Dawn Eleanor Porter (free novels to read txt) 📖

THAT breakfast," scoffed Susan airily; "butyou just look an' see what I'VE brought you!"

Look and see! Susan's dismayed face showed that she fully realizedwhat she had said, and that she dreaded beyond words its effect on theblind boy in the bed.

She hesitated, and almost dropped the tray in her consternation. Butthe boy turned with a sudden eagerness that put to rout her dismay,and sent a glow of dazed wonder to her face instead.

"What HAVE you got? Let me see." He was sitting up now. "Hash—and—johnny-cake!" he crowed, as she set the tray before him, and hedropped his fingers lightly on the contents of the tray. "And don'tthey smell good! I don't know—I guess I am hungry, after all."

"Of course you're hungry!" Susan's voice was harsh, and she wasfiercely brushing back the tears. "Now, eat it quick, or I'll be sick!Jest think what'll happen to Susan if that blessed aunt of yours comesan' finds me feedin' you red-flannel hash an' johnny-cake! Now I'll beup in ten minutes for the tray. See that you eat it up—every scrap,"she admonished him, as she left the room.

Susan had found by experience that Keith ate much better when alone.She was not surprised, therefore, though she was very much pleased—atsight of the empty plates awaiting her when she went up for the trayat the end of the ten minutes.

"An' now what do you say to gettin' up?" she suggested cheerily,picking up the tray from the bed and setting it on the table.

"Can I dress myself?"

"Of course you can! What'll you bet you won't do it five minutesquicker this time, too? I'll get your clothes."

Halfway back across the room, clothes in hand, she was brought to asudden halt by a peremptory: "What in the world is the meaning ofthis?" It was Mrs. Nettie Colebrook in the doorway.

"I'm gettin' Keith's clothes. He's goin' to get up."

"But MASTER Keith said he did not wish to get up."

"Changed his mind, maybe." The terseness of Susan's reply and theexpression on her face showed that the emphasis on the "Master" wasnot lost upon her.

"Very well, then, that will do. You may go. I will help him dress."

"I don't want any help," declared Keith.

"Why, Keithie, darling, of course you want help! You forget, dear, youcan't see now, and—"

"Oh, no, I don't forget," cut in Keith bitterly. "You don't let meforget a minute—not a minute. I don't want to get up now, anyhow.What's the use of gettin' up? I can't DO anything!" And he fell backto his old position, with his face to the wall.

"There, there, dear, you are ill and overwrought," cried Mrs.

Colebrook, hastening to the bedside. "It is just as I said, you are

not fit to get up." Then, to Susan, sharply: "You may put Master

Keith's clothes back in the closet. He will not need them to-day."

"No, ma'am, I don't think he will need them—now." Susan's eyesflashed ominously. But she hung the clothes back in the closet, pickedup the tray, and left the room.

Susan's eyes flashed ominously, indeed, all the rest of the morning,while she was about her work; and at noon, when she gave the call todinner, there was a curious metallic incisiveness in her voice, whichmade the call more strident than usual.

It was when Mrs. Colebrook went into the kitchen after dinner for

Keith's tray that she said coldly to Susan:

"Susan, I don't like that absurd doggerel of yours."

"Doggerel?" Plainly Susan was genuinely ignorant of what she meant.

"Yes, that extraordinary dinner call of yours. As I said before, Idon't like it."

There was a moment's dead silence. The first angry flash in Susan'seyes was followed by a demure smile.

"Don't you? Why, I thought it was real cute, now."

"Well, I don't. You'll kindly not use it any more, Susan," replied

Mrs. Colebrook, with dignity.

Once again there was the briefest of silences, then quietly came

Susan's answer:

"Oh, no, of course not, ma'am. I won't—when I work for you. There,

Mis' Colebrook, here's your tray all ready."

And Mrs. Colebrook, without knowing exactly how it happened, foundherself out in the hall with the tray in her hands.

CHAPTER IX

SUSAN SPEAKS HER MIND

"How's Keith?"

It was Monday morning, and as usual Mrs. McGuire, seeing Susan in theclothes-yard, had come out, ostensibly to hang out her own clothes, inreality to visit with Susan while she was hanging out hers.

"About as usual." Susan snapped out the words and a pillow-case withequal vehemence.

"Is he up an' dressed?"

"I don't know. I hain't seen him this mornin'—but it's safe to say heain't."

"But I thought he was well enough to be up an' dressed right alongnow."

"He is WELL ENOUGH—or, rather he WAS." Susan snapped open anotherpillow-case and hung it on the line with spiteful jabs of twoclothespins.

"Why, Susan, is he worse? You didn't say he was any worse. You said hewas about as usual."

"Well, so he is. That's about as usual. Look a-here, Mis' McGuire,"flared Susan, turning with fierce suddenness, "wouldn't YOU be worseif you wasn't allowed to do as much as lift your own hand to your ownhead?"

"Why, Susan, what do you mean? What are you talkin' about?"

"I'm talkin' about Keith Burton an' Mis' Nettie Colebrook. I've GOT totalk about 'em to somebody. I'm that full I shall sunburst if I don't.She won't let him do a thing for himself—not a thing, that womanwon't!"

"But how can he do anything for himself, with his poor sightlesseyes?" demanded Mrs. McGuire. "I don't think I should complain, SusanBetts, because that poor boy's got somebody at last to take propercare of him."

"But it AIN'T takin' proper care of him, not to let him do things forhimself," stormed Susan hotly. "How's he ever goin' to 'mount toanything—that's what I want to know—if he don't get a chance tobegin to 'mount? All them fellers—them fellers that was blind an'wrote books an' give lecturin's an' made things—perfectly wonderfulthings with their hands—how much do you s'pose they would have doneif they'd had a woman 'round who said, 'Here, let me do it; oh, youmustn't do that, Keithie, dear!'