AT GRANDMA SHERWOOD'S
Aside from his threatening face, red with rage, and stormy with
indignation, Pompton's terrifying aspect was increased by the chauffeur's
costume which he wore. His goggles were pushed up on his brow, but his
eyes darted vengeance, and the three gypsy women were completely cowed at
the sight of him.
"You shall pay for this outrage!" he exclaimed; "and don't think you will
be let down easy! Kidnapping is a crime that is well punished, and your
punishment shall be to the full! I shall take these children away now,
but don't think you can escape! I will see to that! Where are your men
folks?"
Pompton was a large man, more than six feet high, and heavy in
proportion, and as he towered above the frightened gypsy women, they
could find no words to answer him.
"I'll find them for myself!" he exclaimed, and taking the children by
either hand, he hurried them out of the tent.
As Pompton had surmised, the men had run away to the woods, and hidden
themselves, for no trace of them could be seen. The old basket-maker,
too, had disappeared, and there was nothing to prevent their departure.
"Miss Marjorie, you're a wonder!" Pompton exclaimed, as they crossed the
little bridge and made for the road. "Now, how did you think to shout the
very lungs out of you like that?"
"It was the only thing to do, Pompton; they wouldn't let us run away, so
there was nothing to do but holler. My! but I'm glad you came!"
"Me, too!" cried King. "I felt awful to sit there and not do anything to
rescue Mops, but I couldn't think of a thing to do. I never thought of
yelling to beat the band!"
"Of course you didn't, King," said Marjorie. "A boy wouldn't do that.
And, anyway, you can't screech like I can."
"I didn't suppose anybody could, Miss Marjorie; I'm sure such screams
were never heard before, outside of Bedlam!"
"Well, we're safe now, anyway," cried Marjorie, skipping along gaily by
Pompton's side; "and here's our dear, blessed car! Oh, King, I'm so glad
we're safe!"
In a reaction of joy, Marjorie threw her arms around her brother's neck,
and the tears came to her eyes.
"There, there, Mops," and King patted her shoulders, while there was a
suggestion of emotion in his own voice; "it's all right now! Hop in, old
girl!"
"Yes, hop in, both of you," said Pompton, "and I'll get you back to
Pelton pretty quick, and then I'll set somebody on the track of those
villains. They'll not get away!"
The trip to Pelton took but a short time, for Pompton drove as fast as
the law allowed. But even so, they found a very much alarmed group
waiting for them on the veranda of the little inn.
"Where have you been?" exclaimed Mrs. Maynard, as Marjorie flung her arms
around her mother's neck, and burst into violent sobs. The realization
that she was safe brought a nervous reaction, and though she had been
plucky and brave in the hour of danger, she now collapsed with emotion.
"I'll tell you all about it," said King, grasping his father's hands.
"Midget was the bravest, pluckiest girl, and she saved both our lives."
"What!" cried Mr. Maynard, "have you been in danger?"
Marjorie stopped her sobs a moment, and lifted her head from her mother's
shoulder.
"It was P-Pompton saved us! I didn't do any saving,--I only s-screeched!"
"And you screeched good and plenty, Miss Marjorie," said the chauffeur,
"which was what saved the day; and, Mr. Maynard, by your leave, I'll take
the car a minute, to see if there's anybody in authority in this village.
I've a matter to put in their hands."
Without waiting for further explanation, Pompton whizzed away in the big
car to find the public officials, and set them on trail of the gypsies.
For though unsuccessful, their base attempt at kidnapping ought not to go
unpunished.
Kingdon told a straightforward story of all that had happened. Unlike
Marjorie, he was not overcome by emotion, and though somewhat excited
after the experience they had had, he gave a clear and direct account of
it all.
Mrs. Maynard held Marjorie closer as she heard of the danger they had
been in, and Mr. Maynard laid his hand on the shoulder of his tall son,
and heartily exonerated him from all blame in the matter.
"I suppose," King said, a little dubiously, "we ought not to have gone on
to the camp; but Mops,--I mean, we were both thirsty,--and we thought
it was a farmhouse."
"Of course you did," said Mrs. Maynard; "you did nothing wrong whatever."
"I did," said Midget, penitently; "after we passed the horrid basket-man,
King sort of thought he was a gypsy, and he thought we'd better turn
back, but I insisted on going on."
