_THE BLACK CAT._
"NELLIE, dear," said Mrs. Ransom's gentle voice at the store-room door.
"Yes, mamma," answered Nellie, from the top of a row of drawers where
she had climbed to reach some jars from a shelf above her head.
"I think you have worked long enough, my daughter; and I do not wish
you to take down those jars. Hannah is at leisure now, and she may come
and attend to the rest of the things."
"Oh! but mamma," pleaded Nellie, "if you would just let me do it all
myself. It would be so nice to tell papa that I cleared out the
store-room entirely, except the very heavy things; and Hannah might be
doing something else that would be a help to you."
"It would be no help to me to have you make yourself ill, dear; and
papa would not think it at all nice to come home and find you tired and
overworked. And it is dangerous for you to be reaching up so high. I
had rather you would leave the rest to the servants."
Nellie was very sorry to stop; and for a moment she felt a little
vexed. But it was only a fleeting cloud that passed over her face, and
almost before her mother could mark it, it was gone. If she wanted
to be a real help to mamma, she must do as mamma wished, even though
it did not seem just the best thing to herself. It would have been
delightful, she would have been proud to tell papa she had done as much
in the store-room as mamma herself could have done if she had been well
and strong; but it would not prove a real service if she troubled her
mother, or made her feel anxious. Nellie did not herself think that she
ran any danger of injury; but since mamma did, there was but one thing
that was right to do.
"Very well, mamma," she said cheerfully, "I'll come down," and taking
the hand her mother offered for her assistance, she descended from her
perch.
Still it was with a little sigh that she left her task, as she thought,
incomplete, and Mrs. Ransom could not help seeing that it was a
disappointment to her.
"You look warm and tired now, dearie," she said, pushing back the hair
caressingly from her little daughter's flushed face, "go upstairs and
be washed and dressed. Then if there is nothing else you prefer to do I
should very much enjoy hearing you read from one of your new books. I
feel tired, and should like to lie on the sofa and listen to you."
Nellie brightened immediately, inwardly as well as outwardly. She could
be useful to mamma still, if she must leave the store-room; and she
ran away to remove the traces of her late toil, and make herself neat
and nice.
She was in her own room, washing her face, when she heard a short,
quick step running along the hall. She thought it was Carrie's, and
called aloud, meaning to tell her she was going to read to her mother,
and to ask if she would like to hear the story.
"Carrie!" she called from out of the folds of the towel where she had
just buried her face.
No answer; but the step paused for a moment, then ran on.
"Carrie!" this time louder and clearer, for her voice was no longer
smothered in the towel.
Still no answer; but Nellie heard the door at the foot of the garret
steps softly closed.
"Why! how queer," she said to herself, "what can Carrie be going up to
the garret all alone for? I don't believe it was Carrie, it must have
been Johnny going up to his printing-press or something."
For Johnny was the only one of the family who much frequented the
garret, he having a printing-press, carpenter's tools and other
possessions up there.
Nellie did what she could for herself; then went into the nursery to
have her dress fastened, and sash tied.
"Would you stop a minute and mind baby while I call Carrie to be
dressed?" said the nurse; "I might as well do it now, for there's Daisy
to be dressed afterwards, and I suppose they'll both have to be hunted
up."
"Daisy is playing somewhere with Frankie Bradford," said Nellie; "but I
thought I heard Carrie go up to the garret a few moments ago. But I'm
not sure."
"I thought I heard her run along the entry, too," said the nurse.
She went to the foot of the garret-stairs, and opening the door, called
Carrie three or four times. But no answer came, and closing the door
again, she went away downstairs to look for her.
Baby was just beginning to take notice, and as it lay in the cradle,
followed with its eyes the bright-colored worsted ball which Nellie
dangled in front of them, cooing softly in reply to the gentle, playful
tones of its sister's voice, as she talked "baby" to it.
But this did not prevent Nellie from presently hearing again the
closing of the garret door, closed very softly as by a hand which did
not wish that the sound should be heard. Nellie was a little startled,
and it was in a tone of some trepidation that she called again.
