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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f4dbc79 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #52257 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/52257) diff --git a/old/52257-h.zip b/old/52257-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index b5dcddb..0000000 --- a/old/52257-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52257-h/52257-h.htm b/old/52257-h/52257-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index a50f25e..0000000 --- a/old/52257-h/52257-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4579 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=us-ascii" /> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of When Sarah Saved the Day, by Elsie Singmaster - </title> - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - <style type="text/css"> - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - -h1,h2 { - text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ - clear: both; -} - -p { - margin-top: .51em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .49em; -} - -.p2 {margin-top: 2em;} - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; - clear: both; -} - -hr.tb {width: 45%;} -hr.chap {width: 65%} -hr.full {width: 95%;} - -table { - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; -} - -.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ - /* visibility: hidden; */ - position: absolute; - left: 92%; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; -} /* page numbers */ - -.center {text-align: center;} - -.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} - -.caption {font-weight: bold; text-align: center;} - -/* Images */ -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; -} - -.t1 {font-size: 2em;} -.t2 {font-size: 1.5em;} -.t3 {font-size: 1.17em;} - -.sig {margin-left: 15%;} -.pl3 {padding-left: 3em;} -.booklist {max-width: 18em; margin: auto;} -.books {text-indent: 0em; margin: .2em 0;} - -.poetry-container -{ - text-align: center; - margin: -1em 0; -} - -.poetry -{ - display: inline-block; - text-align: left; -} - -.poetry .stanza -{ - margin: 1em auto; -} - -.poetry .verse -{ - text-indent: -3em; - padding-left: 3em; -} - -.poetry .indent2 -{ - text-indent: -2em; -} - -@media handheld { - h2.no-break {page-break-before: avoid;} - hr, hr.chap, hr.full {border-width: 0; margin: 0;} - hr.tb {border-width: 0; margin: 2em 0;} - table {width: 98%; margin: 2%;} - .chapter {page-break-before: always;} - .booklist {max-width: 18em; width: 50%; margin-left: 25%; margin-right: 25%;} - .poetry {display: block; margin-left: 1.5em;} -} - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of When Sarah Saved the Day, by Elsie Singmaster - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: When Sarah Saved the Day - -Author: Elsie Singmaster - -Release Date: June 7, 2016 [EBook #52257] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WHEN SARAH SAVED THE DAY *** - - - - -Produced by David Edwards, Ryan Cowell and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<hr class="chap" /> - - - - -<p class="center t2">BOOKS BY ELSIE SINGMASTER</p> - -<div class="booklist"> -<p class="books"><span class="smcap">When Sarah Saved the Day</span></p> -<p class="books"><span class="smcap">When Sarah Went to School</span></p> -<p class="books"><span class="smcap">Gettysburg</span></p> -<p class="books"><span class="smcap">Katy Gaumer</span></p> -<p class="books"><span class="smcap">Emmeline</span></p> -<p class="books"><span class="smcap">The Long Journey</span></p> -<p class="books"><span class="smcap">The Life of Martin Luther</span></p> -<p class="books"><span class="smcap">John Baring's House</span></p> -<p class="books"><span class="smcap">Basil Everman</span></p> -<p class="books"><span class="smcap">Ellen Levis</span></p> -<p class="books"><span class="smcap">Bennett Malin</span></p> -<p class="books"><span class="smcap">The Hidden Road</span></p> -<p class="books"><span class="smcap">A Boy at Gettysburg</span></p> -<p class="books"><span class="smcap">Bred in the Bone</span></p> -<p class="books"><span class="smcap">Keller's Anna Ruth</span></p> -<p class="books"><span class="smcap">'Sewing Susie'</span></p> -<p class="books"><span class="smcap">What Everybody Wanted</span></p> -<p class="books"><span class="smcap">Virginia's Bandit</span></p> -<p class="books"><span class="smcap">You Make Your Own Luck</span></p> -<p class="books"><span class="smcap">A Little Money Ahead</span></p> -</div> - -<hr class="full" /> -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 333px;"> -<a name="frontispiece" id="frontispiece"></a> -<img src="images/frontis.jpg" width="333" height="657" alt="Frontispiece" /> -<div class="caption">SARAH DID NOT SPEAK, SHE ONLY HID HER EYES (<a href="#Page_126">page 126</a>)</div> -</div> - - - -<div class="chapter"></div> -<hr class="chap" /> -<div id="frontmatter"> - -<p class="center t1"><b>WHEN SARAH SAVED -THE DAY</b></p> - -<p class="center t2">BY ELSIE SINGMASTER</p> - -<p class="center t3">WITH ILLUSTRATIONS</p> -<br /><br /> -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 116px;"> -<img src="images/titlepage.jpg" width="116" height="200" alt="Publisher's logo" /> -</div> -<br /><br /> -<p class="center t3">BOSTON AND NEW YORK<br /> -HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY</p> -<p class="center"><b>The Riverside Press Cambridge</b></p> - - -<div class="chapter"></div> -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p class="center"><small>COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY ELSIE SINGMASTER</small></p> - -<p class="center"><small>ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO REPRODUCE -THIS BOOK OR PARTS THEREOF IN ANY FORM</small></p> - -<p class="center"><i><small>Published October 1909</small></i></p> -<br /> -<br /> -<p class="center"><small>PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.</small> -</p> -</div> - - - -<div class="chapter"></div> -<hr class="chap" /> -<p class="center t3"><b>TO CAROLINE HOOPES SINGMASTER</b> -</p> - - - - -<div class="chapter"></div> -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p class="center t2"><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS</p> - - -<div class="center"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="Table of Contents"> -<tr><td align="right">I.</td><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Uncle Daniel's Offer</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="right">II.</td><td align="left"><span class="smcap">The Rebels take to Arms</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_24">24</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="right">III.</td><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Uncle Daniel steals a March</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_44">44</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="right">IV.</td><td align="left"><span class="smcap">There is Company to Supper</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_62">62</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="right">V.</td><td align="left"><span class="smcap">The Blow falls</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_79">79</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="right">VI.</td><td align="left"><span class="smcap">The Orphans' Court</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_97">97</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="right">VII.</td><td align="left">"<span class="smcap">And now We will go Home</span>"</td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_116">116</a></td></tr> -</table> -<br /><br /></div> - - - -<div class="chapter"></div> -<hr class="tb" /> -<p class="center t2"><a name="ILLUSTRATIONS" id="ILLUSTRATIONS"></a>ILLUSTRATIONS</p> - - -<div class="center"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="List of Illustrations"> -<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Sarah did not speak, she only hid her eyes</span> (Page <a href="#Page_126">126</a>)</td><td align="right"><a href="#frontispiece"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Go away and leave me with my children</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_20">20</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">The station agent looked at them curiously</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_94">94</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Uncle Daniel smiled and drew out two shining dollars</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_112">112</a></td></tr> -</table></div> - -<div class="chapter"><hr class="chap" /> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> - -<h1><a name="WHEN_SARAH_SAVED_THE_DAY" id="WHEN_SARAH_SAVED_THE_DAY"></a>WHEN SARAH SAVED THE DAY</h1> - -<h2 class="no-break">CHAPTER I</h2> - -<p class="center">UNCLE DANIEL'S OFFER</p></div> - - -<p class="p2">Sarah Wenner, who was fifteen years old, -but who did not look more than twelve, -hesitated in the doorway between the kitchen -and the best room, a great tray of tumblers -and cups in her hands.</p> - -<p>"Those knives and forks we keep always -in here, Aunt Mena. We do not use them -for every day."</p> - -<p>Her aunt, Mena Illick, lifted the knives -from the drawer where she had laid them. -One could see from her snapping black eyes -that she did not enjoy being directed by -Sarah. But order was order, and no one ever -justly accused a Pennsylvania German housewife -of not putting things where they belonged. -She laid the knives on the table for -Sarah to put away.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span></p> - -<p>The kitchen seemed strangely lonely and -empty that evening, in spite of the number -of persons who were there.</p> - -<p>Besides little Sarah, who was the head of -the Wenner household, now that the father -was dead and the oldest son had gone away, -and her Aunt Mena, who had driven thither -for the funeral that afternoon, there was -an uncle, Daniel Swartz, and his wife Eliza, -who was just then wringing out the tea-towels -from a pan of scalding suds, and the -Swartzes' hired man, Jacob Kalb, short and -stout, with a smooth-shaven face and tiny -black eyes.</p> - -<p>Daniel Swartz sat beside the wide table, -the hired man by his side. On chairs against -the wall, sitting now upright, now leaning -against each other when sleep overpowered -them, were the Wenner twins, Louisa Ellen -and Ellen Louisa, whose combination of excessive -slenderness and appearance of good -health could be due only to constant activity. -In their waking moments they looked<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span> -not unlike eager little grasshoppers, ready -for a spring.</p> - -<p>The last member of the party lay peacefully -sleeping on the deep settle before the -fireplace. His wide blue eyes were closed, -his chubby arms thrown above his head. -Worn with the excitement of the day, too -young to realize that the cheerful, merry -father whom they had carried away that afternoon -would never return, he slept on, the -only one entirely at ease.</p> - -<p>Daniel Swartz rose every few minutes to -cover him more thoroughly. Aunt 'Liza and -Aunt Mena watched Uncle Daniel, the eyes -of the twins rested with scornful disfavor -upon Jacob Kalb, and Sarah watched them -all. Her tired eyes widened with apprehension -when she saw her uncle bend over Albert -as if he were his own, and she bit her -lips when she saw Aunt 'Liza and Aunt -Mena whispering together. Returning with -the empty tray, she moved swiftly across the -kitchen to where the twins were sitting.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span></p> - -<p>At that moment they were awake and engaged -in their favorite pastime of teasing -Jacob Kalb.</p> - -<p>Jacob had an intense desire to be considered -English, and in an unfortunate moment -had translated his name, not realizing how -much worse its English equivalent, "Calf," -would sound to English ears than the uncomprehended -German "Kalb." It was the -twins' older brother, William, who had now -been away from home so long that they -had almost forgotten him, who had heard -Jacob telling his new name to some strangers.</p> - -<p>"Ach, no, I cannot speak German very -good. I am not German. My name is Jacob -Calf."</p> - -<p>He saw in their faces that he had made a -mistake, but it was too late to retract. Besides, -William Wenner, whom he hated, and -who had been to the Normal School, had -heard, and as long as Jacob lived the name -would cling to him. Ellen Louisa and Louisa<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> -Ellen, accustomed to shout it at him from -a safe vantage-ground on their own side -of the fence, called it softly now when the -older people were talking, "Jacob Calf! -Jacob Calf!"</p> - -<p>Then, suddenly, each twin found her arm -clutched as though in a vise.</p> - -<p>"Ellen Louisa and Louisa Ellen, be still. -Not a word! Not a word!"</p> - -<p>"But—" began the twins together. Sarah -had always aided and abetted them. It -was Sarah who had invented such brilliant -rhymes as,</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse">"Jacob Calf,</div> - <div class="verse">You make me laugh."</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>Sarah's nonsense had amused the father and -delighted the children for many weary months. -Why had she suddenly become so strange -and solemn? To the twins death had as yet -no very terrible meaning, and they knew -nothing of care and responsibility. Each -jerked her arm irritably away from Sarah's -hand. Why didn't she tell the aunts and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> -uncle to go home and let them go to bed? -And why was Jacob Kalb there in the -kitchen? Why—But the twins were too -drowsy to worry very long. Leaning comfortably -against each other, they fell asleep -once more.</p> - -<p>Sarah continued her journey across the -room to gather up a pile of plates. She sympathized -thoroughly with the twins in their -hatred for the hired man. He had no business -there. If the uncle and aunts wished -to discuss their plans, they should do it -alone, and not in the presence of this -outsider. But he knew all Uncle Daniel's -affairs, and was now too important a person -to be teased.</p> - -<p>Sarah put the plates into the corner-cupboard, -arranging them in their accustomed -places along the back. She had seen Aunt -Eliza's and Aunt Mena's eyes glitter as they -washed them.</p> - -<p>"It ain't one of them even a little bit -cracked," said Aunt 'Liza. "They should<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> -have gone all along to pop and not to Ellie -Wenner."</p> - -<p>"And the homespun shall come to me," -said Aunt Mena.</p> - -<p>Sarah had been ready with a sharp reply, -but had checked it on her lips. "Pop" and -Aunt Mena, indeed! She thought of their -well-stocked houses. Her mother had had -few enough of the family treasures.</p> - -<p>She stopped for a moment to wipe her -eyes before she went back to the kitchen, -standing by the window and looking out -over the dark fields. There was no lingering -sunset glow to brighten the sky, but Sarah's -eyes seemed to pierce the gloom, as though -she would follow the sun to that distant country -where her brother had vanished.</p> - -<p>Two hundred years before, their ancestors -had come from the Fatherland, and ever -since, adventurous souls had insisted upon -leaving this safe haven to penetrate still -farther into the enchanted West. Whole -families had gone; in Ohio were towns and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> -counties whose people bore the familiar Pennsylvania -German names, Yeager, Miller, -Wagner, Swartz, Schwenk, Gaumer. Dozens -of young men had gone to California in '49. -Some had returned, some were never heard -of again. Fifty years later, the rumor of gold -drew young men away once more, this time -into the bitter cold of the far Northwest.</p> - -<p>William's indulgent father had let him -go almost without a word of objection. -He knew what <i>wanderlust</i> was. And for -some reason William had seemed suddenly -to become unhappy. The farm was small, -too small to support them all; there were -four younger children, and William, to his -father's and mother's secret delight, had declined -his Uncle Daniel's offer of adoption. -They had let him take his choice between -the straitened, simple life at home and the -prospect of ease and wealth at Uncle Daniel's.</p> - -<p>Uncle Daniel had never forgiven them or -him. William's success at the Normal School, -where, with great sacrifice, he was sent,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> -irritated him; William's election as a township -school director made him furious.</p> - -<p>It is safe to say that Daniel Swartz and -Jacob Kalb were the only persons in Upper -Shamrock township who did not like William. -Even Miss Miflin, the pretty school-teacher, -went riding with him in his buggy, -and all the farmers and the farmers' wives -were fond of him.</p> - -<p>"His learning doesn't spoil him," said -Mrs. Ebert, who lived on the next farm. "He -is just so nice and common as when he went -away."</p> - -<p>And then he had gone away again, not to -the Normal School, but to Alaska. Sarah -remembered dimly how he and his father -had pored over the old atlas after the twins -had been put, protesting, to bed, and the -mother had sat with Albert in her arms, and, -when the men were not watching her, with -a sad, frightened look in her eyes. Sarah -could understand both her brother's eagerness -and her mother's sadness. Little did any<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> -of them foresee what the next few years were -to bring. The little mother went first, with -messages for William on her last breath, and -now the dear, cheerful father. Surely, if -William could have guessed, he would never -have gone so far away.</p> - -<p>But for two years they had had no word. -At first there had been frequent letters. -When he reached Seattle, it had been too late -for him to go north, and he waited for spring. -Then it was difficult to get passage, and there -was another delay. After that the letters -grew fewer and fewer, and finally ceased.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, a strange shadow had crept -over William's name and William's memory. -Pretty Miss Miflin asked no more about him, -Uncle Daniel came and spoke sharply to -Sarah's father and mother and then they -talked about him in whispers when they -thought Sarah did not hear. Once she caught -an unguarded sentence:—</p> - -<p>"I have written again. If he does not -answer, he is dishonest or—"</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span></p> - -<p>"No!" her mother had answered sharply. -"No! William will come home, and then -he will tell us!"</p> - -<p>But William had neither come nor written. -So far as they knew he had not heard of his -mother's death, and there was no telling -whether the announcement of his father's -death would reach him. Perhaps he, too, -might be—</p> - -<p>But that thought Sarah would not admit -for the fragment of a second to her burdened -mind. She wiped away her tears once -more, and then she almost succeeded in smiling. -The black clouds in the west were parting. -Here and there a star peeped through. -She knew a few of them by name. There -was Venus,—Sarah, whose English was none -of the best, would have called it "Wenus,"—her -father had loved it. Often he had -watched it from this window. Perhaps William -saw it, too, in that mysterious night in -which he lived. Ah, what tales there would -be to tell when William came home!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span></p> - -<p>Her father's death had meant the giving -up of all Sarah's dreams and hopes. Three -years before, they had driven one day to -a neighboring town. Drives were not frequent -in that busy household. Sarah remembered -yet how fine Dan and Bill had -looked in their newly blackened harness, and -how proud she had felt, sitting with her -father on the front seat.</p> - -<p>They had seen many wonderful things: a -paint-mill, a low, long building, covered, inside -and out, with thick layers of red powder; -and the ore mines, great holes in the -yellow soil, where the ore needed only to be -dug out from the surface; and they had -stopped to watch a cast at a blast-furnace. -But most wonderful of all was the "Normal." -Sarah had seen the slender tower of -the main building against the sky.</p> - -<p>"What is then that?" she had asked.</p> - -<p>"That is the Normal, where William went -to school."</p> - -<p>"Ach, yes, of course!" cried Sarah.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p> - -<p>All the delightful things in the world -were connected with William. Her father -looked down at the sparkling eyes in the -eager little face. He had had little education -himself, but he knew its value.</p> - -<p>"Would you like, then, to come here to -school?"</p> - -<p>Sarah's face grew a deep crimson. She -looked at the trees, the wide lawns, the -young people at play in the tennis-courts.</p> - -<p>"I? To school? Here?"</p> - -<p>"Of course. Wouldn't you like to be such -a teacher like Miss Miflin?"</p> - -<p>Sarah's face grew almost white. It was as -though he had said, "Would you like to be -President of the United States?"</p> - -<p>"<i>I!</i> Like Miss Miflin! Ach, pop, do you -surely mean it? But I am too dumb."</p> - -<p>Her father laughed.</p> - -<p>"No, you are not dumb. If you are good, -and if you study, you dare come here."</p> - -<p>Ah, but how could one study with a sick -mother, and then a sick father and a baby<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> -to look after, and twins like Ellen Louisa -and Louisa Ellen to bring up, and—</p> - -<p>Sarah went slowly back to the kitchen. It -was like going into church, all was so still -and solemn. Albert and the twins slept, -Aunt 'Liza and Aunt Mena had taken their -places on the opposite side of the table from -Uncle Daniel and Jacob Kalb.</p> - -<p>"Come, come," cried Uncle Daniel impatiently. -He did not like black-eyed little -Sarah. She looked too much like her father, -whom his sister had married against his will. -"We must get this fixed up. Sit down, -once."</p> - -<p>Sarah sat down on the nearest seat, which -was the lower end of the settle on which -Albert lay. She wiped her hot face on her -gingham apron, then laid her hand on Albert's -stubby little shoes, as though she -needed something to hold to.</p> - -<p>"Don't," commanded Uncle Daniel. -"You wake him up if you don't look a little -out."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span></p> - -<p>Sarah's eyes flashed. As though she -would wake him, her own baby, whom she -had tended for three years! She wanted to -tell them to go, to leave her alone with her -children. But again she was wisely silent. -She did not know yet what it was that her -uncle meant to "fix up."</p> - -<p>Swartz pulled his chair a little closer to -the table. He looked uncomfortable in his -black suit and his stiff collar. Occasionally -he slipped his finger behind it and pulled it -away from his throat, as though it were too -tight. It seemed as if his remarks were for -the benefit of Sarah alone, even though he -did not look at her, for Aunt Mena and -Aunt 'Liza and the hired man helped him -out with an occasional word as if they knew -beforehand what he meant to say.</p> - -<p>He, too, had his dreams. One was to see -a son in his house; another was to see the -Wenner farm once more united to his own -as it had been in his father's lifetime. Then -he would have the old border on the creek.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> -There was also talk of the strange, new -"electricity cars" running along the creek. -That would double the value of the farm.</p> - -<p>But he said nothing of this in his speech -to Sarah.</p> - -<p>"A couple of years back," he began, "I -made an offer to Wenner. I said to him, -'I will take William and bring him up right, -and then he can have the farm when I am -no longer here.' That is what I said to your -pop. But he wouldn't have it. He had to -send William instead to school."</p> - -<p>"Then what did he get for his schooling?" -asked Jacob Kalb.</p> - -<p>"I never had no schooling," said Uncle -Daniel. "And you see where I am. Nobody -needs schooling but preachers and teachers."</p> - -<p>"I don't believe in schooling," said Aunt -Eliza.</p> - -<p>"Nor I," said Aunt Mena.</p> - -<p>Sarah's eyes continued to flash, but she -said nothing. She knew that they were expressing -their scorn for her father's judg<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span>ment, -but she was too tired to answer. If -they would only go home! She saw her -uncle look at little Albert. He need not -think she would give him up. Sarah almost -laughed at the idea. Then she heard that -her uncle had begun to speak again.</p> - -<p>"Well, now I have another offer to make. -Mena will take Ellie and Weezy. I will take -Albert. He shall be Albert Swartz from now -on. And Sarah can come also to us to help -to work."</p> - -<p>"You will have to be a good little girl -and work right," admonished Aunt 'Liza.</p> - -<p>"And you will have a good home," put in -Jacob Kalb. "You and the zwillings (twins)." -There were times when Jacob's English vocabulary -was not equal to the demands upon it.</p> - -<p>Sarah's pale cheeks grew a little whiter. -But Uncle Daniel had said it was an <i>offer</i>. -An offer could be declined.</p> - -<p>"But we are all going to stay here together -like always," she said. "I and Albert -and the twins."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span></p> - -<p>She saw their anger in their faces.</p> - -<p>"What!" said Aunt Eliza.</p> - -<p>"Such dumb talk!" cried Uncle Daniel.</p> - -<p>"Are you then out of your mind?" -asked Aunt Mena.</p> - -<p>Jacob Kalb alone said nothing. But Sarah -saw him smile. He planned to live in the -Wenner farmhouse.</p> - -<p>"Will you plough?" demanded Uncle -Daniel.</p> - -<p>"Or plant the seeds?" asked Aunt 'Liza.</p> - -<p>"Or harvest?" said Aunt Mena.</p> - -<p>Sarah spoke quietly. "I have it all -planned. Ebert will farm like always for the -half."</p> - -<p>"The half!" repeated Uncle Daniel. -"Should we then give this good money to -Ebert? The half! I will farm."</p> - -<p>"Well, then," said Sarah. "But you -must pay the half to us because we must -live."</p> - -<p>"Pay the half to you!" exclaimed Aunt -Mena.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span></p> - -<p>"It is our farm," replied Sarah. "It was -my mom's and my pop's farm. It isn't yours."</p> - -<p>"Well, it will be mine," said Uncle Daniel. -"What would such children make with such -a farm?"</p> - -<p>"I am not a child," answered Sarah firmly. -"For three years already I managed the -farm while my pop was sick. And it is William's -farm so much as ours. And when -William comes home—"</p> - -<p>"William will never come home," said -Uncle Daniel.</p> - -<p>Sarah got up from the old settle.</p> - -<p>"William <i>will</i> come home!" she cried. -"It don't make nothing out if you do give us -homes. If you take the farm, it will be stealing."</p> - -<p>"<i>Ei yi!</i>" reproved Aunt Mena shortly. -"That is no word for little girls!"</p> - -<p>"A whipping would be good for her," offered -Jacob Kalb.</p> - -<p>"You haven't any right here, Jacob -C-calf," cried Sarah.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span></p> - -<p>Jacob's little eyes narrowed. "It is no -way for little girls to talk when their brothers -steal school-board money, and go off -and their pops have to pay it," he said.</p> - -<p>For a moment there was silence, then a -reproving murmur from Aunt Mena.</p> - -<p>"It isn't true!" cried Sarah. "It isn't -true!" Suddenly she remembered her father's -sadness, her mother's tears.</p> - -<p>She burst into wild crying. "Ach, I wish -you would go away and leave me with my -children! I will get good along, if you will -only let me be. Albert should be this long -time in his bed. I wish you would go home."</p> - -<p>She bent to lift the sleeping child. But -her uncle pushed her aside.</p> - -<p>"Albert is coming home with me," he -said, as he lifted him up. "Jacob, put -Weezy and Ellie in the carriage with Aunt -Mena."</p> - -<p>Sarah tried to keep her hold of the little -boy. But she struggled in vain. Jacob Kalb -picked up one of the twins.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 550px;"> -<img src="images/p020.jpg" width="550" height="408" alt="" /> -<div class="caption">GO AWAY AND LEAVE ME WITH MY CHILDREN</div> -</div> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span></p> -<p>"Ellen Louisa!" called Sarah.</p> - -<p>Ellen Louisa struggled into wakefulness.</p> - -<p>"Let me down, Jacob Calf; let me down!" -She began to cry. "Ja-cob Calf, you -m-make m-me l-laugh; let me down!"</p> - -<p>But Ellen Louisa was borne shrieking -from the room.</p> - -<p>"Louisa Ellen!" called Sarah.</p> - -<p>But Louisa Ellen found herself closely held -by Aunt 'Liza and Aunt Mena, and she, too, -was led forth.</p> - -<p>"You are <i>thieves</i>!" cried Sarah wildly.</p> - -<p>"Be still," commanded Uncle Daniel. -"Will you wake him up?"</p> - -<p>Then he, too, went toward the door. Aunt -'Liza put in her round face. They did not -mean to be cruel. But little Sarah must be -taught to know her place.</p> - -<p>"Come, Sarah."</p> - -<p>"I am going to stay here," said Sarah. -She stood in the middle of the room, a wild, -pathetic little figure.</p> - -<p>"Come on," commanded Uncle Daniel.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I am going to stay here," said Sarah.</p> - -<p>At that moment Jacob Kalb returned. -The poor twins had, despite their rage, fallen -immediately asleep in Aunt Mena's carriage.</p> - -<p>"Let her stay," he advised. "She will get -pretty soon tired of it when she is afraid in -the middle of the night."</p> - -<p>"Ach, no!" cried Aunt Eliza. "She -can't stay here."</p> - -<p>But Uncle Daniel decided to take Jacob's -advice.</p> - -<p>"Come on, 'Lizie," he said.</p> - -<p>For a moment after they had gone, Sarah -stared about her. Afraid! Here in her own -house with all the dear, familiar things of -every day! There was nothing to be afraid -of. She stood with blinking eyes, trying to -remember what they had said about William; -but her mind was a blank. She knew -only one thing,—if she did not go upstairs, -she should fall asleep where she stood.</p> - -<p>She barred the doors and was about to -put out the light, when she saw, above<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> -the mantel-shelf, the one firearm which -the Wenners possessed,—an old shot-gun, -which William had broken years ago, shooting -crows. Still half asleep, she lifted it -down, and put out the light. Then, dragging -it by the muzzle in a position which -would have been extremely dangerous had -the poor old thing been loaded or capable -of shooting, she took her candle and went -upstairs.