Strange Proceedings.
Day after day Rose Stuyvesant continued her ministry of love to Daph
and the little ones. The hour of her morning visit was watched for, and
hailed with joy, and well it might be, for she brought with her the
sweet influence of a loving heart and an earnest devoted spirit.
The children were, as usual, eagerly looking out for her one morning,
about a week after her first appearance in their humble home. Daph, who
was once more on her feet, was moving about with a step a little more
languid than usual, trying, as she said, “to make the place look a bit
more fitsome for the sweet young lady to sit down in.” Charlie, who
was perched on a chair beside his sister, and had had his nose pressed
from time to time flat against the window, and had drawn all sorts of
strange characters, with his fat fingers, in the dampness left by his
breath on the pane, at length had his attention suddenly arrested. “O,
Lou!” he shouted, “look this way, on the steps! there’s that ugly, old,
bad doctor, that cut dear Daffy’s arm, and two big men with him.”
“Good doctor, Charlie!” said Daph, “he wanted to make Daffy well, but
he didn’t jus know how. It took Miss Rose wid her sweet holy words to
do Daph good.”
“He’s an old, bad doctor, I say, and shan’t come in!” said Charlie,
springing towards the door, as the voice of the doctor sounded in the
hall, and his hand touched the latch. The sturdy little figure of the
boy, resolutely backed up against the door was but a small obstacle, in
the way of the strong hands that forced it instantly open.
“For shame, Mass’ Charlie! Let the young gemman in!” said Daph, as
she came forward, dropping a curtsy. “Ise quite well sir to day,” she
continued, “and Ise mighty tankful for you being so uncommon willing
to do somewhat for to cure Daph, for by her arm do be a little stiff
for de cuttin you gib it de oder day.”
“He’s an old, bad man to hurt Daffy, and I aint glad to see him a bit,”
said Charlie, with an angry look.
“Do your work! This is the woman!” said the slender young doctor,
turning to the stout men he had brought with him.
A strong hand was laid on each shoulder of the astonished Daph, and a
rough voice said, “Come with us, old woman!”
“I isn’t goin to do no such thing,” said she, with an indignant
glance. “What for is I goin to waste my time goin with them as I has
no business wid? Perhaps you doesn’t know what manners is, to be layin
hands on a poor nigger dis way. Take your big hands off! Ise my misses’
childen to look after, and we’s would be glad to hab dis bit of a room
to ourselves!”
Daph had not spoken very rapidly, but even as the indignant words
forced themselves out of her mouth, she was hurried towards the door.
“You’d better do your talking now,” said one of the men coarsely, “for
before half an hour’s over you’ll be locked up where nobody’ll hear you
if you holler till you are hoarse.”
Daph began to struggle violently, and the sinewy men who held her were
well nigh compelled to relinquish their grasp.
“Is you a gemman, doctor?” she said desperately, at last, “Is you a
gemman, and stand still to see a poor woman treated dis way?”
“You are only getting your deserts,” said little Dr. Bates, drawing
himself up, and trying to look dignified. “You are to be tried for
stealing, and for the other awful crimes which your own conscience can
best count over to you, and be sure the severest punishment of the law
awaits you!”
“Is that all?” said Daph, her spirit rising, “Carry me to any real
gemman, and it would take more liars than ever grew to prove any such
like things against poor Daph. Ise not a bit afeared to go wid you, for
sartain Ise be back soon ’nough.”
The children, who had been at first struck with silent astonishment,
now began to realize that Daph was actually going from them. Louise
burst into a violent fit of weeping, and clung to the unfortunate
negro, while Charlie, with an uplifted wash-basin, made a sudden attack
upon the slender legs of Dr. Bates, which broke up his dignified
composure, and made him give a skip that would have done honor to a
bear dancing on a hot iron plate.
“Now, Mass’ Charley, Ise do be shamed,” said Daph, subduing the grin
that had suddenly overspread her face. “De young gemman don’t know no
better! ’Tain’t likely he ever had body to teach him! You jus let him
be, Mass’ Charlie, and tend to your own sister, Miss Lou, here. Don’t
cry, pretty dear, Daph will be back soon! De Lord won’t let em hurt
Daph! You be jus good childen, and dat sweet Miss Rose will comfort you
till Daph comes home.”
The last words were hardly uttered, when the negro was forced into a
long covered wagon and rapidly borne away from the door.
At this moment Mary Ray ran breathlessly up the steps, exclaiming,
“Where have they taken Daph, mother? Mother, what is the matter?”
“Matter enough!” said Mrs. Ray, vehemently; “who could have told it
would have ended that way! I am sure I never meant any such thing.
Daph’s gone to prison; and just as likely I shall never hear the end of
it, and have the children upon my hands, into the bargain. Well, well;
I wish I’d never set eyes on that little spinky, Dr. Bates!”
The bitter reproaches that rose to Mary’s lips, were hushed at the
mention of the children; and she hastened to comfort them, as well as
she could, while Mrs. Ray went back to her kitchen, in no very enviable
frame of mind.