THE SHADOW OF COMING EVENTS
Nelson Haley was not at church that Sunday. He was seen to ride away
with Walky Dexter early in the morning and they took the lower
Middletown road. When they returned late in the afternoon they assured
each other that they had accomplished much.
They had prepared the way for Janice when she should go to the seminary
on Monday--and more. It seemed to Janice that week as though the girls
had never before been so nice to her. One of the instructors kept her in
the office it was true when she arrived on Monday, over a really trivial
matter, while the principal was addressing the student body; but the
subject of the principal's address did not interest Janice, she learned
later, she being only a day pupil. In fact she was merely taking a
postgraduate course in certain studies.
Nor did she imagine that the editor of the Middletown _Courier_ went to
his office that Monday morning and "killed" a two-column news feature he
had planned for the front page, as well as an editorial and a certain
"intimate note" of neighborhood gossip under the heading of "Polktown
Activities."
Nelson Haley was not omnipotent. He could not reach everybody or
foretell all combinations of events that might reveal to Janice her
father's peril. But he had done his best. _The Weekly Courier_ would not
mention Mexican matters in its Thursday's issue. Meanwhile Nelson, with
Uncle Jason and Mr. Middler, the pastor of the Polktown Union Church, as
a self-appointed committee, endeavored to get the truth from the Border
regarding the uprising in the Companos District and particularly the
facts of the situation at the Alderdice Mine.
Janice Day's cheerfulness was almost uncanny. She had determined to be
cheerful and optimistic about the Day homestead because she knew that
her uncle and aunt were so cast down. She was not at all surprised
therefore by their frequently solemn countenances and their whispering
in corners together.
When she found Aunt 'Mira in tears she comforted her, believing that it
was because of her husband's troubles that the woman wept. That Marty
should wear a cloud of gloom most of the time merely proved how deeply
the boy had been stirred by his father's trouble.
If Uncle Jason was distrait was it any wonder? His lawyer could give him
little comfort, Janice understood, regarding the settlement of the
absconding storekeeper's notes. A search for assets was being made; but
it looked as though Tom Hotchkiss had intended to be dishonest from the
start and had laid all his plans accordingly and with judgment worthy of
a better cause.
Already attempts were being made to find the absent storekeeper. It was
suspected that he had gone to Canada. If he remained there it might be
possible to lay hands upon him, for his act constituted a felony and he
could be extradited.
"Wherever he's gone," said Uncle Jason gloomily, "he's gone fast and
he's gone fur. No doubt o' that. And 'nless he lost the money in
speculation or the like, he's probably hid it where _we_ can't find it.
It looks like we wouldn't be able to lay our han's on him before the
first note goes to protest."
Being so sure of her father's good judgment, his willingness and his
ability to help Uncle Jason, Janice Day's heart was still free from any
deeper care as the days went by. As she had told Elder Concannon, the
past had been so lovely to her, why should she fear the future?
Marty had been urged to remain at school for the present; but the boy
was in earnest when he said he was willing and ready to do his share
toward the support of the family. Indeed, he obtained a place in
Partlett's store to work on the books and write out statements every
day after school and until late on Saturday evenings. This saved his
self-respect, as he felt, and was not a bad thing for him at all. He was
to give his mother the four dollars a week Mr. Partlett promised him.
A letter from Broxton Day (the last Janice was destined to receive from
her father for a long time, did she but know it) arrived early in the
week following the inception of the conspiracy for Janice's peace of
mind. It was a cheerful, jolly letter and the girl had it tucked in the
bosom of her blouse when she halted her car on the way back from
Middletown on Wednesday afternoon before Hopewell Drugg's store.
When Janice opened the store door the place was empty; but from the rear
came the quavering notes of a violin. Being drawn from the wailing
strings was a new harmony--new, that is, for Hopewell Drugg. He was fond
of the old tunes; but for the most part his musical tastes ran to
cheerful ballads or love songs.
Janice, tiptoeing quietly across the shop floor, listened with a rather
wistful little smile upon her lips. Like a big bee Hopewell Drugg was
humming the words of the song so popular forty years ago when sung by a
certain silver-voiced singer:
"'Rock-a-bye, baby, on the tree top,
When the wind blows the cradle will rock.
If the bough breaks the cradle will fall;
Down will come cradle, baby and all!