</p> - -<div class="chapter"><hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II</h2> - -<p class="center">THE REBELS TAKE TO ARMS</p></div> - - -<p class="p2">When Sarah woke at six o'clock the next -morning, the faint gray of the winter sunrise -was in the sky. She opened her eyes -drowsily, trying to account for the heavy -depression which seemed to weigh her down. -Then, when her outstretched arms found no -sturdy little figure beside her, and a glance -across the room showed the smooth, unopened -trundle-bed, she remembered suddenly -all that had happened on that sad -yesterday. Her father was gone, and Albert -and the twins, and there was no telling how -long she would be allowed to stay in the -farmhouse. She realized how impossible it -would be for a little girl—in the gray dawn -Sarah felt very small and young—to hold -out long against so determined a man as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> -Daniel Swartz. She turned her face deeper -into the pillow.</p> - -<p>Then, suddenly, a soft sound recalled her -to herself. It was the whinnying of Dan -and Bill, calling for their breakfast, already -long overdue. And the cows must be fed -and milked, and the chickens must have -their warm mash. Sarah was upon her feet -in an instant. She was not quite alone so -long as these helpless creatures depended -upon her.</p> - -<p>An hour later, she drove out of the yard -on her way to the creamery. With activity, -ambition had returned; she began even to -hope that her uncle might be persuaded to -let her stay. The sun had risen clear and -bright, and all the cheerfulness of Sarah's -disposition responded to it.</p> - -<p>She wondered, as she drove along the -frozen roads, whether it would not be possible -to add a third cow to her dairy. And -she could keep more chickens. Her father -had taught her how to look after them,—<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span>their -hens always laid better than Aunt -Eliza's. And if the chickens did well, and if -Ebert would put out the crops for her,—poor -Sarah meant to go ahead just as though -her uncle had not said that he would farm,—and -if the children were allowed to come -back, and then if William came home—She -knew in the bottom of her heart that they -were air castles, but she found them pleasant -abiding-places.</p> - -<p>The men, waiting in line at the creamery, -called to her kindly, all but Jacob Kalb, -whose wagon was third from the delivery -door.</p> - -<p>Henry Ebert was at that moment chirruping -to his horse to move into place before -the platform.</p> - -<p>"Sarah!" he called. "Wait once. I move a -little piece back, and you can come in first."</p> - -<p>Jacob Kalb approved of no such chivalrous -impulses.</p> - -<p>"Those that come first should have first -place," he growled. "I can't wait all day."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span></p> - -<p>But the men only laughed. None of them -liked Jacob Kalb.</p> - -<p>Sarah swung Dan into line before the door. -A week before, she would have called out,—</p> - - -<div class="poetry-container"> - <div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse">"Jacob Calf,</div> - <div class="verse">He likes to <i>blaff</i>,"</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p>"blaff" being the Pennsylvania German -word for bark, but now she sternly checked -her poetic fancies. Sarah had made up her -mind to be very wise and politic. But she -could not repress a smile of satisfaction over -her brilliant combination of Pennsylvania -German and English.</p> - -<p>Jacob saw the smile and watched her, -scowling. It irritated him to see her there, -businesslike and cheerful, and it did not -give him any pleasure to hear a neighbor -call to her that he would stop for her milk-can -the next morning. Sarah shouted back -her thanks.</p> - -<p>Ebert consented willingly to put out the -crops. He had a great admiration for smart -little Sarah.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Next week I begin to plough," he promised.</p> - -<p>Then Sarah slapped the reins on Dan's -back and was off. There was plenty to do at -home: the house to put in order, several -hens to set, and some baking to be done. As -she drew near the farm, she became apprehensive. -Suppose her Uncle Daniel should -have taken possession while she was away! -She had locked the door, but the fastenings -of the windows were not very secure. And -to whom, in such a case, should she go? -Not to any of the farmers round about: -they were poor and had many children.</p> - -<p>She could not take Uncle Daniel's charity,—she -knew that, no matter how hard she -worked, he would still consider it charity,—and -she could not live with Aunt Mena, -who had the twins. She thought vaguely of -going with her trouble to Miss Miflin. But -Miss Miflin had no home.</p> - -<p>There was no sign of any alien presence -as she drove up the lane. The cat sat<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> -comfortably on the doorstep, a sure sign -that there were no strangers about. Sarah -stopped thankfully to pat him before she -fitted the key into the lock.</p> - -<p>"You poor Tommy, where would you go -if Sarah went away?"</p> - -<p>Still talking to the cat, she pushed open the -door. Then she stood still, as though she -were turned to stone.</p> - -<p>Within, all was confusion. She did not -see that it was the sort of confusion which -could be created in a few minutes and as -quickly straightened out. Immediately in -front of the door the old settle had been -turned over on its stately back, and the -chairs were piled high on the table in a sort -of barricade.</p> - -<p>Sarah's first thought was of thieves. Then -she realized that she was looking straight -into the barrel of a shot-gun.</p> - -<p>It made no difference that it was the same -broken gun which she had carried upstairs -with her the night before, and that she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> -knew it would not shoot. She was terrified -at first beyond the power of speech. She -leaned, weak and faint, against the door-post, -and presently demanded who was there.</p> - -<p>Two voices answered her.</p> - -<p>"Hands up!"</p> - -<p>Then Sarah rushed forward.</p> - -<p>"Ellen Louisa!" she cried. "Louisa -Ellen!"</p> - -<p>The twins had been carried to Aunt -Mena's and put to bed without waking. -Then Aunt Mena had sat down before the -kitchen fire to explain to her husband why -she had brought them home.</p> - -<p>"Daniel, he says I shall take them. He -takes the farm, and he will pay me each week -a dollar for Ellie and Weezy. He has to, or -I will not keep them. And I get my share -of pop's and mom's things what Ellie had, -too. They won't do these children no good. -But I will not manage Ellie and Weezy like -him. He is too cross. I will first tame them. -But he is not cross to Albert. Now these<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> -twins shall do for a few days what they want. -They dare go to school this year and next -yet, then they must stop."</p> - -<p>In the morning Aunt Mena began her -process of taming, which would undoubtedly -have proved successful with persons more -amenable than the twins. In the first place, -she let them sleep as long as they liked. -When Ellen Louisa woke, she saw by the -century-old clock, ticking on the high chest -of drawers, that it was seven o'clock. She -nudged Louisa Ellen, who scrambled out of -bed.</p> - -<p>"We must hurry or we will be late to—" -At that moment Louisa Ellen, instead of -rolling out of a low trundle-bed, fell with a -loud thump, from the high four-poster. She -realized that they were not at home. Then -upon them both dawned the recollection of the -night before, and the weary days before that.</p> - -<p>"P-pop, he wouldn't like it that we were -here," said Louisa Ellen. "He said we -should stay always by Sarah."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span></p> - -<p>Ellen Louisa did not answer, but began to -put on her shoes and stockings with lightning -speed. The twins never wasted many -words.</p> - -<p>As soon as Aunt Mena heard them stirring -about, she came to the foot of the steps.</p> - -<p>"Wee-zy," she called. "El-lie! Breakfast."</p> - -<p>"Our names—" began Ellen Louisa -shrilly; then she was stopped by Louisa -Ellen's hand on her mouth.</p> - -<p>"Don't make her mad over us," advised -Louisa Ellen. "She might pen us up."</p> - -<p>"We will go to school," said Ellen Louisa. -"Then we will go home to dinner. Pop -wouldn't like it if we weren't in school."</p> - -<p>But Aunt Mena did not approve.</p> - -<p>"In a couple of days you shall go again -in the school. But you are not going any -more in the Spring Grove School. It is not -any more your district."</p> - -<p>"N-not to Miss Miflin!" gasped Ellen -Louisa.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span></p> - -<p>"No, you are no more in Miss Miflin's district."</p> - -<p>"B-but—" Ellen Louisa felt her braid -of black hair sharply tweaked. Louisa Ellen -was a shade thinner than Ellen Louisa and -a trifle quicker witted.</p> - -<p>"You didn't have to tell Aunt Mena right -out that we were going home," she said, -when they had finished their breakfast. "Now -come on."</p> - -<p>The coast was, at that moment, perfectly -clear. Aunt Mena was in the cellar getting -the cream ready to churn, and Aunt Mena's -husband was in a distant field, ploughing. -The twins seized caps and shawls and fled. -Ellen Louisa made for the high road.</p> - -<p>"What have you for!" cried Louisa Ellen. -"That way she will look for us. We go -this way to the Spring Grove road. Come -on."</p> - -<p>Ten minutes later, when Aunt Mena came -to the door, they were not in sight. Aunt -Mena was not much troubled. She did not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> -know that Sarah had been allowed to stay -in the farmhouse.</p> - -<p>"Pooh! they will go to Daniel, and he -will fetch them home, or I will fetch them -home. It is all one."</p> - -<p>And Aunt Mena went back to her work.</p> - -<p>The twins had a ride in a farmer's cart, -which brought them to the foot of the lane. -Realizing that they were too late for school, -they decided to go home until the afternoon -session. Then Sarah would write a note of -explanation to Miss Miflin. To the twins -Sarah's notes were as all-powerful as Aladdin's -lamp. To Miss Miflin they were sources -of both mirth and grief. She laughed because -they were so irresistibly funny, and -then she almost cried because they reminded -her of plans and hopes once dear to her heart, -which had been ended forever by misunderstanding -and resentment.</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p>"Dear Teacher," Sarah wrote. "Please -excuse the zwillings" (there were times in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> -stress of hasty composition when English -words eluded Sarah's grasp as they eluded -Jacob Kalb's) "for being late. They cannot -come now so early like always, while they -must help a little in the morning.</p> - -<div class="sig"> -Their father,<br /> -<span class="smcap pl3">Sarah Wenner</span>."<br /> -</div> -</blockquote> - -<p>Sarah considered that the signature was -a happy combination of the respect due to -fathers and the sign of her stewardship of -his affairs.</p> - -<p>Sometimes Miss Miflin started to go to see -little Sarah, who had been the best and brightest -pupil she had ever had, but she never got -quite to the house. She blamed herself for -William's going away, and she thought that -they too might blame her. So she turned -back.</p> - -<p>The twins had not been at all alarmed by -the closed house. Sarah always drove to the -creamery. They did not realize that Albert -had been taken away, and supposed that he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> -had gone with her, since they were not there -to look after him. Prying open the cellar -door, which was fastened by a loose bar that -could be moved from the outside, they were -soon in the house. They were wild with delight -over their escape.</p> - -<p>"Let us get ready for Aunt Mena if she -comes," proposed Louisa Ellen. "Let us -built such a fort."</p> - -<p>It was "such a fort" which had frightened Sarah. -Now the twins flung themselves -upon her. They had run off, they had come -home, they were not going to school till afternoon, -they—But where was Albert?</p> - -<p>"He is by Uncle Daniel," answered Sarah -slowly.</p> - -<p>"Then we will fetch him." The twins -made a dash for the door. But Sarah held -them back.</p> - -<p>"No," she said. "Uncle Daniel will keep -Albert by him. And perhaps Aunt Mena -will fetch you again, and perhaps Uncle -Daniel will take the farm away from us,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> -and perhaps we cannot be any more together."</p> - -<p>The twins were amazed and bewildered. -Sarah's solemnity worried them more than -the catalogue of evils.</p> - -<p>"What shall we do?" they asked.</p> - -<p>"You can learn your lessons and say them -to me. And you can sew your patchwork -and be quiet and smart."</p> - -<p>All the rest of the morning, and all the -afternoon, there was quiet such as the farmhouse -had never known when a twin was -within it and awake. Dinner was eaten almost -in silence, and then Sarah, locking the -door behind her, and with many long glances -over the fields and road, went out to feed -the stock.</p> - -<p>She fancied that she saw a little face pressed -to the kitchen window of the Swartz farmhouse, -far away across the brown fields, but -she could not be sure. Albert was so little, -he had learned to be fond of Uncle Daniel, -who was constantly giving him presents of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> -candy and peanuts; it would be easy enough, -Sarah thought, for them to keep him there.</p> - -<p>It was almost supper time, and the early -dusk was falling, when the twins were ready -to recite their lessons. It is safe to say that -never, even in Pennsylvania Germandom, -was there a class like this which Sarah held. -Fortunately the twins were good arithmeticians, -for Sarah could not have corrected their -mistakes; she had been too long away from -school for that. The twins never guessed -that, when she insisted upon a careful explanation -of each simple process, she was learning -from them.</p> - -<p>They had not heard as yet Miss Miflin's -careful pronunciation of the words of the -spelling lesson; so when Sarah said "walley" -or "saw," they answered at once "v-a-l-l-e-y" -or "t-h-a-w," never dreaming that -Sarah's speech embodied all the mistakes -which Miss Miflin tried to correct.</p> - -<p>When it came to the geography lesson, -Sarah shone. The twins had not had the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> -advantage of hearing their father and William -speculate about strange and distant -lands; they had a certain amount of book-knowledge, -but no imagination to enliven -it.</p> - -<p>"How wide is the Amazon River at its -mouth?" asked Sarah.</p> - -<p>"Two hundred miles," answered the twins -glibly.</p> - -<p>"How wide is that?"</p> - -<p>Louisa Ellen responded. To her a river -was a line on a map. She would make this -river wide enough even to suit Sarah.</p> - -<p>"About as wide as the coal-bucket," answered -Louisa Ellen.</p> - -<p>At that moment, before Sarah had time to -explain to Louisa Ellen the phenomenal dullness -of her mind, the latch of the door was -lifted softly and allowed to drop.</p> - -<p>"It is Aunt Mena," said the twins together.</p> - -<p>Sarah motioned them to the settle.</p> - -<p>"Sit there till I tell you to get up," she<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> -commanded. "I will go up to the window -and look down."</p> - -<p>The twins held each other's hands in -fright. Was Jacob Kalb coming again to -carry them out?</p> - -<p>"Aunt Mena couldn't fetch us alone," -said Ellen Louisa.</p> - -<p>Then they started up in fright, realizing -that Sarah was falling downstairs. She -righted herself immediately, at the bottom, -and rushed past them to fling wide the -door.</p> - -<p>A tiny little figure stood without.</p> - -<p>"I sought I would come once home," said -Albert. "So I runned off."</p> - -<p>Speech suddenly became impossible, as -Albert found himself almost smothered under -a multitude of caresses. When they let -him go, he drew a sticky package from his -blouse.</p> - -<p>"I brought some candy along for you," -he said; whereupon he was almost smothered -again.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span></p> - -<p>Never had the old farmhouse known more -happiness than filled it that night. Never -was waffle-batter so light or appetites so -good. Then, what games! Sarah was a -teacher, book in hand,—that was her favorite. -Then they were children lost in the -woods, and Sarah was a bear,—that was -the twins'.</p> - -<p>No one but Sarah realized how strange it -was that they should be playing there so -contentedly. It seemed to her that a vast -space of time divided this day from yesterday. -It seemed almost as though her father -had come back, or as though William might -come in upon them. Little Sarah almost listened -for his step.</p> - -<p>Then, like a warning to dream no more, -there came first an imperative lifting of the -latch, then a loud knock on the door.</p> - -<p>"What do you want?" asked Sarah.</p> - -<p>"Albert is to come right aways home." -That was Jacob Kalb.</p> - -<p>"The twins are to come right out." That<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> -was Aunt Mena. For the first time in thirty -years Aunt Mena's butter had failed to -"get," and she was angry and impatient. -She had forgotten her gentle intention to -"tame" the twins. "Come right aways out, -or you will get a good whipping."</p> - -<p>The twins looked critically at the strong -wall between them and the enemy. It seemed -a time when the dictates of wisdom might -yield to those of personal satisfaction.</p> - -<p>"We won't," said Louisa Ellen.</p> - -<p>"Jacob Calf!" called Ellen Louisa.</p> - -<p>"Go upstairs and take Albert," commanded -Sarah. Then she turned to the door. -"You can't have my children."</p> - -<p>"I give you a last chance," said Aunt -Mena. "I don't care for the dollar a week. -Shall the twins have a good home, or shall -they not have a good home?"</p> - -<p>"You cannot have my children," said Sarah -again, her heart pounding like a trip-hammer.</p> - -<p>"Well, then," called Aunt Mena furiously, -as she went away.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span></p> - -<p>Jacob Kalb lingered. If Mena Illick refused -to take the twins, Swartz might be -compelled to leave them all there. Then -Jacob could not have the house.</p> - -<p>"You ought to be srashed!" he shouted -to Sarah. "You are a bad girl. You put -Albert out here."</p> - -<p>Then Jacob began to pound on the door.</p> - -<p>It was five minutes later when Sarah came -upstairs. Her face was white and her hands -shook. Yet she was laughing.</p> - -<p>"Why don't you tell him if he don't go -away you will shoot him with the gun?" -demanded Louisa Ellen.</p> - -<p>Sarah laughed hysterically.</p> - -<p>"That was just what I did tell him," she -said.</p> - -<div class="chapter"><hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III</h2> - -<p class="center">UNCLE DANIEL STEALS A MARCH</p></div> - - -<p class="p2">Stammering, frightened, shouting something -to Aunt Mena which she did not understand, -Jacob Kalb fled from the Wenner farmhouse -across the fields toward the Swartzes'. He -burst into the kitchen, where Aunt 'Liza was -putting the supper on the table, like a wild -man.</p> - -<p>Aunt 'Liza was still explaining to her angry -husband how Albert got away.</p> - -<p>"He was here, and then he wasn't here," -she said almost tearfully. "And nobody was -here to go after him, and I didn't know what -to do, and—and I believe perhaps she came -after him."</p> - -<p>Aunt 'Liza was willing to lay the blame of -Albert's escape almost anywhere but where -it belonged, on herself. Then she was fright<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span>ened -by the look of rage in Uncle Daniel's -face.</p> - -<p>"Did you see <i>her</i> here after Albert?"</p> - -<p>"No, no, I didn't <i>see</i> her here after him. -But I thought—"</p> - -<p>"Thinking is now no good," answered Uncle -Daniel. Then he got upon his feet. -"There, they're coming. I can hear them."</p> - -<p>Before he reached the door Jacob Kalb -burst in.</p> - -<p>"Sh—she will—she will sh-shoot me!" -he cried wildly. "She was going for to fetch -the shot-gun to shoot me!"</p> - -<p>Aunt 'Liza threw herself against the door, -shutting it almost in Aunt Mena's face.</p> - -<p>"Where are you shot, Jacob?" she demanded.</p> - -<p>"I am not yet shot," answered Jacob. -"But I will be shot. I—" He felt suddenly -his master's grip on his arm. "Ow! What is -the matter?"</p> - -<p>"Where is Albert?" asked Uncle Daniel. -"She has no gun to shoot with. What are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> -you talking about? Where is Albert, I -say?"</p> - -<p>"She wouldn't give him to me," gasped -Jacob. "They yelled at me, the zwillings -yelled at me. They wouldn't give him to -me. She is after me with a gun. She—" -There was suddenly a loud pounding at the -door. "I tell you she is after me. She—"</p> - -<p>Uncle Daniel strode to the door, and flung it -wide. He, at least, was not afraid of being shot.</p> - -<p>"What do you mean?" he shouted. Then -he saw that it was Aunt Mena who stood -without.</p> - -<p>"I mean that if Ellie and Weezy don't -come along home with me to-night, they are -not to come at all," said Aunt Mena hotly. -"I cannot be running the whole time over -the country for them."</p> - -<p>"Ellie and Weezy," repeated her brother. -"Are they not by you?"</p> - -<p>"No, they ran early this morning off already."</p> - -<p>"And Albert ran off," said Aunt 'Liza.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> -"I could not help it. I went a little while on -the garret, and when I came back, he was -gone. I cannot help it. I—Where are you -then going, Daniel?"</p> - -<p>Uncle Daniel cast a scornful glance at the -two women who could not keep three children, -one a mere baby, from running away, and at -the fright-stricken Jacob; then, regardless of -the hot supper, about which he was usually -so particular, he stalked out.</p> - -<p>"Put Albert's high chair to the table," he -had ordered briefly.</p> - -<p>In fifteen minutes he was back. Aunt 'Liza -had not learned much tact in all her twenty -years of wedded life, or she would not have -begun to question him before he was inside -the door.</p> - -<p>"Where is then Albert?" she asked.</p> - -<p>Swartz did not deign to answer. With a -heavy frown, he sat down at the table and -began to eat.</p> - -<p>"Didn't she give him to <i>you</i>?" demanded -Aunt Mena, aghast.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Be still," said Uncle Daniel shortly.</p> - -<p>"Did she get after you with the gun?" asked -Jacob Kalb. He had just finished giving the -women an account of his adventure. He said -that he saw the gun-barrel when he looked -in the keyhole.</p> - -<p>"Then she didn't come out after you?" -said Aunt Mena.</p> - -<p>"No, but she <i>was</i> coming," insisted Jacob. -"I am going to have the law on her, that is -what I am going to do. I will have her put -in jail. I will have her—"</p> - -<p>"Be quiet," said Uncle Daniel to him, also.</p> - -<p>Aunt Mena rose to go.</p> - -<p>"I don't come again after Ellie and Weezy, -remember," she said. "If you fetch them -over, perhaps I will take them back. Just -tame Sarah a little—" She forgot that her -own efforts at taming had not been very successful. -"And then put somebody in the -house, so she cannot get back. That will settle -it."</p> - -<p>"Be quiet," said Uncle Daniel again.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I will have the law on her," muttered -Jacob Kalb. Every few minutes he rubbed -his leg, as though he were feeling for a gunshot -wound.</p> - -<p>It was ten minutes before Uncle Daniel -laid down his knife and fork and pushed -back his plate. Either reflection or the good -supper had soothed him. The angry flush -was dying out of his face.</p> - -<p>"Well, what are you going to do?" asked -Aunt 'Liza.</p> - -<p>"I have it fixed," he answered complacently.</p> - -<p>"Are you going to put her out of the -house?" asked Aunt 'Liza.</p> - -<p>"Are you going to have the law on her?" -asked Jacob Kalb.</p> - -<p>"Yes," answered Uncle Daniel. "I am -going to put her out of the house, and I am -going to have the law on her. I am going to -do both of those things. I am going to be -the guardian of her and of Ellie and Weezy -and Albert."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Guardian?" repeated Aunt Eliza.</p> - -<p>"Yes, guardian. Those children must -have a guardian, and I am the one to be -it. But I must have papers. You cannot -be a guardian unless you have the papers -from the court. I will go to-morrow to town -and get papers. Everything shall be fixed -right."</p> - -<p>Aunt Eliza was alarmed.</p> - -<p>"But it will cost money!" she cried.</p> - -<p>"Nothing of the kind," answered Uncle -Daniel. "It is a kindness I do these children. -Shall I pay for it, yet?"</p> - -<p>"And then Sarah will <i>have</i> to come here?"</p> - -<p>"Sarah will have to do what I say she -shall do," answered Uncle Daniel. "And -Albert and Ellie and Weezy. Everybody -will have to do what I say they shall do."</p> - -<p>Jacob Kalb gazed at him with admiration -and delight. Daniel Swartz always found -some way of accomplishing what he wished. -It was true that he had not succeeded in -adopting William Wenner. But he had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> -succeeded in punishing William, only Jacob -knew how well.</p> - -<p>If it had not been for that knowledge, -Jacob Kalb would not have been looking -forward with such delight to living in the -Wenner house, instead of walking back -and forth each night and morning to the -house of his wife's father, three miles away, -where he lived now.</p> - -<p>He rose to go home, not at all certain that -Sarah was not waiting for him outside the -door with her shot-gun.</p> - -<p>"In the morning you are to go early into -town with me," said Uncle Daniel. "At six -o'clock we will start."</p> - -<p>"You ought to bring a little hat for -Albert," said Aunt 'Liza when the door was -closed.</p> - -<p>"No, sir," answered her husband. "I -bring him perhaps a little candy or peanuts, -but no more. Not till he is here to stay. I -brought William sometimes presents, suits, -I brought him, and a little cap, and shoes,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> -and once such a little velocipede, and what -did I get? No, sir. When Albert is here to -stay, then I get him some things."</p> - -<p>When supper was over, he sat down before -the fire. He seemed to be brooding over -William's ingratitude.</p> - -<p>"Shoes, I bought him, and candy. And -what did I get for it?"</p> - -<p>Accompanied by Jacob Kalb, he reached -the county seat long before the earliest -lawyer was astir. It did not occur to him -that there was a difference in lawyers or -lawyers' prices. He had heard of Alexander -Weaver, so he went to him.</p> - -<p>"This is a fine way," he said to Jacob -Kalb, when they had waited for half an hour. -"I'd like to know how my work would get -done if I fooled round this way in the early -morning; that is what I would like to know. -If he don't soon come, I go."</p> - -<p>Then the door of Mr. Weaver's private -office opened, and Mr. Weaver himself invited -them in. He was a dear-eyed, middle-<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span>aged -man, so busy that he often offended his -clients by his curtness. He gave Daniel and -Jacob chairs where he could watch their -faces. He imagined from their appearance -that they had come about some country -quarrel. And country fees were hard to collect.</p> - -<p>Uncle Daniel began slowly to state his -cause.</p> - -<p>"My brother-in-law, he is dead," he announced.</p> - -<p>"Yes?" The lawyer crossed his knees -nervously.</p> - -<p>"And my sister, she is dead."</p> - -<p>"Yes?"</p> - -<p>"And it is nobody to look after their -things."</p> - -<p>"Any children?"</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p>"Minors?" asked the lawyer.</p> - -<p>"No, children."</p> - -<p>"Well, I mean any under age, under -twenty-one?"</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Yes, it is a couple. Sarah—" Uncle -Daniel counted them off on his fingers. The -lawyer's abrupt speech startled him, and he -was afraid he might forget.</p> - -<p>"How old?"</p> - -<p>"She is fifteen, but she is little. She -could not run a farm."</p> - -<p>"But she thinks she can do everything," -put in Jacob Kalb. "She got after me with -a gun."</p> - -<p>The lawyer smiled. He did not take kindly -to Jacob Kalb, and it was amusing to think -of a fifteen-year-old girl "getting after" him -with a gun.</p> - -<p>"Any others?"</p> - -<p>"Yes, it is a couple of twins, Weezy and -Ellie."</p> - -<p>"How old?"</p> - -<p>"About ten. But they are—"</p> - -<p>"Any others?"</p> - -<p>"Albert. He is four. He—"</p> - -<p>"And you want to be appointed guardian -of these minor children of your sister?"</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Yes, sir." Uncle Daniel blinked. He -could not understand the phenomenal quickness -of this man's mind. For the next few -minutes he continued to blink rapidly.</p> - -<p>"Your name? Your occupation? The -value of the property of these minors?" -Question followed question so fast that Uncle -Daniel could hardly think.</p> - -<p>"You will have to sign a bond for the -amount of the property, you know. Your -application will be sent to the Orphans' -Court. Come back in a month. The retaining -fee will be twenty-five dollars."</p> - -<p>Then Uncle Daniel got his breath.</p> - -<p>"Twenty-five dollars! Twenty-five dollars -for what?"</p> - -<p>"For making application to the Orphans' -Court. Wasn't that what you wanted me to -do?"</p> - -<p>"Y-yes, b-but twenty-five dollars for -writing out a couple of papers! Twenty—"</p> - -<p>The lawyer swung round to his desk. -Daniel realized suddenly that the lawyer did<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> -not care whether he got the case or not. -He became all the more anxious to have this -remarkable man continue it. Sarah might in -some way make trouble.</p> - -<p>"All right," he stammered. "We will -come in a month back again. We—"</p> - -<p>The lawyer flung him a crumb of comfort.</p> - -<p>"You will be reimbursed, of course, from -the estate," he said; and Uncle Daniel's face -brightened.