“Oh, please go on, or we shall not get started till dark,” Helen said, and with a chirrup to the horses the carriage started, Uncle Zach taking off his hat to it, and Jeff indulging in two or three summersaults as it went rapidly up the street and past the houses from which many eyes looked curiously at the young ladies of whom every one had heard, although they had not been twenty-four hours in town.
When the carriage disappeared Mrs. Tracy, who evidently had something on her mind, followed Uncle Zacheus into the office and said in her most insinuating, amiable voice, “Dear Mr. Taylor, I don’t want to be troublesome, but would you mind opening the safe for me? I mean would you mind showing me how to open it; then when I feel nervous about the diamonds I can see for myself that they are there, and need not trouble any one. I could ask your hired man to show me if he would, but I’d rather you should do it.”
“My hired man! Great guns! How does Joel Otis know anything about the safe?” Uncle Zach exclaimed, thinking of his man of all work.
Mrs. Tracy saw her mistake and hastened to explain: “I mean your clerk, Mr. what’s his name? He is hired, isn’t he?”
“Why, yes; and I pay him a good round sum. He’s worth it, too, and runs everything. I never think of callin’ him my hired man, and I dunno’s he’d like me to show you how to open the safe.”
“Surely you are the master here, aren’t you?” Mrs. Tracy asked, in a tone which at once piqued the man’s pride.
“Of course I am. This is my house. What did you say you wanted?”
“I want to know how to unlock the safe, so I can see my diamonds whenever I choose,” Mrs. Tracy replied.
Uncle Zach thought a minute, standing first on one foot, then on the other, and rubbing his bald head and wishing Dot were there. But Dot was at a neighbor’s, gossiping about her city boarders and their elegant clothes, even their night dresses trimmed with real Valenciennes and nothing but silk stockings for every day. Dot could not help him. He must act alone, and it would not do to disoblige Mrs. Tracy, so he finally said, “Wall, seein’ it’s you, I don’t care if I do, though I mistrust Mark won’t like it.”
“I don’t see what business it is of Mark’s. The safe is yours,” Mrs. Tracy replied.