap'n Parks admires +blue, and I have to dress to please him now!' she says." + +Calvin Parks groaned. A vision rose before him of Mary Sands in her blue +dress, with the sun shining on her hair. + +"Then she went to Jinny Bascom's," the old man went on, "and bought her +a bunnet. Where she got the money I don't know, nor Jinny didn't. I +guess she nor the old woman ever spent more than fifty cents at a time +in their lives before; but she got a ten dollar bunnet, no two ways +about that; and she was a caution gettin' it, by all accounts. Jinny +has always knowed Phrony; every one round about Cyrus knows them two and +their goin's on. Lived mostly on grocery samples and borrowed garden +truck till you come to board with 'em; and I don't believe they've fed +you high enough to hurt you any, have they?" + +"Well! I don't know as I've been in any real danger of apoplexy from +over-eatin'," said Calvin slowly; "but I ain't made no complaint." + +"I know you ain't!" said Mr. Cheeseman. "That's one thing has made folks +anxious. You mustn't take it amiss, friend Calvin. You are well liked +all round the neighborhood; and folks _will_ talk about what interests +them, sir, it's the natur' of human bein's so to do. Well, about this +bunnet. Jinny showed her a quiet, decent article, suitable to her years +and appearance; but she tossed her head up, and says she, 'I guess +not!' she says. 'Show me a bridal bunnet, please, Miss Bascom!' Well, +Jinny Bascom runs mostly to eyes and ears, any way of it, and you may +suppose that was nuts to her. So she fetched out a white bunnet, and +says, 'You goin' to be married, Phrony?' Phrony she tosses her head +again, and simpers up. 'I ain't sayin' anything yet,' she says, 'nor yet +I don't want it _should_ be said till after a week from next Sunday; but +if you should see me then in this bunnet, you can draw your own +conclusions!' she says. Then she begun to turn her ridic'lous old head +this way and that before the glass. 'Cap'n Parks likes a handsome +bunnet!' she says. 'He wouldn't wish for me to wear any other;' and goes +on like that till Jinny had all she could do to keep her face straight. +Now you know, friend Calvin, that was pretty straight talk, and Jinny +Bascom wasn't one to keep it to herself; so you can't wonder it got +about, can you?" + +"Not a mite!" said Calvin moodily. + +"But you could wonder at my bein' taken in by it," Mr. Cheeseman went +on, "and I wonder myself. But I was startled, you see, and took aback, +and--well, that's all over. Now, what are you goin' to do about this, +friend Parks?" + +Calvin rose again, running his fingers through his thick brown hair as +he did so, and seeming to draw himself up to a portentous height. + +"I--don't--know, Mr. Cheeseman!" he said slowly. "I've got to study over +it a bit. I can't say right away just what I shall do." + +"You won't--" Mr. Cheeseman began; but broke off suddenly, and looked +anxiously at Calvin. + +"Won't what? Marry Phrony Marlin? I will not! You may lay out your stock +on that. I think I'll be goin' now, Mr. Cheeseman. That my +butter-scotch? I'll take it right along, if you say so." + +Mr. Cheeseman rose, and began packing the butter-scotch, glancing +anxiously now and then at Calvin, who stood lost in thought, his hand +still in his brown locks. + +"I'll stop the talk in the street, Calvin," he said solicitously. "That +I can do, and will before an hour's over. But isn't there something else +I can do? I'd take it as a kindness if you'd let me help you, any way, +shape or manner that you can think of." + +"I guess not, sir!" said Calvin; "full as much obliged to you, though. I +guess I've got to work this out for myself. I've got a long route +to-day, all round by Tupham and the Corners, and I'll study it out as I +go along. I've got to think of--of the woman I hope to marry, God bless +her, and yet I've got to think of them two poor misfortunate creatur's +that haven't a friend in the world as I know of except me. And as for +the talk," he added, "well,--yes! if you'll stop that I'll be greatly +obliged to you. But do it as easy as you can, Mr. Cheeseman! Just say it +ain't so, you know, or she was jokin', or like that; let her off as easy +as you can, poor creatur'. I don't think she's just right in her mind. +Why, she can't be! There! now I'll be ramblin' along." + +He started to leave the