CHAPTER XIII
THE PLUMBER AND HIS GOSSIP
The eagle-gate was open again. Mrs. Cecil had recovered from herillness, and was once more upon her broad piazza. This time she was notawaiting the arrival of the postman but of the plumber. The sudden heatof the southern city reminded her of her northern home in the highlandsand she was anxious to remove there as soon as possible. But, with trueMaryland housewifery, she must personally see to all the details of theannual flitting.
In every room of the house pictures were being swathed in tarletan,chandeliers wrapped in the same stuff, carpets lifted, furniture putinto freshly starched slips, and the entire interior protected to theutmost against the summer's dust and fading. Only one matter did notprogress as rapidly as this impatient little mistress of the mansionfelt it should. Nobody came at her instant command to examine theplumbing and see that it was in order for the season.
"And water makes more trouble than even flies. Dinah, girl! Are you surea message was sent to that man how I was waiting?"
"Posi_tive_-ly sho, Miss Betty. Laws, honey, don't go worritin' yo'se'fan' you-all jus' done gettin' ovah yo' misery. He'll be comin' erlong,bime-by," comforted the maid, officiously folding a shawl about Mrs.Cecil's shoulders, and having the shawl instantly tossed aside, with agesture of disgust.
"O you girl! Do stop fussing about me. I'm nearly suffocated, already,in this awful heat, and I won't--I won't be wrapped up in flannel, likea mummy. You never had any sense, Dinah!"
"Yas'm. I 'low dat's so, Miss Betty. Mebbe on account you-all nevah donebeaten me ernough. Yas'm, but I doan 'pear to be acquainted wid ermummy, Miss Betty. What-all be dey like?" And with imperturbable goodnature, Dinah picked up the shawl and again placed it around her lady,who permitted it to remain without further protest.
"Hmm. No matter what they're like, Dinah. But you know, girl, you knowas well as I do what trouble it made for us last year, when we went awayand forgot to have the water turned off from the fountain, yonder. Thatcare-taker we left--Oh! dear! Is there anybody in this world fit to betrusted!"
Mrs. Cecil was not yet as strong as she professed to be, but herweakened nerves seemed to add strength to her temper. A red spot wasalready coming out upon her pale cheeks when there sauntered through thegateway a corpulent man, with a kit of plumber's tools over hisshoulder. He slowly advanced to the steps, lifted his hat, and, bowingcourteously, said:
"Good-morning, Mrs. Cecil. Glad to see you able to enjoy the fineweather."
"Fine weather! Morning! I should think it was afternoon--by the wayyou've kept me waiting. Didn't you get my message?"
"Oh! yes, I did. A pickaninny about as big as a button brought it.What's to be done? The usual shutting-off, Ma'am?"
"Everything's to be done, this year, and thoroughly. The water made noend of trouble last season, for half the faucets weren't looked after.As soon as we got home in the fall and turned it on in the bathroom, thewhole place was flooded."
"So, so? That was a pity. Yes, I remember. Well, it shall be gone overnow, and I promise you nothing shall happen. By the way, all my men wereout. Can one of your 'boys' wait on me and hand me my tools? I'm kind ofstout and stooping bothers----"
She didn't wait for him to finish his sentence. A small black boy wasthrowing stones at the sparrows on the lawn, and him she summoned by theabsurd title of:
"Methuselah Bonaparte Washington, come wait on this man!"
The poor little wizened specimen of humanity, whose mighty name seemedto have stunted his growth, timidly approached. His great dark eyeswere appealingly lifted, as if protesting against a forthcoming blow,and his face was as sad as that of a weary old man. The sight of himamused the plumber and called forth from his mistress the question:
"Did anybody ever see such a woe-begone infant? He acts as if he hadbeen thrashed within an inch of his life and on every day of it, but Iknow he's never been struck once. Been better for him if he had been,likely. He's Ephraim's grandchild and petted to death. His grandfathergave him his first name, Dinah his second, and as a graceful finish Itucked on the last. In real fact he's simply Brown."
Mrs. Cecil had now quite recovered her usual cheerfulness, which nothinggreatly affected except the failure of other people to instantly obeyher commands. Besides, she was lonely. She didn't like the postman whohad taken "Johnnie's" place, and was never on hand when he appeared,indeed had not been able until now. Almost all her personal friends werealready out of town: and with her old desire to hear about herneighbors, as well as a determination to look after the plumber's workthis time, she rose and followed him into the house and to the upperfloor where his examination of the spigots began.
Mr. Bruce had worked at Bellevieu ever since he was an apprentice andhad not done so without learning something of its mistress's character.So, to please her love of gossip, he turned to where she had taken achair to watch him and remarked:
"Terrible sad thing about John Chester's girl."
"'Girl'? Servant, do you mean?" instantly interested by the name of"Chester."
"Servant? Oh! no. That's a luxury my neighbor never had, nor any of usin Brown Street, except when somebody was sick. We're work-a-day folkson my block, Mrs. Cecil."
"Humph. What do you mean, then, by 'girl'?"