</p> - -<p>He did not realize that in thus putting -himself into the hands of the law, he would -place over his own actions a guardian to -whom he should some day have to give an -account of his stewardship. In Uncle Daniel's -mind, he was to be, after the month was -up, supreme arbiter of the fates of the Wenners,—Sarah -and Albert and the twins alike, -and of their property. He meant to be honest. -Even though he did take the farm, he -would support them, Sarah and Albert at -his own home, and the twins at Aunt Mena's.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> -Only, if Sarah did not behave, she would -have to go out to work.</p> - -<p>There was triumph in every motion of -Uncle Daniel's broad, heavy shoulders, as he -went down the steps. He had began to think -that education was a good thing for lawyers, -also. It must be pleasant to get twenty-five -dollars for writing a few words.</p> - -<p>At a store at the corner, he bought five -cents' worth of peanuts and a small bag of -candy. Then they started home, drawing -rein first at the Ebert farm. Ebert appeared -in response to a loud hulloa. He wondered -why Swartz was stopping at his gate.</p> - -<p>"When will you begin to plough for the -little one?" Uncle Daniel asked pleasantly.</p> - -<p>"To-morrow morning."</p> - -<p>"Well, you needn't plough at all," said -Uncle Daniel. "I am to be guardian, and -I will plough."</p> - -<p>When they reached the lane which led to -the Wenner house, they saw Albert and the -twins playing in the yard. Swartz pulled in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> -the horse with a jerk, then he jumped down -with the little bags in his hand.</p> - -<p>"Tell 'Lizie that Albert will be home for -supper," he said.</p> - -<p>This time he did not stride up to the -door and demand Albert. Instead he stole -down the lane to the back of the house. He -did not mean to take any actively offensive -measures till the end of the month.</p> - -<p>Sarah was not able to tell afterwards how -Albert got away. She had kept the children -close beside her all the morning, and it was -not until afternoon that she yielded to their -pleadings to be allowed to go out of doors -to play. Then she sat down at the window -with some sewing in her hands, in order that -she might watch them.</p> - -<p>She had not moved until the sudden hissing -of steam warned her that the water in -the kettle was boiling over. It had not taken -her a minute to move it to the back part -of the stove, but in that instant Albert was -gone. She could see them crossing the fields,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> -Albert in his uncle's arms. The twins ran -frantically behind them, and Sarah hurried -to the door.</p> - -<p>"He coaxed him away with candy," -wailed Louisa Ellen when they ran back. -"But Albert said he was coming home for -supper."</p> - -<p>That night there were no games. The -doors were barred early, the supper eaten -silently. Then Sarah got pen and paper and -sat down beside the lamp. She would make -a last appeal to William. Perhaps, though -all the other letters had failed, this might -reach him, and reaching him, might touch -his heart.</p> - -<p>It would have taken Sarah all night and -all the next day to say all that was in her -mind. But the task of composition was difficult -and the letter was short. It read:—</p> - -<blockquote> - -<p><span class="smcap">Dear Brother</span>,—My Uncle Daniel is -after us. He fetched Albert again. Jacob -Kalb wants to live here. The twins will not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> -stay by Aunt Mena. I am doing the best I -can. I wish you would come home. Uncle -Daniel will not have it that the twins and -Albert live in their right home. We are well -and hope you are the same.</p> - -<div class="sig"> -Resp. yours,<br /> -<span class="smcap pl3">Sarah Wenner</span>.<br /></div> - - -<p>P.S. I chased Jacob Kalb off with the -gun, but I fear me that perhaps he will come -again.</p></blockquote> - -<p>It was not a neat production, Sarah realized -that. She tried to wipe off a teardrop -which fell upon it, and made a tremendous -blot. And William had always been so particular -about the way she wrote. It did not -occur to her that, to the heart of an affectionate -brother, the pathetic blot would be -more eloquent than pages of pleading.</p> - -<p>She addressed the letter to Seattle, then, -waking the twins, who had gone to sleep on -the settle, she sent them to bed.</p> - -<p>Ah, that old settle, how many times it had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> -held them! What would Uncle Daniel have -done with that? He and Aunt Mena had -settles of their own. Would he have left it -there for Jacob Calf? And the dear, battered -furniture, the high chair which had -held them all, from William down to Albert,—would -he have sold them? It would be -like killing a live creature to break up that -home. Sarah gave up her own dreams cheerfully. -She thought no more of the "Normal." -If they could only stay together, she -would ask no more of fate.</p> - -<div class="chapter"><hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV</h2> - -<p class="center">THERE IS COMPANY TO SUPPER</p></div> - - -<p class="p2">Miss Miflin wondered day after day why -the Wenner twins did not come to school. -She knew that their father had died,—that -would account for three or four days, but -why had they not come back after the funeral?</p> - -<p>It was true that their absence made Miss -Miflin's life much easier. They were not only -very active themselves, but they were able to -incite the best-behaved of schools to mischief. -When Miss Miflin heard confusion behind -her as she put a problem on the board, she -needed only to call out, "Ellen Louisa!" -and then "Louisa Ellen!" and the noise -ceased.</p> - -<p>When they were approached in private, -the twins were as shy as rabbits. They stood<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> -twisting their aprons and looking at each -other as though Miss Miflin were an ogress. -There seemed to be in them the same strange -quality that Miss Miflin had discovered in -William and Sarah,—a certain standing on -guard. It had prevented Miss Miflin from -writing to William to try to straighten out -the miserable tangle which they had made -of their friendship; it made her think of -Sarah as a rather reserved young woman, -instead of a lonely little girl. It made her -hesitate even to offer her sympathy now that -Sarah's father was dead. She was not a Pennsylvania -German, and it seemed to her that -they did not thoroughly trust her.</p> - -<p>She was always prepared for the unexpected -in the twins' behavior; but when, -one morning late in March, they appeared at -the school-door carrying an old shot-gun, -the same which had done such deadly execution -upon the frightened Jacob Kalb, she -said aloud, "Well, what next!" Then she -went down the aisle to speak to them.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I am glad to see you back, Ellen Louisa -and Louisa Ellen." She had long since discovered -that any attempt to abbreviate the -names of the twins was not received with -favor.</p> - -<p>"Yes, ma'am," the twins answered politely. -They could not have told why they -were so mischievous; it was a Topsy-like obsession -which they could not control. They -both blindly adored Miss Miflin.</p> - -<p>"And why do you come to school armed -as though you were going to war?"</p> - -<p>The twins giggled. The idea of going to -war pleased them.</p> - -<p>"So nobody shall carry us off," answered -Louisa Ellen.</p> - -<p>"Is anybody likely to carry you off?" -asked Miss Miflin, smiling. She had seen at -once that the gun was useless as a weapon.</p> - -<p>"Yes, ma'am," answered Ellen Louisa.</p> - -<p>Miss Miflin smiled again. It was time to -begin school, and she supposed it was all one -of the twins' tricks.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Put the gun in the corner and go to -your seats," she said.</p> - -<p>An hour later Miss Miflin heard a stir in -the back of the room.</p> - -<p>"Ellen—" she began. Then she followed -the children's gaze toward the window.</p> - -<p>Sarah Wenner stood there, looking in, as -though she only meant to assure herself of -the twins' presence. But what a changed, -wild-eyed Sarah! Miss Miflin dropped chalk -and ruler and went to the door.</p> - -<p>"Sarah!" she called.</p> - -<p>Sarah came hurriedly from the other side -of the schoolhouse.</p> - -<p>"I didn't mean anything," she explained. -"I wanted just to see if Ellen Louisa and -Louisa Ellen were in school, that was all."</p> - -<p>She did not say that the twins had added -another frightened hour to those which had -made her face so white. They had slipped -away while she went to the barn.</p> - -<p>"Didn't you want them to come to -school?" asked Miss Miflin.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Ach, yes!" cried Sarah. "I want them -to go every day in the school."</p> - -<p>Belief and the sight of Miss Miflin were -already patting some color into her cheeks.</p> - -<p>"Are you well, Sarah?" asked Miss Miflin.</p> - -<p>"Ach, yes!" answered Sarah. "But now -I must go home. You must excuse me while -I disturbed the school for you. Here is lunch -for Ellen Louisa and Louisa Ellen, then -they need not come all the way home for -dinner. Will you—will you watch them, so -they do not go off to play at recess? Just -give it to them if they are not good. I will -then walk a piece way along to meet them -when they come home from school."</p> - -<p>Sarah was gone before Miss Miflin could -ask any more questions. She saw her look -back as she tramped along the muddy road, -then she vanished behind a hedge of alders. -Miss Miflin was puzzled and disturbed.</p> - -<p>It was almost an hour before Sarah reached -the Eberts' door. She was inexpressibly tired, -and the roads were deep with mud. She had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> -not been sleeping well at night. Uncle -Daniel had made no farther move, but she -felt that the delay was only a truce. She had -seen nothing of Albert, though it had been -several weeks since his uncle had carried him -away. They were guarding him well.</p> - -<p>Ebert had not come to plough, and Sarah -was worried. She had looked for him day after -day, and now she feared that he was sick.</p> - -<p>She could get no answer when she knocked -at the door. The house was closed, yet in -the field near by the earth had been turned -up that morning. Why did they not answer? -She could not know that Mrs. Ebert watched -her from an upper window, with tears in her -eyes.</p> - -<p>"I wasn't going to tell her that you -wouldn't plough for her," she said to her husband -at noon.</p> - -<p>"Well, I guess I am not going to plough -and then let Swartz have the benefit," answered -Ebert.</p> - -<p>Troubled and anxious, Sarah went on to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span>ward -home. As she turned to go up the lane -she saw a man at work in the north field. -Ah, Ebert had begun! Then her flying feet -halted. The horses were Uncle Daniel's -grays, the man was Jacob Kalb. Sarah cried -out as though she had been struck.</p> - -<p>Then she saw that the fence was down. -It was not a worm-fence, which could be put -up again in a little while, but a stout "post -and rail." The posts had been taken out. -The two fields formed together a great slope -which ran from the Wenners' garden to the -edge of the Swartzes' yard.</p> - -<p>Sarah gathered her shawl a little closer -about her and ran on.</p> - -<p>"Get out, Jacob Kalb!" she called.</p> - -<p>For a minute Jacob looked as though he -meant to run. He had protested against coming -to plough so near the house, for fear that -Sarah might "do him something." Now he -saw that Sarah did not carry a gun. He -mocked her rudely.</p> - -<p>"Get out, Sarah Wenner!"</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I tell you, you shall go away, Jacob -Kalb," she shouted. "This is not your -land."</p> - -<p>Jacob laughed. "<i>You</i> will have to go -pretty soon away," he said.</p> - -<p>Sarah could eat no dinner, but sat at the -window watching. Already the boundary between -the two farms was fast disappearing. -How would they be able ever to find it again? -What would her mother and father have -said? What would William say when he came -home?</p> - -<p><i>When</i> he came home. It was growing to be -<i>if</i> he came home in Sarah's mind. Anxiety -was doing its work.</p> - -<p>She remembered things which she had -heard as a child and forgotten,—her mother's -sharp criticism of Daniel Swartz's meanness, -her father's good-natured laughter. She -did not know how easily that same dear, -thoughtless father might have made it impossible -for his brother-in-law to interfere -with them. He might easily have provided<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> -another guardian for his children. He had -meant to,—that much must be said for him,—but -he was a procrastinator, and at the -end there had been no time.</p> - -<p>Sarah could not go now to meet the twins -when they came from school; she did not dare -to leave the house. Jacob Kalb might take -possession while she was away.</p> - -<p>The afternoon passed slowly. Toward evening, -there was a late flurry of snow. And -the twins did not come. Sarah ran part way -down the lane,—they were not yet in sight,—then -she went to the barn to milk, her -ears straining to hear any unfriendly sound. -It soothed and comforted her to be with the -friendly beasts which she loved. Both "Mooley" -and "Curly" had been born on the -place, they were part of the living fibre of -the homestead.</p> - -<p>It was fortunate that the twins called to -Sarah before they ran up to the door of -the barn, for another shock was more than -Sarah could have borne at that moment. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> -twins' voices trembled with some exciting -news.</p> - -<p>"She came along home with us," said -Louisa Ellen.</p> - -<p>"She carried the gun for us," said Ellen -Louisa.</p> - -<p>"She is waiting at the front door."</p> - -<p>"Who is waiting at the front door?" asked -Sarah. Then she added fearfully, "Aunt -Mena?"</p> - -<p>"No, teacher."</p> - -<p>"Teacher!" repeated Sarah. "Wh-what -did she come for? Have you then not been -smart?"</p> - -<p>"For to see us," said Louisa Ellen impatiently. -"She is coming for company. She—"</p> - -<p>Sarah had crossed the lane, a milk-pail in -either hand.</p> - -<p>"Come," she called, in a voice which was -meant to be a whisper, but which Miss -Miflin, waiting on the broad doorstep, heard -clearly. "Hurry yourselves, and fix a little up. -Perhaps—" Sarah could scarcely speak for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> -excitement. "Perhaps she will stay for supper."</p> - -<p>A moment later, she opened the front door. -Her black hair was brushed back a little more -closely to her head, her face shone, the great -white apron which she had hastily put on -over her gingham one was much longer than -her dress, and from the back her gray-stockinged -ankles could be seen outlined against -it in pathetic thinness.</p> - -<p>"Come in, teacher," she begged shyly. -"Come once into the room [parlor] and I -will hurry make a fire."</p> - -<p>"Oh no," said Miss Miflin. "I'll come -back to the kitchen with you. I didn't come -to be company. I came to bring the twins -home, and the gun."</p> - -<p>"The gun!" repeated Sarah. "Did they -then take the gun along? Come in. It doesn't -look here so good like always. I—I didn't -work this afternoon so very much. I—"</p> - -<p>And Sarah ushered Miss Miflin into the -immaculate kitchen.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span></p> - -<p>Miss Miflin breathed a sigh of relief. The -chill of the house had struck into her heart. -Could William have lived <i>here</i>? Then she -saw the glow of the fire, the bright rag carpet, -the blooming geraniums in the window. -This looked like William. Miss Miflin put -out her hand and drew Ellen Louisa, in a -clean white apron, to her side. She, too, was -William's.</p> - -<p>"I wonder whether you would let me stay -for supper?" she asked.</p> - -<p>The glow in Sarah's face answered her.</p> - -<p>"If it is you good enough," answered -Sarah humbly.</p> - -<p>"Good enough!" laughed Miss Miflin. -She pulled off her over-shoes and slipped out -of her coat. She had no home of her own, -and had been boarding at a country hotel -for three years. "But you children don't -stay here alone at night!"</p> - -<p>"Yes," said Sarah.</p> - -<p>"But aren't you afraid?"</p> - -<p>"Ach, no! Nobody would do us anything,"<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> -stammered Sarah. She could not tell this -stranger any of their troubles.</p> - -<p>"But haven't you a little brother?" Miss -Miflin looked round the kitchen.</p> - -<p>"Yes, ma'am," answered Sarah. She suddenly -put out her hand, and laid it on Louisa -Ellen's shoulder, and Louisa Ellen closed her -lips as though she had meant to speak, but -had changed her mind. "Yes, Albert. He -is now by my uncle."</p> - -<p>"And don't any of your uncle's people -come to stay with you at night?"</p> - -<p>"Ach, no!" answered Sarah. Suddenly -she felt her voice give way. There was something -in Miss Miflin's brown, astonished eyes -which made her feel that she might cry. But -that would never do. "T-take a ch-chair. -I-I guess you had to laugh at how the twins -learned their lessons. I taught them while -they were at home."</p> - -<p>"They learned them well," replied Miss -Miflin. "Now I am going to help get supper."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span></p> - -<p>The twins could scarcely believe their eyes. -It was as though a fairy had come to the -farmhouse, a dear, capable fairy, who could -dry dishes and cut bread, and magically -change tired, care-worn Sarah into the gay, -cheerful Sarah of old. It was almost nine -o'clock when Ellen Louisa turned from the -window, against which she had been flattening -her nose.</p> - -<p>"It's snowing again," she announced.</p> - -<p>Miss Miflin looked up in dismay. She had -forgotten how fast the time was passing. -Sarah never knew that, summoned by her -stories and her love, it seemed to Miss Miflin -that William was there with them.</p> - -<p>"I shall have to go at once," she cried. -"I had no idea it was so late."</p> - -<p>Sarah clasped her hands together.</p> - -<p>"You are welcome to stay here," she said. -"If it is you good enough, you are welcome -to stay here!"</p> - -<p>Miss Miflin crossed the room to look out -of the window.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I guess I'll have to. Then I can take the -twins with me to school in the morning and -they won't need the gun. And why do they -want to run away, where some one might pick -them up? And who wants to pick them up?"</p> - -<p>It was a second before Sarah answered. -Suppose she should tell Miss Miflin about -Uncle Daniel, and about Jacob Kalb, and all -her anxieties and fears? But, no, it would -never do. It made her ashamed to think of -Uncle Daniel. She did not believe William -would like her to tell. She frowned again at -Louisa Ellen.</p> - -<p>"Ach, they are a little wild," she explained. -"They like their school, but they are a -little wild."</p> - -<p>By this time Miss Miflin had a delighted -and sleepy twin on each side of her on the -settle.</p> - -<p>"But they are not going to be wild any -more," she said.</p> - -<p>Sarah was asleep that night almost before -her head touched the pillow. It seemed to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> -her that peace had descended upon her heart, -and hopes for a better day.</p> - -<p>It was midnight when she suddenly awoke. -Miss Miflin was standing beside the bed.</p> - -<p>"Sarah! Sarah, dear, wake up. Your uncle -is here and wants you."</p> - -<p>Sarah tried to open her drowsy eyes.</p> - -<p>"He can't have them," she said, bewildered. -"Tell him he must go away."</p> - -<p>"But listen, Sarah. He says Albert is sick -and they want you."</p> - -<p>Sarah sat up at once.</p> - -<p>"He is waiting for you at the door. Come, -I'll help you with your clothes. Don't come -back to-night. I'll get breakfast for the twins. -No, Sarah, the other shoe. No, you must put -on all your warm clothes. There! Now, I'll -come downstairs with you."</p> - -<p>Sarah was too dazed with fright and sleep -to speak. Miss Miflin was shocked at the -anguish in her face. She put out her arms, -and for one blessed moment Sarah felt the -close pressure of sympathy and love.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span></p> - -<p>"There, Sarah, dear! I'll look after the -twins and the house, and to-morrow you must -tell me everything, Sarah."</p> - -<p>Miss Miflin opened the door, and told Uncle -Daniel who she was, and Sarah went out. -With confidence which touched even Uncle -Daniel himself, she put her hand in his.</p> - -<p>"Come, let us hurry," she whispered.</p> - -<div class="chapter"><hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V</h2> - -<p class="center">THE BLOW FALLS</p></div> - - -<p class="p2">Sarah never forgot the wet, cold walk -across the fields. The stars were out, and -there was promise of a clear day, but the -melted snow made the soil wet and muddy, -and the air was damp. Uncle Daniel strode -on, without remembering to moderate his -long steps, and Sarah almost ran by his side.</p> - -<p>She was wide awake now, the cool air on -her face banished all drowsiness of body, -and Albert's danger roused every faculty of -her mind.</p> - -<p>"How long was he sick already?" she -asked.</p> - -<p>"Since this morning. But he has been for -a couple of days not so good."</p> - -<p>"Where is he sick?"</p> - -<p>"He won't eat nothing, and—and he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> -don't know us. He—he—" Uncle Daniel's -voice shook. He had had a hard day. He -was desperately frightened about Albert, -and Aunt 'Liza had not made him more comfortable -by insisting that it was a punishment -for wanting his sister's farm.</p> - -<p>"He will know me," answered Sarah with -conviction. Then she began to run up the -lane toward the house. She could see a light -in an upstairs room, and Aunt Eliza's face -was already peering anxiously out of the -kitchen door.</p> - -<p>"Albert is worse," she called. "He is -talking all the time."</p> - -<p>Sarah pushed past her into the kitchen. -She had not been in the house since she was -a little girl,—so entirely apart had been the -lives of the two families,—but she knew the -way to the stairway door. One after another -the natural ills of childhood came to her -mind. Albert and the twins had had chickenpox -and measles and whooping-cough and -mumps, and she had nursed them all. She<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> -thought of the dreaded scarlet fever and -diphtheria. But there was none in the neighborhood.</p> - -<p>She hurried up the stairway, as there -floated down a tiny, querulous voice,—</p> - -<p>"I want my Sarah! I want my Sarah!"</p> - -<p>Albert lay deep in the great feather-bed, -his cheeks a flaming crimson, his arms tossing -restlessly. Even when Sarah bent over -him, he did not know her, but kept on with -his restless crying. She put her hand on his -hot forehead, she opened the collar of his -night-gown.</p> - -<p>When Aunt Eliza and Uncle Daniel came -into the room, she turned upon them a look -of such anguish that Aunt 'Liza began to -cry, and Uncle Daniel sat down weakly in a -chair.</p> - -<p>"Is it the smallpox?" asked Aunt 'Liza -fearfully.</p> - -<p>Sarah did not answer. She looked at -Albert once more. Long before, when her -mother was living, the twins had found the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> -Christmas candy, and had eaten it all in a day. -Then the twins had had a sorry time. They -had looked just like this.</p> - -<p>"What did you give Albert to eat?" she -demanded.</p> - -<p>"Ach! bread and meat and potatoes and -pie, like always, and—"</p> - -<p>"And what?" insisted Sarah.</p> - -<p>"And a few crullers."</p> - -<p>"And what yet?"</p> - -<p>"And a little candy."</p> - -<p>"How much candy?"</p> - -<p>"Ach, such a little bag full."</p> - -<p>"And what yet?"</p> - -<p>"A few peanuts," answered Uncle Daniel -doggedly.</p> - -<p>"Get me warm water and mustard," commanded -Sarah.</p> - -<p>"C-can you make him well, Sarah?" -faltered Aunt 'Liza. But she did not stop -to hear the answer. At that moment she did -not even feel the humiliation of having to -obey fifteen-year-old Sarah.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span></p> - -<p>In less than an hour, a watcher might -have seen the lights in the Swartz farmhouse -go out, one by one. Albert was asleep long -before that, the flush faded from his cheek, -the fever gone, a faint smile upon the little -face on Sarah's arm. It would have been -hard to tell which slept more soundly, doctor -or patient.</p> - -<p>In the next room Daniel Swartz lay wide -awake. These weeks of Albert's stay with -them had not been easy. It was not entirely -pie and cake and candy which had made -Albert sick; it was a disease which no heroic -measures could cure, homesickness, and -Uncle Daniel knew it.</p> - -<p>"I never saw such a young one," he said -angrily. "I was never so very for my brothers -and sisters when I was little."</p> - -<p>"Will you let him go home?" asked -Aunt 'Liza timidly. The last weeks had worn -more heavily upon her than upon her husband, -since she had to watch all day long that -white, woe-begone little face.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Let him go home!" repeated Swartz. -"When I am to be guardian to-morrow! I -guess not. To-morrow Sarah has to come -here. That will cure him."</p> - -<p>It was long after daybreak when Sarah -woke. Albert slept quietly beside her, and it -was not likely that he would wake for several -hours. She dressed hurriedly and went downstairs.</p> - -<p>There she found Aunt Liza washing dishes -and Uncle Daniel moving impatiently about, -dressed in his best clothes.</p> - -<p>"I didn't go yet to town, because I want -to talk to you a little, Sarah," he began. -"Sit down once and Aunt 'Lizie will give -you your breakfast."</p> - -<p>"But I must go home," objected Sarah. -"Albert will be all right, only he must -not have anything to eat yet awhile, only -milk to drink. And he mustn't have candy, -or he will get just so sick for you again. He -is too little to have so much candy."</p> - -<p>"But you stay here now and take care of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> -him," invited Uncle Daniel pleasantly. Now -that he had everything in his hands he was -prepared to be thoroughly amiable.</p> - -<p>"I can come back," replied Sarah. His -good humor frightened her, and she moved -a little closer to the door. "But first I -must go and milk. It is already late to -milk."</p> - -<p>"Jacob Kalb's wife went down this long -time to milk," put in Aunt 'Liza.</p> - -<p>"Jacob Kalb's wife!" repeated Sarah.</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p>"Well, I'll go down and she can go home," -said Sarah. "I—I don't need Jacob Kalb's -wife to help. Then I can come back to see -Albert."</p> - -<p>She remembered afterwards that Aunt -'Liza had begun to speak, and that she had -been sharply checked by Uncle Daniel. But -she did not wait to hear. Jacob Kalb's wife -was only a shade less disagreeable than Jacob -himself. She could not bear to think of -her touching her milk-pans or going into the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> -spring-house or kitchen. She ran as swiftly -as she could down across the fields.</p> - -<p>When she reached the kitchen door, she -was faint with exhaustion. At first everything -was black before her. Then she saw -Jacob Kalb's wife standing by the stove. She -was a large, fair-haired woman, with strong, -bare arms. She had just lifted a pie from the -oven and stood with it still in her hands, -looking at little Sarah.</p> - -<p>"I—I—you needn't bake for me," said -Sarah when she could get her breath. "I am -much obliged that you did the milking, but -you need not bake for me."</p> - -<p>"I am baking for myself," answered Mrs. -Kalb stolidly.</p> - -<p>"Well, you needn't bake <i>here</i>," cried -Sarah.</p> - -<p>Suddenly there came a rush of comprehension. -It seemed for an instant as though she -could neither breathe nor think. Her uncle -had made Albert sick, he had sent for her to -cure him, and then he had sent this woman<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> -down here to take possession. She moved a -step closer.</p> - -<p>"Go out of my kitchen," she commanded -thickly. "This is my kitchen, it isn't yours. -These are my things, they are not yours. -They are not my uncle's. He had no right -to send you here. You could be arrested for -it. It is stealing. Get out of my kitchen."</p> - -<p>Suddenly everything seemed to grow black -once more, and Sarah reeled. The woman -came toward her.</p> - -<p>"Are you sick? You better sit down once. -It isn't my fault that I have to live here. If -I don't live here, somebody else will. Let -me take off your shawl for you."</p> - -<p>"Ach, no!" cried little Sarah. "Don't -touch me! Don't touch me!"</p> - -<p>"I guess I won't do you anything if I touch -you," answered the woman, the kindness in -her voice changing to irritation. "Well, what -in the world—"</p> - -<p>Sarah had gone, leaving the door open behind -her. Mrs. Kalb watched her run down<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> -the lane, stopping occasionally to gasp for -breath.</p> - -<p>"Let her go and talk to Swartz," muttered -Mrs. Kalb to herself. Then she went back -to her work.</p> - -<p>Sarah did not turn to go across the fields -to the Swartz house, but went on out to the -high-road. There she stood, looking about -her, bewildered.</p> - -<p>The blow had fallen at last. She had expected -it hourly, but she had not foreseen such -heartache as this. She had no home, and the -children had no home, and William, <i>if</i> he -came back, would have no home. The children -might grow accustomed to life at Aunt -Mena's and Uncle Daniel's,—she knew nothing -then of Albert's homesickness,—but -it would not be home. They would grow -away from one another, they would not be -like the children of one family.</p> - -<p>She could not cry, she was too wretched -for tears, she could only stand there in the -road in the sunshine, trying to decide where<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> -she should go. Then suddenly there came to -her the touch of Miss Miflin's arms and the -sound of Miss Miflin's voice.</p> - -<p>"To-morrow, you must tell me everything."</p> - -<p>She did not stop to listen to another voice, -which told her that Miss Miflin was a stranger -who could not really care, and who could not -help. She started away, not running now,—she -was too tired for that,—but walking as -fast as she could, toward the Spring Grove -Schoolhouse.