登陆注册
5228600000023

第23章 CHAPTER V(3)

"I guess there's more--more things in it with separate smells to 'em," she said.

Captain Shad had no remark to make for a moment. Mary-'Gusta, however, was anxious to please.

"They're nice smells," she hastened to add. "I like 'em; only I never smelled 'em all at the same time before. And I like the lozengers VERY much."

The two or three days which Captain Shad had set as the limit of the child's visit passed; as did the next two or three. She was busy and, apparently, enjoying herself. She helped Isaiah with the housework, and although he found the help not altogether unwelcome, he was inclined to grumble a little at what he called her "pesterin' around."

"I never see such a young-one," he told his employers. "I don't ask her to do dishes nor fill pitchers nor nothin'; she just does it on her own hook."

"Humph!" grunted Captain Shadrach. "So I judged from what I see.

Does it pretty well, too, don't she?"

"Um-hm. Well enough, I guess. Yes," with a burst of candor, "for her age, she does it mighty well."

"Then what are you kickin' about?"

"I ain't kickin'. Who said I was kickin'? Only--well, all I say is let her do dishes and such, if she wants to, only--only--"

"Only what?"

"Only I ain't goin' to have her heavin' out hints about what I ought to do. There's two skippers aboard this craft now and that's enough. By time!" with another burst, "that kid's a reg'lar born mother. She mothers that cat and them dolls and the hens already, and I swan to man I believe she'd like to adopt me. I ain't goin' to be mothered and hinted at to do this and that and put to bed and tucked in by no kid. I'll heave up my job first."

He had been on the point of heaving up his job ever since the days when he sailed as cook aboard Captain Shadrach's schooner. When the Captain retired from the sea for the last time, and became partner and fellow shopkeeper with Zoeth, Isaiah had retired with him and was engaged to keep house for the two men. The Captain had balked at the idea of a female housekeeper.

"Women aboard ship are a dum nuisance," he declared. "I've carried 'em cabin passage and I know. Isaiah Chase is a good cook, and, besides, if the biscuits are more fit for cod sinkers than they are for grub, I can tell him so in the right kind of language. We don't want no woman steward, Zoeth; you hear ME!"

Zoeth, although the Captain's seafaring language was a trial to his gentle, churchly soul, agreed with his partner on the main point.

His experience with the other sex had not been such as to warrant further experiment. So Isaiah was hired and had been cook and steward at the South Harniss home for many years. But he made it a practice to assert his independence at frequent intervals, although, as a matter of fact, he would no more have dreamed of really leaving than his friends and employers would of discharging him. Mr. Chase was as permanent a fixture in that house as the ship's chronometer in the dining-room; and that was screwed to the wall.

And, in spite of his grumbling, he and Mary-'Gusta were rapidly becoming fast friends. Shadrach and Zoeth also were beginning to enjoy her company, her unexpected questions, her interest in the house and the store, and shrewd, old-fashioned comments on persons and things. She was a "queer young-one"; they, like the people of Ostable, agreed on that point, but Mr. Hamilton was inclined to think her ways "sort of takin'" and the Captain admitted that maybe they were. What he would not admit was that the girl's visit, although already prolonged for a fortnight, was anything but a visit.

"I presume likely," hinted Zoeth, "you and me'll have to give the Judge some sort of an answer pretty soon, won't we? He'll be wantin' to know afore long."

"Know? Know what?"

"Why--why whether we're goin' to say yes or no to what Marcellus asked us in that letter."

"He does know. Fur's I'm consarned, he knows. I spoke my mind plain enough to pound through anybody's skull, I should think."

"Yes--yes, I know you did. But, Shadrach, if she don't stay here for good where will she stay? She ain't got anybody else to go to."

"She is stayin', ain't she? She--she's makin' us a visit, same as I said she could. What more do you want? Jumpin' fire! This fix is your doin' anyway. 'Tain't mine. If you had paid attention to what I said, the child wouldn't have been here at all."

"Now, Shadrach! You know you was the one that would fetch her over that very day."

"Oh, blame it onto me, of course!"

"I ain't blamin' anybody. But she's here and we've got to decide whether to send her away or not. Shall we?"

