CHAPTER X
AND NETTIE COLEBROOK SPEAKS HERS
Mrs. Colebrook had been a member of the Burton household a day lessthan two weeks when she confronted her brother in the studio with thisterse statement:
"Daniel, either Susan or I leave this house tomorrow morning. You canchoose between us."
"Nonsense, Nettie, don't be a fool," frowned the man. "You know verywell that we need both you and Susan. Susan's a trial, I'll admit, ina good many ways; but I'll wager you'd find it more of a trial to getalong without her, and try to do her work and yours, too."
"Nobody thought of getting along without SOMEBODY," returned Mrs.Colebrook, with some dignity. "I merely am asking you to dismiss Susanand hire somebody else--that is, of course, if you wish me to stay.Change maids, that's all."
The man made an impatient gesture.
"All, indeed! Very simple, the way you put it. But--see here, Nettie,this thing you ask is utterly out of the question. You don'tunderstand matters at all."
"You mean that you don't intend to dismiss Susan?"
"Yes, if you will have it put that way--just that."
"Very well. Since that is your decision I shall have to govern myselfaccordingly, of course. I will see you in the morning to say good-bye."And she turned coldly away.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Why, that I am going home, of course--since you think more of havingthat impossible, outrageously impertinent servant girl here than youdo me." Mrs. Colebrook was nearing the door how.
"Shucks! You know better than that! Come, come, if you're having anytrouble with Susan, settle it with the girl herself, won't you? Don'tcome to me with it. You KNOW how I dislike anything like this."
At the door Mrs. Colebrook turned back suddenly with aggressivedetermination.
"Yes, I do know. You dislike anything that's disagreeable. You alwayshave, from the time when you used to run upstairs to the attic and letus make all the explanations to pa and ma when something got lost orbroken. But, see here, Daniel Burton, you've GOT to pay attention tothis. It's your son, and your house, and your maid. And you shalllisten to me."
"Well, well, all right, go ahead," sighed the man despairingly,throwing himself back in his chair. "What is the trouble? What is itthat Susan does that annoys you so?"
"What does she do? What doesn't she do?" retorted Mrs. Colebrook,dropping herself wearily into a chair facing her brother. "In thefirst place, she's the most wretchedly impertinent creature I everdreamed of. It's always 'Keith' instead of 'Master Keith,' and Iexpect every day it'll be 'Daniel' and 'Nettie' for you and me. Sheshows no sort of respect or deference in her manner or language,and--well, what are you looking like that for?" she interruptedherself aggrievedly.
"I was only thinking--or rather I was TRYING to think of Susan--anddeference," murmured the man dryly.
"Yes, that's exactly it," Mrs. Colebrook reproved him severely."You're laughing. You've always laughed, I suspect, at her outrageousbehavior, and that's why she's so impossible in every way. Why, DanielBurton, I've actually heard her refuse--REFUSE to serve you withsomething to eat that you'd ordered."
"Oh, well, well, what if she has? Very likely there was something wehad to eat up instead, to keep it from spoiling. Susan is veryeconomical, Nettie."
"I dare say--at times, when it suits her to be so, especially if shecan assert her authority over you. Why, Daniel, she's a perfect tyrantto you, and you know it. She not only tells you what to eat, but whatto wear, and when to wear it--your socks, your underclothes. Why,Daniel, she actually bosses you!"
"Yes, yes; well, never mind," shrugged the man, a bit irritably."We're talking about how she annoys YOU, not me, remember."
"Well, don't you suppose it annoys me to see my own brother socompletely under the sway of this serving-maid? And such a maid!Daniel, will you tell me where she gets those long words of hers thatshe mixes up so absurdly?"
Daniel Burton laughed.
"Susan lived with Professor Hinkley for ten years before she came tome. The Hinkleys never used words of one or two syllables when theycould find one of five or six that would do just as well. Susan loveslong words."
"So I should judge. And those ridiculous rhymes of hers--did she learnthose, also, from Professor Hinkley?" queried Mrs. Colebrook. "And asfor that atrocious dinner-call of hers, it's a disgrace to anyfamily--a positive disgrace!"
"Well, well, why don't you stop her doing it, then?" demanded DanielBurton, still more irritably. "Go to HER, not me. Tell her not to."
"I have."
The tone of her voice was so fraught with meaning that the man lookedup sharply.
"Well?"
"She said she wouldn't do it--when she worked for me."
Daniel Burton gave a sudden chuckle.
"I can imagine just how she'd say that," he murmured appreciatively.