kitchen, but the old candy-maker caught his +sleeve eagerly. + +"Friend Calvin," he said, "how did the Christmas trade come out? You +haven't told me a word." + +"That so?" said Calvin. "This confounded rinktum put it out of both our +heads, I expect. Why, I done first-rate, Mr. Cheeseman; first-rate! I've +got five hundred dollars laid by now, sir; and as I reckon it out that's +enough to start out on, with a good route, doin' well. What say?" + +"Full enough!" said Mr. Cheeseman heartily. "I wish you joy, friend +Calvin! Have you got it in the bank?" + +Calvin's face fell slightly. + +"Not yet," he said. "I only got my full sum made up last night; 'twarn't +convenient for some to pay cash, you know, and to-day's bank holiday. +But to-morrow mornin', Mr. Cheeseman, at nine o'clock, you look out and +you'll see little Calvin on them bank steps over yonder, with his wallet +in his hand; and then, Mr. Cheeseman,--then's my time!" + +Mr. Cheeseman looked after him as he drove slowly away, his head bent in +thought, a very different Calvin Parks from the one who had burst in so +joyously an hour before with his New Year greeting. + +"He's a good feller!" said the old gentleman. "I never see a better +feller than that. I hope he'll come through all right; but there's just +one thing troubles me, and yet I couldn't feel to say it to him. _Where +did Phrony Marlin get that money_?" + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +NIGHT + + +The brown horse had a dull day of it. No cheery remarks, no snatches of +song, no cracking of the whip about his responsive ears. He whinnied +remonstrance and inquiry now and then, but received no reply. Calvin +Parks drove moodily along, his shoulders up to his ears, his head sunk +between them, his eyes staring straight ahead. He could hardly even +bring his mind to trade, and Mrs. Weazel got five cents off the price of +her marshmallows, and was straightway consumed with anguish because she +had not tried for ten. + +"What's wrong with you, Cal?" asked Si Slocum at the Corners. "Didn't +the Pie-fillene set good?" + +"That's all right!" said Calvin briefly. + +"I was clearin' out a lot of old samples," Si went on, "and Phrony come +meechin' and beseechin', the way she does, and I give her the whole +bunch. I mistrusted she'd try 'em on you. Come in, won't ye?" + +"I'm in a hurry!" replied Calvin. "Here's the goods you ordered; all +right, be they?" + +"Look so!" said Si; "and taste so!" he added, attacking a cinnamon +stick. "Ah! what's your hurry, Cal? Come in and set a bit! It's New +Year's Day, you know, and a holiday by rights." + +"I know; and I wish you a happy New Year!" said Calvin soberly; "but I +must be moseyin' along. Gitty up, hossy!" + +"He looks bad!" said the storekeeper, shaking his head as he watched +Calvin's retreating figure. "Well, I should think he would, if all they +say is true about him and Phrony Marlin. I was bound I'd get in a hint +about her and her ways; he's too good a sort to be grabbed by them +cattle; but he shut me right up." + +It was night when Calvin reached the Marlin gate. Silently he came, for +some hundred yards back he had got out and taken the sleigh-bells from +Hossy's neck, to the great astonishment of the worthy animal. The snow +was soft and deep, and there was no sound as Calvin drove past the +house. At the barn door he paused, and seemed to reflect; started to +drive in, then checked the horse and got out of the sleigh. Hastily +bringing an armful of straw, he cast it down on the barn floor, +spreading it thick and soft where the iron-shod hoofs must tread. Then, +without a sound, he led the good beast in, rubbed him down, washed his +feet, and gave him his supper. + +All the while, though he spoke no word aloud, one phrase was saying +itself over and over in his mind; the same phrase that old Ivory +Cheeseman had spoken as he looked after him in the morning. + +"_Where did she get the money_?" + +The stairs which led to his attic room went up from the shed. Coming in +silently, his foot was on the lowest step when he heard voices in the +kitchen, one of them speaking his own name. Involuntarily he paused. + +"S'pose the Cap'n should find it out!" said the old woman's creaking +voice. + +"He won't find it out!" barked her daughter. "It's all wopsed up in a +bunch, I tell you, and stuffed into the wallet anyhow. He don't