</p> - -<p>Recess had just begun, and the children, -all but the twins, who had been granted the -treasured privilege of cleaning the blackboards, -were in the playground. They looked -up curiously as Sarah went by. The Wenners -had always been clannish. Even the -twins were happier playing by themselves -than with the other children.</p> - -<p>Miss Miflin was shocked at the sight of -Sarah's face. She had not worried about her, -because the woman who had come to milk -had said that Albert was better, and that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> -Sarah was still asleep. She had made up her -mind to go back to the Wenners' that night. -Perhaps if there were a grown person in -the house Sarah would rest, and thus lose -some of the weariness which showed so -plainly in her eyes.</p> - -<p>Now in addition to the weariness, there -was distress such as Miss Miflin had never -seen on the face of a young person. She -went down the aisle to meet her.</p> - -<p>"Well, Sarah," she began. Then she put -out both her arms. "Why, you poor little -girl! What is the matter?"</p> - -<p>"Jacob Kalb is living in our house," said -Sarah hoarsely. "We have no home any -more. The twins must go to Aunt Mena, -and Albert to Uncle Daniel. We have no -home any more. He took it away from us. -It is not right."</p> - -<p>Miss Miflin helped Sarah to her own chair. -Then she took the county paper from her -desk.</p> - -<p>"Sarah, I saw something about you and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> -the children in the paper last week. Don't -you know your uncle is to be your guardian?"</p> - -<p>"Guardian?" repeated Sarah.</p> - -<p>"Yes, here it is. 'Daniel Swartz, of -Spring Grove township, has applied to be -appointed guardian of Sarah, Ellen Louisa, -Louisa Ellen, and Albert Wenner, minor -children of Henry Wenner, deceased.' Oh, -Sarah, that means you will have to do as he -says!"</p> - -<p>"We would have to do as he says whether -he was guardian or not," said Sarah dully. -"He wants to take the farm. He has already -taken the fence down. It is nothing to be -done." Then she burst into tears. "If they -would only give me a chance once! If they -would let me try, I could show them what I -could do. I know how the crops should be, -and Ebert would work for the half, now like -always. It would be just like when my pop -was alive. Or if Uncle Daniel would farm -and give us the half, like Ebert, so we could<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> -get along. Then we could stay together. -But now we have nothing. If William comes -home, he won't have any place to go. He -won't—"</p> - -<p>"Listen a minute, Sarah!" said Miss -Miflin. Then she did not go on at once, but -turned over the paper with hands which -trembled.</p> - -<p>"Who makes him guardian?" asked -Sarah.</p> - -<p>"The judge," replied Miss Miflin absently.</p> - -<p>"If I only could—"</p> - -<p>"Wait a minute," said Miss Miflin again. -"It may not have been decided yet. Perhaps -if we went in, they would let us talk. -Perhaps—"</p> - -<p>Her hand went out suddenly to the bell-rope.</p> - -<p>"There is a train in half an hour. We -shall have to hurry. Come, children, get -your caps and shawls. There will be no more -school till to-morrow."</p> - -<p>Sarah looked at her dully. She had no<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> -idea of what Miss Miflin meant to do. The -children vanished with whoops of delight -over the unexpected holiday.</p> - -<p>"Now, Sarah, we are going to town."</p> - -<p>"To town! To the <i>county seat</i>?"</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p>"But—but I have no money!"</p> - -<p>"Well, I have."</p> - -<p>"But I—I cannot leave the twins!"</p> - -<p>"They are to come too."</p> - -<p>"In these clothes?" Sarah had never -been to the county seat but once, and then -she had worn her best.</p> - -<p>"Yes. There isn't time to get any others."</p> - -<p>While Miss Miflin spoke, she locked the -door of the schoolhouse, and took Sarah's -arm in hers. Her cheeks were flushed, and -she looked anxious and worried. She was perfectly -aware that it was probably a fruitless -errand upon which she was starting. Before -they could get to the county seat, the appointment -might be made. And even if they did -get there in time, she was not sure whether<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> -anything could be done. If they failed, it -might not only make it harder for the children, -but she might lose her school. Daniel -Swartz was a man of influence and a school-director, -and he could easily prevent her re-election -if he tried.</p> - -<p>Nevertheless, in spite of all the dictates of -reason and common sense, Miss Miflin had -an inward conviction that she was right. She -knew vaguely that there had been some -trouble between the Swartz and Wenner families, -and that Henry Wenner would never -have chosen his brother-in-law to be guardian -of his children. Surely that would have some -weight with the judge!</p> - -<p>If Sarah could only be led to talk, if she -could make the judge believe that she was -able to run the farm and look after the children, -he might, as Sarah had said, be willing -to "let her try." And deep in Miss Miflin's -heart was the remembrance of Sarah's anguished -cry, "If William comes home, he -won't have any place to go."</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 421px;"> -<img src="images/p094.jpg" width="421" height="600" alt="" /> -<div class="caption">THE STATION AGENT LOOKED AT THEM CURIOUSLY</div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span></p> - -<p>If William came home! Miss Miflin sighed -for some of the childish affection which followed -thoughtless, wandering William. Suppose -that he should come home, ill, penniless, -where would he go? Miss Miflin drew Sarah's -hand a little closer within her arm.</p> - -<p>"Cheer up, Sarah," she said. "We'll win."</p> - -<p>Even the station agent, accustomed to provincial -costumes, looked at them curiously as -they got on the train. Miss Miflin wore her -school suit and hat,—no one could have -found fault with them upon the grounds of -suitability or becomingness. But Sarah and -the twins, in their striped shawls and sunbonnets, -were very unlike what one would -have expected Miss Miflin's companions to -be.</p> - -<p>There was no doubt that they were her companions, -however, for she asked the conductor -to reverse a seat, and with Sarah beside -her, and the eager, restless twins opposite, -she was as oblivious of the interested stares -of the passengers as though she were in her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> -own class-room at Spring Grove. The twins -were wild with delight at the journey. Here -was another adventure, more exciting than -running away from Aunt Mena, or carrying -a gun to school.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, with an hour's start, and -behind Betty, the fast little mare, Uncle Daniel -and Jacob Kalb were just finishing the -twelve-mile journey to the county seat.</p> - -<div class="chapter"><hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI</h2> - -<p class="center">THE ORPHANS' COURT</p></div> - - -<p class="p2">The curious eyes which watched Miss Miflin -and the children on the train were multiplied -tenfold when they found themselves on the -streets of the county seat. Miss Miflin was -pretty enough to attract attention anywhere, -but she had never before been so frankly stared -at. She was well aware that the children in their -striped shawls and little sunbonnets and gray -home-knit stockings looked strange in a -town where for twenty years little girls had -been wearing coats and hats.</p> - -<p>"Is it a show?" she heard one impertinent -boy ask another.</p> - -<p>"See here, once," a man exclaimed. -"That's the way the little girls looked when -I was a boy."</p> - -<p>Miss Miflin was the only member of her<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> -party who was at all disturbed by the interested -residents of the county seat. The -tired look was gone from Sarah's face, her -eyes sparkled; for a few minutes, in her delight -over the strange sights, she forgot her -anxiety and fear. Here were the wonderful -"electricity cars," which frightened the twins -nearly out of their wits.</p> - -<p>"Where are then the horses?" they demanded -together. "What makes it go? Will -it come after us?"</p> - -<p>The twins held each other tightly by the -hand, their desire to run ahead and their -fear of becoming separated from Miss Miflin -making their gait very uncertain. Once she -and Sarah almost stumbled over them, when -they stopped short to contemplate the wonders -of the tall Powers Building, in course -of erection on the other side of the street.</p> - -<p>Miss Miflin was not sorry when the gray -walls of the court house appeared before them. -She would be glad to get her charges safely -within doors.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span></p> - -<p>The twins, however, had stopped again. -They had loosened their grasp on each other, -and were standing with clasped hands and -rapturous gaze.</p> - -<p>"What is it?" asked Miss Miflin. Then -she followed their glance to a little peanut -and candy stand near by.</p> - -<p>"Peanuts!" said Louisa Ellen rapturously.</p> - -<p>"Candy!" said Ellen Louisa.</p> - -<p>There was a shocked "Ach, aren't you -ashamed!" from Sarah, and a laugh from -Miss Miflin.</p> - -<p>"Wait till we go home," she said.</p> - -<p>Then, together, she and Sarah pushed open -the heavy door of the court house.</p> - -<p>They found themselves in a great, empty -hall, with many doors on each side. The twins, -after a moment's silent contemplation, tried -to puzzle out the signs above the doors. -"Clerk of the Court" was easy. "District -Attorney" and "Prothonotary" were harder.</p> - -<p>"Are we going to one of those places?" -whispered Louisa Ellen. They had never<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> -been to a circus, but they were feeling the -same pleasant thrills that a small boy would -feel at sight of the closed tents.</p> - -<p>"I don't know," answered Miss Miflin, -more to herself than to them. "We must -see some one."</p> - -<p>"Could I go and ask?" inquired Sarah.</p> - -<p>"No," answered Miss Miflin. "Are you -afraid to wait here a minute with the twins, -while I see what I can do?"</p> - -<p>At that moment a door at the upper end -of the hall opened, and a tall gentleman -came toward them. At sight of them his step -slackened, and he looked at them curiously. -He, too, remembered the little Pennsylvania -German schoolhouse to which he had gone -as a small boy. He did not wait for Miss -Miflin to speak to him.</p> - -<p>"Is there anything I can do for you?" -he asked courteously.</p> - -<p>Miss Miflin looked up into the kindly face.</p> - -<p>"Why, yes. But it would take a few minutes -to explain, and I don't like to keep you."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Oh, I shall be glad to help. Only—" -The gentleman looked back over his shoulder. -The door of the prothonotary's office -had opened. In a moment two or three idle -young clerks would be in the hall, curious -to see the girl whose voice they heard. He -opened the nearest door, and stepped back -for Miss Miflin and the twins to enter. -"Come in here," he said.</p> - -<p>The little room into which they went was -stiffly furnished in the fashion of fifty years -ago, as an ante-room to the judge's private -office. It was not often used; the horsehair-covered -chairs, set neatly against the wall, -and the dark heavy velvet curtains were -unworn. To the twins it was a marvelously -beautiful place. Miss Miflin and Sarah saw -nothing but the kindly face which invited -them to tell their story.</p> - -<p>"These children are orphans," Miss Miflin -began. "Their father was Henry Wenner of -Spring Grove township, who died about a -month ago. He had been an invalid for some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> -years, and Sarah, the oldest girl, managed -the farm."</p> - -<p>"Ebert ploughed for me and farmed for -the half," explained Sarah. She had taken -her sunbonnet off, and her bright eyes looked -first at the stranger, then at Miss Miflin. -"He would help me yet. I could get good -along, if they would only leave me be."</p> - -<p>"The father made no will, and no provision -for the children, but it was his wish that -they stay together."</p> - -<p>"And mom said always so too," added -Sarah.</p> - -<p>"Are there any relatives?" asked the -stranger.</p> - -<p>"Yes, their mother's brother, Daniel -Swartz. He lives on the next farm. But -there was never any friendship between the -two families while these children's parents -lived. Now he has made application to be appointed -guardian, and it doesn't seem necessary -or right that he should be. He—"</p> - -<p>"You see it is this way," said Sarah. "He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> -wanted always the farm. It was once all my -gran'pop's farm. He wanted my pop and -mom should move away and sell it to him -once. Now he won't have it that we keep it -like my pop said we should. The twins shall -live by Aunt Mena, and Albert and I shall -live by him, and we won't have no home any -more, and—"</p> - -<p>Miss Miflin laid a hand on Sarah's knee.</p> - -<p>"We didn't mean to trouble you with all -this," she said gently. "I just wanted to -know what we should do, to whom we should -go. I thought that if Daniel Swartz hadn't -been made guardian yet, perhaps there was -some way of stopping it, and you could tell -us to what official we should apply."</p> - -<p>"There would have to be a hearing before -the judge, and their uncle would have to be -notified, so that he could defend himself," -answered the gentleman slowly. He looked -down once more at Sarah and the twins. -"They are pretty young to be looking after -themselves," he said.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span></p> - -<p>"I am fifteen years old," said Sarah. "And -if they would take the farm and only leave -me raise chickens I can get along."</p> - -<p>The stranger's eyes met Miss Miflin's.</p> - -<p>"She is a very capable little girl," said -Miss Miflin.</p> - -<p>Then the twins, who had marveled at the -"electricity cars" and the tall buildings, were -still further astonished. The gentleman got -up and crossed the room, and took down -a little horn which was hanging against the -wall. Then he began to talk. The twins' -mouths opened involuntarily.</p> - -<p>"Is this the clerk's office? Can you get -Weaver and his client—" He turned to -Sarah. "What did you say the uncle's name -is? Swartz? Oh yes—Can you get Weaver -and Swartz here for a hearing this afternoon? -They're in the court-house now? Oh, -very well. Yes, right away."</p> - -<p>Then the stranger hung up the little horn -once more. He smiled at Miss Miflin and the -children.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Would you mind coming to tell the judge -what you have told me?" he said.</p> - -<p>"Will it be in the court-room?" asked -Miss Miflin. She grew more and more poignantly -conscious of the strangeness of her -errand. But this stranger was evidently accustomed -to court business and he seemed -encouraging.</p> - -<p>"Oh no. The sessions of the Orphans' -Court are held in the judge's office. This -way." And he opened a door leading into the -next room.</p> - -<p>Miss Miflin felt Sarah's tight grasp on her -arm, and the twins came close behind. This -room was much larger than the one they were -leaving. There was no carpet on the floor, -and no attempt at elegant furniture. At one -end was a plain, businesslike desk, and the -twenty or thirty chairs which stood about -the room were straight and uncushioned.</p> - -<p>To Miss Miflin's distress, almost every chair -was occupied. The stranger frowned a little -when he saw the audience. It took a very<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> -short time for the news of an interesting case -to spread through the court-house.</p> - -<p>But Miss Miflin's surprise was nothing to -be compared to the surprise of two of the occupants -of the wooden chairs. Daniel Swartz's -eyes widened, and Jacob Kalb nudged him -visibly.</p> - -<p>"It is Sarah and the zwillings," he cried. -"Sarah and the zwillings!"</p> - -<p>Uncle Daniel had had a moment of severe -fright. The lawyer had told him that they -had only to go to the court-house to get the -papers. But his fright passed.</p> - -<p>"Pooh, what do I care?" he said. "I have -my lawyer, and I paid him twenty-five dollars -already. I am not afraid of no zwillings. -Nor yet no school-teacher," he added under -his breath. In Uncle Daniel's mind, the days -of Miss Miflin in the Spring Grove School -were numbered.</p> - -<p>But the surprises were not yet over. The -tall gentleman found places for Miss Miflin -and the children near the desk at the front<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> -of the room. Sarah looked up at him with a -mixture of gratitude and alarm.</p> - -<p>"Couldn't you stay by us?" she whispered.</p> - -<p>The stranger laughed.</p> - -<p>"I'm not going away," he answered. Then -to the amazement of Miss Miflin and Sarah -and the consternation of Daniel Swartz, he -took his place behind the desk.</p> - -<p>"They were already by the judge!" said -Uncle Daniel. "It is not fair, it—"</p> - -<p>"I'd advise you to be quiet," said Mr. -Weaver curtly.</p> - -<p>Sarah seized Miss Miflin's arm.</p> - -<p>"Was it—was—it <i>him</i>?" she asked.</p> - -<p>"Yes," answered Miss Miflin. "It was."</p> - -<p>She saw the judge smiling at their surprise, -and she felt suddenly that it was all -less of a wild-goose chase than she had feared.</p> - -<p>It was comforting, also, that there was -about this hearing none of the formality of -a court trial. The judge wore no gown, there -was no prisoners' dock, no loud-voiced crier;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> -it was more like the office of a country squire. -Miss Miflin whispered to the twins to take -off their sunbonnets, and not to speak unless -the judge spoke to them.</p> - -<p>The clerk of the court read Daniel Swartz's -application, and then Mr. Weaver rose. He -had not anticipated any objections, and he -was not in a good humor. He felt that he -was wasting his time over an unimportant -case. He said briefly that the children had -no natural guardian, except their uncle Daniel -Swartz, an upright, prosperous man, who -was willing to take from his own important -business the time necessary to look after -their affairs.</p> - -<p>"He is a school-director, a member of the -Reformed Church in good standing, and a -prosperous farmer. Could a more suitable -person be found? The oldest of the children -is fourteen—"</p> - -<p>"I am fifteen," said Sarah.</p> - -<p>The men in the court-room smiled, and the -lawyer went on as though he had not heard.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span></p> - -<p>"It will be years before she is of age. -How can such a child possibly look after a -farm and bring up three children? They do -not <i>want</i> a guardian; few children would, -after having been allowed to run loose for -years. But in their own interest, and in -the interest especially of these younger children, -I ask that Daniel Swartz be made -their guardian."</p> - -<p>Daniel Swartz looked about complacently, -as if challenging those near him to prove -that the lawyer's statements were untrue.</p> - -<p>"To-morrow she loses her school," he -said to Jacob Kalb.</p> - -<p>Then he saw that the judge was speaking -to Miss Miflin.</p> - -<p>"What is your name?"</p> - -<p>"Helen Miflin."</p> - -<p>"You are a school-teacher?"</p> - -<p>"I teach in the Spring Grove Schoolhouse."</p> - -<p>"What interest have you in this case?"</p> - -<p>The judge saw that the flush on Miss<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> -Miflin's cheek deepened, but he thought it -was only a flush of embarrassment.</p> - -<p>"I am fond of these children, and I do -not believe the appointment of Mr. Swartz -as guardian is necessary or right."</p> - -<p>"Why?"</p> - -<p>"Because for years the families have not -been friendly, and Mr. Wenner would never -have chosen Mr. Swartz as the guardian of -his children, and because the children do -not like him."</p> - -<p>"Like me!" exclaimed Daniel Swartz to -the lawyer. "What dumb talk! It makes -nothing out if they like me or not."</p> - -<p>"You will have to be quiet," answered -Mr. Weaver. "It makes a good deal of difference -in the appointment of a guardian."</p> - -<p>"Sarah Wenner," said the judge.</p> - -<p>"Yes, sir," answered Sarah.</p> - -<p>"Why don't you want to live with your -uncle, and have him look after your affairs?"</p> - -<p>"Because my mom said we should stay<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> -always together. It is not right that children -have no home of their own. And my -pop was for three years sick, and Ebert -helped us, and we got good along. He -worked for the half. And I can raise chickens. -And the twins are always good for -me, and Albert is always good for me, and -Uncle Daniel, he knows I can get along. -Albert is already by him, and he gave him -candy till he was sick and I had to go to -cure him. He don't know how to bring up -children, and Aunt 'Lizie don't know. He—he -is always after us. And he came for me -in the night to go to Albert, and when I went -back in the morning Jacob Kalb was living -there already, and baking pies, and—"</p> - -<p>At thought of the morning, the tears -came into Sarah's eyes, and her voice -choked. "If he would only l-leave me be."</p> - -<p>"That will do," said the judge kindly. -He thought that he had never seen the -court-house clerks so quiet. "And you," he -said to the twins, "aren't you willing to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> -be good little girls, and do as Uncle Daniel -wants you to?"</p> - -<p>The twins looked up at the judge, then -round the room. They were frightened and -puzzled. They thought this kindly gentleman -was on their side, but he had made -Sarah cry, and now he wanted them to obey -Uncle Daniel. Then Louisa Ellen put out -her hand and nudged Ellen Louisa.</p> - -<p>The eyes of the judge and the clerks followed -theirs. Uncle Daniel was smiling at -them graciously,—he who usually frowned -so crossly. And as Uncle Daniel smiled, he -put his hand into his pocket and drew out -two shining dollars.</p> - -<p>To the court-room Uncle Daniel's purpose -was evident. The court-room held its -breath. Louisa Ellen's hand tightened on -Ellen Louisa's.</p> - -<p>"Uncle Daniel is going to give us a dollar!" -she said, in tones of such wonder and -amazement that the court-room rocked with -mirth.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;"> -<img src="images/p112.jpg" width="600" height="360" alt="" /> -<div class="caption">UNCLE DANIEL SMILED AND DREW OUT TWO SHINING DOLLARS</div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Order!" said the judge, after a long -minute.</p> - -<p>Then Mr. Weaver knew—though Uncle -Daniel did not as yet—that his cause was -lost. Uncle Daniel put the money back into -his pocket, shamefacedly. This would be -another score to settle with the twins when -this foolish court business was over. Then -he heard that the judge was speaking.</p> - -<p>"Whom would you like to have for your -guardian, children?"</p> - -<p>Sarah looked up at Miss Miflin. To her -the word guardian meant unpleasant oversight, -interference. Must they have a guardian -at all? But Miss Miflin did not seem -troubled in the least. What she said was -unpremeditated; she did not realize until -after the words were out that the lawyer's -sharp eyes and the judge's kindly eyes -were watching her so closely, nor could she -foresee that her face would become a flaming -crimson.</p> - -<p>"I don't see why they need a guardian<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> -at all," she said. "They have an older -brother."</p> - -<p>"Oh," said the judge. "Why, then, was -the application made?"</p> - -<p>At that moment Jacob Kalb had come -finally to the conclusion that he had been -silent long enough.</p> - -<p>"He went three years ago already to -Alaska," he said. "He will never come -home."</p> - -<p>"Oh, he will!" cried little Sarah.</p> - -<p>"And if he does come home," went on -Jacob Kalb coolly, "what will he have to -say about the school-board money that he -took along with him to Alaska?"</p> - -<p>"Oh, for shame!" cried Miss Miflin.</p> - -<p>"Yes," answered Jacob. "Stealing is a -shame."</p> - -<p>"He did <i>not</i> steal!" Miss Miflin's voice -shook. She knew they were watching her -curiously; she heard the door open to admit -another inquisitive clerk, who she saw dimly -was tall and broad of shoulder, but she did<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> -not care if the whole world were there to -hear. "His father paid the money, and he -has never had any chance to defend himself."</p> - -<p>"Stealing is stealing," said Jacob Kalb -doggedly.</p> - -<div class="chapter"><hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII</h2> - -<p class="center">"AND NOW WE WILL GO HOME"</p></div> - - -<p class="p2">On the day upon which she took possession -of the Wenner homestead, Mrs. Jacob Kalb -was destined to have more than one shock. -She let two pies burn while she thought of -little Sarah, who looked so ill, and who had -started away so wildly. She was just about -to put on her shawl and go up to the Swartz -house, to ask whether Sarah was there, when -the door opened again.</p> - -<p>This time it was not pushed open by -Sarah's gentle hand, but was flung back, as -though the master of the house were about -to enter.</p> - -<p>Thinking it was her husband, Mrs. Kalb -did not turn at once.</p> - -<p>"Well, did you get back?" she asked.</p> - -<p>Then, with her arms uplifted to the hook<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> -where her shawl hung, she looked round -over her shoulder.</p> - -<p>A tall young man stood, not on the step, -where tramps and agents belonged, but in -the kitchen itself, his hand on Mrs. Kalb's -freshly scrubbed table.</p> - -<p>"Get out of my kitchen," she commanded. -She was afraid of no tramps, but there was -something in the clear gaze of this young -man which frightened her. But he was clean -and sober, and he looked like some one whom -she knew. "What do you want?" she asked -in a more friendly tone.</p> - -<p>"Who are you?" asked the stranger.</p> - -<p>"I am Mrs. Jacob Kalb, and this is my -house."</p> - -<p>"Where—" said the young man, and -Mrs. Kalb never told the story afterwards -without crying—"where is my mother?"</p> - -<p>"Your mother!" she repeated. She stared -at him with open mouth. Then she said -slowly, "It is William Wenner that you look -like."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span></p> - -<p>"But where," said the young man again, -"is my mother? And my father?"</p> - -<p>Mrs. Kalb's shawl dropped slowly to the -ground.</p> - -<p>"Don't you <i>know</i>?"</p> - -<p>"I don't know anything," said the young -man. "I have been away for three years. I -have had no letters for two years, until last -week. Then I found one in Seattle. I—" -He drew Sarah's poor, little, incoherent -letter from his pocket. "I couldn't make -out what my little sister meant. She says -nothing about my mother or my father."</p> - -<p>Mrs. Kalb was after all a very different -person from her husband. She came round -to where the young man was standing and -made him sit down, and put a kind hand on -his shoulder, while she told him.</p> - -<p>"And you came now just in time," she -sobbed. "The little ones shall go to Uncle -Daniel and Aunt Mena, and he will take the -farm. The fences are down already, and he -is to be guardian. He went this morning to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> -town to get the papers. He and Jacob went. -He said we were to live here. But I wouldn't -'a' come, only somebody would have to live -here, and—"</p> - -<p>The young man was upon his feet.</p> - -<p>"Where is my little sister?"</p> - -<p>"By Aunt 'Liza. And Albert is there, -and Ellie and Weezy are at school." Then -she followed him to the door. "I won't be -here any more when you come back. And I -will have everything cleaned up, and I will -leave some pies."</p> - -<p>If she had doubted his identity, she would -have been convinced by the quick turn -which he made beyond the lilac-bushes, in -order to take the shortest cut across the -fields. She saw him stop for an instant to -stare at the long, unbroken slope, which -stretched clear to Uncle Daniel's door, then -he hurried on.</p> - -<p>Aunt Eliza was frightened almost out of -her wits. He did not speak to her or greet her, -except to say, "Where is my little sister?"</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span></p> - -<p>"William!" screamed Aunt 'Liza. "Ach, -William, did you come home?"</p> - -<p>"Where is my little sister?" He had -always been fond of Aunt Eliza, and she -had always been kind to him. But now -there was no room in his heart for anything -but grief and resentment and anxiety.</p> - -<p>"She is—ach, I don't know where she is. -She went this long time home. But Jacob -Kalb lives now at your house. Ellie and -Weezy are at school, perhaps she went to -them. She is very for the teacher. Perhaps—Here -is your little brother, William. -Here is Albert. He is—he is—" And Aunt -'Liza burst into tears.</p> - -<p>William stooped to kiss him, his lips -trembling.</p> - -<p>"Where is my uncle?"</p> - -<p>"He is gone to—town, William. Ach, sit -down once!"</p> - -<p>"No," said William curtly. "I'll come -back after a while for Albert."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span></p> - -<p>And he was gone, his straight young -shoulders bent.</p> - -<p>He had suffered hardship and disappointment, -but nothing had torn his heart like -this. They must have written, they could -not have been so cruel as to have forgotten -him. It was a common thing for letters to -be lost.</p> - -<p>He read Sarah's letter once more as he -strode along. She said that Uncle Daniel -was after them, and that she had chased -Jacob Kalb off with a gun. He knew Uncle -Daniel's stern determination to have his own -way, he knew how he coveted the farm, he -knew Jacob's meanness. After that he ran -until he came to the schoolhouse door. -That, he found, was closed.</p> - -<p>He rapped heavily; there was no answer. -Then he looked in the window. The room -was empty. As he was turning away in despair, -he heard some one calling him.</p> - -<p>"The school is closed. It won't be open -till to-morrow. Miss Miflin went away."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span></p> - -<p>It was the woman who lived in the next -house. She had been a schoolmate of his -when he was a little boy.</p> - -<p>"Miss Miflin?" he repeated slowly. "Is -she here yet? Don't you know me, Sallie?"