"Daniel Burton, are you actually going to abet that girl in herwretched impertinence?" demanded Mrs. Colebrook angrily. "I tell you Iwill not stand it! Something has got to be done. Why, she even triesto interfere with the way I take care of your son--presumes to give mecounsel and advice on the subject, if you please. Dares to criticizeme--ME! Daniel Burton, I tell you I will not stand it. You MUST givethat woman her walking papers. Why, Daniel, I shall begin to think shehas hypnotized you--that you're actually afraid of her!"
Was it the scorn in her voice? Or was it that Daniel Burton'sendurance had snapped at this last straw? Whatever it was, the manleaped to his feet, threw back his shoulders, and thrust his handsinto his pockets.
"Nettie, look here. Once for all let us settle this matter. I tell youI cannot dismiss Susan; and I mean what I say when I use the words'can not.' I literally CAN NOT. To begin with, she's the kindest-heartedcreature in the world, and she's been devotion itself allthese years since--since Keith and I have been alone. But even if Icould set that aside, there's something else I can't overlook. I--Iowe Susan considerable money."
"You owe her--MONEY?"
"Yes, her wages. She has not had them for some time. I must owe hersomething like fifty or sixty dollars. You see, we--we have had somevery unusual and very heavy expenses, and I have overdrawn myannuity--borrowed on it. Susan knew this and insisted on my lettingher wages go on, for the present. More than that, she has refused abetter position with higher wages--I know that. The pictures I hadhoped to sell--"He stopped, tried to go on, failed obviously tocontrol his voice; then turned away with a gesture more eloquent thanany words could have been.
Mrs. Colebrook stared, frowned, and bit her lip. Nervously she tappedher foot on the floor as she watched with annoyed eyes her brothertramping up and down, up and down, the long, narrow room. Thensuddenly her face cleared.
"Oh, well, that's easily remedied, after all." She sprang to her feetand hurried from the room. Almost immediately she was back--a roll ofbills in her hand. "There, I thought I had enough money to do it," sheannounced briskly as she came in. "Now, Daniel, I'LL pay Susan herback wages."
"Indeed you will not!" The man wheeled sharply, an angry red staininghis cheeks.
"Oh, but Daniel, don't you see?--that'll simplify everything. She'llbe working for ME, then, and I--"
"But I tell you I won't have--" interrupted the man, then stoppedshort. Susan herself stood in the doorway.
"I guess likely you was talkin' so loud you didn't hear me call you todinner," she was saying. "I've called you two times already. If youwant anything fit to eat you'd better come quick. It ain't gettin' anyfitter, waitin'."
"Susan!" Before Susan could turn away, Mrs. Colebrook detained herperemptorily." Mr. Burton tells me that he owes you for past wages.Now--"
"NETTIE!" warned the man sharply.
But with a blithe "Nonsense, Daniel, let me manage this!" Mrs.Colebrook turned again to Susan. The man, not unlike the little Danielof long ago who fled to the attic, shrugged his shoulders with agesture of utter irresponsibility, turned his back and walked to thefarther side of the room.
"Susan," began
Mrs. Colebrook again, still blithely, but with just ashade of haughtiness, "my brother tells me your wages are past due;that he owes you at least fifty dollars. Now I'm going to pay them forhim, Susan. In fact, I'm going to pay you sixty dollars, so as to besure to cover it. Will that be quite satisfactory?"
Susan stared frankly.
"You mean ME--take money from you, ma'am,--to pay my back wages?" sheasked.
"Yes."
"But--" Susan paused and threw a quick glance toward the broad back ofthe man at the end of the room. Then she turned resolutely to Mrs.Colebrook, her chin a little higher than usual. "Oh, no, thank you. Iain't needin' the money, Mis' Colebrook, an' I'd ruther wait for Mr.Burton, anyway," she finished cheerfully, as she turned to go.
"Nonsense, Susan, of COURSE you need the money. Everybody can make useof a little money, I guess. Surely, there's SOMETHING you want."
With her hand almost on the doorknob Susan suddenly whisked about, herface alight.
"Oh, yes, yes, I forgot, Mis' Colebrook," she cried eagerly. "There issomethin' I want; an' I'll take it, please, an' thank you kindly."
"There, that's better," nodded Mrs. Colebrook. "And I've got it righthere, so you see you don't have to wait, even a minute," she smiled,holding out the roll of bills.
Still with the eager light on her face, Susan reached for the money.
"Thank you, oh, thank you! An' it will go quite a ways, won't it?--forKeith, I mean. The--" But with sudden sharpness Mrs. Colebrookinterrupted her.