"His adopted daughter, Dorothy C. Haven't you seen about her in thepaper?" he continued, well pleased that he had found some topicinteresting to his employer.
"No. I've seen no papers. I've been ill, or that foolish doctor said Iwas, which amounts to the same thing. Anyway, I hardly ever do read thepapers in the summer time. There's never anything in them--witheverybody out of town, so."
The plumber laughed, a trifle grimly; answering with some spirit:
"Well, _everybody_ isn't away, when there are several hundred peopleswelter all the hot season right here in Baltimore."
"Why don't they go away? Why do they 'swelter'--such a horrid word thatis!" returned the lady, more to calm a strangely rising flutter of herown spirits than because there was sense in the words; which sounded sofoolish to herself even, that she laughed. But her laugh was a nervousone and was instantly followed by the inquiry:
"What--what happened to the child?"
"Nobody knows. Kidnapped, I suppose, or murdered. All _is_ known--shewas sent to the post-office to get a letter of her father's. He couldn'tgo himself, being lame and off to a hospital. Letter was one like therest that came every month, and had come ever since Dorothy was left onthe Chesters' doorstep. There was ten dollars in it, likely. She got theletter, was seen to go out of the office, and has never been seen since.No trace of her, either, though the post-office 'boys' clubbed togetherand offered a reward. A hundred dollars for any information sent,whether dead or alive. Do you want both these spigots to have newwashers on? They need it, I think."
"Spigots? Spigots?" repeated Mrs. Cecil, as if she did not comprehend;and, looking up, the plumber saw to his surprise and alarm that the ladywas trembling and had turned very pale. He went to her and asked:
"Feeling bad, Ma'am? Shall I call somebody?"
She put her white hand to her head in a confused way and returned:
"Bad? It's horrible! Horrible! A--_hundred_--_dollars_!"
Mr. Bruce fancied she imagined the sum to be too large and wasindignant. He reflected, also, that this was a childless old woman, anda rich one. In his experience he had found the wealthy also the mostmiserly, and nobody who had not a daughter of her own could understandwhat the loss of one might mean to a parent. His own beloved Mabel, illat that moment with the measles, then epidemic--what would life be worthwithout her? Yet he knew, as well as anybody, that dear as his childwas, Dorothy had been infinitely her superior in way of appearance,intelligence, even in affection. So much greater her loss then! and witha crispness that might easily hurt his business, he demanded:
"Do you think a hundred dollars too much to pay for the life of achild?"
"Too much? _Too--much!_"
Again she was repeating his
words, in that peculiar manner which mightmean either contempt or admiration. In any case she was actingstrangely. She had evidently lost all interest in the business on hand,yet there was no suggestion of feebleness in the step with which she nowhurried out of the room, and the plumber looked after her in freshamazement. These idle people! How hard they were to be understood! But,in any case, he was glad to be rid of the lady's presence. He could workso much faster and better by himself, and if there were any harm toBellevieu, that coming season of its owner's absence, it should not behis fault. There shouldn't be an inch of water-pipe, nor a singlefaucet, that didn't have his critical inspection--and bill according!
Mrs. Cecil's bell rang sharply, and Dinah hurried to answer it, that is,she fancied she was hurrying, though her mistress knew she really"dawdled" on the way and so informed "the creature" as she appeared.
"Oh, you lazy thing! I must get a younger woman--I certainly must!Didn't you hear me ring?"
"Yas'm, I sho done did. An' I come, ain't I? What's wantin', Miss Betty?Is yo' feelin' po'ly again, honey?"
"Tell Ephraim to have the carriage round within five minutes--not oneinstant later. Then come back and get me my outdoor things."
"Yas'm. Dat's so. I ain't no younger 'n I was yestiddy. But what foryou-all done want Ephraim fotch de kerridge? Yo' know, Miss Betty, Iain't gwine let yo' out ridin', yet a spell. Yas'm."
"Will _you_ tell him or must _I_? Between you and that wretched doctorI've been kept in this terrible ignorance. I'll never forgive you,never, for shutting me up in my bedroom, unknowing all these days, untilnow it's too late! Too late!" cried Mrs. Cecil, strangely excited andhastily tossing off her morning gown to replace it by another fit forthe street.
Dinah was unperturbed. She understood that her mistress would have herwill, but felt that it was a foolish one and should not be encouraged byany enthusiasm on her own part. With an exasperating calmness she liftedthe discarded garment and carried it to a closet. From this with equalcalmness, and an annoying deliberation, she brought her mistress'soutside wraps and a black silk gown, such as she usually wore whendriving out. But she purposely made the mistake of offering a winterone, heavily lined. She hoped that the "fuss" of dressing would changeMrs. Cecil's plans, for it was really far too warm to go out then. Laterin the day, after the sun had set, she would help the scheme mostwillingly.