</p> - -<p>"No," answered the woman. "I—Why, -<i>William</i>!" She had both his hands in hers, -and could only stare at him speechlessly. -"Why, William! What am I so glad to—" -Then she, too, began to cry. "I can't help -it, William. I am so sorry for you. I—"</p> - -<p>"Do you know anything about my little -sister?" asked William. "They said she had -come over here."</p> - -<p>"Yes, and she was crying, and she talked -to teacher, and they went away, and Ellie -and Weezy. They went to town. It was -something about a guardian. I heard them -talking. But I don't believe they could catch -the nine o'clock train. Perhaps they are yet -at the station. It is another train at eleven." -She finished her sentence in a loud shriek as -William, after glancing at his watch, ran<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> -down the road. "Come soon to see us, -William."</p> - -<p>She watched him until he vanished at the -turn of the road, then she ran out to the -field to tell her husband.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Sarah had often pictured to herself what -she would do when William came home. -Sometimes she seemed to see him coming up -the lane, and herself flying down to meet -him. Sometimes he opened the door and -came into the kitchen and surprised her. -Sometimes she imagined that she would cry; -at other times, after she had been reading, -for ten or fifteen minutes at a time, "Thaddeus -of Warsaw," the one novel which the -Wenners possessed, she was sure that she -should faint. But in all her imaginings, she -never dreamed that she should not know -him.</p> - -<p>She, too, saw the tall, broad-shouldered -young man come into the court-room; she -even looked absently straight into his eyes,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> -with her frightened stare. Then she looked -away.</p> - -<p>"Stealing," Jacob Kalb was saying, "is -stealing."</p> - -<p>The judge bent forward and spoke to -Jacob Kalb. William's character was, after -all, not the court's affair. If he had been -absent so long in Alaska, where the chances -were one to fifty against his life, he was -entirely negligible so far as the guardianship -of these children was concerned. But the -sudden vigor and vindictiveness of Jacob's -charge angered the judge. He did not like -the man's looks, and he did like Miss Miflin -and the quaint little Pennsylvania German -girls. He had seen Miss Miflin blush when -she mentioned the absent brother.</p> - -<p>"Do you mean that this older brother -stole?" he asked plainly.</p> - -<p>"He took school-board money, and didn't -pay it back."</p> - -<p>Miss Miflin leaned forward.</p> - -<p>"He was treasurer of the school-board,"<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> -she said. "All his accounts were straight, -but his uncle, who succeeded him, claimed -that forty dollars in cash was missing. His -father paid it, and he has never had a chance -to explain. He does not even know that his -father and mother are dead. If he could—I -am sure he would be here. And his uncle -told people that he had stolen."</p> - -<p>Her cheeks blazed, her hands clasped and -unclasped. Sarah watched her dumbly.</p> - -<p>"And you think he is still alive?" asked -the judge kindly.</p> - -<p>"I don't know," she said, with quivering -lips.</p> - -<p>"Do you think," began the judge again, -after a long pause. Then he got no further. -Little Sarah had risen from her chair. Her -shawl had slipped from her shoulders, she -looked with burning eyes across the room. -The judge thought that she was going to -fall, but she walked steadily across the open -space between him and the wide-eyed clerks, -toward the door.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Sarah!" called Miss Miflin gently.</p> - -<p>But Sarah did not stop. It was the judge -who saw the stranger first, and who guessed -the truth. Like a bird to its nest, she went, -and a strong arm gathered her straight -against the stranger's heart. Sarah did not -speak, she only hid her eyes against the -stranger's side.</p> - -<p>The judge meant to look back at Miss -Miflin, and then he meant to dismiss the -court at once and banish all these impertinent -young clerks, and then he wanted to -talk to William. But his gaze stopped with -Daniel Swartz.</p> - -<p>Daniel's embarrassment at having been -caught trying to bribe the twins had changed -to a more poignant emotion. He looked -frightened. The stranger's eyes were upon -him, also.</p> - -<p>"I am William Wenner," said the young -man. "I have just come home. I did not -know that my father and mother were dead, -or that my little sister was in—in—such<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> -trouble. I wish that Jacob Kalb would say -again what he said."</p> - -<p>Jacob Kalb lifted a determined face.</p> - -<p>"I said that when you went away you -didn't pay back all the school-board money, -and your pop had to pay it, and you weren't -fit to be guardian of Sarah and Albert and -the zwillings,—that is what I said."</p> - -<p>He did not heed the frantic nudging of -his master. He saw the Wenner house, which -he had so long coveted, slipping from his -grasp.</p> - -<p>"Uncle Daniel—" It was a moment -before Uncle Daniel looked up. "Is this -true?"</p> - -<p>"Well," began Uncle Daniel, in confusion. -"It was this way—"</p> - -<p>"<i>Is it true?</i>" asked William again.</p> - -<p>Now it was Jacob Kalb who nudged and -Uncle Daniel who paid no heed. He would -take advantage of any means to advance on -the path which he had set out for himself, -he could even deceive himself into believing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> -that he had done his best for the children, -he could cheat and slander the absent, but -here in the court-house, in the presence of -the judge, he could not lie.</p> - -<p>"No," he answered. He looked like an -old man.</p> - -<p>"Why did you accuse this young man -falsely?" asked the judge.</p> - -<p>Uncle Daniel got upon his feet.</p> - -<p>"I think I will go home," he said. -"William can be guardian if he wants to."</p> - -<p>"No," said the judge. "You will not go -home. You will answer my question. Did -this young man owe the school-board forty -dollars?"</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p>"Did he pay it to the school-board?"</p> - -<p>"No."</p> - -<p>"I have your receipt," said William. -"And Jacob Kalb was present when it was -paid."</p> - -<p>"It ain't so," muttered Jacob Kalb.</p> - -<p>Then Uncle Daniel's rage broke forth.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span></p> - -<p>"He did give me forty dollars," he shouted. -"But he owed it to me before he owed it to -the school-board, for all the things I bought -him already. A couple of suits and hats and -candy and such a little velocipede and peanuts, -and I took him in the Fair; and then he -wasn't thankful. He wouldn't be adopted. -He—"</p> - -<p>"So he paid you the forty dollars?"</p> - -<p>"Yes. But it was mine." Then Uncle -Daniel read in the faces of those about him -the first frank estimate of his character which -it had ever been his misfortune to see.</p> - -<p>"I think I will go home," he said again.</p> - -<p>"Not yet," replied the judge grimly. He -looked at William. "Do you want to prosecute -this gentleman?"</p> - -<p>"No," answered William.</p> - -<p>The judge saw that his lips were trembling.</p> - -<p>"The court is adjourned," he said.</p> - -<p>Then he changed his mind about lingering -to talk to William. He opened the door<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> -into the ante-room, and shook hands with -them all.</p> - -<p>"Make yourselves at home, and stay as -long as you like. I'm coming out to Spring -Grove to see you. And if you ever need a -friend, I'll do my best to help you. And -if—" he looked smilingly at William and Miss -Miflin, then he concluded that this was not -a time for joking. "God bless you," he said, -and was gone.</p> - -<p>It was not until then that Sarah felt the -arm round her loosen its hold.</p> - -<p>"He has Albert yet," she said. "I am -afraid he will do him something."</p> - -<p>Whereupon the arm tightened its grasp -once more, and William had only one hand -to hold out to the amazed and delighted twins.</p> - -<p>"Albert is all right," he said. "And -you're not to worry about anything, ever."</p> - -<p>"And if it hadn't been for teacher—" -began Sarah.</p> - -<p>"I know," said William. "And now we -will go home."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span></p> - -<p>"Home!" The word was like a burst of -song. And only a few hours before she had -thought they would have no home. She took -a twin by either hand. "Come!"</p> - -<p>But the twins drew back.</p> - -<p>"We are going to walk by William," they -said together.</p> - -<p>"All right," consented Sarah.</p> - -<p>She and Miss Miflin led the way down the -broad steps, and William and the twins came -behind. They gazed at him rapturously, -realizing that he was as wonderful as their -vague remembrance pictured him.</p> - -<p>"He is going," said Louisa Ellen, when -he drew his hand away, "to buy us candy!"</p> - -<p>Fortunately it was to Sarah that he handed -the bag, and it was with Sarah that the -twins were anxious to sit when they got into -the train. It was a little trying that she -would let them have only two chocolate -drops apiece until they got home.</p> - -<p>She looked back once at William and -Miss Miflin, who were not talking to each<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> -other, but who smiled at her. There was -something in their faces which made her -heart beat.</p> - -<p>"I wonder—" she said softly to herself; -then she did not finish the sentence.</p> - -<p>"Oh, I am going to cook such a supper!" -she said to the approving twins. "First I -will fetch Albert and then I will cook."</p> - -<p>But Albert did not need to be fetched. -When they opened the kitchen door, he ran -to meet them.</p> - -<p>"Aunt 'Liza fetched me home," he cried, -"I am never going away."</p> - -<p>There was the gentle closing of a door, -and a rustle of skirts, but Sarah did not hear. -Then she sniffed the air.</p> - -<p>"I smell baked things," she said. Before -she finished, the twins were opening the -pantry door.</p> - -<p>"Look here once!" cried Louisa Ellen.</p> - -<p>"Aunt 'Liza's crullers!" said Sarah. -"And Aunt Mena's chocolate cake, five -layers, and bread and pies, and it is chicken<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> -cooking on the stove, and I will make waffles -yet, and—"</p> - -<p>William caught her by the shoulders as -she hurried from cupboard to stove.</p> - -<p>"Here, youngster, not so fast!" This -was William, indeed, with all William's dear, -teasing, familiar ways! He looked at Miss -Miflin, and his voice shook. "She is just -like my mother. She—" But he could not -go on. Instead he stooped and kissed Sarah.</p> - -<p>It was not until after supper that there -was time to talk; and then there was so -much to be said, that they sat at first -silently, except the twins, who, seated on -the settle with Albert between them, were -telling a fantastic tale of the day's adventures. -Sarah could hardly speak for happiness. -It seemed best to be quiet, and think, -and try to realize that they were all safe and -happy once more.</p> - -<p>When William took Miss Miflin home, -Sarah put Albert and the twins to bed, and -told them all a story; then she went down<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span>stairs -to wait until William came back. -Even then she must be busy. She took up -the sewing which she had laid down the day -Albert was taken away. It was finished by -the time that William opened the door.</p> - -<p>He drew a chair up beside hers.</p> - -<p>"Sarah," he said, "if a fairy came and -told you that you might have anything in -the world you wanted, what would you -choose?"</p> - -<p>"I don't want anything but to stay here," -said Sarah.</p> - -<p>"Not if she said you might go to school?"</p> - -<p>"To school?" gasped Sarah. "Ach, but -I am going to stay here and keep the house, -so that when you come home again—"</p> - -<p>Sarah was sure that William would not -stay in Spring Grove.</p> - -<p>"Come home?" repeated William. "But -I am going to stay home. I am going to stay -here and farm, and the trolley is coming -almost to the door, and—"</p> - -<p>The slender tower of the main building of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> -the "Normal" came back into Sarah's field -of vision.</p> - -<p>"Ach!" she cried. "Perhaps I could go -to the school, and ride on the trolley back -and forth, and keep house yet, and—"</p> - -<p>William laughed.</p> - -<p>"You shall go on the trolley back and -forth, all right, little Dutchman," he said. -"But you shall not keep house, yet."</p> - -<p>"But who will keep house? It is always -so many things to do!"</p> - -<p>"What would you think of teacher for -a housekeeper?"</p> - -<p>"Teacher!" cried Sarah. "Miss Miflin?"</p> - -<p>"Yes."</p> - -<p>"Would teacher stay here with us?"</p> - -<p>"She says so," answered William gravely.</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's When Sarah Saved the Day, by Elsie Singmaster - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WHEN SARAH SAVED THE DAY *** - -***** This file should be named 52257-h.htm or 52257-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/2/2/5/52257/ - -Produced by David Edwards, Ryan Cowell and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: When Sarah Saved the Day - -Author: Elsie Singmaster - -Release Date: June 7, 2016 [EBook #52257] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WHEN SARAH SAVED THE DAY *** - - - - -Produced by David Edwards, Ryan Cowell and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - -BOOKS BY ELSIE SINGMASTER - - - When Sarah Saved the Day - When Sarah Went to School - Gettysburg - Katy Gaumer - Emmeline - The Long Journey - The Life of Martin Luther - John Baring's House - Basil Everman - Ellen Levis - Bennett Malin - The Hidden Road - A Boy at Gettysburg - Bred in the Bone - Keller's Anna Ruth - 'Sewing Susie' - What Everybody Wanted - Virginia's Bandit - You Make Your Own Luck - A Little Money Ahead - - - - - WHEN SARAH SAVED - THE DAY - - -[Illustration: SARAH DID NOT SPEAK, SHE ONLY HID HER EYES (page 126)] - - - - - WHEN SARAH SAVED - THE DAY - - BY ELSIE SINGMASTER - - WITH ILLUSTRATIONS - - [Illustration] - - BOSTON AND NEW YORK - HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY - The Riverside Press Cambridge - - - COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY ELSIE SINGMASTER - - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO REPRODUCE - THIS BOOK OR PARTS THEREOF IN ANY FORM - - _Published October 1909_ - - - PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. - - - - -TO CAROLINE HOOPES SINGMASTER - - - - -CONTENTS - - - I. Uncle Daniel's Offer 1 - - II. The Rebels take to Arms 24 - - III. Uncle Daniel steals a March 44 - - IV. There is Company to Supper 62 - - V. The Blow falls 79 - - VI. The Orphans' Court 97 - - VII. "And now We will go Home" 116 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - - SARAH DID NOT SPEAK, SHE ONLY HID HER EYES (Page 126) _Frontispiece_ - - GO AWAY AND LEAVE ME WITH MY CHILDREN 20 - - THE STATION AGENT LOOKED AT THEM CURIOUSLY 94 - - UNCLE DANIEL SMILED AND DREW OUT TWO SHINING DOLLARS 112 - - - - - WHEN SARAH SAVED THE DAY - - CHAPTER I - - UNCLE DANIEL'S OFFER - - -Sarah Wenner, who was fifteen years old, but who did not look more than -twelve, hesitated in the doorway between the kitchen and the best room, -a great tray of tumblers and cups in her hands. - -"Those knives and forks we keep always in here, Aunt Mena. We do not -use them for every day." - -Her aunt, Mena Illick, lifted the knives from the drawer where she had -laid them. One could see from her snapping black eyes that she did not -enjoy being directed by Sarah. But order was order, and no one ever -justly accused a Pennsylvania German housewife of not putting things -where they belonged. She laid the knives on the table for Sarah to put -away. - -The kitchen seemed strangely lonely and empty that evening, in spite of -the number of persons who were there. - -Besides little Sarah, who was the head of the Wenner household, now -that the father was dead and the oldest son had gone away, and her Aunt -Mena, who had driven thither for the funeral that afternoon, there was -an uncle, Daniel Swartz, and his wife Eliza, who was just then wringing -out the tea-towels from a pan of scalding suds, and the Swartzes' hired -man, Jacob Kalb, short and stout, with a smooth-shaven face and tiny -black eyes. - -Daniel Swartz sat beside the wide table, the hired man by his side. -On chairs against the wall, sitting now upright, now leaning against -each other when sleep overpowered them, were the Wenner twins, Louisa -Ellen and Ellen Louisa, whose combination of excessive slenderness and -appearance of good health could be due only to constant activity. In -their waking moments they looked not unlike eager little grasshoppers, -ready for a spring. - -The last member of the party lay peacefully sleeping on the deep settle -before the fireplace. His wide blue eyes were closed, his chubby arms -thrown above his head. Worn with the excitement of the day, too young -to realize that the cheerful, merry father whom they had carried away -that afternoon would never return, he slept on, the only one entirely -at ease. - -Daniel Swartz rose every few minutes to cover him more thoroughly. Aunt -'Liza and Aunt Mena watched Uncle Daniel, the eyes of the twins rested -with scornful disfavor upon Jacob Kalb, and Sarah watched them all. Her -tired eyes widened with apprehension when she saw her uncle bend over -Albert as if he were his own, and she bit her lips when she saw Aunt -'Liza and Aunt Mena whispering together. Returning with the empty tray, -she moved swiftly across the kitchen to where the twins were sitting. - -At that moment they were awake and engaged in their favorite pastime of -teasing Jacob Kalb. - -Jacob had an intense desire to be considered English, and in an -unfortunate moment had translated his name, not realizing how much -worse its English equivalent, "Calf," would sound to English ears than -the uncomprehended German "Kalb." It was the twins' older brother, -William, who had now been away from home so long that they had almost -forgotten him, who had heard Jacob telling his new name to some -strangers. - -"Ach, no, I cannot speak German very good. I am not German. My name is -Jacob Calf." - -He saw in their faces that he had made a mistake, but it was too late -to retract. Besides, William Wenner, whom he hated, and who had been to -the Normal School, had heard, and as long as Jacob lived the name would -cling to him. Ellen Louisa and Louisa Ellen, accustomed to shout it at -him from a safe vantage-ground on their own side of the fence, called -it softly now when the older people were talking, "Jacob Calf! Jacob -Calf!" - -Then, suddenly, each twin found her arm clutched as though in a vise. - -"Ellen Louisa and Louisa Ellen, be still. Not a word! Not a word!" - -"But--" began the twins together. Sarah had always aided and abetted -them. It was Sarah who had invented such brilliant rhymes as, - - Jacob Calf, - You make me laugh. - -Sarah's nonsense had amused the father and delighted the children for -many weary months. Why had she suddenly become so strange and solemn? -To the twins death had as yet no very terrible meaning, and they knew -nothing of care and responsibility. Each jerked her arm irritably -away from Sarah's hand. Why didn't she tell the aunts and uncle to -go home and let them go to bed? And why was Jacob Kalb there in the -kitchen? Why--But the twins were too drowsy to worry very long. Leaning -comfortably against each other, they fell asleep once more. - -Sarah continued her journey across the room to gather up a pile of -plates. She sympathized thoroughly with the twins in their hatred -for the hired man. He had no business there. If the uncle and aunts -wished to discuss their plans, they should do it alone, and not in the -presence of this outsider. But he knew all Uncle Daniel's affairs, and -was now too important a person to be teased. - -Sarah put the plates into the corner-cupboard, arranging them in their -accustomed places along the back. She had seen Aunt Eliza's and Aunt -Mena's eyes glitter as they washed them. - -"It ain't one of them even a little bit cracked," said Aunt 'Liza. -"They should have gone all along to pop and not to Ellie Wenner." - -"And the homespun shall come to me," said Aunt Mena. - -Sarah had been ready with a sharp reply, but had checked it on her -lips. "Pop" and Aunt Mena, indeed! She thought of their well-stocked -houses. Her mother had had few enough of the family treasures. - -She stopped for a moment to wipe her eyes before she went back to the -kitchen, standing by the window and looking out over the dark fields. -There was no lingering sunset glow to brighten the sky, but Sarah's -eyes seemed to pierce the gloom, as though she would follow the sun to -that distant country where her brother had vanished. - -Two hundred years before, their ancestors had come from the Fatherland, -and ever since, adventurous souls had insisted upon leaving this -safe haven to penetrate still farther into the enchanted West. Whole -families had gone; in Ohio were towns and counties whose people bore -the familiar Pennsylvania German names, Yeager, Miller, Wagner, Swartz, -Schwenk, Gaumer. Dozens of young men had gone to California in '49. -Some had returned, some were never heard of again. Fifty years later, -the rumor of gold drew young men away once more, this time into the -bitter cold of the far Northwest. - -William's indulgent father had let him go almost without a word of -objection. He knew what _wanderlust_ was. And for some reason William -had seemed suddenly to become unhappy. The farm was small, too small -to support them all; there were four younger children, and William, -to his father's and mother's secret delight, had declined his Uncle -Daniel's offer of adoption. They had let him take his choice between -the straitened, simple life at home and the prospect of ease and wealth -at Uncle Daniel's. - -Uncle Daniel had never forgiven them or him. William's success at the -Normal School, where, with great sacrifice, he was sent, irritated -him; William's election as a township school director made him furious. - -It is safe to say that Daniel Swartz and Jacob Kalb were the only -persons in Upper Shamrock township who did not like William. Even Miss -Miflin, the pretty school-teacher, went riding with him in his buggy, -and all the farmers and the farmers' wives were fond of him. - -"His learning doesn't spoil him," said Mrs. Ebert, who lived on the -next farm. "He is just so nice and common as when he went away." - -And then he had gone away again, not to the Normal School, but to -Alaska. Sarah remembered dimly how he and his father had pored over -the old atlas after the twins had been put, protesting, to bed, and -the mother had sat with Albert in her arms, and, when the men were not -watching her, with a sad, frightened look in her eyes. Sarah could -understand both her brother's eagerness and her mother's sadness. -Little did any of them foresee what the next few years were to bring. -The little mother went first, with messages for William on her last -breath, and now the dear, cheerful father. Surely, if William could -have guessed, he would never have gone so far away. - -But for two years they had had no word. At first there had been -frequent letters. When he reached Seattle, it had been too late for him -to go north, and he waited for spring. Then it was difficult to get -passage, and there was another delay. After that the letters grew fewer -and fewer, and finally ceased. - -Meanwhile, a strange shadow had crept over William's name and William's -memory. Pretty Miss Miflin asked no more about him, Uncle Daniel came -and spoke sharply to Sarah's father and mother and then they talked -about him in whispers when they thought Sarah did not hear. Once she -caught an unguarded sentence:-- - -"I have written again. If he does not answer, he is dishonest or--" - -"No!" her mother had answered sharply. "No! William will come home, and -then he will tell us!" - -But William had neither come nor written. So far as they knew he had -not heard of his mother's death, and there was no telling whether the -announcement of his father's death would reach him. Perhaps he, too, -might be-- - -But that thought Sarah would not admit for the fragment of a second to -her burdened mind. She wiped away her tears once more, and then she -almost succeeded in smiling. The black clouds in the west were parting. -Here and there a star peeped through. She knew a few of them by name. -There was Venus,--Sarah, whose English was none of the best, would have -called it "Wenus,"--her father had loved it. Often he had watched it -from this window. Perhaps William saw it, too, in that mysterious night -in which he lived. Ah, what tales there would be to tell when William -came home! - -Her father's death had meant the giving up of all Sarah's dreams and -hopes. Three years before, they had driven one day to a neighboring -town. Drives were not frequent in that busy household. Sarah remembered -yet how fine Dan and Bill had looked in their newly blackened harness, -and how proud she had felt, sitting with her father on the front seat. - -They had seen many wonderful things: a paint-mill, a low, long -building, covered, inside and out, with thick layers of red powder; and -the ore mines, great holes in the yellow soil, where the ore needed -only to be dug out from the surface; and they had stopped to watch a -cast at a blast-furnace. But most wonderful of all was the "Normal." -Sarah had seen the slender tower of the main building against the sky. - -"What is then that?" she had asked. - -"That is the Normal, where William went to school." - -"Ach, yes, of course!" cried Sarah. - -All the delightful things in the world were connected with William. Her -father looked down at the sparkling eyes in the eager little face. He -had had little education himself, but he knew its value. - -"Would you like, then, to come here to school?" - -Sarah's face grew a deep crimson. She looked at the trees, the wide -lawns, the young people at play in the tennis-courts. - -"I? To school? Here?" - -"Of course. Wouldn't you like to be such a teacher like Miss Miflin?" - -Sarah's face grew almost white. It was as though he had said, "Would -you like to be President of the United States?" - -"_I!_ Like Miss Miflin! Ach, pop, do you surely mean it? But I am too -dumb." - -Her father laughed. - -"No, you are not dumb. If you are good, and if you study, you dare come -here." - -Ah, but how could one study with a sick mother, and then a sick father -and a baby to look after, and twins like Ellen Louisa and Louisa Ellen -to bring up, and-- - -Sarah went slowly back to the kitchen. It was like going into church, -all was so still and solemn. Albert and the twins slept, Aunt 'Liza and -Aunt Mena had taken their places on the opposite side of the table from -Uncle Daniel and Jacob Kalb. - -"Come, come," cried Uncle Daniel impatiently. He did not like -black-eyed little Sarah. She looked too much like her father, whom his -sister had married against his will. "We must get this fixed up. Sit -down, once." - -Sarah sat down on the nearest seat, which was the lower end of the -settle on which Albert lay. She wiped her hot face on her gingham -apron, then laid her hand on Albert's stubby little shoes, as though -she needed something to hold to. - -"Don't," commanded Uncle Daniel. "You wake him up if you don't look a -little out." - -Sarah's eyes flashed. As though she would wake him, her own baby, whom -she had tended for three years! She wanted to tell them to go, to leave -her alone with her children. But again she was wisely silent. She did -not know yet what it was that her uncle meant to "fix up." - -Swartz pulled his chair a little closer to the table. He looked -uncomfortable in his black suit and his stiff collar. Occasionally he -slipped his finger behind it and pulled it away from his throat, as -though it were too tight. It seemed as if his remarks were for the -benefit of Sarah alone, even though he did not look at her, for Aunt -Mena and Aunt 'Liza and the hired man helped him out with an occasional -word as if they knew beforehand what he meant to say. - -He, too, had his dreams. One was to see a son in his house; another was -to see the Wenner farm once more united to his own as it had been in -his father's lifetime. Then he would have the old border on the creek. -There was also talk of the strange, new "electricity cars" running -along the creek. That would double the value of the farm. - -But he said nothing of this in his speech to Sarah. - -"A couple of years back," he began, "I made an offer to Wenner. I said -to him, 'I will take William and bring him up right, and then he can -have the farm when I am no longer here.' That is what I said to your -pop. But he wouldn't have it. He had to send William instead to school." - -"Then what did he get for his schooling?" asked Jacob Kalb. - -"I never had no schooling," said Uncle Daniel. "And you see where I am. -Nobody needs schooling but preachers and teachers." - -"I don't believe in schooling," said Aunt Eliza. - -"Nor I," said Aunt Mena. - -Sarah's eyes continued to flash, but she said nothing. She knew that -they were expressing their scorn for her father's judgment, but she -was too tired to answer. If they would only go home! She saw her uncle -look at little Albert. He need not think she would give him up. Sarah -almost laughed at the idea. Then she heard that her uncle had begun to -speak again. - -"Well, now I have another offer to make. Mena will take Ellie and -Weezy. I will take Albert. He shall be Albert Swartz from now on. And -Sarah can come also to us to help to work." - -"You will have to be a good little girl and work right," admonished -Aunt 'Liza. - -"And you will have a good home," put in Jacob Kalb. "You and the -zwillings (twins)." There were times when Jacob's English vocabulary -was not equal to the demands upon it. - -Sarah's pale cheeks grew a little whiter. But Uncle Daniel had said it -was an _offer_. An offer could be declined. - -"But we are all going to stay here together like always," she said. "I -and Albert and the twins." - -She saw their anger in their faces. - -"What!" said Aunt Eliza. - -"Such dumb talk!" cried Uncle Daniel. - -"Are you then out of your mind?" asked Aunt Mena. - -Jacob Kalb alone said nothing. But Sarah saw him smile. He planned to -live in the Wenner farmhouse. - -"Will you plough?" demanded Uncle Daniel. - -"Or plant the seeds?" asked Aunt 'Liza. - -"Or harvest?" said Aunt Mena. - -Sarah spoke quietly. "I have it all planned. Ebert will farm like -always for the half." - -"The half!" repeated Uncle Daniel. "Should we then give this good money -to Ebert? The half! I will farm." - -"Well, then," said Sarah. "But you must pay the half to us because we -must live." - -"Pay the half to you!" exclaimed Aunt Mena. - -"It is our farm," replied Sarah. "It was my mom's and my pop's farm. It -isn't yours." - -"Well, it will be mine," said Uncle Daniel. "What would such children -make with such a farm?" - -"I am not a child," answered Sarah firmly. "For three years already I -managed the farm while my pop was sick. And it is William's farm so -much as ours. And when William comes home--" - -"William will never come home," said Uncle Daniel. - -Sarah got up from the old settle. - -"William _will_ come home!" she cried. "It don't make nothing out if -you do give us homes. If you take the farm, it will be stealing." - -"_Ei yi!