In Apple-Blossom Time: A Fairy-Tale to Date

  CHAPTER XII

  The Transformation

  Into the village nearest the Carder farm rolled Ben Barry's roadster. Hestopped at the inn which made some pretension to furnishingentertainment to the motorists who found it on their route, and after aluncheon put up his car and walked to the village center to thepost-office and grocery store. He had most hope of the latter as abureau of information.

  After buying some cigarettes and chocolate, and exchanging comments onthe weather with the proprietor, he introduced his subject.

  "I believe Rufus Carder lives near here," he remarked.

  "Yus, oh, yus," agreed the man, who was in his shirt-sleeves, and whohere patronized the cuspidor.

  "He's pretty well-to-do, I understand. I should suppose if he ispublic-spirited his being in the neighborhood would be a greatadvantage to the village."

  "Yus, _if_," returned the grocer, scornfully. "The bark on a tree ain'ta circumstance to him. Queer now, ain't it?" he went on argumentatively."Carder's a rich man, and so many o' these-here rich men, they act as ifthey wasn't ever goin' to die. Where's the satisfaction in not usin'their money? You know him?" The speaker cocked an eye up at the handsomeyoung stranger.

  "I--I've met him," returned Ben.

  "You might be interested, then, to hear about what happened out to thefarm yisterday. P'r'aps it'll be in the paper to-night. A young girlvisitin' the Carders was kidnapped right out o' the field by anareoplane. Yes, sir, slick as a whistle." Ben's look of interest andamazement rewarded the narrator. "One o' the hands from the farm come inlast night and told about it, but the editor o' the paper thought't wasa hoax and he didn't dare to work on it last night. Lots of us saw theplane, but the feller's story did sound fishy, and if the_Sunburst_--that's our paper--should print a lot o' stuff about Cardershootin' guns and foamin' at the mouth when he saw the girl he wasgoin' to marry fly up into the sky _and't wa'n't so_--ye see, 't wouldgo mighty hard with our editor."

  "Why didn't he send somebody right out to the farm to inquire?" askedBen.

  The grocer smiled, looked off, and shook his head.

  "You say you've met Rufus Carder? Well, ye don't know him or else yewouldn't ask that. Don't monkey with the buzz-saw is a pretty goodmotter where he's concerned. I'm lookin' fer Pete now. This is his dayto come in an' stock up. He's so stupid he couldn't make up anything,and we'll know fer sure if there's any truth at all in the story."

  "Who is Pete--a son?" Ben put the question calmly, considering hiselation at his good luck. He had made up his mind that he might have tospend days in this soporific hamlet.

  The grocer looked at him quickly from under his bushy eyebrows.

  "What made ye ask that? Some folks say he is. Say, are you one o' thesehere detectives? Be you after Carder? Pete's a boy they took out of anasylum, and if he'd ever had any care he wouldn't be bandy-legged andundersized, but don't you say I've told ye anything, 'cause I haven't."

  Ben smiled into the startled, suspicious face. "Not a bit of it," heanswered. "I'm just motoring about these parts on a little vacation, andI got out of cigarettes, so I called on you."

  "There's Pete now!" exclaimed the grocer eagerly, hurrying out frombehind the counter and to the door.

  Other of the neighbors recognized the Carder car and came out toquestion the boy, who by the time he entered the grocery found himselfconfronting an audience who all asked questions at once. Pete's shock ofhair stood up as usual like a scrubbing-brush; he wore no hat, and hisdull eyes looked about from one to another eager face. Ben had strolledback of a tall pile of starch-boxes.

  "Is it true an areoplane come down in Mr. Carder's field yisterday?" Thequestion volleyed at the dwarf from a dozen directions.

  He stared at them all dumbly, and they cried at him the more, one womanshaking him by the shoulder.

  "Look here, shut up, all of you!" said the proprietor; "let the boy dohis business first. Ye'll put it all out of his head. What d'ye want,Pete?"

  The dwarf drew a list out of his pocket and handed it to the grocer uponwhich the bystanders all fell upon him again.

  As Ben regarded the dwarf, he felt some reflection of Geraldine'scompassion for the forlorn little object in his ragged clothes, and herealized that it was a wonder that the poor, stultified brain hadpossessed enough initiative to carry out the important part he hadplayed in their lives.

  While the grocer's clerk was putting up the packages the man himselflaid his hand on Pete's shoulder.

  "Now then, boy," he said kindly, "an areoplane dived down out o' the skyinto your medder yisterday and picked up a homely, stupid girl and flewoff with her."

  "She was an angel!" exclaimed the dwarf. His dull eyes brightened andlooked away. "She was more beautiful than flowers."

  "She was, eh?" returned the grocer, and the crowd listenedbreathlessly. "They say your master was goin' to marry her? That afact?"

  The light went out of Pete's face and his lips closed.