But the gentlewoman was now gaining control of her nerves and fullyunderstood that it was over-affection, rather than disobedience, whichmade Dinah act so provokingly. With one of her kindest smiles, she tookthe heavy gown back to the closet herself, and secured the lighter onesuitable to the day. Then she explained:
"It's no silly whim, my girl, that sends me down town on such a hotmorning. Something serious has happened. Something which has just cometo my knowledge and that I must try to set right at once. If you loveme--help me, not hinder. You are to go with me, also. So, hurry and puton a fresh apron and cap. I can finish by myself."
"Yas'm. But yo' knows, honey, you-all only done lef yo' bed a speck o'time. Cayn't yo' business be put off, Miss Betty?"
"Not a minute. Not one single minute longer than necessary to take me toBaltimore Street. Hurry. Fix your own self. Don't bother about me."
"Yes'm. I'se gwine hu'y. But dat yere plumber gempleman--what erboutleabin' him, to go rummagin' 'round, puttin' new fixin's in whe' ol'ones do? Ain't you-all done bettah wait a little spell, an' 'tend tohim, yo'se'f? Hey, Miss Betty?"
Dinah had touched upon her mistress's own regret, but a regret swallowedby so much of a calamity that she put it aside and merely pointed to thedoor, as if further speech were useless.
It was more than five minutes before Ephraim drove his well-groomedhorses out of the eagle-gate, but it was in a very short time for onewho moved as slowly as he, and he turned his head for orders, withexpectation of: "The Park."
Quite to the contrary the word was:
"Baltimore Street. Kidder & Kidder's."
"Hey? 'D you say Eutaw Place, er Moun' Ver'n Avenoo?" he inquired.
"There, boy. You're not half so deaf as you pretend. Drive to Kidder &Kidder's, and do it at once," she repeated with decision.
"Yas'm. But does yo' know, Miss Betty, erbout a man was sunstrokeyestiddy, Baltimo' Street way? It sutenly is pow'ful wa'm."
Mrs. Cecil vouchsafed no further parley with her too devoted coachman,though Dinah took it upon herself to administer one reproof which herfellow servant coolly ignored.
However, he had seen that in Mrs. Cecil's eye which brooked nodisobedience, and so he guided his bays southward through the city, bywide thoroughfares and narrow, past crowding wagons and jangling streetcars, till he turned into the densely packed street his lady haddesignated.
"Kidder & Kidder" were her men of business. He knew that. There had beenno time, for years upon years, when a firm of this same name had notserved the owners of Bellevieu. The first lawyer of that race had handeddown the business to his heirs, as the first tenant of the rich estatehad willed that to his. But it was now more common for the lady of themansion to send for her advisers to visit her, than for her to visitthem; and that there was something unusual in her present business bothher old servitors realized.
It was something worth while to see how the elder Mr. Kidder, himself anoctogenarian, retaining an almost youthful vigor, rose and salaamed, asthis beautiful old gentlewoman, followed by her gray-haired maid inspotless attire, entered his rather dingy office. How the old-timecourtesies were exchanged between these remnants of an earlier society,when brusqueness was considered ill-bred and suavity the mark of goodblood.
A few such greetings past, and the old lawyer conducted hisdistinguished client into an inner room, exclusively his own, leavingDinah to wait without, and whence the pair soon emerged; the ladyurging: "You will kindly attend to it at once, please;" and heanswering, with equal earnestness: "Immediately, Madam."
Then he escorted her to her carriage and stood bareheaded while sheentered it: each courteously saluting the other as it rolled away, andhe returning to his office with a look of anxiety on his fine face, asthere was one of relief on hers.
"Well, I've done the best I could--now!" she exclaimed, after a time."I've never entrusted any matter to Kidder & Kidder that did not endsatisfactorily. That old firm is a rock in the midst of this shiftingmodernity!"
To which Dinah, not comprehending, replied with her usual:
"Yas'm. I spec' dat's so, honey, Miss Betty."
That evening both Ephraim and the maid, sitting under their own backporch, exchanged speculations concerning their lady's morning trip, andher subsequent quietude during the whole day.
"I 'low 'twas anudder will, our Miss Betty, she done get made. Dat'swhat dem lawyer gentlemen is most inginerally for. How many dem willshas she had writ, a'ready, Dinah?" queried Ephraim.
"Huh! I doan' know. Erbout fifty sixty, I reckon. She will her prop'tyoff so many times, dey won' be nottin lef to will, bimeby. 'Twas dat,though, Ephraim, I 'low, too. Mebbe--Does dey put erbout makin' wills inde papahs, boy?"
"I doan' know. Likely. Why, Dinah?"
"Cayse, warn't no res' twel Miss Betty done sent yo' Methusalem out tode drug-sto' fo' to buy de ebenin' one. Spec' she was lookin' had MassaKiddah done got it printed right. Doan' know what she want o' papahs,when she ain't looked at one this long spell, scusin 'twas to find outdat."
But neither of them guessed that Mrs. Cecil's interest lay in alarge-typed advertisement, offering five hundred dollars reward for thereturn of the lost, humble little Dorothy C. Nor that this sum wouldhave been twice as great, had not the worldly wisdom of Kidder & Kidderbeen larger than that of their aristocratic client.