"Susan, how many times have I told you to speak of my nephew as'Master Keith'? Furthermore, I shall have to remind you once more thatyou are trying to interfere altogether too much in his care. In fact,Susan, I may as well speak plainly. For some time past you have failedto give satisfaction. You are paid in full now, I believe, with someto spare, perhaps. You may work the week out. After that we shall nolonger require your services."
The man at the end of the room wheeled sharply and half started tocome forward. Then, with his habitual helpless gesture, he turned backto his old position.
Susan, her face eloquent with amazed unbelief, turned from one to theother.
"You mean--you don't mean--Mis' Colebrook, be you tryin' to--dismissalme?"
Mrs. Colebrook flushed and bit her lip.
"I am dismissing you--yes."
Once more Susan, in dazed unbelief, looked from one to the other. Hereyes dwelt longest on the figure of the man at the end of the room.
"Mr. Burton, do you want me to go?" she asked at last.
The man turned irritably, with a shrug, and a swift outflinging of hishands.
"Of course, I don't want you to go, Susan. But what can I do? I haveno money to pay you, as you know very well. I have no right to keepyou--of course--I should advise you to go." And he turned away again.
Susan's face cleared.
"Pooh! Oh, that's all right then," she answered pleasantly. "Mis'Colebrook, I'm sorry to be troublin' you, but I shall have to giveback that 'ere notice. I ain't goin'."
Once again Mrs. Colebrook flushed and bit her lip.
"That will do, Susan. You forget. You're not working for Mr. Burtonnow. You're working for me."
"For YOU?"
"Certainly. Didn't I just pay you your wages for some weeks past?"
Susan's tight clutch on the roll of bills loosened so abruptly thatthe money fell to the floor. But at once Susan stooped and picked itup. The next moment she had crossed the room and thrust the money intoMrs. Colebrook's astonished fingers.
"I don't want your money, Mis' Colebrook--not on them terms, even forKeith. I know I hain't earned any the other way, yet, but I hain'ttried all the magazines. There's more--lots more." Her voice faltered,and almost broke. "I'll do it yet some way, you see if I don't. But Iwon't take this. Why, Mis' Colebrook, do you think I'd leave NOW, withthat poor boy blind, an' his father so wrought up he don't have evenhis extraordinary common sense about his flannels an' socks an' whatto eat, an' no money to pay the bills with, either? An' him bein'pestered the life out of him with them intermittent, dunnin' grocersan' milkmen? Well, I guess not! You couldn't hire me to go, Mis'Colebrook."
"Daniel, are you going to stand there and permit me to be talked tolike this?" appealed Mrs. Colebrook.
"What can I do?" (Was there a ghost of a twinkle in Daniel Burton'seyes as he turned with a shrug and a lift of his eyebrows?) "If YOUhaven't the money to hire her--" But Mrs. Colebrook, with an indignanttoss of her head, had left the room.
"Mr. Burton!" Before the man could speak Susan had the floor again."Can't you do somethin', sir? Can't you?"
"Do something, Susan?" frowned the man.
"Yes, with your sister," urged Susan. "I don't mean because she's sohaughty an' impious. I can stand that. It's about Keith I'm talkin'about. Mr. Burton, Keith won't never get well, never, so's he can havethat operator on his eyes, unless he takes some exercise an' gets hisstrength back. The nurse an' the doctor--they both said he wouldn't."
"Yes, yes, I know, Susan," fumed the man impatiently, beginning topace up and down the room. "And that's just what we're trying todo--get his strength back."
"But he ain't--he won't--he can't," choked Susan feverishly. "Mr.Burton, I KNOW you don't want to talk about it, but you've got to. I'mall Keith's got to look out for him." The father of Keith gave aninarticulate gasp, but Susan plunged on unheeding. "An' he'll neverget well if he ain't let to get up an' stand an' walk an' eat an' sitdown himself. But Mis' Colebrook won't let him. She won't let him doanything. She keeps sayin', 'Don't do it, oh, don't do it,' all thetime,--when she ought to say, 'Do it, do it, do it!' Mr. Burton,cryin' an' wringin' your hands an' moanin', 'Oh, Keithie, darling!'won't make a boy grow red blood an' make you feel so fine you want toknock a man down! Mr. Burton, I want you to tell that woman to let metake care of that boy for jest one week--ONE WEEK, an' her not to comenear him with her snivelin' an'--"
But Daniel Burton, with two hands upflung, and a head that ducked asif before an oncoming blow, had rushed from the room. For the secondtime that day Daniel Burton had fled--to the attic.