“Sartin sure I will. What is it?”
Mary-'Gusta glanced at Isaiah's face. “I'd—I'd rather tell you, just you alone,” she said. “Please come into the sittin'-room.”
She tugged at his hand. Much puzzled, he followed her through the dining-room and into the sitting-room.
“Well, Mary-'Gusta,” he said, kindly, “now what is it? What's the big secret?”
Mary-'Gusta closed the door. She was very solemn and her lip quivered but she did not hesitate.
“It's about David,” she said. “Somethin's happened to David. I—I'm goin' to tell you about it, Cap'n Gould.”
She told of her adventure and of David's peril. Shadrach listened. When he heard of the accusation which was the cause of the affair he shook his head.
“My, my!” he exclaimed. “That's pretty bad, that is. I'd hate to have your cat killed, Mary-'Gusta, land knows I would. But if the critter's a chicken thief—”
“But he ain't! I KNOW he ain't!”
“Humph! You can't always tell, you know cats are cats and—”