SICKNESS.
Now that the important letter had been written, Aunt Nancy was in no
hurry to mail it.
She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her
immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of
"deferring the evil day."
During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's
heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could
not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in
the barn.
"That is just what I have been wanting for a long time," Aunt Nancy
exclaimed in surprise when he called her to see the result of his
labors. "How strange I can't do that as well as you!"
"That's because you're a woman," Jack replied, not a little delighted
with the praise bestowed upon him.
"It may be; but I'm so very much older, it seems as if I should be able
to do such things properly, and yet I can't even drive a nail."
"There'll be no need of your doin' it while I'm 'round."
"And I hope you and Louis will stay a long time; but I suppose it isn't
right to say so, for although there isn't any chance his mother can be
alive after the ship exploded, he has probably relatives who want to see
him."
During the remainder of the day, Jack assisted the little woman with the
housework, and at sunset the two sat in the favorite place under the old
oak, until Louis became unusually fretful.
After trying in vain to soothe him, Aunt Nancy insisted they should
retire, saying as she went toward the house,--
"I am afraid he doesn't feel very well. Are you sure he didn't play in
the sun while I was away?"
"I kept him in the shade as much as I could. Do you think he can be
sick?"
"Not enough for us to worry about, Jack dear. Children are apt to fuss
when everything don't go just right. After I undress him, we'll read the
Book, and then you shall go to bed."
The fact that Louis was not in his usual good spirits and temper
worried Jack considerably, despite the little woman's cheery words, and
when he went to his tiny room it was impossible for him to sleep
immediately.
He had lain awake fully two hours, at times speculating as to how he and
the baby would finally get to New York, and again wondering if it could
be possible that both Captain and Mrs. Littlefield were dead, when the
stairway door was opened, as Aunt Nancy whispered cautiously,--
"Jack! Jack dear! Are you awake?"
The boy was on his feet in an instant.
"What's the matter? Is Louis worse?"
"He seems to be quite sick. Will you dress and come down?"
Jack answered this summons very quickly as he tried to keep back the dry
sob which came into his throat, for it seemed as if the greatest
misfortune which could befall him would be to lose the baby at the time
when he was in such a good home.
He found Aunt Nancy in the kitchen with Louis in her arms.
A fire had been built in the stove, and the little woman was seated in
front of it rocking the baby as she stirred the boiling contents of a
tin kettle.
"Do you know what catnip is when you see it growing?" she asked as Jack
entered the room.
"I don't; but if you'll tell me where to go, I'll hunt for it."
"Light the lantern, so there won't be any mistake, and run out to the
lane. You'll find some growing along the fence. Get as much as will fill
this kettle, and come back as soon as you can."
"Is he very bad?" Jack asked in a trembling voice as he gazed at the
baby's flushed cheeks.
"I never have had much experience with children, but I guess a little
catnip tea will bring him around all right by morning."
"Hadn't we better have a doctor?"
"There is no need yet, and, besides, there isn't one within six miles."
"It don't make any difference how far it is, I'm willin' to walk any
distance for him."
"We will first see what the morning brings forth."
Jack delayed no longer.
The lantern was lighted, and he started at once in search of an herb he
did not even know by sight.
Ten minutes later he returned with an armful of green leaves, and Aunt
Nancy bestowed but one hasty glance upon them when she cried,--
"O Jack, Jack, you've spent your time gathering burdocks! If you can
hold the baby, I'll go after it myself."
"I'd rather try ag'in than have you go out where the grass is wet with
dew."
"It won't hurt me. Take Louis"; and the little woman put the baby in
Jack's arms as she hurried away, lantern in hand.
It seemed to Jack as if she had but left the house before she returned
with the desired herb, and the boy said in surprise,--
"Is that what you call catnip? I saw plenty of it, but didn't think the
leaves were big enough to do any good."
"In this world it isn't the big things which are capable of working the
most benefit, Jack."
"If I hadn't known that before, I should after seeing you, Aunt Nancy.
You're small, but there couldn't be anybody gooder."
Although the little woman said nothing, it could readily be seen that
the compliment pleased her.
She bustled around much like a busy sparrow, putting the herbs in the
kettle, making sundry mysterious decoctions, and otherwise preparing
such things as she thought might be of benefit to the baby.
Jack held Louis meanwhile, and before Aunt Nancy was ready to take him
again he asked in a low tone,--
"Do you think there is any chance he would die?"
"I don't believe he is in any danger now, Jack dear; but all of us
should think of death as something which will come sooner or later."
The boy was silent for a moment, and then he asked abruptly,--
"You pray for everything you want, why don't you do it now so he'll be
sure to live?"
"It wouldn't be right to ask God simply for the child's life."
"Why not?"
"Because He doeth all things well, and we do not know what His purpose
may be."
"But there can't be any good come of takin' Louis away from me, when
he's all I've got."
"That is something you don't know, Jack dear. What God does is right,
and we must bow to His will."