know how +much he's got. Hark! was that the sleigh-bells?" + +"Dust and ashes!" creaked the old woman. "I never thought a child of +mine would be a thief, but I don't know as it matters. Hell-fire lights +easy!" + +"I ain't a thief!" said Phrony fiercely. "I'm only takin' what's my +own, or will be when we're man and wife." + +"Jesus'll kerry me through!" Mrs. Marlin piped. "Who knows you ever will +be, darlin'? He's no fool, the Cap'n ain't, for all his easy ways. You +may go too fur. Jordan's rollin' past, rollin' past!" + +"Let it roll!" cried the other woman savagely. "If you'll only hold your +tongue, mother, I can fix it all right. Do you want the mortgage +foreclosed, and us both on the town? You leave this to me! Mebbe he +ain't a fool, but he's as good as one for soft-heartedness. If I can't +get round that man--hark! was that the bells?" + +Calvin Parks stole noiselessly up the stairs. Slipping off his shoes, he +crept across the garret room to the cupboard; groped with trembling +hands for the wallet, found it, and brought it out; lighted the lamp and +hastily counted the money it contained. One hundred dollars--two +hundred--three hundred! He counted again and again; there was no +mistake. He thrust the money into his bosom and stood up; his face +showed white under the tan. + +"She has taken two hundred dollars!" He said. "Poor miserable creatur'!" + +He stood perfectly still for some minutes, thinking rapidly. Then, +creeping swiftly about the room, light and noiseless as a cat for all +his great height, he gathered together his few belongings; the +daguerreotype of his mother (saved from the burning house at the risk of +his boyish life), the Testament she gave him, Longfellow's poems, and +his few clothes; and packed them all hastily but neatly in his old +valise. When all was done he paused again; then finding a scrap of +paper, he sat down and wrote hurriedly; + + "I shall not do anything about the money unless you try to follow + me; mebbe you need it more than I do; but you had best take back + the bunnet, _for you will never need that_. Wishin' you well and + more wisdom, from + + "C. Parks. + + "P. S. You be good to the old woman, or I will tell." + +Put out the light now, Calvin! creep softly, softly, down the rickety +stairs, testing each board as you go, lest it creak. Out to the barn, +where the good brown horse is dozing peacefully. He has had a good +supper and a good rest; he is fit for the ten miles that lie between you +and safety. Stow the bells under the seat, muffling them carefully in +the horse-blanket lest any faintest jingle betray you. Now softly, +softly, out over the snow, out past the silent house where the two women +are watching for you behind closed shutters; out to the open road, and +away! + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +MORNING + + +The sun was not yet up, but the sky was brightening in lovely pale +tints, pearl and opal and rose, when Mary Sands opened the shed door and +tripped lightly down the path to the barn. She unbarred the great doors, +and entering the dim, fragrant place, was greeted by a five-fold whinny +from the stalls, and a trampling of twenty friendly hoofs. + +"Good morning, hossies!" she said cheerily. "I expect you're surprised +to see me. I've got to get breakfast for all hands this mornin', and I'm +goin' to begin with you. Mornin', colty! mornin', marey! mornin', John! +mornin', old hoss! Oh! you naughty old hoss, who ever would have +thought of your actin' that way at your time of life! I _was_ +surprised--my goodness! who's this in the box-stall? Calvin Parks's +Hossy? What upon earth! Why, you darlin', where's your master?" + +Hossy's explanations, though fervid, and accompanied by agreeable +rubbings of a soft brown nose on her shoulder, were not lucid, and Mary +gazed about her in bewilderment. + +"You never run away, hossy?" she asked; "you wouldn't do that! +Then--where is he?" + +Just then a golden finger of sunshine slanted through the dusty window +and fell on the harness-room door, which stood slightly ajar. Mary Sands +ran to the door and peeped in. There, in the one chair tilted back, his +feet on the stove, his head against the farther wall, sat Calvin Parks, +sound asleep. + +"Oh! you blessed creatur'!" cried Mary under her breath. She stood +looking at him, taking swift note of his appearance. + +"He's sick!" she said; "or he's been through the wars somehow. He looks +completely tuckered out. There! he is not fit to be round alone, and +that's the livin' truth. Oh dear! 