“Sure thing!” he beamed. “Jane she’s been a-wishin’ an’ a-wishin’ she could go skylarkin’ off like other folks, an’ when that autymobile driv’ up this afternoon, you’d oughter seen her eyes! It was a stylish one, I tell yer! An’ we went bouncin’ up an’ down like the best of ’em! Jane she says it was full as good’s a weddin’ trip!”
He was silent a moment, smiling at the remembrance.
“I’m so glad you had such a nice ride,” purred Polly.
“It was proper nice,” he agreed. “Yer see,” falling into a confidential tone, “I couldn’t make out no surer way to git hold o’ that letter. Jane she’s kind o’ cranky sometimes, but she’s got her good streaks, and you can coax her into ’most anything. Now when we was whirlin’ along there through Cat-hole Pass, on that slick road, I just broached the subjec’. Couldn’t ’a’ picked out a better minute nohow! She chimed right in, and said ’twas time yer had it, if yer was ever goin’ to—an’ there it is!” He chuckled like a boy over his bit of stratagem.
“Hadn’t yer better look at it, my dear,” he proposed, “just to make certain it’s all right?” Eager that his service should bring her joy, he was anxious to see its consummation.
Polly, still dimpling with amusement over Mr. Bean’s management of Aunt Jane, unfolded the sheet. One glance at the closely-written first page, the smiles vanished, her cheeks went white, and, drooping her head, she wailed out:—
“Mamma! mamma! Oh, mamma, I want you!”
Mrs. Dudley sprang to comfort her, but the little man was there first. Gathering Polly tenderly in his arms, he crooned over her like a mother.
“There! there! my dear! There, dearie! I know! I know! It’s hard! I felt just that way when Susie went. There! cry right on my shoulder—it’ll do you good. There, dearie! Pretty soon I’ll tell you something. There! there!”
The tones were soft and soothing. Mrs. Dudley could barely make out the words. Soon the sobbing ceased.