She put her lips close to my ear.
"Ruthy-the-Rabbit," she gasped. "Do I see what I think I see?"
"Yes, you do!" I said.
She put her head down in her hands! She began to laugh! And laugh! And
laugh! It was a queer laugh as though she couldn't stop! The tears ran
out between her fingers!
"Well--I certainly _am_ a Witch!" she laughed. Her shoulders shook like
sobs.
The Rich Man came running! He had his watch in his hand! He was all
clean and shining! He saw the Black Woman standing by the Witch's chair!
He saw the Witch in the chair! He thought the Witch was Posie! He
grabbed her right up in his arms and _hugged_ her!
"Though I'm late for a dozen Directors' Meetings," he cried, "it's worth
it, my Precious, to see you laugh!"
"I'm not your Precious!" cried our Aunt Esta. She bit! She tore! She
scratched! She shook her scraggly gray wig-curls all over her face! It
was like a mask! But all the time she kept right on laughing! She
couldn't seem to stop!
The Rich Man kissed her. And kissed her! Right through her scraggly gray
wig-curls he kissed her! He couldn't seem to stop!
"Now, at last, my Precious," he said. "We've learned how to live! We'll
play more! We'll laugh more!"
Our Aunt Esta tore off her wig! She tore off her hump! She shook her
fist at the Rich Man! But she couldn't stop laughing!
The Rich Man gave one awful gasp! He turned red! He turned white! He
looked at the wood-shed window to see if my Father had seen him.
My Father had seen him!
The Rich Man said things under his breath. That is, most of them were
under his breath. He stalked to his car. He ordered the Black Woman to
pick up the Real Posie and stalk to his car! He looked madder than
Pirates!
But when he had climbed into his car, and had started his engine, and
was all ready to go, he stood up on the seat instead, and peered over
the hedge-top at our Aunt Esta! And grinned!
Our Aunt Esta was standing just where he had left her. All the laughter
was gone from her. But her eyes looked very astonished. Her cheeks were
blazing red. Her hair was all gay and rumpled like a sky-terrier's. It
seemed somehow to be rather becoming to our Aunt Esta to be kissed by
mistake.
The Rich Man made a little noise in his throat. Our Aunt Esta looked up.
She jumped. The Rich Man fixed his eyes right on her. His eyes were full
of twinkles.
"Talk about Be-Witchments!" he said. "Talk about--_Be-Witchments_!--I'll
be back on Tuesday! What for?--Great Jumping Jehosophats!" he said.
"It's enough that I'll be back!"
My Father stuck his head and the tip of one battered wing out the
wood-shed window. He started to say something. And cocked his ear
instead.
It was towards the village that he cocked his ear.
We all stopped and cocked our ears.
It was a funny sound: Clack-Clack-_Clack_! Clack-Clack-_Clack_!
Clack-Clack--_Clack_!
It was my Mother cantering home across the wooden bridge.
It sounded glad.
My Father thought of a new way suddenly to escape from his wings! And
ran to meet her!