'tis cold as a stone here; he'll get +his death. Calvin! Mr. Parks! Wake up, won't you? Wake up!" + +Now Calvin Parks had been dreaming, a thing that seldom occurred in the +simple organism of his brain. He dreamed that he was on a lonely road, +with high, rocky banks on either side; and that he was pursued by two +black hooded snakes with glittering eyes, that reared and hissed on +either side of him, and darted at him as he sped along. He tried to cry +out, but found no voice. As he panted on in terror and anguish, thinking +every moment to feel the venomed fangs in his flesh, suddenly a bird +came flying down, a blue bird with a white breast, and took the evil +creatures one after the other and flung them far from his path. And as +he looked, still panting and breathless, the bird turned into Mary Sands +in her blue dress and white apron, and she cried--"Wake up, Calvin +Parks! wake up!" + +He opened his eyes, dim and bewildered with sleep. The vision was still +before him, the trim blue and white figure, the pretty brown hair, the +hazel eyes full of anxious tenderness. Still bewildered, still only half +awake, he opened his arms and gathered the little figure into them. "My +woman!" he said. "My woman, before God and while I live." + +"Oh! yes, Calvin!" said Mary Sands; and she hid her head on his broad +breast and sobbed, a little happy sob. + +So they stood for a moment, heaven as near to their middle-aged hearts +as to any boy and girl lovers under the sun; then suddenly Calvin put +her from him with a quick movement, and stepped back. + +"I forgot!" he cried. "Mary, I forgot. I--I spoke too soon." + +"Too soon!" echoed Mary Sands. + +"I've no right to you yet!" he cried. "I thought I had; I forgot last +night. Mary, I won't ask for you till I have a right to. Yesterday I had +the right, or thought I had; to-day I haven't. You--you'd better forget +what I said--no! don't forget one word of it, but--but put it away +till--some day--" his voice broke, and he turned away with something +like a sob. + +Mary Sands eyed him keenly; then she spoke in her usual quiet cheerful +tone. + +"Mr. Parks, would you just as lives light a fire in the stove? It's +perishin' cold here." + +Calvin started, and flung himself furiously at the pile of kindlings in +the corner. + +"That shows!" he muttered, as he stuffed them into the stove with a +reckless hand. "That shows the kind I am, lettin' you freeze while I +talk foolishness. Here!" He took off his coat, and would have wrapped it +round her, but she put it back quietly and decidedly. + +"You put that coat on again, Mr. Parks. I'll wrap this robe round me; +there! now I'm warm as toast, and I should be pleased if you would sit +down on that bucket and tell me what's happened; why you come here in +the dead of night, and--and all about it." + +Calvin sat down on the bucket and looked at her helplessly. + +"Mary," he said, "you know I've marked you for mine this long while +back." + +"Yes!" said Mary simply. "I know that, Calvin." + +"I said I wouldn't ask you to take no such rollin' stone as I've been, +until I had something laid by. I put a figger to it. I thought if I had +five hundred dollars in the bank and the route doin' well, as it has +been right along lately, I could ask you to believe that--that I'd +stopped rollin' and rovin', and you might regard me as a stiddy +character, and one that was--not worthy of you, not by a long chalk--but +aimin' so to be, and with a beginnin' made that way. Mary, yesterday +mornin' I had that five hundred dollars, and I was the happiest man in +the State of Maine. I was comin' to you to-day, after puttin' it in the +bank, and--well, no need to tell you what I was goin' to say." + +"I thought you had said it!" said Mary meekly; and there was a twinkle +in her voice, though she kept her eyes resolutely cast down. + +Calvin groaned. "Don't!" he said. "Don't rub it in, Mary! Last night--I +lost pretty near the half of it. Don't ask me how; it's gone, and I've +got to airn it over again. Now--" he spoke rapidly, stumbling over his +words, his eyes fixed imploringly on her. "I've got to get away, Mary. I +can't stay round here just yet awhile. I made up my mind last