They turned in at the front gate, and the procession started up the Maynard driveway.
“Guess I’ll go back now,” said the stranger man, a little abashed at the sight of the great house, brilliantly lighted, that was partly visible through the trees. “You all right, now, Mis’ Simpson?”
“Yes,” said the trembling woman, frightened herself, and weak from fatigue and exhaustion.
“Here, you Sam,” said the man to the oldest boy; “come here and take a-hold of your ma. She’s pretty near faintin’. Get her to bed’s soon’s you can. Good-bye, all!”
With an embarrassed gesture, he snatched off his old cap, replaced it as suddenly, and turning, fled down the path in an actual spasm of stage-fright.
Though Mrs. Simpson had not heard the children’s discussion on the way home, he had, and he knew that warm-hearted as the little Maynards were, they had a serious situation confronting them when they opened their own front door.
This, and his own embarrassment at the sight of unaccustomed grandeur, made him seek refuge in panic-stricken flight.
Some of the young Simpsons were almost ready to follow him, but the braver ones were on tiptoe of glad expectation at the thought of going into the beautiful house. They knew the Maynards pretty well, and having always found them kindly and pleasant, had no fear save such as was engendered by the awe of wealth and luxurious surroundings.
“Set down the baby, and let me think a minute,” said Marjorie to her brother, as they were within a few yards of the house. “We’ve got to take the Simpsons in, of course, but do you think Miss Larkin would like it better if we all went round to the side door? You see, we all look like the dickens, and she’s so particular about those Mortimer people.”
“No, I don’t think so,” said King. “This is an emergency. It’s an accident, a tragedy, a very special occasion. She will have to forgive our appearance, ’cause we couldn’t help it. We were doing our best to be helpful to people in trouble, and if we got all messed up by it, it isn’t our fault. And, besides, it’s our house, and the Simpsons are our comp’ny. We’ve more right there than Miss Larkin and her comp’ny. So, if she has any sense, she’ll understand all this. And so, I say, go right in the front door, and do our best.”