I was not unprepared, on climbing to my seat in the carriage, to have
to contest the occupancy of the cushions with a hen, who was accustomed
to appropriate them for her maternal aspirations. I was in the midst
of the battle, when Mrs. Kobbe coolly seized her and plunged her entire
into a barrel of rain-water. She walked away, shaking her feathers,
with an angry malediction of noise.
"Ef they're good eggs, we'll take 'em to Uncle Coffin Demmin' and Aunt
Salomy," said Mrs. Kobbe.
She brought a bucket of fresh water, benevolently to test them, but
left the enterprise half completed, reminded at the same time of a jug
of buttermilk she had meant to put up.
She went into the house, and Captain Pharo, absorbed in lighting his
pipe, and stepping about fussily and impatiently, had the misfortune to
put a foot into two piles of eggs of contrasting qualities.
"By clam!" said he, white with dismay. "Ho-hum! oh dear! Wal, wal--
[Illustration: Music fragment: 'My days are as--']
Guess, while she 's in the house, I'll go down to the herrin'-shed and
git some lobsters to take 'em; they're very fond on 'em." He gave me
an appealing, absolutely helpless smile of apology, and the arnica
blossom faded rapidly from my vision.
Left in guardianship of the horse, I climbed again to my seat and
covered myself with the star bed-quilt, which served as an only too
beautiful carriage robe. Thus I, glowing behind that gorgeous,
ever-radiating star, was taken by Mrs. Kobbe, I doubt not, for the
culprit, as she finally emerged from the house and the captain was
discovered innocently returning along the highway with the lobsters.
Let this literal history record of me that I said no word; nay, I was
even happy in shielding my soul's brother.
"Now," said Mrs. Kobbe, as we set forth, "Miss Lester said not to come
to her house for her, but wherever we saw the circle-basket settin'
outside the door, there she'd be."
"I wish she'd made some different 'pointment," said the captain, with a
sigh.
"Why?"
"Why! don't it strike ye, woman, 't they 's nothin' ondefinite 'n
pokin' around over the 'nhabited 'arth, lookin' for the Widder Lester's
circle-basket? I was hopin' widders was more definite, but it seems
they're jest like all the rest on ye: poo! poo! hohum--jest like all
the rest on ye."
"We've got to find her, cap'n; she sets sech store by talkin' along o'
major."
"Major!" sniffed the captain; "she ain't worthy to ontie the major's
shoe-lockets; they ain't none on 'em worthy, maids, widders--none on
'em!"