night, +drivin' over here from that--that place. I'm goin' a-rollin' and +a-rovin' once more, till I get that money back." + +"Is that so?" asked Mary quietly. "Where was you thinkin' of goin', +Calvin?" + +"I'm goin' back to the Mary Sands!" he said. "She's in port, loadin' up +with lumber for Floridy, and the skipper wants to make a change. I--I'll +be glad to see the Mary again, and I expect they'll take me on; what +say?" + +"I expect they will!" said Mary dryly. + +Then, all in a moment, she was laughing and crying on his shoulder. + +"Calvin!" she cried. "Calvin, you foolish creatur'! you don't need to go +to Bath to find the Mary Sands. _I'm_ Mary Sands!" + +"You!" said Calvin Parks. + +She glanced up at him, and broke down again in laughter and tears. + +"You needn't look like a stone image!" she cried. "'Tis so! I've been +Mary Sands right along. It sounded so comical your callin' me Hands, I +wouldn't let Cousins tell you. If I've stopped them once I have twenty +times. Besides, you was so mad at a woman's bein' owner of your +schooner, I couldn't help but laugh every time I thought of it. I s'pose +I've been foolish about it, but it's been a kind of play to me all this +time. Calvin, you make me act real forth-puttin', but--if you _won't_ +speak for yourself--there! will you be master of the Mary Sands, afloat +and shore?" + +She held out her hands with a pretty gesture. Calvin grasped them so +hard that she cried out, and his face, white again under its brown, set +in dogged lines of gentle obstinacy, the most hopeless kind. + +"I can't!" he said. "Mary, all the more I can't because you are a rich +woman. You see that, don't you? I'm sure you must see that, Mary. Soon +as ever I've aimed that money again--" + +"Oh! plague take the money," cried Mary, her patience giving way. "Give +it to the cat; she's fitter to take care of it than you are, Calvin +Parks. There! you do try me. You ain't fit to live alone, no more +than--and my goodness gracious me!" she cried, her voice changing +suddenly; "if I hadn't clean forgotten Cousins! Calvin, you've _got_ to +stay by us, you've just plain and simple got to! Hush! hold your +obstinate tongue and listen to me. Cousin Sam had an accident yesterday. +He was out with the old hoss of all, and they met the snow-plough, and +if that old creatur' didn't leap over the stone wall and smash the +sleigh to kindlin' wood! Cousin Sam's all stove up inside, he thinks, +but I'm in hopes not. There's no bones broke, and I guess all he got was +a good shakin' up; but anyway, he's in bed, and can't move hand or foot. +And I can't take care of him and Cousin Sim, and keep house, and see to +the stock and poultry too, Calvin Parks; now I can't! I've _got_ to have +help!" + +At this moment a jingling of bells was heard outside; Mary stepped to +the window. "Who on earth comes here?" she exclaimed. "Of all the +queer-lookin' turnouts--do look here, Calvin!" + +Calvin looked. In an old-fashioned high-backed sleigh, drawn by an +ancient white horse, sat a little old man so wrapped in furs that only +the tip of a frosty nose could be seen. He was waving whip and reins +wildly, and shouting "Somebody come! somebody come!" + +"Gosh!" said Calvin Parks. He ran out, and Mary Sands followed him +wondering. + +"Mr. Cheeseman, I want to know if this is you!" + +"I got it!" gasped the old man. + +"You got it!" repeated Calvin. "You've got your everlastin', I expect, +out this time o' day at your age. You come in to the fire, sir!" + +Without more ado, he lifted the old man in his arms, carried him bodily +into the little room, and set him down in the chair. Mr. Cheeseman was +still breathless with frost and excitement, and gasped painfully, his +eyes starting from his head. + +"I got it!" he repeated. "I got it, Calvin!" + +"Fetch your breath, old gentleman," said Calvin soothingly. "You ain't +got that, anyway. What is it you have got? the rheumatiz?" + +"The money!" cried the old candy-maker. "Your money, friend Calvin, +every cent of it, except what was spent, and that warn't much." + +Calvin stood as if turned to stone. + +"What do you mean?" he faltered. + +"I mistrusted all along!" cried Mr. Cheeseman. "I kep' askin' myself all +day yesterday, where did she get that money? I never slep' last night +for askin' it. Suddin, along about four o'clock this mornin', by the +livin' Jingo, I see the whole contraption. I got up that minute of time, +hitched up old Major, and drove straight out there to tell you what I +suspicioned. You warn't there. They was awake, the two of 'em, and +scared at your bein' out all night as they thought, and when I called +and knocked they come down, and a sight they was. Talk of witches! +'Where's Calvin Parks?' I says; and they made answer you hadn't come in, +and they'd sat up 'most all night for you, and was scairt to death, and +all the rest of it. 