THE EVERGREEN TREE
The remainder of the night was a torment. Toward dawn Skippy dozed
occasionally only to awaken each time with a start to find himself
trembling and expectant. What he might hear or see he could not
imagine, but he watched with relief the murky light of the new day
seeping in through the chinks of the shutter and routing the dismal
gloom that kept him in breathless suspense.
The light did no more than seep in, however, for the storm left in its
wake gray, sullen skies and air that was warm and still. Frost went
downstairs about six o'clock--Skippy had already learned to distinguish
his lighter, hurried step from Devlin's heavy tread. Then, after a
moment, he heard the man at the barn, and soon the low hum of the car
was audible as he backed it out and around the house.
Silence reigned in the dismal place for another hour or so and then
Skippy heard Devlin moving about in his room. When the man walked
hurriedly downstairs, Nickie awoke, wild-eyed and staring.
"_Who--what's that?_" he whispered hoarsely.
"Just Devlin," Skippy answered. "What's the matter--you ain't been
dreamin' like Timmy?"
Nickie ran his fingers through his straight black hair as he sat up. "I
don't know--maybe so. I just get scared when I hear the least little
sound in this joint. _Me_, that's never been scared of nothin'--hah!"
"I know," Skippy admitted. "I guess Devlin makes us feel that way, huh?"
Nickie nodded. "If I didn't hate the jug worse'n this house, I'd say,
let's sneak."
"Maybe we'll have to," Skippy said softly, and nodded toward the
sleeping Timmy. "If we stick round s'long as he's done an' get like
he's now, I'd rather take a chance an' beat it."
Nickie nodded thoughtfully. "Anythin' you say, kid, an' I'm stringin'
along. Even if you're only a kid, that bean of yours works all day."
Skippy warmed to Nickie for that tribute and he felt less afraid. It
gave him a sense of strength to know that he had such an ally for he
realized that he could do little alone.
Devlin called them gruffly to breakfast and the food wasn't bad. It
would have been almost pleasant, Skippy ventured to remark, if they
only had more light in the kitchen. Nickie agreed to this, but Timmy
seemed in a daze.
After breakfast, Devlin made a concession which took them by surprise.
"On account of the weather being so hot," he said gravely, "I'm going
to let you boys stay outside a while."
"Gee!" Skippy murmured.
Devlin scowled. "It's taking a chance to let you out, but I'm counting
on you not straying away from in sight of this house--_understand_?"
After a pause, he added: "I got my reasons."
They understood only too well and made no further comment when Devlin
unlocked the front door and sat on the ugly high stoop as they passed
down and into the clearing about the house. Timmy sat on the bottom
step, blinking his blue eyes and clasping and unclasping his hands.
"What's the matter?" Skippy asked sympathetically.
Timmy grinned. "I been in that dark house so long, my eyes don't know
howta act, that's all." He took a long, deep breath of the murky air as
if it were the utmost luxury. Then suddenly his thin, pale face became
almost colorless and he nodded toward the right of the clearing.
"Look!" he gasped.
The other boys turned and saw a huge evergreen tree spreading its
branches over the sinister house. Not a breath of air rustled its broad
boughs--it seemed to stand there waiting.
"The tree in my dream!" Timmy said, trembling. "I never seen it till
now! When I come here it's night an' I don't notice it. I never looked
out front--just now it's the first...."
"What's he talking about?" Devlin said, annoyed, from the top of the
stoop.
"About that tree!" Nickie said, with ill-concealed contempt. "He had a
terrible dream bout it last night--see?"
Devlin bit his lip and frowned. "It's nonsense! What's wrong with you,
Timmy, eh?"
"What wouldn't be wrong, hah?" Nickie retorted sullenly. "If he'd
stayed in the pen he wouldn't got no worse treatment than you give
him--shuttin' him up a month in this hole till he's all shot. I ain't
sayin' that it ain't better late than never, but even up in Delafield
they don't keep a guy shut away from the daylight. Timmy or none of us
_asked_ you to spring us so you might give us a break an' treat us like
human bein's."
Devlin's lips were set and grim and his beetle brows were so drawn that
they made a deep furrow above his large nose. "Listen, you," he said
angrily, "any more talk like that from you and you'll regret it. I'm
running this and whether you did or didn't ask to be sprung, makes no
difference. You'll keep your mouth shut--_understand_!"
The Greeks, smiling and silent until then, emitted a sound of dismay.
Nickie mumbled something under his breath but made no other answer for
the warning note in Devlin's voice was not to be misunderstood. Skippy
gulped, and just then they heard the unmistakable sound of an old car
chugging along through the narrow swamp trail.
Presently Frost appeared in the clearing, driving an ancient,
dilapidated car that groaned and ground to a stop. The sight of it was
amusing and the boys stared at it, smiling and curious. Timmy, however,
did not share this curiosity.
He had taken one look at the car, and fainted.