_" reproved Aunt Mena shortly. "That is no word for little -girls!" - -"A whipping would be good for her," offered Jacob Kalb. - -"You haven't any right here, Jacob C-calf," cried Sarah. - -Jacob's little eyes narrowed. "It is no way for little girls to talk -when their brothers steal school-board money, and go off and their pops -have to pay it," he said. - -For a moment there was silence, then a reproving murmur from Aunt Mena. - -"It isn't true!" cried Sarah. "It isn't true!" Suddenly she remembered -her father's sadness, her mother's tears. - -She burst into wild crying. "Ach, I wish you would go away and leave me -with my children! I will get good along, if you will only let me be. -Albert should be this long time in his bed. I wish you would go home." - -She bent to lift the sleeping child. But her uncle pushed her aside. - -"Albert is coming home with me," he said, as he lifted him up. "Jacob, -put Weezy and Ellie in the carriage with Aunt Mena." - -Sarah tried to keep her hold of the little boy. But she struggled in -vain. Jacob Kalb picked up one of the twins. - -[Illustration: GO AWAY AND LEAVE ME WITH MY CHILDREN] - -"Ellen Louisa!" called Sarah. - -Ellen Louisa struggled into wakefulness. - -"Let me down, Jacob Calf; let me down!" She began to cry. "Ja-cob Calf, -you m-make m-me l-laugh; let me down!" - -But Ellen Louisa was borne shrieking from the room. - -"Louisa Ellen!" called Sarah. - -But Louisa Ellen found herself closely held by Aunt 'Liza and Aunt -Mena, and she, too, was led forth. - -"You are _thieves_!" cried Sarah wildly. - -"Be still," commanded Uncle Daniel. "Will you wake him up?" - -Then he, too, went toward the door. Aunt 'Liza put in her round face. -They did not mean to be cruel. But little Sarah must be taught to know -her place. - -"Come, Sarah." - -"I am going to stay here," said Sarah. She stood in the middle of the -room, a wild, pathetic little figure. - -"Come on," commanded Uncle Daniel. - -"I am going to stay here," said Sarah. - -At that moment Jacob Kalb returned. The poor twins had, despite their -rage, fallen immediately asleep in Aunt Mena's carriage. - -"Let her stay," he advised. "She will get pretty soon tired of it when -she is afraid in the middle of the night." - -"Ach, no!" cried Aunt Eliza. "She can't stay here." - -But Uncle Daniel decided to take Jacob's advice. - -"Come on, 'Lizie," he said. - -For a moment after they had gone, Sarah stared about her. Afraid! Here -in her own house with all the dear, familiar things of every day! There -was nothing to be afraid of. She stood with blinking eyes, trying to -remember what they had said about William; but her mind was a blank. -She knew only one thing,--if she did not go upstairs, she should fall -asleep where she stood. - -She barred the doors and was about to put out the light, when she -saw, above the mantel-shelf, the one firearm which the Wenners -possessed,--an old shot-gun, which William had broken years ago, -shooting crows. Still half asleep, she lifted it down, and put out the -light. Then, dragging it by the muzzle in a position which would have -been extremely dangerous had the poor old thing been loaded or capable -of shooting, she took her candle and went upstairs. - - - - - CHAPTER II - - THE REBELS TAKE TO ARMS - - -When Sarah woke at six o'clock the next morning, the faint gray of the -winter sunrise was in the sky. She opened her eyes drowsily, trying to -account for the heavy depression which seemed to weigh her down. Then, -when her outstretched arms found no sturdy little figure beside her, -and a glance across the room showed the smooth, unopened trundle-bed, -she remembered suddenly all that had happened on that sad yesterday. -Her father was gone, and Albert and the twins, and there was no telling -how long she would be allowed to stay in the farmhouse. She realized -how impossible it would be for a little girl--in the gray dawn Sarah -felt very small and young--to hold out long against so determined a man -as Daniel Swartz. She turned her face deeper into the pillow. - -Then, suddenly, a soft sound recalled her to herself. It was the -whinnying of Dan and Bill, calling for their breakfast, already long -overdue. And the cows must be fed and milked, and the chickens must -have their warm mash. Sarah was upon her feet in an instant. She was -not quite alone so long as these helpless creatures depended upon her. - -An hour later, she drove out of the yard on her way to the creamery. -With activity, ambition had returned; she began even to hope that her -uncle might be persuaded to let her stay. The sun had risen clear and -bright, and all the cheerfulness of Sarah's disposition responded to it. - -She wondered, as she drove along the frozen roads, whether it would not -be possible to add a third cow to her dairy. And she could keep more -chickens. Her father had taught her how to look after them,--their -hens always laid better than Aunt Eliza's. And if the chickens did -well, and if Ebert would put out the crops for her,--poor Sarah meant -to go ahead just as though her uncle had not said that he would -farm,--and if the children were allowed to come back, and then if -William came home--She knew in the bottom of her heart that they were -air castles, but she found them pleasant abiding-places. - -The men, waiting in line at the creamery, called to her kindly, all but -Jacob Kalb, whose wagon was third from the delivery door. - -Henry Ebert was at that moment chirruping to his horse to move into -place before the platform. - -"Sarah!" he called. "Wait once. I move a little piece back, and you can -come in first." - -Jacob Kalb approved of no such chivalrous impulses. - -"Those that come first should have first place," he growled. "I can't -wait all day." - -But the men only laughed. None of them liked Jacob Kalb. - -Sarah swung Dan into line before the door. A week before, she would -have called out,-- - - "Jacob Calf, - He likes to _blaff_," - -"blaff" being the Pennsylvania German word for bark, but now she -sternly checked her poetic fancies. Sarah had made up her mind to -be very wise and politic. But she could not repress a smile of -satisfaction over her brilliant combination of Pennsylvania German and -English. - -Jacob saw the smile and watched her, scowling. It irritated him to -see her there, businesslike and cheerful, and it did not give him any -pleasure to hear a neighbor call to her that he would stop for her -milk-can the next morning. Sarah shouted back her thanks. - -Ebert consented willingly to put out the crops. He had a great -admiration for smart little Sarah. - -"Next week I begin to plough," he promised. - -Then Sarah slapped the reins on Dan's back and was off. There was -plenty to do at home: the house to put in order, several hens to set, -and some baking to be done. As she drew near the farm, she became -apprehensive. Suppose her Uncle Daniel should have taken possession -while she was away! She had locked the door, but the fastenings of the -windows were not very secure. And to whom, in such a case, should she -go? Not to any of the farmers round about: they were poor and had many -children. - -She could not take Uncle Daniel's charity,--she knew that, no matter -how hard she worked, he would still consider it charity,--and she could -not live with Aunt Mena, who had the twins. She thought vaguely of -going with her trouble to Miss Miflin. But Miss Miflin had no home. - -There was no sign of any alien presence as she drove up the lane. The -cat sat comfortably on the doorstep, a sure sign that there were no -strangers about. Sarah stopped thankfully to pat him before she fitted -the key into the lock. - -"You poor Tommy, where would you go if Sarah went away?" - -Still talking to the cat, she pushed open the door. Then she stood -still, as though she were turned to stone. - -Within, all was confusion. She did not see that it was the sort of -confusion which could be created in a few minutes and as quickly -straightened out. Immediately in front of the door the old settle had -been turned over on its stately back, and the chairs were piled high on -the table in a sort of barricade. - -Sarah's first thought was of thieves. Then she realized that she was -looking straight into the barrel of a shot-gun. - -It made no difference that it was the same broken gun which she had -carried upstairs with her the night before, and that she knew it would -not shoot. She was terrified at first beyond the power of speech. She -leaned, weak and faint, against the door-post, and presently demanded -who was there. - -Two voices answered her. - -"Hands up!" - -Then Sarah rushed forward. - -"Ellen Louisa!" she cried. "Louisa Ellen!" - -The twins had been carried to Aunt Mena's and put to bed without -waking. Then Aunt Mena had sat down before the kitchen fire to explain -to her husband why she had brought them home. - -"Daniel, he says I shall take them. He takes the farm, and he will pay -me each week a dollar for Ellie and Weezy. He has to, or I will not -keep them. And I get my share of pop's and mom's things what Ellie had, -too. They won't do these children no good. But I will not manage Ellie -and Weezy like him. He is too cross. I will first tame them. But he is -not cross to Albert. Now these twins shall do for a few days what they -want. They dare go to school this year and next yet, then they must -stop." - -In the morning Aunt Mena began her process of taming, which would -undoubtedly have proved successful with persons more amenable than the -twins. In the first place, she let them sleep as long as they liked. -When Ellen Louisa woke, she saw by the century-old clock, ticking on -the high chest of drawers, that it was seven o'clock. She nudged Louisa -Ellen, who scrambled out of bed. - -"We must hurry or we will be late to--" At that moment Louisa Ellen, -instead of rolling out of a low trundle-bed, fell with a loud thump, -from the high four-poster. She realized that they were not at home. -Then upon them both dawned the recollection of the night before, and -the weary days before that. - -"P-pop, he wouldn't like it that we were here," said Louisa Ellen. "He -said we should stay always by Sarah." - -Ellen Louisa did not answer, but began to put on her shoes and -stockings with lightning speed. The twins never wasted many words. - -As soon as Aunt Mena heard them stirring about, she came to the foot of -the steps. - -"Wee-zy," she called. "El-lie! Breakfast." - -"Our names--" began Ellen Louisa shrilly; then she was stopped by -Louisa Ellen's hand on her mouth. - -"Don't make her mad over us," advised Louisa Ellen. "She might pen us -up." - -"We will go to school," said Ellen Louisa. "Then we will go home to -dinner. Pop wouldn't like it if we weren't in school." - -But Aunt Mena did not approve. - -"In a couple of days you shall go again in the school. But you are not -going any more in the Spring Grove School. It is not any more your -district." - -"N-not to Miss Miflin!" gasped Ellen Louisa. - -"No, you are no more in Miss Miflin's district." - -"B-but--" Ellen Louisa felt her braid of black hair sharply tweaked. -Louisa Ellen was a shade thinner than Ellen Louisa and a trifle quicker -witted. - -"You didn't have to tell Aunt Mena right out that we were going home," -she said, when they had finished their breakfast. "Now come on." - -The coast was, at that moment, perfectly clear. Aunt Mena was in the -cellar getting the cream ready to churn, and Aunt Mena's husband was in -a distant field, ploughing. The twins seized caps and shawls and fled. -Ellen Louisa made for the high road. - -"What have you for!" cried Louisa Ellen. "That way she will look for -us. We go this way to the Spring Grove road. Come on." - -Ten minutes later, when Aunt Mena came to the door, they were not in -sight. Aunt Mena was not much troubled. She did not know that Sarah -had been allowed to stay in the farmhouse. - -"Pooh! they will go to Daniel, and he will fetch them home, or I will -fetch them home. It is all one." - -And Aunt Mena went back to her work. - -The twins had a ride in a farmer's cart, which brought them to the -foot of the lane. Realizing that they were too late for school, they -decided to go home until the afternoon session. Then Sarah would write -a note of explanation to Miss Miflin. To the twins Sarah's notes were -as all-powerful as Aladdin's lamp. To Miss Miflin they were sources of -both mirth and grief. She laughed because they were so irresistibly -funny, and then she almost cried because they reminded her of plans -and hopes once dear to her heart, which had been ended forever by -misunderstanding and resentment. - - "Dear Teacher," Sarah wrote. "Please excuse the zwillings" (there were - times in the stress of hasty composition when English words eluded - Sarah's grasp as they eluded Jacob Kalb's) "for being late. They - cannot come now so early like always, while they must help a little in - the morning. - - Their father, - SARAH WENNER." - -Sarah considered that the signature was a happy combination of the -respect due to fathers and the sign of her stewardship of his affairs. - -Sometimes Miss Miflin started to go to see little Sarah, who had been -the best and brightest pupil she had ever had, but she never got quite -to the house. She blamed herself for William's going away, and she -thought that they too might blame her. So she turned back. - -The twins had not been at all alarmed by the closed house. Sarah always -drove to the creamery. They did not realize that Albert had been -taken away, and supposed that he had gone with her, since they were -not there to look after him. Prying open the cellar door, which was -fastened by a loose bar that could be moved from the outside, they were -soon in the house. They were wild with delight over their escape. - -"Let us get ready for Aunt Mena if she comes," proposed Louisa Ellen. -"Let us built such a fort." - -It was "such a fort" which had frightened Sarah. Now the twins flung -themselves upon her. They had run off, they had come home, they were -not going to school till afternoon, they--But where was Albert? - -"He is by Uncle Daniel," answered Sarah slowly. - -"Then we will fetch him." The twins made a dash for the door. But Sarah -held them back. - -"No," she said. "Uncle Daniel will keep Albert by him. And perhaps Aunt -Mena will fetch you again, and perhaps Uncle Daniel will take the farm -away from us, and perhaps we cannot be any more together." - -The twins were amazed and bewildered. Sarah's solemnity worried them -more than the catalogue of evils. - -"What shall we do?" they asked. - -"You can learn your lessons and say them to me. And you can sew your -patchwork and be quiet and smart." - -All the rest of the morning, and all the afternoon, there was quiet -such as the farmhouse had never known when a twin was within it and -awake. Dinner was eaten almost in silence, and then Sarah, locking the -door behind her, and with many long glances over the fields and road, -went out to feed the stock. - -She fancied that she saw a little face pressed to the kitchen window of -the Swartz farmhouse, far away across the brown fields, but she could -not be sure. Albert was so little, he had learned to be fond of Uncle -Daniel, who was constantly giving him presents of candy and peanuts; -it would be easy enough, Sarah thought, for them to keep him there. - -It was almost supper time, and the early dusk was falling, when the -twins were ready to recite their lessons. It is safe to say that never, -even in Pennsylvania Germandom, was there a class like this which Sarah -held. Fortunately the twins were good arithmeticians, for Sarah could -not have corrected their mistakes; she had been too long away from -school for that. The twins never guessed that, when she insisted upon a -careful explanation of each simple process, she was learning from them. - -They had not heard as yet Miss Miflin's careful pronunciation of the -words of the spelling lesson; so when Sarah said "walley" or "saw," -they answered at once "v-a-l-l-e-y" or "t-h-a-w," never dreaming that -Sarah's speech embodied all the mistakes which Miss Miflin tried to -correct. - -When it came to the geography lesson, Sarah shone. The twins had not -had the advantage of hearing their father and William speculate about -strange and distant lands; they had a certain amount of book-knowledge, -but no imagination to enliven it. - -"How wide is the Amazon River at its mouth?" asked Sarah. - -"Two hundred miles," answered the twins glibly. - -"How wide is that?" - -Louisa Ellen responded. To her a river was a line on a map. She would -make this river wide enough even to suit Sarah. - -"About as wide as the coal-bucket," answered Louisa Ellen. - -At that moment, before Sarah had time to explain to Louisa Ellen the -phenomenal dullness of her mind, the latch of the door was lifted -softly and allowed to drop. - -"It is Aunt Mena," said the twins together. - -Sarah motioned them to the settle. - -"Sit there till I tell you to get up," she commanded. "I will go up to -the window and look down." - -The twins held each other's hands in fright. Was Jacob Kalb coming -again to carry them out? - -"Aunt Mena couldn't fetch us alone," said Ellen Louisa. - -Then they started up in fright, realizing that Sarah was falling -downstairs. She righted herself immediately, at the bottom, and rushed -past them to fling wide the door. - -A tiny little figure stood without. - -"I sought I would come once home," said Albert. "So I runned off." - -Speech suddenly became impossible, as Albert found himself almost -smothered under a multitude of caresses. When they let him go, he drew -a sticky package from his blouse. - -"I brought some candy along for you," he said; whereupon he was almost -smothered again. - -Never had the old farmhouse known more happiness than filled it that -night. Never was waffle-batter so light or appetites so good. Then, -what games! Sarah was a teacher, book in hand,--that was her favorite. -Then they were children lost in the woods, and Sarah was a bear,--that -was the twins'. - -No one but Sarah realized how strange it was that they should be -playing there so contentedly. It seemed to her that a vast space of -time divided this day from yesterday. It seemed almost as though her -father had come back, or as though William might come in upon them. -Little Sarah almost listened for his step. - -Then, like a warning to dream no more, there came first an imperative -lifting of the latch, then a loud knock on the door. - -"What do you want?" asked Sarah. - -"Albert is to come right aways home." That was Jacob Kalb. - -"The twins are to come right out." That was Aunt Mena. For the first -time in thirty years Aunt Mena's butter had failed to "get," and -she was angry and impatient. She had forgotten her gentle intention -to "tame" the twins. "Come right aways out, or you will get a good -whipping." - -The twins looked critically at the strong wall between them and the -enemy. It seemed a time when the dictates of wisdom might yield to -those of personal satisfaction. - -"We won't," said Louisa Ellen. - -"Jacob Calf!" called Ellen Louisa. - -"Go upstairs and take Albert," commanded Sarah. Then she turned to the -door. "You can't have my children." - -"I give you a last chance," said Aunt Mena. "I don't care for the -dollar a week. Shall the twins have a good home, or shall they not have -a good home?" - -"You cannot have my children," said Sarah again, her heart pounding -like a trip-hammer. - -"Well, then," called Aunt Mena furiously, as she went away. - -Jacob Kalb lingered. If Mena Illick refused to take the twins, Swartz -might be compelled to leave them all there. Then Jacob could not have -the house. - -"You ought to be srashed!" he shouted to Sarah. "You are a bad girl. -You put Albert out here." - -Then Jacob began to pound on the door. - -It was five minutes later when Sarah came upstairs. Her face was white -and her hands shook. Yet she was laughing. - -"Why don't you tell him if he don't go away you will shoot him with the -gun?" demanded Louisa Ellen. - -Sarah laughed hysterically. - -"That was just what I did tell him," she said. - - - - - CHAPTER III - - UNCLE DANIEL STEALS A MARCH - - -Stammering, frightened, shouting something to Aunt Mena which she did -not understand, Jacob Kalb fled from the Wenner farmhouse across the -fields toward the Swartzes'. He burst into the kitchen, where Aunt -'Liza was putting the supper on the table, like a wild man. - -Aunt 'Liza was still explaining to her angry husband how Albert got -away. - -"He was here, and then he wasn't here," she said almost tearfully. "And -nobody was here to go after him, and I didn't know what to do, and--and -I believe perhaps she came after him." - -Aunt 'Liza was willing to lay the blame of Albert's escape almost -anywhere but where it belonged, on herself. Then she was frightened by -the look of rage in Uncle Daniel's face. - -"Did you see _her_ here after Albert?" - -"No, no, I didn't _see_ her here after him. But I thought--" - -"Thinking is now no good," answered Uncle Daniel. Then he got upon his -feet. "There, they're coming. I can hear them." - -Before he reached the door Jacob Kalb burst in. - -"Sh--she will--she will sh-shoot me!" he cried wildly. "She was going -for to fetch the shot-gun to shoot me!" - -Aunt 'Liza threw herself against the door, shutting it almost in Aunt -Mena's face. - -"Where are you shot, Jacob?" she demanded. - -"I am not yet shot," answered Jacob. "But I will be shot. I--" He felt -suddenly his master's grip on his arm. "Ow! What is the matter?" - -"Where is Albert?" asked Uncle Daniel. "She has no gun to shoot with. -What are you talking about? Where is Albert, I say?" - -"She wouldn't give him to me," gasped Jacob. "They yelled at me, the -zwillings yelled at me. They wouldn't give him to me. She is after me -with a gun. She--" There was suddenly a loud pounding at the door. "I -tell you she is after me. She--" - -Uncle Daniel strode to the door, and flung it wide. He, at least, was -not afraid of being shot. - -"What do you mean?" he shouted. Then he saw that it was Aunt Mena who -stood without. - -"I mean that if Ellie and Weezy don't come along home with me to-night, -they are not to come at all," said Aunt Mena hotly. "I cannot be -running the whole time over the country for them." - -"Ellie and Weezy," repeated her brother. "Are they not by you?" - -"No, they ran early this morning off already." - -"And Albert ran off," said Aunt 'Liza. "I could not help it. I went a -little while on the garret, and when I came back, he was gone. I cannot -help it. I--Where are you then going, Daniel?" - -Uncle Daniel cast a scornful glance at the two women who could not -keep three children, one a mere baby, from running away, and at the -fright-stricken Jacob; then, regardless of the hot supper, about which -he was usually so particular, he stalked out. - -"Put Albert's high chair to the table," he had ordered briefly. - -In fifteen minutes he was back. Aunt 'Liza had not learned much tact -in all her twenty years of wedded life, or she would not have begun to -question him before he was inside the door. - -"Where is then Albert?" she asked. - -Swartz did not deign to answer. With a heavy frown, he sat down at the -table and began to eat. - -"Didn't she give him to _you_?" demanded Aunt Mena, aghast. - -"Be still," said Uncle Daniel shortly. - -"Did she get after you with the gun?" asked Jacob Kalb. He had just -finished giving the women an account of his adventure. He said that he -saw the gun-barrel when he looked in the keyhole. - -"Then she didn't come out after you?" said Aunt Mena. - -"No, but she _was_ coming," insisted Jacob. "I am going to have the law -on her, that is what I am going to do. I will have her put in jail. I -will have her--" - -"Be quiet," said Uncle Daniel to him, also. - -Aunt Mena rose to go. - -"I don't come again after Ellie and Weezy, remember," she said. "If -you fetch them over, perhaps I will take them back. Just tame Sarah a -little--" She forgot that her own efforts at taming had not been very -successful. "And then put somebody in the house, so she cannot get -back. That will settle it." - -"Be quiet," said Uncle Daniel again. - -"I will have the law on her," muttered Jacob Kalb. Every few minutes he -rubbed his leg, as though he were feeling for a gunshot wound. - -It was ten minutes before Uncle Daniel laid down his knife and fork and -pushed back his plate. Either reflection or the good supper had soothed -him. The angry flush was dying out of his face. - -"Well, what are you going to do?" asked Aunt 'Liza. - -"I have it fixed," he answered complacently. - -"Are you going to put her out of the house?" asked Aunt 'Liza. - -"Are you going to have the law on her?" asked Jacob Kalb. - -"Yes," answered Uncle Daniel. "I am going to put her out of the house, -and I am going to have the law on her. I am going to do both of those -things. I am going to be the guardian of her and of Ellie and Weezy and -Albert." - -"Guardian?" repeated Aunt Eliza. - -"Yes, guardian. Those children must have a guardian, and I am the one -to be it. But I must have papers. You cannot be a guardian unless you -have the papers from the court. I will go to-morrow to town and get -papers. Everything shall be fixed right." - -Aunt Eliza was alarmed. - -"But it will cost money!" she cried. - -"Nothing of the kind," answered Uncle Daniel. "It is a kindness I do -these children. Shall I pay for it, yet?" - -"And then Sarah will _have_ to come here?" - -"Sarah will have to do what I say she shall do," answered Uncle Daniel. -"And Albert and Ellie and Weezy. Everybody will have to do what I say -they shall do." - -Jacob Kalb gazed at him with admiration and delight. Daniel Swartz -always found some way of accomplishing what he wished. It was true that -he had not succeeded in adopting William Wenner. But he had succeeded -in punishing William, only Jacob knew how well. - -If it had not been for that knowledge, Jacob Kalb would not have been -looking forward with such delight to living in the Wenner house, -instead of walking back and forth each night and morning to the house -of his wife's father, three miles away, where he lived now. - -He rose to go home, not at all certain that Sarah was not waiting for -him outside the door with her shot-gun. - -"In the morning you are to go early into town with me," said Uncle -Daniel. "At six o'clock we will start." - -"You ought to bring a little hat for Albert," said Aunt 'Liza when the -door was closed. - -"No, sir," answered her husband. "I bring him perhaps a little candy or -peanuts, but no more. Not till he is here to stay. I brought William -sometimes presents, suits, I brought him, and a little cap, and shoes, -and once such a little velocipede, and what did I get? No, sir. When -Albert is here to stay, then I get him some things." - -When supper was over, he sat down before the fire. He seemed to be -brooding over William's ingratitude. - -"Shoes, I bought him, and candy. And what did I get for it?" - -Accompanied by Jacob Kalb, he reached the county seat long before the -earliest lawyer was astir. It did not occur to him that there was a -difference in lawyers or lawyers' prices. He had heard of Alexander -Weaver, so he went to him. - -"This is a fine way," he said to Jacob Kalb, when they had waited for -half an hour. "I'd like to know how my work would get done if I fooled -round this way in the early morning; that is what I would like to know. -If he don't soon come, I go." - -Then the door of Mr. Weaver's private office opened, and Mr. Weaver -himself invited them in. He was a dear-eyed, middle-aged man, so busy -that he often offended his clients by his curtness. He gave Daniel and -Jacob chairs where he could watch their faces. He imagined from their -appearance that they had come about some country quarrel. And country -fees were hard to collect. - -Uncle Daniel began slowly to state his cause. - -"My brother-in-law, he is dead," he announced. - -"Yes?" The lawyer crossed his knees nervously. - -"And my sister, she is dead." - -"Yes?" - -"And it is nobody to look after their things." - -"Any children?" - -"Yes." - -"Minors?" asked the lawyer. - -"No, children." - -"Well, I mean any under age, under twenty-one?" - -"Yes, it is a couple. Sarah--" Uncle Daniel counted them off on his -fingers. The lawyer's abrupt speech startled him, and he was afraid he -might forget. - -"How old?" - -"She is fifteen, but she is little. She could not run a farm." - -"But she thinks she can do everything," put in Jacob Kalb. "She got -after me with a gun." - -The lawyer smiled. He did not take kindly to Jacob Kalb, and it was -amusing to think of a fifteen-year-old girl "getting after" him with a -gun. - -"Any others?" - -"Yes, it is a couple of twins, Weezy and Ellie." - -"How old?" - -"About ten. But they are--" - -"Any others?" - -"Albert. He is four. He--" - -"And you want to be appointed guardian of these minor children of your -sister?" - -"Yes, sir." Uncle Daniel blinked. He could not understand the -phenomenal quickness of this man's mind. For the next few minutes he -continued to blink rapidly. - -"Your name? Your occupation? The value of the property of these -minors?" Question followed question so fast that Uncle Daniel could -hardly think. - -"You will have to sign a bond for the amount of the property, you know. -Your application will be sent to the Orphans' Court. Come back in a -month. The retaining fee will be twenty-five dollars." - -Then Uncle Daniel got his breath. - -"Twenty-five dollars! Twenty-five dollars for what?" - -"For making application to the Orphans' Court. Wasn't that what you -wanted me to do?" - -"Y-yes, b-but twenty-five dollars for writing out a couple of papers! -Twenty--" - -The lawyer swung round to his desk. Daniel realized suddenly that the -lawyer did not care whether he got the case or not. He became all the -more anxious to have this remarkable man continue it. Sarah might in -some way make trouble. - -"All right," he stammered. "We will come in a month back again. We--" - -The lawyer flung him a crumb of comfort. - -"You will be reimbursed, of course, from the estate," he said; and -Uncle Daniel's face brightened. - -He did not realize that in thus putting