CHAPTER XVIINGUA'S NEW DRESS
"Well," said Mary Louise, when Josie had related to her friend thestory next morning, "what do you think of Old Swallowtail now?"
"About the same as before. I'm gradually accumulating facts to accountfor the old man's strange actions, but I'm not ready to submit them forcriticism just yet. The plot is still a bit ragged and I want to mendthe holes before I spread it out before you."
"Do you think he suspects who you are?"
"No; he thinks I'm a waif from the city with a penchant for burglary.He expects me to rob you, presently, and then run away. I'm so unlikelyto cross his path again that he talked with unusual frankness to me--or_at_ me, if you prefer to put it that way. All I gained last night wasthe knowledge that he's afraid of himself, that his temper cost him acareer in the world and obliged him to live in seclusion and that hehas a secret which he doesn't intend any red-headed girl to stumble onaccidentally."
"And you think he was angry when you accused him of neglecting Ingua?"
"I'm sure he was. It made him more furious than my attempt to saw hispadlock. Come, let's run over and see Ingua now. I want to ask how hergrandfather treated her this morning."
They walked through the grounds, crossed the river on thestepping-stones and found Ingua just finishing her morning's work. Thechild greeted them eagerly.
"I'm glad you come," she said, "for I was meanin' to run over to yourplace pretty soon. What d'ye think hes happened? Las' night, in themiddle o' the night--or p'r'aps nearer mornin'--Gran'dad begun to slamthings aroun'. The smashin' of tables an' chairs woke me up, but Ididn't dare go down to see what was the matter. He tumbled ev'rything'round in the kitchen an' then went inter his own room an' made the furfly there. I knew he were in one o' his tantrums an' that he'd be sorryif he broke things, but it wasn't no time to interfere. When the rumpusstopped I went to sleep ag'in, but I got up early an' had his breakfas'all ready when he come from his room. I'd picked up all the stuff he'dscattered an' mended a broken chair, an' things didn't look so bad.
"Well, Ol' Swallertail jes' looked aroun' the room an' then at me an'sot down to eat. 'Ingua,' he says pretty soon,' you need a new dress.'Say, girls, I near fell over backwards! 'Go down to Sol Jerrems,' sayshe, 'an' pick out the goods, an' I'll pay for it. I'll stop in thismornin' an' tell Sol to let ye have it. An',' says he, lookin' at meruther queer, 'ye might ask that redheaded sewin'-girl that's stay in'at the Hathaways' to make it up fer ye. I don't think she'll ask ye acent fer the work.'
"'Gran'dad,' says I, 'would ye hev a Cragg accep' charity, even to themakin' of a dress?'
"' No,' says he; 'the girl owes me somethin' an' I guess she'll be gladto square the account.'
"Then he goes away to town an' I've be'n nervous an' flustered eversince. I can't make it out, I can't. Do you owe him anything, Josie?"
"Yes," said Josie with a laugh, "I believe I do. You shall have thedress, Ingua--all made up--and I'll go down with you and help pick outthe goods."
"So will I!" exclaimed Mary Louise, highly delighted.
"And we will have Miss Huckins cut and fit it," continued Josie. "I'mnot much good at that thing, Ingua, so we will have a real dressmakerand I'll pay her and charge it up to what I owe your grandfather."
The little girl seemed puzzled.
"How'd ye happen to owe him anything, Josie?" she asked.
"Didn't he tell you?"
"Not a word."
"Then he expects it to remain a secret, and you mustn't urge me totell. I'm pretty good at keeping secrets, Ingua. Aren't you glad ofthat?"
They trooped away to town, presently, all in high spirits, andpurchased the dress and trimmings at the store. Old Sol was soastonished at this transaction that he assailed the three girls with athousand questions, to none of which did he receive a satisfactoryreply.
"He didn't put no limit on the deal," said the storekeeper. "He jus'said: 'Whatever the gal picks out, charge it to me an' I'll pay thebill.' Looks like Ol' Swallertail hed gone plumb crazy, don't it?"
Then they went upstairs to Miss Huckins, who was likewise thrilled withexcitement at the startling event of Ingua's having a new dress. MaryLouise and Josie helped plan the dress, which was to be a simple andpractical affair, after all, and the dressmaker measured the childcarefully and promised her a fitting the very next day.
"I don't quite understan'," remarked Ingua, as they walked home afterthis impressive ceremony, "why you don't make the dress yourself,Josie, an' save yer money. You're a dressmaker, ye say."
"I'm a sewing-girl," replied Josie calmly, "but I've promised MaryLouise to sew for no one but her while I'm here, and I'm too lazy tosew much, anyway. I'm having a sort of vacation, you know."
"Josie is my friend," explained Mary Louise, "and I won't let her sewat all, if I can help it. I want her to be just my companion and have anice visit before she goes back to the city."
But when the two girls were alone Josie said to Mary Louise:
"Old Cragg isn't so stony-hearted, after all. Just my suggestion lastnight that Ingua was being neglected has resulted in the new dress."
"He threw things, though, before he made up his mind to be generous,"observed Mary Louise. "But this proves that the old man isn't so verypoor. He must have a little money, Josie."
Josie nodded her head absently. She was trying hard to understand Mr.Cragg's character, and so far it baffled her. He had frankly admittedhis ungovernable temper and had deplored it. Also he had refrained fromhaving Josie arrested for burglary because he was "too occupied toprosecute her." Occupied? Occupied with what? Surely not the realestate business. She believed the true reason for her escape was thathe dreaded prominence. Old Swallowtail did not wish to become mixed upwith police courts any more than he could help. This very occurrencemade her doubt him more than ever.