  The grocer shook him gently by the shoulder. "Speak up, boy. Was thereany shootin'? Did the air turn blue 'round there?"

  Pete's lips did not open for a moment. "Master told me not to talk," hesaid at last.

  A burst of excited laughter came from the crowd. "Then it's true, it'strue!" they cried.

  The grocer kept his hand on the dwarf's shoulder. "Ye might as welltell," he said, "'cause Hiram Jones come in last night and told us allabout it."

  Pete's lips remained closed.

  "Give ye a big lump o' chocolate if ye'll tell us," said one woman.

  "Master told me not to talk," was all the boy would say.

  The grocer's clerk went out to the auto with a basket and packed thepurchases into it.

  Ben came from behind the starch boxes, went out the door, and accostedhim.

  "Do you want to make five dollars?" he asked.

  "Do I?" drawled the boy, winking at him. "Ain't I got a girl?"

  "Then jump in and drive this car out to the Carder farm. I want to talkto Pete."

  "Eh-h-h! You're a reporter!" cried the boy. "Less see the money."

  Ben promptly produced it. "In with you now."

  "Sure, I'll have to speak to Pete," the boy demurred. "He can't walk outto the farm with them phony legs."

  "In with you," repeated the tall stranger firmly. "Go now or not atall." He held the bill before the boy's eyes. "I have my car at the inn.I'll take care of Pete."

  The boy looked eagerly at the money. "Can't I tell the boss?"

  "I'll fix it with the boss. Here's your money. In with you."

  The next minute the car was rattling down the street and Ben went backinto the store where Pete was still being badgered by a laughing crowdpersisting in questions about the angel.

  As Pete caught sight of him, the obstinate expression in his dull eyesdid not at first change, but in a minute something familiar in the lookof the stranger impressed him, and suddenly he knew.

  "Was it you? Was it you?" the boy blurted out, elbowing the others asideand approaching Ben eagerly.

  The bystanders looked curiously at the stranger and at the excited boy.

  "I want to have a little talk with you, Pete," said Ben. The dwarf'sstaring eyes had filled.

  "Is she here? Has she come down again?" he cried, unmindful of thegaping listeners.

  "Be quiet," returned Ben. Then he turned to the grocer. "I've sent yourboy on an errand," he said, and he handed the man a bill. "Will that payyou for his time? I've paid him."

  He put his hand on Pete's shoulder and led him through the crowd out tothe street.

  "Master's car has gone," cried the dwarf, looking wildly up and down thestreet.

  "I have taken care of it," said Ben quietly.

  "But I must find it," declared Pete, beginning to shake.

  Ben saw his abject terror.

  "There's nothing to be afraid of, Pete, nothing any more," said Ben. "Doyou want to see Miss Melody?"

  "Oh, Master!" exclaimed the boy, looking up and meeting a kindly look.

/>   "Then come with me. Let us hurry." Reaching the inn, Ben paid his billwhile Pete's eyes roved about in all directions for his goddess.

  Leading the boy out to the garage he bade him enter the machine. Evenhere Pete hesitated, his weight of terrifying responsibility stillhanging over him.

  "Master's car!" he gasped, looking imploringly up into Ben's face.

  "It has gone home, back to the farm," said Ben. "Don't worry. There'snothing to worry about."

  Pete was trembling as he entered the roadster. He wondered if he weredreaming. All this couldn't be real. Nothing had ever happened to himbefore except his goddess.

  Ben put on speed and the car flew out of the village and along thehighroad. They entered another village, but halted not. Through it theysped and again out into the open country.

  Pete felt dazed, but the man of the motor-cycle, Master had said, was theman of the aeroplane. He was here beside him, big, powerful. The dwarffelt that he was risking his own life on the hope of seeing his goddess,for what would Rufus Carder say to him when he finally returned to thefarm, a deserter from his duty.

  Silently they sped on. Just once Pete spoke, for his heart had sunk.

  "Shall we see her, Master?" he asked unsteadily.

  Ben turned and smiled at him cheerfully.

  "Sure thing," he answered. "She is well and she wants to see you."

  Pete had had no practice in smiling, but a joyful reassurance pervadedhim. Let Rufus Carder kill him, if it must be. This would come first.

  Darkness had fallen when they finally entered a town and drove to ahotel. Ben looked rather ruefully at the poor little scarecrow besidehim with his hatless scrubbing-brush of a head, but the keeper of thegarage consented to give the boy a place to sleep.

  "At least," thought Ben, "it will be more comfortable than the boardsoutside Geraldine's door."

  He saw to it that the dwarf should have a good supper, after which Petepresented himself at Ben's room as he had been ordered to do. Neverbefore in his life had he had all the meat and potato he wanted, andstill marveling at the wonderful things happening to him he wasconducted to Ben, and stood before him with questioning eyes.

  "Is she here, Master?" he asked.

  "No, but we shall see her to-morrow."

  "When--when do I go back to the farm?" asked the boy.