himself into the hands of the -law, he would place over his own actions a guardian to whom he should -some day have to give an account of his stewardship. In Uncle Daniel's -mind, he was to be, after the month was up, supreme arbiter of the -fates of the Wenners,--Sarah and Albert and the twins alike, and of -their property. He meant to be honest. Even though he did take the -farm, he would support them, Sarah and Albert at his own home, and the -twins at Aunt Mena's. Only, if Sarah did not behave, she would have to -go out to work. - -There was triumph in every motion of Uncle Daniel's broad, heavy -shoulders, as he went down the steps. He had began to think that -education was a good thing for lawyers, also. It must be pleasant to -get twenty-five dollars for writing a few words. - -At a store at the corner, he bought five cents' worth of peanuts and a -small bag of candy. Then they started home, drawing rein first at the -Ebert farm. Ebert appeared in response to a loud hulloa. He wondered -why Swartz was stopping at his gate. - -"When will you begin to plough for the little one?" Uncle Daniel asked -pleasantly. - -"To-morrow morning." - -"Well, you needn't plough at all," said Uncle Daniel. "I am to be -guardian, and I will plough." - -When they reached the lane which led to the Wenner house, they saw -Albert and the twins playing in the yard. Swartz pulled in the horse -with a jerk, then he jumped down with the little bags in his hand. - -"Tell 'Lizie that Albert will be home for supper," he said. - -This time he did not stride up to the door and demand Albert. Instead -he stole down the lane to the back of the house. He did not mean to -take any actively offensive measures till the end of the month. - -Sarah was not able to tell afterwards how Albert got away. She had kept -the children close beside her all the morning, and it was not until -afternoon that she yielded to their pleadings to be allowed to go out -of doors to play. Then she sat down at the window with some sewing in -her hands, in order that she might watch them. - -She had not moved until the sudden hissing of steam warned her that the -water in the kettle was boiling over. It had not taken her a minute to -move it to the back part of the stove, but in that instant Albert was -gone. She could see them crossing the fields, Albert in his uncle's -arms. The twins ran frantically behind them, and Sarah hurried to the -door. - -"He coaxed him away with candy," wailed Louisa Ellen when they ran -back. "But Albert said he was coming home for supper." - -That night there were no games. The doors were barred early, the supper -eaten silently. Then Sarah got pen and paper and sat down beside the -lamp. She would make a last appeal to William. Perhaps, though all the -other letters had failed, this might reach him, and reaching him, might -touch his heart. - -It would have taken Sarah all night and all the next day to say all -that was in her mind. But the task of composition was difficult and the -letter was short. It read:-- - - Dear Brother,--My Uncle Daniel is after us. He fetched Albert again. - Jacob Kalb wants to live here. The twins will not stay by Aunt Mena. - I am doing the best I can. I wish you would come home. Uncle Daniel - will not have it that the twins and Albert live in their right home. - We are well and hope you are the same. - - Resp. yours, - SARAH WENNER. - - P.S. I chased Jacob Kalb off with the gun, but I fear me that perhaps - he will come again. - -It was not a neat production, Sarah realized that. She tried to wipe -off a teardrop which fell upon it, and made a tremendous blot. And -William had always been so particular about the way she wrote. It did -not occur to her that, to the heart of an affectionate brother, the -pathetic blot would be more eloquent than pages of pleading. - -She addressed the letter to Seattle, then, waking the twins, who had -gone to sleep on the settle, she sent them to bed. - -Ah, that old settle, how many times it had held them! What would Uncle -Daniel have done with that? He and Aunt Mena had settles of their own. -Would he have left it there for Jacob Calf? And the dear, battered -furniture, the high chair which had held them all, from William -down to Albert,--would he have sold them? It would be like killing -a live creature to break up that home. Sarah gave up her own dreams -cheerfully. She thought no more of the "Normal." If they could only -stay together, she would ask no more of fate. - - - - - CHAPTER IV - - THERE IS COMPANY TO SUPPER - - -Miss Miflin wondered day after day why the Wenner twins did not come to -school. She knew that their father had died,--that would account for -three or four days, but why had they not come back after the funeral? - -It was true that their absence made Miss Miflin's life much easier. -They were not only very active themselves, but they were able to -incite the best-behaved of schools to mischief. When Miss Miflin heard -confusion behind her as she put a problem on the board, she needed only -to call out, "Ellen Louisa!" and then "Louisa Ellen!" and the noise -ceased. - -When they were approached in private, the twins were as shy as rabbits. -They stood twisting their aprons and looking at each other as though -Miss Miflin were an ogress. There seemed to be in them the same strange -quality that Miss Miflin had discovered in William and Sarah,--a -certain standing on guard. It had prevented Miss Miflin from writing -to William to try to straighten out the miserable tangle which they -had made of their friendship; it made her think of Sarah as a rather -reserved young woman, instead of a lonely little girl. It made her -hesitate even to offer her sympathy now that Sarah's father was dead. -She was not a Pennsylvania German, and it seemed to her that they did -not thoroughly trust her. - -She was always prepared for the unexpected in the twins' behavior; -but when, one morning late in March, they appeared at the school-door -carrying an old shot-gun, the same which had done such deadly execution -upon the frightened Jacob Kalb, she said aloud, "Well, what next!" Then -she went down the aisle to speak to them. - -"I am glad to see you back, Ellen Louisa and Louisa Ellen." She had -long since discovered that any attempt to abbreviate the names of the -twins was not received with favor. - -"Yes, ma'am," the twins answered politely. They could not have told -why they were so mischievous; it was a Topsy-like obsession which they -could not control. They both blindly adored Miss Miflin. - -"And why do you come to school armed as though you were going to war?" - -The twins giggled. The idea of going to war pleased them. - -"So nobody shall carry us off," answered Louisa Ellen. - -"Is anybody likely to carry you off?" asked Miss Miflin, smiling. She -had seen at once that the gun was useless as a weapon. - -"Yes, ma'am," answered Ellen Louisa. - -Miss Miflin smiled again. It was time to begin school, and she supposed -it was all one of the twins' tricks. - -"Put the gun in the corner and go to your seats," she said. - -An hour later Miss Miflin heard a stir in the back of the room. - -"Ellen--" she began. Then she followed the children's gaze toward the -window. - -Sarah Wenner stood there, looking in, as though she only meant to -assure herself of the twins' presence. But what a changed, wild-eyed -Sarah! Miss Miflin dropped chalk and ruler and went to the door. - -"Sarah!" she called. - -Sarah came hurriedly from the other side of the schoolhouse. - -"I didn't mean anything," she explained. "I wanted just to see if Ellen -Louisa and Louisa Ellen were in school, that was all." - -She did not say that the twins had added another frightened hour to -those which had made her face so white. They had slipped away while she -went to the barn. - -"Didn't you want them to come to school?" asked Miss Miflin. - -"Ach, yes!" cried Sarah. "I want them to go every day in the school." - -Belief and the sight of Miss Miflin were already patting some color -into her cheeks. - -"Are you well, Sarah?" asked Miss Miflin. - -"Ach, yes!" answered Sarah. "But now I must go home. You must excuse me -while I disturbed the school for you. Here is lunch for Ellen Louisa -and Louisa Ellen, then they need not come all the way home for dinner. -Will you--will you watch them, so they do not go off to play at recess? -Just give it to them if they are not good. I will then walk a piece way -along to meet them when they come home from school." - -Sarah was gone before Miss Miflin could ask any more questions. She saw -her look back as she tramped along the muddy road, then she vanished -behind a hedge of alders. Miss Miflin was puzzled and disturbed. - -It was almost an hour before Sarah reached the Eberts' door. She was -inexpressibly tired, and the roads were deep with mud. She had not -been sleeping well at night. Uncle Daniel had made no farther move, -but she felt that the delay was only a truce. She had seen nothing of -Albert, though it had been several weeks since his uncle had carried -him away. They were guarding him well. - -Ebert had not come to plough, and Sarah was worried. She had looked for -him day after day, and now she feared that he was sick. - -She could get no answer when she knocked at the door. The house was -closed, yet in the field near by the earth had been turned up that -morning. Why did they not answer? She could not know that Mrs. Ebert -watched her from an upper window, with tears in her eyes. - -"I wasn't going to tell her that you wouldn't plough for her," she said -to her husband at noon. - -"Well, I guess I am not going to plough and then let Swartz have the -benefit," answered Ebert. - -Troubled and anxious, Sarah went on toward home. As she turned to go -up the lane she saw a man at work in the north field. Ah, Ebert had -begun! Then her flying feet halted. The horses were Uncle Daniel's -grays, the man was Jacob Kalb. Sarah cried out as though she had been -struck. - -Then she saw that the fence was down. It was not a worm-fence, which -could be put up again in a little while, but a stout "post and rail." -The posts had been taken out. The two fields formed together a great -slope which ran from the Wenners' garden to the edge of the Swartzes' -yard. - -Sarah gathered her shawl a little closer about her and ran on. - -"Get out, Jacob Kalb!" she called. - -For a minute Jacob looked as though he meant to run. He had protested -against coming to plough so near the house, for fear that Sarah might -"do him something." Now he saw that Sarah did not carry a gun. He -mocked her rudely. - -"Get out, Sarah Wenner!" - -"I tell you, you shall go away, Jacob Kalb," she shouted. "This is not -your land." - -Jacob laughed. "_You_ will have to go pretty soon away," he said. - -Sarah could eat no dinner, but sat at the window watching. Already the -boundary between the two farms was fast disappearing. How would they be -able ever to find it again? What would her mother and father have said? -What would William say when he came home? - -_When_ he came home. It was growing to be _if_ he came home in Sarah's -mind. Anxiety was doing its work. - -She remembered things which she had heard as a child and -forgotten,--her mother's sharp criticism of Daniel Swartz's meanness, -her father's good-natured laughter. She did not know how easily that -same dear, thoughtless father might have made it impossible for his -brother-in-law to interfere with them. He might easily have provided -another guardian for his children. He had meant to,--that much must be -said for him,--but he was a procrastinator, and at the end there had -been no time. - -Sarah could not go now to meet the twins when they came from school; -she did not dare to leave the house. Jacob Kalb might take possession -while she was away. - -The afternoon passed slowly. Toward evening, there was a late flurry -of snow. And the twins did not come. Sarah ran part way down the -lane,--they were not yet in sight,--then she went to the barn to -milk, her ears straining to hear any unfriendly sound. It soothed and -comforted her to be with the friendly beasts which she loved. Both -"Mooley" and "Curly" had been born on the place, they were part of the -living fibre of the homestead. - -It was fortunate that the twins called to Sarah before they ran up to -the door of the barn, for another shock was more than Sarah could have -borne at that moment. The twins' voices trembled with some exciting -news. - -"She came along home with us," said Louisa Ellen. - -"She carried the gun for us," said Ellen Louisa. - -"She is waiting at the front door." - -"Who is waiting at the front door?" asked Sarah. Then she added -fearfully, "Aunt Mena?" - -"No, teacher." - -"Teacher!" repeated Sarah. "Wh-what did she come for? Have you then not -been smart?" - -"For to see us," said Louisa Ellen impatiently. "She is coming for -company. She--" - -Sarah had crossed the lane, a milk-pail in either hand. - -"Come," she called, in a voice which was meant to be a whisper, but -which Miss Miflin, waiting on the broad doorstep, heard clearly. "Hurry -yourselves, and fix a little up. Perhaps--" Sarah could scarcely speak -for excitement. "Perhaps she will stay for supper." - -A moment later, she opened the front door. Her black hair was brushed -back a little more closely to her head, her face shone, the great white -apron which she had hastily put on over her gingham one was much longer -than her dress, and from the back her gray-stockinged ankles could be -seen outlined against it in pathetic thinness. - -"Come in, teacher," she begged shyly. "Come once into the room [parlor] -and I will hurry make a fire." - -"Oh no," said Miss Miflin. "I'll come back to the kitchen with you. I -didn't come to be company. I came to bring the twins home, and the gun." - -"The gun!" repeated Sarah. "Did they then take the gun along? Come -in. It doesn't look here so good like always. I--I didn't work this -afternoon so very much. I--" And Sarah ushered Miss Miflin into the -immaculate kitchen. - -Miss Miflin breathed a sigh of relief. The chill of the house had -struck into her heart. Could William have lived _here_? Then she saw -the glow of the fire, the bright rag carpet, the blooming geraniums in -the window. This looked like William. Miss Miflin put out her hand and -drew Ellen Louisa, in a clean white apron, to her side. She, too, was -William's. - -"I wonder whether you would let me stay for supper?" she asked. - -The glow in Sarah's face answered her. - -"If it is you good enough," answered Sarah humbly. - -"Good enough!" laughed Miss Miflin. She pulled off her over-shoes and -slipped out of her coat. She had no home of her own, and had been -boarding at a country hotel for three years. "But you children don't -stay here alone at night!" - -"Yes," said Sarah. - -"But aren't you afraid?" - -"Ach, no! Nobody would do us anything," stammered Sarah. She could not -tell this stranger any of their troubles. - -"But haven't you a little brother?" Miss Miflin looked round the -kitchen. - -"Yes, ma'am," answered Sarah. She suddenly put out her hand, and laid -it on Louisa Ellen's shoulder, and Louisa Ellen closed her lips as -though she had meant to speak, but had changed her mind. "Yes, Albert. -He is now by my uncle." - -"And don't any of your uncle's people come to stay with you at night?" - -"Ach, no!" answered Sarah. Suddenly she felt her voice give way. There -was something in Miss Miflin's brown, astonished eyes which made her -feel that she might cry. But that would never do. "T-take a ch-chair. -I-I guess you had to laugh at how the twins learned their lessons. I -taught them while they were at home." - -"They learned them well," replied Miss Miflin. "Now I am going to help -get supper." - -The twins could scarcely believe their eyes. It was as though a fairy -had come to the farmhouse, a dear, capable fairy, who could dry dishes -and cut bread, and magically change tired, care-worn Sarah into the -gay, cheerful Sarah of old. It was almost nine o'clock when Ellen -Louisa turned from the window, against which she had been flattening -her nose. - -"It's snowing again," she announced. - -Miss Miflin looked up in dismay. She had forgotten how fast the time -was passing. Sarah never knew that, summoned by her stories and her -love, it seemed to Miss Miflin that William was there with them. - -"I shall have to go at once," she cried. "I had no idea it was so late." - -Sarah clasped her hands together. - -"You are welcome to stay here," she said. "If it is you good enough, -you are welcome to stay here!" - -Miss Miflin crossed the room to look out of the window. - -"I guess I'll have to. Then I can take the twins with me to school in -the morning and they won't need the gun. And why do they want to run -away, where some one might pick them up? And who wants to pick them up?" - -It was a second before Sarah answered. Suppose she should tell Miss -Miflin about Uncle Daniel, and about Jacob Kalb, and all her anxieties -and fears? But, no, it would never do. It made her ashamed to think of -Uncle Daniel. She did not believe William would like her to tell. She -frowned again at Louisa Ellen. - -"Ach, they are a little wild," she explained. "They like their school, -but they are a little wild." - -By this time Miss Miflin had a delighted and sleepy twin on each side -of her on the settle. - -"But they are not going to be wild any more," she said. - -Sarah was asleep that night almost before her head touched the pillow. -It seemed to her that peace had descended upon her heart, and hopes -for a better day. - -It was midnight when she suddenly awoke. Miss Miflin was standing -beside the bed. - -"Sarah! Sarah, dear, wake up. Your uncle is here and wants you." - -Sarah tried to open her drowsy eyes. - -"He can't have them," she said, bewildered. "Tell him he must go away." - -"But listen, Sarah. He says Albert is sick and they want you." - -Sarah sat up at once. - -"He is waiting for you at the door. Come, I'll help you with your -clothes. Don't come back to-night. I'll get breakfast for the twins. -No, Sarah, the other shoe. No, you must put on all your warm clothes. -There! Now, I'll come downstairs with you." - -Sarah was too dazed with fright and sleep to speak. Miss Miflin was -shocked at the anguish in her face. She put out her arms, and for one -blessed moment Sarah felt the close pressure of sympathy and love. - -"There, Sarah, dear! I'll look after the twins and the house, and -to-morrow you must tell me everything, Sarah." - -Miss Miflin opened the door, and told Uncle Daniel who she was, and -Sarah went out. With confidence which touched even Uncle Daniel -himself, she put her hand in his. - -"Come, let us hurry," she whispered. - - - - - CHAPTER V - - THE BLOW FALLS - - -Sarah never forgot the wet, cold walk across the fields. The stars were -out, and there was promise of a clear day, but the melted snow made -the soil wet and muddy, and the air was damp. Uncle Daniel strode on, -without remembering to moderate his long steps, and Sarah almost ran by -his side. - -She was wide awake now, the cool air on her face banished all -drowsiness of body, and Albert's danger roused every faculty of her -mind. - -"How long was he sick already?" she asked. - -"Since this morning. But he has been for a couple of days not so good." - -"Where is he sick?" - -"He won't eat nothing, and--and he don't know us. He--he--" Uncle -Daniel's voice shook. He had had a hard day. He was desperately -frightened about Albert, and Aunt 'Liza had not made him more -comfortable by insisting that it was a punishment for wanting his -sister's farm. - -"He will know me," answered Sarah with conviction. Then she began to -run up the lane toward the house. She could see a light in an upstairs -room, and Aunt Eliza's face was already peering anxiously out of the -kitchen door. - -"Albert is worse," she called. "He is talking all the time." - -Sarah pushed past her into the kitchen. She had not been in the house -since she was a little girl,--so entirely apart had been the lives of -the two families,--but she knew the way to the stairway door. One after -another the natural ills of childhood came to her mind. Albert and the -twins had had chickenpox and measles and whooping-cough and mumps, and -she had nursed them all. She thought of the dreaded scarlet fever and -diphtheria. But there was none in the neighborhood. - -She hurried up the stairway, as there floated down a tiny, querulous -voice,-- - -"I want my Sarah! I want my Sarah!" - -Albert lay deep in the great feather-bed, his cheeks a flaming crimson, -his arms tossing restlessly. Even when Sarah bent over him, he did not -know her, but kept on with his restless crying. She put her hand on his -hot forehead, she opened the collar of his night-gown. - -When Aunt Eliza and Uncle Daniel came into the room, she turned upon -them a look of such anguish that Aunt 'Liza began to cry, and Uncle -Daniel sat down weakly in a chair. - -"Is it the smallpox?" asked Aunt 'Liza fearfully. - -Sarah did not answer. She looked at Albert once more. Long before, when -her mother was living, the twins had found the Christmas candy, and -had eaten it all in a day. Then the twins had had a sorry time. They -had looked just like this. - -"What did you give Albert to eat?" she demanded. - -"Ach! bread and meat and potatoes and pie, like always, and--" - -"And what?" insisted Sarah. - -"And a few crullers." - -"And what yet?" - -"And a little candy." - -"How much candy?" - -"Ach, such a little bag full." - -"And what yet?" - -"A few peanuts," answered Uncle Daniel doggedly. - -"Get me warm water and mustard," commanded Sarah. - -"C-can you make him well, Sarah?" faltered Aunt 'Liza. But she did -not stop to hear the answer. At that moment she did not even feel the -humiliation of having to obey fifteen-year-old Sarah. - -In less than an hour, a watcher might have seen the lights in the -Swartz farmhouse go out, one by one. Albert was asleep long before -that, the flush faded from his cheek, the fever gone, a faint smile -upon the little face on Sarah's arm. It would have been hard to tell -which slept more soundly, doctor or patient. - -In the next room Daniel Swartz lay wide awake. These weeks of Albert's -stay with them had not been easy. It was not entirely pie and cake and -candy which had made Albert sick; it was a disease which no heroic -measures could cure, homesickness, and Uncle Daniel knew it. - -"I never saw such a young one," he said angrily. "I was never so very -for my brothers and sisters when I was little." - -"Will you let him go home?" asked Aunt 'Liza timidly. The last weeks -had worn more heavily upon her than upon her husband, since she had to -watch all day long that white, woe-begone little face. - -"Let him go home!" repeated Swartz. "When I am to be guardian -to-morrow! I guess not. To-morrow Sarah has to come here. That will -cure him." - -It was long after daybreak when Sarah woke. Albert slept quietly beside -her, and it was not likely that he would wake for several hours. She -dressed hurriedly and went downstairs. - -There she found Aunt Liza washing dishes and Uncle Daniel moving -impatiently about, dressed in his best clothes. - -"I didn't go yet to town, because I want to talk to you a little, -Sarah," he began. "Sit down once and Aunt 'Lizie will give you your -breakfast." - -"But I must go home," objected Sarah. "Albert will be all right, only -he must not have anything to eat yet awhile, only milk to drink. And he -mustn't have candy, or he will get just so sick for you again. He is -too little to have so much candy." - -"But you stay here now and take care of him," invited Uncle Daniel -pleasantly. Now that he had everything in his hands he was prepared to -be thoroughly amiable. - -"I can come back," replied Sarah. His good humor frightened her, and -she moved a little closer to the door. "But first I must go and milk. -It is already late to milk." - -"Jacob Kalb's wife went down this long time to milk," put in Aunt 'Liza. - -"Jacob Kalb's wife!" repeated Sarah. - -"Yes." - -"Well, I'll go down and she can go home," said Sarah. "I--I don't need -Jacob Kalb's wife to help. Then I can come back to see Albert." - -She remembered afterwards that Aunt 'Liza had begun to speak, and that -she had been sharply checked by Uncle Daniel. But she did not wait to -hear. Jacob Kalb's wife was only a shade less disagreeable than Jacob -himself. She could not bear to think of her touching her milk-pans or -going into the spring-house or kitchen. She ran as swiftly as she -could down across the fields. - -When she reached the kitchen door, she was faint with exhaustion. At -first everything was black before her. Then she saw Jacob Kalb's wife -standing by the stove. She was a large, fair-haired woman, with strong, -bare arms. She had just lifted a pie from the oven and stood with it -still in her hands, looking at little Sarah. - -"I--I--you needn't bake for me," said Sarah when she could get her -breath. "I am much obliged that you did the milking, but you need not -bake for me." - -"I am baking for myself," answered Mrs. Kalb stolidly. - -"Well, you needn't bake _here_," cried Sarah. - -Suddenly there came a rush of comprehension. It seemed for an instant -as though she could neither breathe nor think. Her uncle had made -Albert sick, he had sent for her to cure him, and then he had sent this -woman down here to take possession. She moved a step closer. - -"Go out of my kitchen," she commanded thickly. "This is my kitchen, it -isn't yours. These are my things, they are not yours. They are not my -uncle's. He had no right to send you here. You could be arrested for -it. It is stealing. Get out of my kitchen." - -Suddenly everything seemed to grow black once more, and Sarah reeled. -The woman came toward her. - -"Are you sick? You better sit down once. It isn't my fault that I have -to live here. If I don't live here, somebody else will. Let me take off -your shawl for you." - -"Ach, no!" cried little Sarah. "Don't touch me! Don't touch me!" - -"I guess I won't do you anything if I touch you," answered the woman, -the kindness in her voice changing to irritation. "Well, what in the -world--" - -Sarah had gone, leaving the door open behind her. Mrs. Kalb watched her -run down the lane, stopping occasionally to gasp for breath. - -"Let her go and talk to Swartz," muttered Mrs. Kalb to herself. Then -she went back to her work. - -Sarah did not turn to go across the fields to the Swartz house, but -went on out to the high-road. There she stood, looking about her, -bewildered. - -The blow had fallen at last. She had expected it hourly, but she had -not foreseen such heartache as this. She had no home, and the children -had no home, and William, _if_ he came back, would have no home. -The children might grow accustomed to life at Aunt Mena's and Uncle -Daniel's,--she knew nothing then of Albert's homesickness,--but it -would not be home. They would grow away from one another, they would -not be like the children of one family. - -She could not cry, she was too wretched for tears, she could only stand -there in the road in the sunshine, trying to decide where she should -go. Then suddenly there came to her the touch of Miss Miflin's arms and -the sound of Miss Miflin's voice. - -"To-morrow, you must tell me everything." - -She did not stop to listen to another voice, which told her that -Miss Miflin was a stranger who could not really care, and who could -not help. She started away, not running now,--she was too tired for -that,--but walking as fast as she could, toward the Spring Grove -Schoolhouse. - -Recess had just begun, and the children, all but the twins, who had -been granted the treasured privilege of cleaning the blackboards, were -in the playground. They looked up curiously as Sarah went by. The -Wenners had always been clannish. Even the twins were happier playing -by themselves than with the other children. - -Miss Miflin was shocked at the sight of Sarah's face. She had not -worried about her, because the woman who had come to milk had said that -Albert was better, and that Sarah was still asleep. She had made up -her mind to go back to the Wenners' that night. Perhaps if there were a -grown person in the house Sarah would rest, and thus lose some of the -weariness which showed so plainly in her eyes. - -Now in addition to the weariness, there was distress such as Miss -Miflin had never seen on the face of a young person. She went down the -aisle to meet her. - -"Well, Sarah," she began. Then she put out both her arms. "Why, you -poor little girl! What is the matter?" - -"Jacob Kalb is living in our house," said Sarah hoarsely. "We have no -home any more. The twins must go to Aunt Mena, and Albert to Uncle -Daniel. We have no home any more. He took it away from us. It is not -right." - -Miss Miflin helped Sarah to her own chair. Then she took the county -paper from her desk. - -"Sarah, I saw something about you and the children in the paper last -week. Don't you know your uncle is to be your guardian?" - -"Guardian?" repeated Sarah. - -"Yes, here it is. 