The Starbucks Part 31

"Looks like everythin' has been said," Jasper broke in; and then upon the young fellow he cast a kindly look. "She couldn't hide that she loved you, sir."

"I am thankful for that. But everything has not been said, Mr.

Starbuck--two more words are necessary, one from you and one from her mother."

"I didn't know how to try to hide that I loved him," said Lou. "I didn't want to try." She went over to Tom and he put his arm about her.

"Do you think her mother will object, sir?"

Jasper looked away to hide the laughter that had jumped into his countenance. "Oh," said he, "I reckon she can be persuaded, and here she is."

Margaret and Mrs. Mayfield came out of the house. "Margaret," said the old man, "I reckon these young folks air goin' to git married."

Margaret held out her arms and Lou ran to her, and with her head on her mother's bosom, she declared that she never could have thought it so sweet to be ashamed.

"Suthin' called me back from the mill, and it was to see this," said the old man.

Lou turned to Tom. "You won't love me any the less because I couldn't hide that I loved you, will you?"

"Oh, there couldn't be any less, and in the whole world there isn't room for more," Tom replied; his aunt standing near, looking with misty eyes upon him.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "WELL," MARGARET EXCLAIMED, "I NEVER WAS SO SURPRISED."]

"Well," Margaret exclaimed, "I never was so surprised."

Jasper ducked his head and with his hands behind him walked off. But soon he came back and replied: "No, but I reckon if it hadn't happened you'd a been a leetle mo' surprised."

She flouted at him and said to Tom: "Goin' to git married?"

"Yes, madam, not next year, month, week--but now."

"Now!" exclaimed Jasper, with a clap of hands.

"My dear," Mrs. Mayfield said to Lou, "you need not be afraid to trust him. He won't live a lie."

Tom took the girl by the hand. "Come with me now, please. Let us go where the spirit boy used to play with you."

"Yes. And now I know that all the time it was you--you lived under the rock. Come on. We will go up among the hills an' make like we are lost."

And as they were walking away, Jasper said to his wife: "Margaret, that reminds me of a Sunday, a long time ago."

"Yes, Jasper;" and then she said to Mrs. Mayfield: "But law me, it don't take 'em long to fall in love an' git married these days."

"No," Jasper replied, "not with the help of a right peart woman."

"Now, Jasper," she said, "you air sh.o.r.ely enough to provoke a saint, bein' a man. But, Miz Mayfield, this has all come about so sudden that--"

Jasper snorted and she scowled at him. "Don't pay no attention to him, Miz Mayfield. Yes, so sudden that I don't hardly know what to say. But Lou is a good child an' thar ain't but one pity about her, an' that is she hain't got much l'arnin', though she did go to school fur two year over at Dry Fork."

"She will learn, Mrs. Starbuck, and he will be proud of her."

"I'm so glad to hear you say that, Miz Mayfield. An' you ain't disapp'inted at yo' nephew's choice?"

"It was for him and her to choose, Mrs. Starbuck, and all the rest of the world should be silent."

"But," Margaret persisted, "his father, the Jedge. What about him?"

"When he knows that all her people have been brave soldiers, he will call her his daughter."

"So glad," said Margaret, and then Jasper broke in.

"But what's the use of canva.s.sin' now that all the returns air in. We all seed how the thing was a driftin' an' thar wan't no way to stop it even if we wanted to. That young feller is a man. I am proud of him, an'

as Miz Mayfield says, he'll be proud of her."

Still Margaret was loth to leave off. "I'm so glad to know that you ain't disapp'inted."

"No one could be disappointed in her, Mrs. Starbuck. She has a strong character."

"So glad to have sich a estimate from one that knows the world."

"It is knowing something of the world that causes me to place so high a value upon her."

"Thar," said Jasper, "thank her ag'in an' then we'll begin at suthin'

else."

Margaret begged of Mrs. Mayfield that she would pay no attention to Jasper, who was always so full of his pranks, and then to the old man she whispered: "Old Miz Barker was a pa.s.sin' this mornin' an' she 'lows that the app'intment has come. Have you fixed everythin' at the mill?"

"No. Laz is there a waitin' for me now."

"Well, I'll go over with you."

They went away, looking back and begging to be "excused," and Mrs.

Mayfield stood looking down the road. After a time she went over by the fence, sat down on a stump and began to pluck flowers from the vines that ran along the rails. Into the yard Kintchin came, singing; but when he discovered Mrs. Mayfield he left off his half-dancing walk, began to limp, and approaching her he said: "Ol' steer dun kicked me on de hip."

"I am sorry, Kintchin."

"Yas'm. But you ain't ha'f ez sorry ez I is. Never wuz kicked by er steer, wuz you?"

"No, that's an experience that hasn't fallen to me."

"Wall, w'en it do fall you ain't gwine furgit it. Jest thought I'd drap in an' rest er while," he continued, going over and seating himself on the wood pile. "Dat dear ole mammy lef' me twenty dollars."

"Kind old soul, wasn't she?"

"Yas'm. An' dar ain't many folks dat lef' me twenty dollars w'en da died. I's had er good many wives fust an' last, but I ain't neber married no sich er 'oman ez dat."

"Then you have been married several times, have you, Kintchin?"

"Yas'm. Dar wuz my fust wife an' my fust step-wife, an'--"