Then, it's rock-a-bye, rock-a-bye, mother is near;
And it's rock-a-bye, rock-a-bye, nothing to fear.
If the bough breaks the cradle will fall;
Down will come cradle, baby and all!'"
"Oh, Mr. Drugg!" murmured Janice, coming into the back room where the
bespectacled storekeeper was playing. "That is so pretty! And the time
and rhythm are just perfect, aren't they?"
"How-do, Miss Janice?" he said, reddening almost boyishly. "Thank you."
"Is Miss 'Rill inside?" Janice asked, for it was difficult to remember
to call the storekeeper's wife by any name but that to which she had
responded for so many years while she taught the Polktown ungraded
school.
"You'll find her there," said Hopewell with a gesture of his bow. "Go
right in--do."
Janice ran across the open porch and into the sitting room. The
light-haired and pink-cheeked little woman, who sat sewing by the table,
looked up with lips parted for a startled cry. The tiny garment with
which she had been busily and so happily engaged was covered
flutteringly by her apron while a faint flush dyed her cheeks.
"Oh! is it you, Janice dear?" she said and in a relieved tone.
"'Tis I, honey," cried the girl, running around back of her. She stooped
and kissed the flushed cheek--oh! so tenderly--dropping into 'Rill's lap
a little parcel.
"What is it? For _me_?" queried the storekeeper's wife, twitching
briskly at the knotted string of Janice's parcel. "You are always
bringing me some gift, dear girl."
"But--but this isn't exactly for you," Janice said with some hesitation.
"No?" She unwrapped the tissue covering. Then: "Oh, Janice! how sweet!"
She held up the little fleecy cap of Janice's own knitting before her
eyes in which the tears trembled. "And bootees, too! You darling!"
Janice sat down and they talked happily.
Since 'Rill Scattergood and Hopewell Drugg had married, their life
together--save for a few weeks--had been very happy. And now a greater
and holier happiness was on the way to them. Sharing the secret was one
of the sweetest experiences that had ever come into Janice Day's life.
"I must put these away," 'Rill said, smiling. "Little Lottie will soon
be home from school."
"No, work away," Janice said, rising. "I promised Lottie a ride in my
car. I'll meet her before she comes in. I suppose she is as inquisitive
as a magpie?"
"Just about," was the response. "The dear child!"
It was as Janice descended the broad store steps that little Lottie
appeared. And not so little now. Her father declared she was "growing
like a weed."
She caught sight of Janice and ran, delighted, toward her, shouting a
greeting:
"Oh, Janice Day! My Janice Day! May I ride with you?"
She had great, violet eyes and a mane of hair that was now becoming
tawny--darkening as she grew older. Her vivid face and dancing feet made
Lottie seem a fairylike little person, a veritable ray of sunshine, in
Hopewell Drugg's dim old store.
During the long time in which she had suffered blindness and when her
hearing and speech both threatened to leave the child, Lottie had
flitted about almost uncannily. Even now she retained the habit of
shutting her eyes and "seeing" with the tips of her fingers--that more
than natural sense that is vouchsafed those who are blind.
"See my new coat! Isn't it pretty and blue? Papa sent to Boston for it.
And see my pretty blue beads? Mamma 'Rill gave them to me. Aren't they
lovely?" crowed Lottie.
Mrs. Scattergood came along the flagstone walk in season to hear this.
"Oh, yes! Oh, yes!" she sniffed. "All very fine, I dessay. Fine feathers
make fine birds, I've heard."
"And do ugly feathers make ugly birds?" asked Lottie wonderingly.
"Never you mind! never you mind!" said the tart old woman, going up the
store steps. "_Your_ nose will soon be out o' joint, young lady."
Lottie felt her pretty nose and looked at Janice seriously.
"Do--do you s'pose it will?" she queried.
"Do I suppose what will?" the older girl asked, preparing to start the
car.
"My nose."
"What about your nose?"
"Will it be put out of joint? It doesn't feel so."
Janice wanted to laugh. Then she felt like crying a little. But finally
she became angry with the ill-natured Mrs. Scattergood. The latter had
ever been a carping critic of the Drugg household--particularly since
her daughter had married her old-time sweetheart quite against Mrs.
Scattergood's wishes.
"Don't worry about your pretty nose, Lottie," Janice said rather
gruffly. "Nothing she can say will put it out of joint."