"Nothing of the sort!" exclaimed King. "Mops isn't a bit to blame! I did
think maybe the man was a gypsy,--and I ought to have insisted on going
back."
"Well, well," said Mr. Maynard, "don't strive so hard for the honor of
being to blame. It's all over now, and for the present let's forget it,
while we eat our luncheon, because it might interfere with our digestion.
We're truly thankful to have you back, and we're going to show our
thankfulness by not worrying or lamenting over what might have been."
Mr. Maynard's gaiety, though it was really a little forced, had a good
effect on the others. For, had he taken a melancholy attitude, they were
quite ready to follow suit.
As it was, they all cheered up, and with bright faces followed Mr.
Maynard to the dining-room. Kitty slipped her hand in Marjorie's as they
went along. She had said little while the story was being told, but as
Marjorie well knew, silence with Kitty was always indicative of deep
emotion.
The inn, though modern, was copied after a quaint old plan, and the
low-ceiled, raftered dining-room greatly pleased the children. There were
seats along the wall--something like church pews,--with long tables in
front of them. Mr. Maynard had ordered a dainty and satisfying luncheon,
and Marjorie and King soon found that thrilling experiences improve the
appetite.
Led by Mr. Maynard, the table talk was gay, light, and entertaining; and
though Mrs. Maynard could not quite play up to this key, yet she did her
best, and carefully hid the tremors that shook her as she looked at her
two older children.
"What became of Minnie Meyer?" asked Marjorie, suddenly, for in the
stress of circumstances she had almost forgotten the lame girl.
"I tried my best to persuade her to lunch with us," said Mrs. Maynard,
"but she would not do so. She was very shy and timid, and though very
glad to have the ride, she was unwilling to let us do more for her. She
had many errands to attend to, and she was sure of a ride home, so she
said we need not worry about her."
"I'm glad she had the ride," said Marjorie, thoughtfully; "and of course
it wasn't her fault that the morning turned out as it did."
"No, it wasn't," said King, "and it wasn't our fault either! It wasn't
anybody's fault; it just happened."
"And now it happens that it's all over," said his father, still
insistently cheerful, "and the incident is closed, and it's past history,
and we've all forgotten it. Have some more chicken, King?"
"Yes," said King, "these forgotten experiences make a fellow terribly
hungry!"
The subject of the morning's disaster was not again referred to, and Mr.
Maynard triumphantly succeeded in his determination to eliminate all
thought of it.
By two o'clock Pompton was at the door with the car, and they started
gaily off to continue their journey.
Mr. Maynard sat in front with the chauffeur, and if they indulged in some
whispered conversation it was not audible to those in the tonneau.
Midget and King themselves had quite recovered their good spirits, and
were ready to enjoy the ride through the country.
They went rather fast, as they had started a bit later than they
intended, but not too fast to enjoy the scenery or the interesting scenes
on either side.
On they went, through towns and villages, past woods and meadows, and up
and down moderately high hills. As they neared Morristown, where Grandma
Sherwood lived, the hills were higher and the views more picturesque.
It was not yet dusk when they reached Grandma Sherwood's house, and they
found the wide gate hospitably open for them. They swung into the
driveway, and in another moment they saw Grandma and Uncle Steve on the
veranda, waiting to welcome them.
The impetuous Maynard children tumbled out of the car all at once, and
fairly swarmed upon their relatives.
"Which is which?" cried Uncle Steve. "Kitty has grown as big as Marjorie
was,--and Marjorie has grown as big as King was,--and King has grown as
big as,--as a house!"
"And me growed!" cried Rosamond, not wanting to be left out of the
comparison.
"You're the biggest of all!" exclaimed Uncle Steve, catching the baby up
and seating her on his shoulder, so she could look down on all the
others.
"Yes, me biggest of all," she declared, contentedly, as she wound her fat
arms around Uncle Steve's neck; "now me go see schickens!"
"Not just now, Rosy Posy," said her mother, "let's all go in the house
and see what we can find there."
Easily diverted, the baby went contentedly with her mother, but the
mention of chickens had roused in the other children a desire to see the
farmyard pets, and King said: "Come on, Mops and Kit, let's us go and see
the chickens; come on, Uncle Steve."
"Eliza first!" cried Marjorie, remembering the old cook's friendliness
toward them all; "come on!"