"Johnny! Carrie! who is that? Do speak."
A step along the hall, and Carrie appeared at the open door of the
nursery.
"Where did you come from? was that you went upstairs?" questioned
Nellie, looking with surprise at Carrie's crimson, rather troubled face.
"Yes, I went upstairs," answered Carrie.
"And didn't you hear Ruth calling you?" asked Nellie.
"I'm not going to be screeched all over the house by the servants. I
should think I was big enough to go where I chose," muttered Carrie,
turning away.
"You needn't go away. Ruth wants to dress you," said Nellie. "She'll
just bring you back. Just see how cunning the baby is," for she saw
Carrie was out of humor, and would have tried to soothe and interest
her.
"I want Daisy to be dressed first," said Carrie, who was evidently
anxious to be away. "I'm going to see if she can't."
"Daisy is with Frankie, and mamma won't make her come," said Nellie. "I
wouldn't bother mamma about it, Carrie, she's lying down."
"Oh, yes, Daisy always has to have every thing _she_ wants," said
Carrie, coming reluctantly into the room, but keeping away on the other
side, "and I shan't have _you_ telling me all the time what to do and
what not to do. I haven't got to mind you."
The parti-colored ball remained motionless in Nellie's fingers, as she
gazed in surprise at her sister, who walking to the window, planted
her elbow on the sill, and her chin in her hand; the very picture of a
sulky, ill-humored child.
Nellie could not think what she meant by her ugly speech. She had
spoken very gently to Carrie, and without any undue authority, either
of tone or manner, meaning only to suggest, not to command. But perhaps
Carrie thought she had taken too much upon herself in the store-room.
That was unreasonable, for she had come there of her own accord,
begging that she might be allowed to help, and seeming quite ready to
put herself under Nellie's orders. Yes, that must be it, and Nellie
herself felt a little resentment at her sister's behavior.
But it was not Nellie's way to speak when she was angry; she waited
till she could do so without temper, and then said gently.
"But, Carrie, dear, you know some one had to--" give orders she
was about to say, but wise little woman that she was, changed the
obnoxious word--"had to say what was to be done, and mamma put me in
charge there 'cause I am her housekeeper now. I had to tell you what to
do with every thing."
Nellie could not help--what little girl could have helped?--a slight
consciousness of authority and satisfaction in her position as mamma's
right hand woman; but Carrie did not notice that so much as her words,
which brought fresh cause for uneasiness to her guilty conscience. What
"things" did Nellie mean? The mice?
"Is Johnny upstairs?" asked Nellie, receiving no answer to her last
speech, but still wishing to make peace.
"I should think you'd know he hadn't come home from school," snapped
Carrie.
"I forgot; I really don't know at all what time it is," said Nellie.
"What were you doing upstairs then?"
"Let me be," was the answer Carrie gave to this; and Nellie was silent,
feeling, indeed, that in such a mood she was best let alone.
Little she guessed of the cause of all this ill-temper, however.
For what had Carrie been doing upstairs? Can you imagine?
Watching her opportunity when she thought no one was observing her, she
had run to the wood-closet, seized the box containing the mice; and had
actually been naughty enough to bring it upstairs, carry it away to the
garret, and there hide it behind some old furniture.
But now what was she to do with the mice? How was she to tame them, now
that she had them? What pleasure or good could they be to her?
How she wished that she had done as Nellie told her, and taken the box
at once to Catherine. Now she was afraid to do it.
And yet she tried to persuade herself that there was no reason she
should not have the mice as long as she kept them out of mamma's way;
that she had as much right to decide what was to be done with them as
Nellie; that it was not fair that Daisy should keep her pets any more
than herself.
But why, if all this were true, did Carrie fear to betray her secret;
why was she so guilty and miserable?
Presently Ruth returned, rather incensed at finding Carrie in the
nursery, and at having had "so much trouble for nothing."
Neither nurse nor child being in a very good humor, the process of
dressing Carrie was not likely to be a very pleasant one; and seeing
this, and that baby was growing restless, Nellie thought she had better
wait till it was accomplished.