同类推荐
  • 益州名画录

    益州名画录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 冬日送凉州刺史

    冬日送凉州刺史

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Love-Chase

    The Love-Chase

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 处世悬镜

    处世悬镜

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 快心编传奇初集

    快心编传奇初集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 掠爱伤情:如果不曾爱过你

    掠爱伤情:如果不曾爱过你

    结婚三年,他爱的依然是她的妹妹,不但将她的真心践踏,还要与她离婚。是可忍孰不可忍!她怒起反击,本想狠狠虐他,却没想到竟意外得知他爱的其实是她。“顾太太,我爱的……一直是你。”
  • 决定一生的8种能力

    决定一生的8种能力

    青少年成长必备的人生锦囊,引用了古今中外很多名人的语录及成功的例子,概括了决定一生的8种能力:实现理想的学习能力、时间管理的能力、应对变化的能力、自我展示的能力……
  • 木偶奇遇记(语文新课标课外读物)

    木偶奇遇记(语文新课标课外读物)

    现代中、小学生不能只局限于校园和课本,应该广开视野,广长见识,广泛了解博大的世界和社会,不断增加丰富的现代社会知识和世界信息,才有所精神准备,才能迅速地长大,将来才能够自由地翱翔于世界蓝天。否则,我们将永远是妈妈怀抱中的乖宝宝,将永远是温室里面的豆芽菜,那么,我们将怎样走向社会、走向世界呢?
  • 次元特警

    次元特警

    不知何时,次元壁出现了裂缝,部分二次元的生物从中逃逸,为了次元的平衡,次元神挑选了一批人,赋予其神的能力,专门抓捕逃逸的二次元生物,次元特警应运而生。这不仅仅是一场警察与逃犯的游戏,随着追缉的深入,次元神之间的惊天秘密逐渐浮出水面,生物,时间,可能性,令异次元生物垂涎三尺......小白一行人最终能否修补破损的次元壁?欢迎围观剧情流新书。
  • 晚来迟

    晚来迟

    姜迟为了爱情放弃现有的一切,毅然踏入轮回,她能得到自己想要的结局吗?
  • 首席的专宠千金

    首席的专宠千金

    范安妮一夜之间成为落魄千金,父亲生意失败,父母相继自尽,得知这一切都是宫智宸的幕后操作,她绝望而去……三年后她重返回国,他更加的冷酷无情,他依然纠缠着她,她决定强势反击,把他挫骨扬灰。
  • 魔兽战神11:仙魔之战

    魔兽战神11:仙魔之战

    掌命之神战无命被害,跌落凡间,神性尽失。若欲重返天道,必须从凡人开始修炼,百战成帝,千战成神,登顶战神巅峰;跻身仙界,历劫成帝,净化神兽鲲鹏血脉;飞升神界,修得五行圆满,九道大成,掌控天地规则,破碎虚空,方能重返天道。如若百世之内,战无命无法凭借自己的能力返回道界,那等待他的就是魂飞魄散。轮回路上的九十九世,战无命都生活在莫氏家族的阴影之下,莫氏家族,一个无人知晓却无处不在的神秘家族,上抵神界,下达凡间,遍布各大星域,渗入各大宗门。战无命与莫家有宿世杀身灭族之仇,仇深似海、不死不休!第一百世,战无命重生归来。这一世,他,要为自己复仇!
  • 明星难降:妖妻撞进怀

    明星难降:妖妻撞进怀

    小时候,她觉得自己最大的不幸就是拥有一双能够看到别人无法看到东西的手,她不禁一次想过,是否她的父母将她遗弃,就是因为她的双手,小伙伴的咒骂、害怕和孤立,让她明白,不能让别人知道她的与众不同……而今,她的心愿小小的,只希望赚钱养活孤儿院的一家子,找一个好男人,平平淡淡的生活着,然而老天好像并没有听到她的祈祷,慢慢的,她发现,除了赚人钱,她还能赚吸血鬼、皇帝僵尸、狐女、猫妖的钱……他说:“笨女人,你怎么能笨的这么无可救药。”他说:“笨导游,不要每天都用刘海遮住你的眼睛,这样会看不到路。”他说:“第一次撞进我怀里,就把我的心撞伤了。”她说:“我不是你家养的小狗,需要时逗逗,不需要时扔在一旁,陪伴对于我而言是最重要的。”她说:“不是心甘情愿给的,我宁可不要。”她说:“爱情还你,骄傲还我。”她说:“你一直说爱我,可是却从未用心待我,我从不说爱你,做的点滴都是为了你。”
  • 妖王独宠,羁绊

    妖王独宠,羁绊

    2017-02-092019-03-05你好,我叫孙以甜。(hhh正经不起来~)
  • 无敌血脉

    无敌血脉

    无垠宇宙,血脉为尊!出生决定一切,超品血脉者,生有神通,移山填海,捉星拿月,十品废脉者,寿不过百,前途灰暗,蝼蚁一生!少年杨帆,七星宗一普通杂役,注定碌碌一生,怎知偶有奇遇,得至宝吞噬,吞无尽血脉,成无上圣脉,无敌天下,谁人不服?