Aunt Nancy spoke in such a solemn tone, or, as Jack afterward expressed
it, "like as if she was in meetin'," that the boy could say no more, but
watched intently every move the little woman made until she was ready to
take the baby in her arms once more.
This night was a long one to both, for neither thought of going to
sleep.
Once Aunt Nancy insisted Jack should lie down; but he pleaded so hard to
be allowed to remain awake, that she said no more, and the two sat with
Louis until daybreak.
During this long time neither spoke until the baby had fallen asleep,
and Jack was on the point of going out to milk the cow, when the little
woman said in a tone very like that of fear,--
"Wouldn't it be a dreadful thing if I should be punished for telling a
lie to Mr. Pratt, by losing Louis just now when we are living so
comfortably?"
"But you didn't tell a lie," Jack replied just a trifle impatiently.
"Both you and I know I did, however much we may try to persuade
ourselves that it isn't so, and I am certain some punishment will
follow."
Jack shook his head incredulously.
He began to understand that it would be useless to attempt to convince
Aunt Nancy she had not committed a grievous sin, and was disposed to
lose faith in a religion which would condemn so good a woman for having
saved himself and the baby from much trouble.
To avoid paining her by saying what was in his mind, he went out to
milk, and on returning found the baby sleeping naturally.
"He seems much relieved," Aunt Nancy said as she put him to bed. "He
will probably sleep a long while, and you had better get some rest."
Jack insisted that he did not need any, and continued doing such chores
as he could find around the house until breakfast was ready, after which
he proposed going to the post-office.
"Now the letter is written it had better be mailed, an' perhaps there
are some things you want from the store."
"I do need a few notions; but it seems too bad to have you walk so far
this hot morning."
"It'll do me good. I can be back by noon, and the weather won't be very
warm while I'm goin' over."
Aunt Nancy allowed herself to be persuaded, because there really were
some groceries she wanted, and after making out a list with infinite
care, cautioning him not to pay more than five cents a pound for the
coarse sugar and eighty cents for the tea, she gave him a lunch to be
eaten during the return journey.
"I don't want you to stay any longer than is necessary; but at the same
time you mustn't hurry too fast," she said, as he walked rapidly down
the lane; and Jack replied,--
"I'll be back by noon, unless something terrible happens."
Although the hunchback could not move as fast as more favored boys, he
"kept at it," to use his favorite expression, and by this means was able
to get over the ground with reasonable rapidity.
He was travelling steadily on, thinking of the baby and Aunt Nancy's
apparently needless sorrow at having acted a lie during Mr. Pratt's
call, when he was aroused to a sense of what was passing around him by
hearing the disagreeably familiar voice of Bill Dean, as he shouted,--
"Hold on there a minute, I want to see you."
Bill was coming across the fields at full speed, and, knowing he could
not escape if the bully should pursue him, Jack halted.
"So you're tryin' to hide behind Aunt Nancy's apron strings, eh?" Master
Dean cried as he reached the road.
"I don't know what you mean."
"Oh, yes, you do. Didn't you send her over to tell my father that I was
goin' to drive you out of town, an' didn't she let on about the lickin'
we give you?"
"That was her business. I tried to stop her, for I can 'tend to my own
battles."
"Perhaps you can; we'll see about that later. Say, what of that man who
was over here huntin' for you?"
Jack's cheeks grew pale.
He understood to whom Bill referred, and it seemed positive the whole
story would be known, despite the sacrifice made by Aunt Nancy.
"Haven't got anything to say, eh? Well, I'm goin' to see him, an' tell
where you are, then we'll see how you like tattlers."
Jack was frightened beyond the power of speech.
He had no idea but that his enemy knew exactly where to find Mr. Pratt,
and firmly believed the time was near at hand when he and Louis would be
forcibly taken away from Aunt Nancy's kindly care.
"That don't seem to strike you very well!" Bill cried with a laugh of
triumph. "We'll have this thing fixed up in short order, an' then I
reckon old Nancy will be ready to hire boys who know their business."
"What makes you jump down on me?" Jack asked piteously.
"You know mighty well. We told you what to do, an' you thought we
didn't mean business. Now you'll soon find out."
Jack hadn't the heart to hold any further conversation with his
tormentor.
His only thought was to hurry on that he might be alone where the matter
could be calmly discussed in his own mind, and walked swiftly away,
followed by Bill's jeering words.
Now indeed he had a cup running over with sorrow. If his enemies knew of
Mr. Pratt, it would not be long before that gentleman learned of his
whereabouts, and it surely seemed as if the time had finally come when
he must start out on the long journey, leaving behind the dearest friend
he had ever met since the day when his mother crossed the dark river.
"There's no help for it," he said resolutely, "an' I've got to look at
this thing right. Bill will tell the farmer right away, an' the sooner
we leave the farther we'll be off when they come to find us."
Thus the matter was settled in his mind that the flight should be
resumed at the earliest moment it might be safe to take Louis out of
doors.