Following Midget's lead, the trio went tearing through the house to the
kitchen.
Uncle Steve paused in the library where the others were, and said to his
sister, "They're the same Maynard children, Helen, if they are a year
older. We enjoyed Marjorie last summer, and I know we'll enjoy Kitty this
year,--but how you can live with them all at once I can't understand!"
"It's habit," said Mrs. Maynard, smiling, "you know, Steve, you can get
used to 'most anything."
"It seems to agree with you, Helen, at any rate," said Grandma Sherwood,
looking at her daughter's pink cheeks and bright eyes.
Meanwhile, the younger Maynards had reached the kitchen, and were dancing
round Eliza, with shouts of glee.
"Are you glad to see me again, Eliza?" asked Marjorie, flinging herself
into the arms of the stout Irishwoman.
"Glad is it, Miss Midget? Faith, I'm thot glad I kin hardly see ye fer
gladness! Ye've grow'd,--but I do say not so much as I expicted! But
Masther King, now he's as high as the church shpire! And as fer Miss
Kitty,--arrah, but she's the dumplin' darlin'! Stan' out there now, Miss
Kitty, an' let me look at yez! Och! but yer the foine gurrul! An' it's ye
thot's comin' to spend the summer. My! but the toimes we'll be havin'!"
It was a custom of the Maynards for one of the children to spend each
summer at Grandma Sherwood's, and as Marjorie had been there last year,
it was now Kitty's turn.
"Yes, I'm coming, Eliza," she said, in her sedate way, "but I'm not going
to stay now, you know; we're all going on a tour. But I'll come back here
the first of June, and stay a long time."
"Any cookies, Eliza?" asked King, apropos of nothing.
"Cookies, is it? There do be, indade! But if yez be afther eatin' thim
now, ye'll shpoil yer supper,--thot ye will! Here's one a piece to ye,
and now run away, and lave me do me worruk. Be off with yez!"
After accepting a cookie apiece, the children bounced out the back door
and down into the garden in search of Carter.
"We've come, Carter; we've come!" cried Marjorie, flinging open a door of
the green-house in which Carter was busy potting some plants.
"You don't say so, Miss Mischief! Well, I'm right down glad to see you!
And is this Master King? And Miss Kitty? Well, you all grow like weeds
after a rain, but I'll warrant you're as full of mischief as ever!"
"Kitty isn't mischievous," said Marjorie, who was proud of the sedate
member of the family.
"And it's Miss Kitty who's to spend the summer, isn't it? Well, then, I
won't have the times I had last year, pulling children up from down the
well,--and picking them up with broken ankles after they slid down the
roof! Nothing of that sort, eh?" Carter's eyes twinkled as he looked
at Marjorie, who burst into laughter at reminiscences.
"No, nothing of that sort, Carter; but we're all going to be here for a
few days, and we're going to give you the time of your life. Will you
take us out rowing in the boat?"
"I'll go along with you to make sure you don't drown yourself; but I
think you're getting big enough to do your own rowing. I'm not as young
as I was, Miss Midget, and I'm chock-full of rheumatism."
"Oh, we'd just as lieve row, Carter; King's fine at it, and I can row
pretty well myself."
But Kitty said: "I'm sorry you have rheumatism, Carter; I'll ask Mother
to give you something for it."
"Now that's kind and thoughtful of you, Miss Kitty. Miss Mischief, here,
would never think of that!" But, as Carter spoke, his eyes rested
lovingly on Marjorie's merry face.
"That's so, Carter," she said, a little penitently, "but do you know, I
think if you did take us rowing, it would limber up your arms so you
wouldn't have rheumatism!"
"Maybe that's so, Miss Mischief,--maybe that's so. Anyway, I'll try both
plans, and perhaps it'll help some. But I hear Eliza calling you, so
you'd all better skip back to the house. It's nearly supper time."
With a series of wild whoops, which were supposed to be indicative of the
general joy of living, the three Maynards joined hands, with Kitty in the
middle, and raced madly back to the house.
They all tried to squeeze through the back door at once, which proceeding
resulted in an athletic scrimmage, and a final burst of kicking humanity
into Eliza's kitchen.
"Howly saints! but ye're the noisy bunch!" was Eliza's greeting, and then
she bade them hurry upstairs and tidy themselves for supper.