There was need for the children to be helpful and obliging in Mrs.
Ransom's nursery. Pour little girls, one a young infant, who all
required more or less care, to say nothing of the occasional calls of
their brothers, gave enough to do; and as their now invalid mother was
able to assist but little, it was necessary that the older ones should
learn to help themselves and one another.
Daisy, in spite of the floods of tears which had been so frequent
until within the last few days since she had taken so much pains
to check them, was, as Ruth said, "the blessedest child to have to
do with," giving no trouble beyond what her tender age required;
patient, obliging, and winsome. Nellie was generally ready to give any
assistance that was needed, to tend baby awhile, put Daisy to bed, or
any other little office not too hard for her; and few little girls of
her age do as much for themselves as she was accustomed to do. And
since she had resolved to give all the help she could to mamma, she did
all this pleasantly and cheerfully; often, as in the present case, not
waiting to be asked, but taking up the small duty of her own free will.
"She's the wisest head of her age ever I saw, has Miss Nellie," the
admiring nurse would say to Mrs. Ransom, when some little thoughtful
act had lightened her labors, or put aside the necessity of calling
upon her feeble mistress.
But poor Carrie had neither Nellie's gentle consideration, nor Daisy's
sunny temper, and when, as now, she was not in a good humor, she was a
sore trial to the nurse; and seeing that there was every probability
of a stormy time, Nellie decided to stay and amuse the baby till Ruth
should be at leisure to take it. Mamma would rather wait for her than
to be called upstairs by baby's cries.
It was as she had feared. In three minutes a battle royal was raging
between Carrie and the nurse.
It did not call Mrs. Ransom up to the nursery, as Nellie feared it
would; but it brought her to the foot of the stairs, whence she called
to Carrie in a tone of more sadness than severity; and Carrie did look
and feel ashamed, when Ruth remarked,--
"See there now, how you're worrying your mother. Daisy wouldn't do
that."
But although she now submitted to be dressed, it was still with pouting
looks, and much pettish twisting and wriggling, making Ruth's task
no light one, and taking far more time than it would have done if
Carrie had been patient and amiable. But how could she be patient and
good-humored with that uncomfortable secret weighing on her mind?
Presently, Daisy came running up to the nursery.
"Where's Frankie?" asked Nellie, seeing that she was alone.
"Gone home. Jane came for him," answered Daisy, "and mamma told Jane
to ask Maggie's and Bessie's mamma to let them come and play with you
this afternoon; and Frankie said he'd just as lieve come back too; and
mamma said he could. But, O Nellie! what do you fink? a great big,
ugly, black cat came in the garden-house, and she was so saucy she was
looking at my white mice."
"Was she? Oh, dear!" said Nellie. "Is she there now, Daisy?"
"No, no," said Daisy, "we wouldn't let her stay. Frankie shu'ed her way
far off, and chased her wif a stick, and she put up her back at him,
and was mad at him; but he wasn't 'f'aid of her, not a bit. Nellie, do
black cats eat white mice?"
"I don't know," said Nellie looking uneasy. "Do they, Ruth?"
"You may trust any cat to do that, if she gets the chance," said Ruth.
"Daisy, my pet, did you shut the door of the garden-house after you?"
"Yes, always I shut it, 'fear mamma might some way see the mice,"
answered Daisy. "But the black cat's gone quite, quite away, Nellie."
"She might come back if she has seen the mice, and try to come at
them," said Nellie in a low tone to the nurse.
"It is what I was thinking," said Ruth.
"I'm going to take baby out for a bit when I have these two dressed,
and I'll just walk down that way and see that all's right. It would
just break that lamb's heart if aught happened to her mice. I'll get
along nicely now if you want to go, Miss Nellie. Daisy's no trouble."
Baby delighted in Daisy as a playmate, and was now crowing in the most
satisfied manner as she danced back and forth before her; clapping
her hands and exclaiming, "Jackins and forwis, jackins and forwis."
The interpretation of these mysterious words being, "backwards and
forwards."