  "Never," replied Ben calmly.

  "Master!" exclaimed the dwarf, and could say no more. His tanned facegrew darker with the rush of crimson.

  "You're my servant now," said Ben, and his good-humored expression shoneupon an eager face that worked pitifully.

  "What--what can I do?" stammered Pete, his rough hands with theirbroken nails working together.

  "You can get into the bathtub."

  "Wha--what, Master?"

  Ben threw open the door of his bathroom.

  "Draw that tub full of water and use up all the soap on yourself. Makeyourself clean for to-morrow. Understand?"

  Pete didn't understand anything. He was in a blissful daze. He had neverseen faucets except the one in the Carder kitchen. Ben had to draw thewater for him, showing him the hot and the cold; finally making himunderstand that he was not to get in with his clothes on, and that hewas to use any and all of those fresh white towels, the like of whichthe boy had never seen; then his new master came out, closed the door,and laughing to himself sat down to wait and read a magazine.

  There was a mighty splashing in the bathroom.

  "Clean to see her. Clean to see her," Pete kept saying to himself. Hewas going to be able to speak to her with no one to object. He was goingto work for this god who could fly down out of the sky. Rufus Cardermight come to find him later and kill him, but that was no matter.

  When finally the bathroom door opened and again arrayed in hisdisreputable clothes the dwarf appeared, Ben spoke without looking upfrom his magazine.

  "Did you let the water out of the tub?"

  "No, Master. I didn't know."

  Ben got up, and Pete followed him, eager for the lesson. Ben viewed thecolor of the water frothing with suds.

  "I think you must be clean," he remarked dryly, as he opened thewaste-pipe, "or at least you will be after a few more ducks."

  "Yes, Master, to see her."

  He showed the boy how to wash out the tub which the little fellow didwith a will.

  "Now, then, to bed with you, and we'll have an early breakfast, for wehave a busy day to-morrow. Good-night."

  Pete ambled away to the garage so happy that he still felt himself in adream. To see his goddess, and never to go back to Rufus Carder! Thosetwo facts chased each other around a rosy circle in his brain until hefell asleep.

  When Ben Barry came out of his room the next morning he found Petesquatting outside his door. He regarded the broken, earth-stained shoesand the ragged coat and trousers, which if they had ever been of adistinct color were of none now, and the thick mop of hair. The eyesraised to his met a gay smile.

  "Hello, there," said Ben. "Did you think I might get away?"

  The dwarf rose. "I--I didn't--didn't know how much--much was a dream,"he stammered.

  "I hope you had a real breakfast," said Ben.

  The dwarf smiled. It was a dreary, unaccustomed sort of crack in hisweather-beaten face. "I had coffee, too," he replied in an awestrucktone.

  Ben laughed. "Good enough. You go out to the car and wait till I come.I'm going to my breakfast now."

  In less than an hour they were on their way. Pete's eyes had lost theirdullness.

  Ben drove to a department store, on a small scale such as the citiesboast. He parked his car, and when he told Pete to get out the boybegan looking about at once for Geraldine.

  "Is she here, Master?" he asked as they entered the store.

  "No, we shall see her to-night," was the reply.

  Then more miracles began to happen to Pete. He was taken from onesection to another in the store and when he emerged again into thestreet, he hardly knew himself. He was wearing new underclothes,stockings, shoes, coat, vest; even the phony legs had been cared for inthe trousers, cut off to suit the little fellow's peculiar needs, andhis eyes seemed to have grown larger in the process. Under his arm hecarried a box containing more underwear.

  Next they drove to a barber's where Pete's hair was properly cut; thento a hat store and he was fitted to a hat.

  When they came out, Ben regarded his work whimsically. The boy was not abad-looking boy. He liked the direct manner of the dwarf's grateful,almost reverent, gaze up into his own merry eyes. There was nothingshifty there.

  When they reentered the roadster, Ben spoke to him before he started thecar.

  "Do you know why I have done all this, Pete?"

  The boy shook his head. "Because you came down out of the sky?" hequestioned.

  "No, it is just because you took care of Miss Melody; because you putthose letters underneath her door."

  Pete's face crimsoned with happiness. "I helped her--I--I helped her getaway," he said.

  "Yes, and she will never forget it, and neither will I."

  "You--you--asked me if I loved her," said Pete, his mind returning tothe day of the motor-cycle visit.

  "Yes, and you did, didn't you?"

  "Yes, and--and when she was gone up to--to heaven, I wanted to die tillI--I remembered that she--she wanted to go."

  "Yes, wanted to go just as much as you did, and more. Now _that_ life isall over, Pete. Just as much gone as those old clothes of yours that weleft to be burned. You've been a faithful, brave boy, and Miss Melodyand I are going to look after you henceforth."

  Pete couldn't speak. Ben saw him bite his lip to control himself. Theroadster started and moving slowly out of the town sped again along acountry road.