'Show me his room!' I says. They made objections to +that, and I just cleared 'em to one side and stomped up, and they after +me. When they see your things were gone, Phrony give a screech fit to +wake the dead, and the old woman set up a gibberin' about Jordan rollin' +past, and dust and ashes, and I don't know what all. My eye and Phrony's +lit on this paper"--he held out a crumpled scrap--"the same moment, and +we run for it together, but I got my claws in it first, and read it out +loud. Then, 'Miss Marlin,' I says, quiet like, 'I'll take that money!' +'What money?' she says, and added language that ain't fit for this lady +to hear. + +"'You know what money!' I says. 'I'm a special constable, and my team is +outside. You'll hand me that money or see the inside of the lock-up +within half an hour!' I says. She used awful language then; gorry! if +you'll excuse the expression, ma'am, I never heard such language, and +I'm no chicken. But the old woman throws up her hands, and screeches +out, 'A jidgment, Phrony! a jidgment! Jesus walkin' on the waves, and +Jordan rollin' past! Git it out of the bureau drawer!' + +"I'm old, ma'am, but I'm tol'able spry. I got to the door and into the +front room before Phrony did; and when she see me at the bureau she gave +one awful yell and fell down in some kind of fit. I took the money. The +old woman was kind of clawin' the air over her, and sayin' 'Dust and +ashes! dust and ashes! hell fire's lightin' up!' 'Twarn't no agreeable +sight, and I come away. And--and here's the money, friend Calvin, and I +wish you joy with it." + +Calvin Parks took the money with a dazed look. + +"Mr. Cheeseman," he said, "I don't know what to say to you. There don't +seem to be anything _to_ say that'll express what I feel--" + +"You might introduce me to this lady!" said the old man with a frosty +twinkle. + +"Darn my hide!" cried Calvin Parks. "Somebody put me under the pump, +will they? Mr. Ivory Cheeseman, let me make you acquainted with Mis' +Calvin Parks as is to be! her present name is Ha--Sands!" + +"Miss Hassands," said Mr. Cheeseman with a magnificent bow, "I am +pleased to meet you, I'm sure!" + +Mary became rather hysterical at this, and it was necessary for Calvin +to soothe and quiet her; Mr. Cheeseman meanwhile inspected the harnesses +critically, and expressed his opinion that they was a first-rate set +out, and no mistake. + +While they were thus occupied, the barn door was suddenly flung open, +and a thin, peevish voice cried, "Cousin! Cousin Mary! where in time +have you got to?" + +The trio started and turned. In the doorway stood Mr. Simeon Sill, in +carpet slippers and overcoat, the latter displaying a valance of +flowered dressing-gown. A woollen shawl was tied over his head, and from +it his eyes peered disconsolately. + +"Where have you got to?" he repeated querulously. "Breakfast time, and +the kittle bilin' over, and no table set, and Sam'l waitin'--" + +At this moment he caught sight of the three conspirators, and stopped +open-mouthed, his eyes goggling in his head. + +"Oh! Cousin Sim, you'll get cold!" cried Mary Sands, hastily smoothing +her hair. "Do go back to the house! I'm comin' right in." + +"Mornin', Sim!" said Calvin Parks genially. "Come out to see the stock, +have ye? I call that smart, now!" + +"Mr. Simeon Sill, I believe!" said Mr. Cheeseman with dignity. "Pleased +to make your acquaintance, sir!" + +Mr. Sim looked from one to another, still gaping; and finally his gaze +fixed itself sternly on Mary Sands. + +"I don't know what's goin' on in my barn," he said, "nor I don't know +what dum foolishness you folks is up to; but I give you to understand +that my brother Sam'l is waitin' for his med'cine!" + + +THE END. + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Wooing of Calvin Parks, by Laura E. 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