Nellie went downstairs, and explained to her mother why she had
delayed, without making any complaint of Carrie. She told her also of
the black cat, and said she felt uneasy about Daisy's white mice, and
thought she would go and see that the creature had not returned.
Mrs. Ransom herself was disturbed when she heard of the unwelcome
intruder upon the premises, for she, too, feared danger to Daisy's pets.
Her anxiety and Nellie's proved too well founded; for when the latter
reached the garden-house, she discovered the black cat forcing her
way under the door, there being quite an open space between that
and the ground, as the little building was old and somewhat out of
repair. Nellie drove the cat away once more, and put a board against
the aperture; but she could not but feel that Daisy's pets were in
much danger, and she could not bear to think of her distress if such a
terrible fate befel them.
"I think the mice had better be brought up to the house, Nellie," said
Mrs. Ransom, when Nellie returned and made her report.
Carrie heard, for she had come downstairs, meanwhile, and fresh
jealousy of Daisy took possession of her.
"Mamma don't care if Daisy has _her_ mice in the house," she said to
herself, "so I might just as well have mine upstairs. One is no worse
than the other."
Carrie was doing her best to drown her remorseful feelings, and to
persuade herself that she was doing nothing wrong and undutiful, trying
rather to feel injured and martyr-like; but it was up-hill work with
her own conscience. For although she was a little apt to be jealous
of the other children, and fretful at times, she was very seldom
disobedient or regardless of her mother's wishes, and she had not
had one easy moment since she had hidden the mice. But for all that,
she was determined to think herself hardly used, and Daisy preferred
to herself. And it seemed to her as if Nellie must know and meant to
reproach her, when she said in answer to her mother's last words,--
"Oh, no, mamma! it would never do to have the mice brought into the
house, and you made uncomfortable. I am sure Daisy would never wish to
do that, no matter what became of the white mice."
"But I can't have the poor creatures destroyed by that cat," said Mrs.
Ransom, uneasily.
"No," said Nellie, "but perhaps we could--" she hesitated, not knowing
what plan to advise.
"As soon as the boys come home we will see if they can find any way to
make the garden-house secure," said her mother.
Ten minutes later, when Nellie had settled down to her reading, but
with thoughts which would wander away to the garden-house, white mice
and black cat, the boys came in from school, and were speedily made
acquainted with the facts of the case.
This was nuts for Johnny and Bob; and true to that aversion with which
every well regulated boy-mind must regard all animals of her species,
away they rushed in search of the black cat, intending to take the
direst vengeance upon her, if they caught her again threatening Daisy's
darlings.
And there she was once more, this time forcing her way beneath the wall
of the slight structure, which, never very strong even in its best
days, was now fast tumbling into decay, and presented many an aperture
and crack passable to cats, or other small animals.
She saw the boys, however, before they could catch her; and, either
knowing that she was trespassing, or instinctively aware of what would
befall her if she fell into their hands, she fled before them, and was
presently out of their reach.
Bob and Johnny soon came to the conclusion that the garden-house was
no longer a safe shelter for the white mice. Although it did present a
pretty appearance from the outside, covered as it was with flowering
vines, it was so thoroughly ruinous that they found it would take at
least two or three days to make it at all secure against a determined
and greedy pussy. They might watch and keep her away in the daytime;
but what was to be done at night?
No, Daisy's pets could no longer be left there, if they were to be
saved from pussy's clutches.
The boys went back to the house and reported; asking their mother what
they should do, for there seemed to be no other proper or convenient
place for the white mice.
"I'll think about it," said Mrs. Ransom, who was trying to make up her
mind to allow the mice to be brought into the house, "and will tell
you what to do after dinner. Will they be safe till then, do you think?"
"Yes, mamma," answered Johnny, "for we set Rover to watch there, and
he'll see after that old beast if she comes around again, but we can't
keep him there all day, and she's sure to do it some time, if we leave
the mice there."
"Don't trouble Daisy about it," said Mrs. Ransom, "there is no need to
tell her just now."
[Illustration]
[Illustration]