'Daniel Swartz, of Spring Grove township, has applied -to be appointed guardian of Sarah, Ellen Louisa, Louisa Ellen, and -Albert Wenner, minor children of Henry Wenner, deceased.' Oh, Sarah, -that means you will have to do as he says!" - -"We would have to do as he says whether he was guardian or not," said -Sarah dully. "He wants to take the farm. He has already taken the fence -down. It is nothing to be done." Then she burst into tears. "If they -would only give me a chance once! If they would let me try, I could -show them what I could do. I know how the crops should be, and Ebert -would work for the half, now like always. It would be just like when my -pop was alive. Or if Uncle Daniel would farm and give us the half, like -Ebert, so we could get along. Then we could stay together. But now we -have nothing. If William comes home, he won't have any place to go. He -won't--" - -"Listen a minute, Sarah!" said Miss Miflin. Then she did not go on at -once, but turned over the paper with hands which trembled. - -"Who makes him guardian?" asked Sarah. - -"The judge," replied Miss Miflin absently. - -"If I only could--" - -"Wait a minute," said Miss Miflin again. "It may not have been decided -yet. Perhaps if we went in, they would let us talk. Perhaps--" - -Her hand went out suddenly to the bell-rope. - -"There is a train in half an hour. We shall have to hurry. Come, -children, get your caps and shawls. There will be no more school till -to-morrow." - -Sarah looked at her dully. She had no idea of what Miss Miflin meant -to do. The children vanished with whoops of delight over the unexpected -holiday. - -"Now, Sarah, we are going to town." - -"To town! To the _county seat_?" - -"Yes." - -"But--but I have no money!" - -"Well, I have." - -"But I--I cannot leave the twins!" - -"They are to come too." - -"In these clothes?" Sarah had never been to the county seat but once, -and then she had worn her best. - -"Yes. There isn't time to get any others." - -While Miss Miflin spoke, she locked the door of the schoolhouse, and -took Sarah's arm in hers. Her cheeks were flushed, and she looked -anxious and worried. She was perfectly aware that it was probably a -fruitless errand upon which she was starting. Before they could get to -the county seat, the appointment might be made. And even if they did -get there in time, she was not sure whether anything could be done. -If they failed, it might not only make it harder for the children, but -she might lose her school. Daniel Swartz was a man of influence and -a school-director, and he could easily prevent her re-election if he -tried. - -Nevertheless, in spite of all the dictates of reason and common -sense, Miss Miflin had an inward conviction that she was right. She -knew vaguely that there had been some trouble between the Swartz and -Wenner families, and that Henry Wenner would never have chosen his -brother-in-law to be guardian of his children. Surely that would have -some weight with the judge! - -If Sarah could only be led to talk, if she could make the judge believe -that she was able to run the farm and look after the children, he -might, as Sarah had said, be willing to "let her try." And deep in -Miss Miflin's heart was the remembrance of Sarah's anguished cry, "If -William comes home, he won't have any place to go." - -[Illustration: THE STATION AGENT LOOKED AT THEM CURIOUSLY] - -If William came home! Miss Miflin sighed for some of the childish -affection which followed thoughtless, wandering William. Suppose that -he should come home, ill, penniless, where would he go? Miss Miflin -drew Sarah's hand a little closer within her arm. - -"Cheer up, Sarah," she said. "We'll win." - -Even the station agent, accustomed to provincial costumes, looked at -them curiously as they got on the train. Miss Miflin wore her school -suit and hat,--no one could have found fault with them upon the grounds -of suitability or becomingness. But Sarah and the twins, in their -striped shawls and sunbonnets, were very unlike what one would have -expected Miss Miflin's companions to be. - -There was no doubt that they were her companions, however, for she -asked the conductor to reverse a seat, and with Sarah beside her, -and the eager, restless twins opposite, she was as oblivious of the -interested stares of the passengers as though she were in her own -class-room at Spring Grove. The twins were wild with delight at the -journey. Here was another adventure, more exciting than running away -from Aunt Mena, or carrying a gun to school. - -Meanwhile, with an hour's start, and behind Betty, the fast little -mare, Uncle Daniel and Jacob Kalb were just finishing the twelve-mile -journey to the county seat. - - - - - CHAPTER VI - - THE ORPHANS' COURT - - -The curious eyes which watched Miss Miflin and the children on the -train were multiplied tenfold when they found themselves on the streets -of the county seat. Miss Miflin was pretty enough to attract attention -anywhere, but she had never before been so frankly stared at. She -was well aware that the children in their striped shawls and little -sunbonnets and gray home-knit stockings looked strange in a town where -for twenty years little girls had been wearing coats and hats. - -"Is it a show?" she heard one impertinent boy ask another. - -"See here, once," a man exclaimed. "That's the way the little girls -looked when I was a boy." - -Miss Miflin was the only member of her party who was at all disturbed -by the interested residents of the county seat. The tired look was gone -from Sarah's face, her eyes sparkled; for a few minutes, in her delight -over the strange sights, she forgot her anxiety and fear. Here were the -wonderful "electricity cars," which frightened the twins nearly out of -their wits. - -"Where are then the horses?" they demanded together. "What makes it go? -Will it come after us?" - -The twins held each other tightly by the hand, their desire to run -ahead and their fear of becoming separated from Miss Miflin making -their gait very uncertain. Once she and Sarah almost stumbled over -them, when they stopped short to contemplate the wonders of the tall -Powers Building, in course of erection on the other side of the street. - -Miss Miflin was not sorry when the gray walls of the court house -appeared before them. She would be glad to get her charges safely -within doors. - -The twins, however, had stopped again. They had loosened their grasp on -each other, and were standing with clasped hands and rapturous gaze. - -"What is it?" asked Miss Miflin. Then she followed their glance to a -little peanut and candy stand near by. - -"Peanuts!" said Louisa Ellen rapturously. - -"Candy!" said Ellen Louisa. - -There was a shocked "Ach, aren't you ashamed!" from Sarah, and a laugh -from Miss Miflin. - -"Wait till we go home," she said. - -Then, together, she and Sarah pushed open the heavy door of the court -house. - -They found themselves in a great, empty hall, with many doors on each -side. The twins, after a moment's silent contemplation, tried to puzzle -out the signs above the doors. "Clerk of the Court" was easy. "District -Attorney" and "Prothonotary" were harder. - -"Are we going to one of those places?" whispered Louisa Ellen. They -had never been to a circus, but they were feeling the same pleasant -thrills that a small boy would feel at sight of the closed tents. - -"I don't know," answered Miss Miflin, more to herself than to them. "We -must see some one." - -"Could I go and ask?" inquired Sarah. - -"No," answered Miss Miflin. "Are you afraid to wait here a minute with -the twins, while I see what I can do?" - -At that moment a door at the upper end of the hall opened, and a tall -gentleman came toward them. At sight of them his step slackened, and he -looked at them curiously. He, too, remembered the little Pennsylvania -German schoolhouse to which he had gone as a small boy. He did not wait -for Miss Miflin to speak to him. - -"Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked courteously. - -Miss Miflin looked up into the kindly face. - -"Why, yes. But it would take a few minutes to explain, and I don't like -to keep you." - -"Oh, I shall be glad to help. Only--" The gentleman looked back over -his shoulder. The door of the prothonotary's office had opened. In a -moment two or three idle young clerks would be in the hall, curious to -see the girl whose voice they heard. He opened the nearest door, and -stepped back for Miss Miflin and the twins to enter. "Come in here," he -said. - -The little room into which they went was stiffly furnished in the -fashion of fifty years ago, as an ante-room to the judge's private -office. It was not often used; the horsehair-covered chairs, set neatly -against the wall, and the dark heavy velvet curtains were unworn. To -the twins it was a marvelously beautiful place. Miss Miflin and Sarah -saw nothing but the kindly face which invited them to tell their story. - -"These children are orphans," Miss Miflin began. "Their father was -Henry Wenner of Spring Grove township, who died about a month ago. -He had been an invalid for some years, and Sarah, the oldest girl, -managed the farm." - -"Ebert ploughed for me and farmed for the half," explained Sarah. She -had taken her sunbonnet off, and her bright eyes looked first at the -stranger, then at Miss Miflin. "He would help me yet. I could get good -along, if they would only leave me be." - -"The father made no will, and no provision for the children, but it was -his wish that they stay together." - -"And mom said always so too," added Sarah. - -"Are there any relatives?" asked the stranger. - -"Yes, their mother's brother, Daniel Swartz. He lives on the next farm. -But there was never any friendship between the two families while these -children's parents lived. Now he has made application to be appointed -guardian, and it doesn't seem necessary or right that he should be. -He--" - -"You see it is this way," said Sarah. "He wanted always the farm. It -was once all my gran'pop's farm. He wanted my pop and mom should move -away and sell it to him once. Now he won't have it that we keep it like -my pop said we should. The twins shall live by Aunt Mena, and Albert -and I shall live by him, and we won't have no home any more, and--" - -Miss Miflin laid a hand on Sarah's knee. - -"We didn't mean to trouble you with all this," she said gently. "I just -wanted to know what we should do, to whom we should go. I thought that -if Daniel Swartz hadn't been made guardian yet, perhaps there was some -way of stopping it, and you could tell us to what official we should -apply." - -"There would have to be a hearing before the judge, and their uncle -would have to be notified, so that he could defend himself," answered -the gentleman slowly. He looked down once more at Sarah and the twins. -"They are pretty young to be looking after themselves," he said. - -"I am fifteen years old," said Sarah. "And if they would take the farm -and only leave me raise chickens I can get along." - -The stranger's eyes met Miss Miflin's. - -"She is a very capable little girl," said Miss Miflin. - -Then the twins, who had marveled at the "electricity cars" and the tall -buildings, were still further astonished. The gentleman got up and -crossed the room, and took down a little horn which was hanging against -the wall. Then he began to talk. The twins' mouths opened involuntarily. - -"Is this the clerk's office? Can you get Weaver and his client--" He -turned to Sarah. "What did you say the uncle's name is? Swartz? Oh -yes--Can you get Weaver and Swartz here for a hearing this afternoon? -They're in the court-house now? Oh, very well. Yes, right away." - -Then the stranger hung up the little horn once more. He smiled at Miss -Miflin and the children. - -"Would you mind coming to tell the judge what you have told me?" he -said. - -"Will it be in the court-room?" asked Miss Miflin. She grew more and -more poignantly conscious of the strangeness of her errand. But this -stranger was evidently accustomed to court business and he seemed -encouraging. - -"Oh no. The sessions of the Orphans' Court are held in the judge's -office. This way." And he opened a door leading into the next room. - -Miss Miflin felt Sarah's tight grasp on her arm, and the twins came -close behind. This room was much larger than the one they were leaving. -There was no carpet on the floor, and no attempt at elegant furniture. -At one end was a plain, businesslike desk, and the twenty or thirty -chairs which stood about the room were straight and uncushioned. - -To Miss Miflin's distress, almost every chair was occupied. The -stranger frowned a little when he saw the audience. It took a very -short time for the news of an interesting case to spread through the -court-house. - -But Miss Miflin's surprise was nothing to be compared to the surprise -of two of the occupants of the wooden chairs. Daniel Swartz's eyes -widened, and Jacob Kalb nudged him visibly. - -"It is Sarah and the zwillings," he cried. "Sarah and the zwillings!" - -Uncle Daniel had had a moment of severe fright. The lawyer had told him -that they had only to go to the court-house to get the papers. But his -fright passed. - -"Pooh, what do I care?" he said. "I have my lawyer, and I paid him -twenty-five dollars already. I am not afraid of no zwillings. Nor yet -no school-teacher," he added under his breath. In Uncle Daniel's mind, -the days of Miss Miflin in the Spring Grove School were numbered. - -But the surprises were not yet over. The tall gentleman found places -for Miss Miflin and the children near the desk at the front of the -room. Sarah looked up at him with a mixture of gratitude and alarm. - -"Couldn't you stay by us?" she whispered. - -The stranger laughed. - -"I'm not going away," he answered. Then to the amazement of Miss Miflin -and Sarah and the consternation of Daniel Swartz, he took his place -behind the desk. - -"They were already by the judge!" said Uncle Daniel. "It is not fair, -it--" - -"I'd advise you to be quiet," said Mr. Weaver curtly. - -Sarah seized Miss Miflin's arm. - -"Was it--was--it _him_?" she asked. - -"Yes," answered Miss Miflin. "It was." - -She saw the judge smiling at their surprise, and she felt suddenly that -it was all less of a wild-goose chase than she had feared. - -It was comforting, also, that there was about this hearing none of -the formality of a court trial. The judge wore no gown, there was no -prisoners' dock, no loud-voiced crier; it was more like the office of -a country squire. Miss Miflin whispered to the twins to take off their -sunbonnets, and not to speak unless the judge spoke to them. - -The clerk of the court read Daniel Swartz's application, and then Mr. -Weaver rose. He had not anticipated any objections, and he was not in -a good humor. He felt that he was wasting his time over an unimportant -case. He said briefly that the children had no natural guardian, except -their uncle Daniel Swartz, an upright, prosperous man, who was willing -to take from his own important business the time necessary to look -after their affairs. - -"He is a school-director, a member of the Reformed Church in good -standing, and a prosperous farmer. Could a more suitable person be -found? The oldest of the children is fourteen--" - -"I am fifteen," said Sarah. - -The men in the court-room smiled, and the lawyer went on as though he -had not heard. - -"It will be years before she is of age. How can such a child possibly -look after a farm and bring up three children? They do not _want_ a -guardian; few children would, after having been allowed to run loose -for years. But in their own interest, and in the interest especially -of these younger children, I ask that Daniel Swartz be made their -guardian." - -Daniel Swartz looked about complacently, as if challenging those near -him to prove that the lawyer's statements were untrue. - -"To-morrow she loses her school," he said to Jacob Kalb. - -Then he saw that the judge was speaking to Miss Miflin. - -"What is your name?" - -"Helen Miflin." - -"You are a school-teacher?" - -"I teach in the Spring Grove Schoolhouse." - -"What interest have you in this case?" - -The judge saw that the flush on Miss Miflin's cheek deepened, but he -thought it was only a flush of embarrassment. - -"I am fond of these children, and I do not believe the appointment of -Mr. Swartz as guardian is necessary or right." - -"Why?" - -"Because for years the families have not been friendly, and Mr. Wenner -would never have chosen Mr. Swartz as the guardian of his children, and -because the children do not like him." - -"Like me!" exclaimed Daniel Swartz to the lawyer. "What dumb talk! It -makes nothing out if they like me or not." - -"You will have to be quiet," answered Mr. Weaver. "It makes a good deal -of difference in the appointment of a guardian." - -"Sarah Wenner," said the judge. - -"Yes, sir," answered Sarah. - -"Why don't you want to live with your uncle, and have him look after -your affairs?" - -"Because my mom said we should stay always together. It is not right -that children have no home of their own. And my pop was for three years -sick, and Ebert helped us, and we got good along. He worked for the -half. And I can raise chickens. And the twins are always good for me, -and Albert is always good for me, and Uncle Daniel, he knows I can get -along. Albert is already by him, and he gave him candy till he was sick -and I had to go to cure him. He don't know how to bring up children, -and Aunt 'Lizie don't know. He--he is always after us. And he came for -me in the night to go to Albert, and when I went back in the morning -Jacob Kalb was living there already, and baking pies, and--" - -At thought of the morning, the tears came into Sarah's eyes, and her -voice choked. "If he would only l-leave me be." - -"That will do," said the judge kindly. He thought that he had never -seen the court-house clerks so quiet. "And you," he said to the twins, -"aren't you willing to be good little girls, and do as Uncle Daniel -wants you to?" - -The twins looked up at the judge, then round the room. They were -frightened and puzzled. They thought this kindly gentleman was on their -side, but he had made Sarah cry, and now he wanted them to obey Uncle -Daniel. Then Louisa Ellen put out her hand and nudged Ellen Louisa. - -The eyes of the judge and the clerks followed theirs. Uncle Daniel was -smiling at them graciously,--he who usually frowned so crossly. And as -Uncle Daniel smiled, he put his hand into his pocket and drew out two -shining dollars. - -To the court-room Uncle Daniel's purpose was evident. The court-room -held its breath. Louisa Ellen's hand tightened on Ellen Louisa's. - -"Uncle Daniel is going to give us a dollar!" she said, in tones of such -wonder and amazement that the court-room rocked with mirth. - -[Illustration: UNCLE DANIEL SMILED AND DREW OUT TWO SHINING DOLLARS] - -"Order!" said the judge, after a long minute. - -Then Mr. Weaver knew--though Uncle Daniel did not as yet--that his -cause was lost. Uncle Daniel put the money back into his pocket, -shamefacedly. This would be another score to settle with the twins when -this foolish court business was over. Then he heard that the judge was -speaking. - -"Whom would you like to have for your guardian, children?" - -Sarah looked up at Miss Miflin. To her the word guardian meant -unpleasant oversight, interference. Must they have a guardian at all? -But Miss Miflin did not seem troubled in the least. What she said was -unpremeditated; she did not realize until after the words were out that -the lawyer's sharp eyes and the judge's kindly eyes were watching her -so closely, nor could she foresee that her face would become a flaming -crimson. - -"I don't see why they need a guardian at all," she said. "They have an -older brother." - -"Oh," said the judge. "Why, then, was the application made?" - -At that moment Jacob Kalb had come finally to the conclusion that he -had been silent long enough. - -"He went three years ago already to Alaska," he said. "He will never -come home." - -"Oh, he will!" cried little Sarah. - -"And if he does come home," went on Jacob Kalb coolly, "what will he -have to say about the school-board money that he took along with him to -Alaska?" - -"Oh, for shame!" cried Miss Miflin. - -"Yes," answered Jacob. "Stealing is a shame." - -"He did _not_ steal!" Miss Miflin's voice shook. She knew they were -watching her curiously; she heard the door open to admit another -inquisitive clerk, who she saw dimly was tall and broad of shoulder, -but she did not care if the whole world were there to hear. "His -father paid the money, and he has never had any chance to defend -himself." - -"Stealing is stealing," said Jacob Kalb doggedly. - - - - - CHAPTER VII - - "AND NOW WE WILL GO HOME" - - -On the day upon which she took possession of the Wenner homestead, Mrs. -Jacob Kalb was destined to have more than one shock. She let two pies -burn while she thought of little Sarah, who looked so ill, and who had -started away so wildly. She was just about to put on her shawl and go -up to the Swartz house, to ask whether Sarah was there, when the door -opened again. - -This time it was not pushed open by Sarah's gentle hand, but was flung -back, as though the master of the house were about to enter. - -Thinking it was her husband, Mrs. Kalb did not turn at once. - -"Well, did you get back?" she asked. - -Then, with her arms uplifted to the hook where her shawl hung, she -looked round over her shoulder. - -A tall young man stood, not on the step, where tramps and agents -belonged, but in the kitchen itself, his hand on Mrs. Kalb's freshly -scrubbed table. - -"Get out of my kitchen," she commanded. She was afraid of no tramps, -but there was something in the clear gaze of this young man which -frightened her. But he was clean and sober, and he looked like some one -whom she knew. "What do you want?" she asked in a more friendly tone. - -"Who are you?" asked the stranger. - -"I am Mrs. Jacob Kalb, and this is my house." - -"Where--" said the young man, and Mrs. Kalb never told the story -afterwards without crying--"where is my mother?" - -"Your mother!" she repeated. She stared at him with open mouth. Then -she said slowly, "It is William Wenner that you look like." - -"But where," said the young man again, "is my mother? And my father?" - -Mrs. Kalb's shawl dropped slowly to the ground. - -"Don't you _know_?" - -"I don't know anything," said the young man. "I have been away for -three years. I have had no letters for two years, until last week. Then -I found one in Seattle. I--" He drew Sarah's poor, little, incoherent -letter from his pocket. "I couldn't make out what my little sister -meant. She says nothing about my mother or my father." - -Mrs. Kalb was after all a very different person from her husband. She -came round to where the young man was standing and made him sit down, -and put a kind hand on his shoulder, while she told him. - -"And you came now just in time," she sobbed. "The little ones shall go -to Uncle Daniel and Aunt Mena, and he will take the farm. The fences -are down already, and he is to be guardian. He went this morning to -town to get the papers. He and Jacob went. He said we were to live -here. But I wouldn't 'a' come, only somebody would have to live here, -and--" - -The young man was upon his feet. - -"Where is my little sister?" - -"By Aunt 'Liza. And Albert is there, and Ellie and Weezy are at -school." Then she followed him to the door. "I won't be here any more -when you come back. And I will have everything cleaned up, and I will -leave some pies." - -If she had doubted his identity, she would have been convinced by the -quick turn which he made beyond the lilac-bushes, in order to take -the shortest cut across the fields. She saw him stop for an instant -to stare at the long, unbroken slope, which stretched clear to Uncle -Daniel's door, then he hurried on. - -Aunt Eliza was frightened almost out of her wits. He did not speak to -her or greet her, except to say, "Where is my little sister?" - -"William!" screamed Aunt 'Liza. "Ach, William, did you come home?" - -"Where is my little sister?" He had always been fond of Aunt Eliza, and -she had always been kind to him. But now there was no room in his heart -for anything but grief and resentment and anxiety. - -"She is--ach, I don't know where she is. She went this long time home. -But Jacob Kalb lives now at your house. Ellie and Weezy are at school, -perhaps she went to them. She is very for the teacher. Perhaps--Here is -your little brother, William. Here is Albert. He is--he is--" And Aunt -'Liza burst into tears. - -William stooped to kiss him, his lips trembling. - -"Where is my uncle?" - -"He is gone to--town, William. Ach, sit down once!" - -"No," said William curtly. "I'll come back after a while for Albert." - -And he was gone, his straight young shoulders bent. - -He had suffered hardship and disappointment, but nothing had torn his -heart like this. They must have written, they could not have been so -cruel as to have forgotten him. It was a common thing for letters to be -lost. - -He read Sarah's letter once more as he strode along. She said that -Uncle Daniel was after them, and that she had chased Jacob Kalb off -with a gun. He knew Uncle Daniel's stern determination to have his own -way, he knew how he coveted the farm, he knew Jacob's meanness. After -that he ran until he came to the schoolhouse door. That, he found, was -closed. - -He rapped heavily; there was no answer. Then he looked in the window. -The room was empty. As he was turning away in despair, he heard some -one calling him. - -"The school is closed. It won't be open till to-morrow. Miss Miflin -went away." - -It was the woman who lived in the next house. She had been a schoolmate -of his when he was a little boy. - -"Miss Miflin?" he repeated slowly. "Is she here yet? Don't you know me, -Sallie?" - -"No," answered the woman. "I--Why, _William_!" She had both his hands -in hers, and could only stare at him speechlessly. "Why, William! What -am I so glad to--" Then she, too, began to cry. "I can't help it, -William. I am so sorry for you. I--" - -"Do you know anything about my little sister?" asked William. "They -said she had come over here." - -"Yes, and she was crying, and she talked to teacher, and they went -away, and Ellie and Weezy. They went to town. It was something about a -guardian. I heard them talking. But I don't believe they could catch -the nine o'clock train. Perhaps they are yet at the station. It is -another train at eleven." She finished her sentence in a loud shriek as -William, after glancing at his watch, ran down the road. "Come soon to -see us, William." - -She watched him until he vanished at the turn of the road, then she ran -out to the field to tell her husband. - - * * * * * - -Sarah had often pictured to herself what she would do when William came -home. Sometimes she seemed to see him coming up the lane, and herself -flying down to meet him. Sometimes he opened the door and came into -the kitchen and surprised her. Sometimes she imagined that she would -cry; at other times, after she had been reading, for ten or fifteen -minutes at a time, "Thaddeus of Warsaw," the one novel which the -Wenners possessed, she was sure that she should faint. But in all her -imaginings, she never dreamed that she should not know him. - -She, too, saw the tall, broad-shouldered young man come into the -court-room; she even looked absently straight into his eyes, with her -frightened stare. Then she looked away. - -"Stealing," Jacob Kalb was saying, "is stealing." - -The judge bent forward and spoke to Jacob Kalb. William's character -was, after all, not the court's affair. If he had been absent so long -in Alaska, where the chances were one to fifty against his life, he was -entirely negligible so far as the guardianship of these children was -concerned. But the sudden vigor and vindictiveness of Jacob's charge -angered the judge. He did not like the man's looks, and he did like -Miss Miflin and the quaint little Pennsylvania German girls. He had -seen Miss Miflin blush when she mentioned the absent brother. - -"Do you mean that this older brother stole?" he asked plainly. - -"He took school-board money, and didn't pay it back." - -Miss Miflin leaned forward. - -"He was treasurer of the school-board," she said. "All his accounts -were straight, but his uncle, who succeeded him, claimed that forty -dollars in cash was missing. His father paid it, and he has never had -a chance to explain. He does not even know that his father and mother -are dead. If he could--I am sure he would be here. And his uncle told -people that he had stolen." - -Her cheeks blazed, her hands clasped and unclasped. Sarah watched her -dumbly. - -"And you think he is still alive?" asked the judge kindly. - -"I don't know," she said, with quivering lips. - -"Do you think," began the judge again, after a long pause. Then he -got no further. Little Sarah had risen from her chair. Her shawl had -slipped from her shoulders, she looked with burning eyes across the -room. The judge thought that she was going to fall, but she walked -steadily across the open space between him and the wide-eyed clerks, -toward the door. - -"Sarah!" called Miss Miflin gently. - -But Sarah did not stop. It was the judge who saw the stranger first, -and who guessed the truth. Like a bird to its nest, she went, and a -strong arm gathered her straight against the stranger's heart. Sarah -did not speak, she only hid her eyes against the stranger's side. - -The judge meant to look back at Miss Miflin, and then he meant to -dismiss the court at once and banish all these impertinent young -clerks, and then he wanted to talk to William. But his gaze stopped -with Daniel Swartz. - -Daniel's embarrassment at having been caught trying to bribe the twins -had changed to a more poignant emotion. He looked frightened. The -stranger's eyes were upon him, also. - -"I am William Wenner," said the young man. "I have just come home. I -did not know that my father and mother were dead, or that my little -sister was in--in--such trouble. I wish that Jacob Kalb would say -again what he said." - -Jacob Kalb lifted a determined face. - -"I said that when you went away you didn't pay back all the -school-board money, and your pop had to pay it, and you weren't fit -to be guardian of Sarah and Albert and the zwillings,--that is what I -said." - -He did not heed the frantic nudging of his master. He saw the Wenner -house, which he had so long coveted, slipping from his grasp. - -"Uncle Daniel--" It was a moment before Uncle Daniel looked up. "Is -this true?" - -"Well," began Uncle Daniel, in confusion. "It was this way--" - -"_Is it true?_" asked William again. - -Now it was Jacob Kalb who nudged and Uncle Daniel who paid no heed. He -would take advantage of any means to advance on the path which he had -set out for himself, he could even deceive himself into believing that -he had done his best for the children, he could cheat and slander the -absent, but here in the court-house, in the presence of the judge, he -could not lie. - -"No," he answered. He looked like an old man. - -"Why did you accuse this young man falsely?" asked the judge. - -Uncle Daniel got upon his feet. - -"I think I will go home," he said. "William can be guardian if he wants -to." - -"No," said the judge. "You will not go home. You will answer my -question. Did this young man owe the school-board forty dollars?" - -"Yes." - -"Did he pay it to the school-board?" - -"No." - -"I have your receipt," said William. "And Jacob Kalb was present when -it was paid." - -"It ain't so," muttered Jacob Kalb. - -Then Uncle Daniel's rage broke forth. - -"He did give me forty dollars," he shouted. "But he owed it to me -before he owed it to the school-board, for all the things I bought -him already. A couple of suits and hats and candy and such a little -velocipede and peanuts, and I took him in the Fair; and then he wasn't -thankful. He wouldn't be adopted. He--" - -"So he paid you the forty dollars?" - -"Yes. But it was mine." Then Uncle Daniel read in the faces of those -about him the first frank estimate of his character which it had ever -been his misfortune to see. - -"I think I will go home," he said again. - -"Not yet," replied the judge grimly. He looked at William. "Do you want -to prosecute this gentleman?" - -"No," answered William. - -The judge saw that his lips were trembling. - -"The court is adjourned," he said. - -Then he changed his mind about lingering to talk to William. He opened -the door into the ante-room, and shook hands with them all. - -"Make yourselves at home, and stay as long as you like. I'm coming out -to Spring Grove to see you. And if you ever need a friend, I'll do my -best to help you. And if--" he looked smilingly at William and Miss -Miflin, then he concluded that this was not a time for joking. "God -bless you," he said, and was gone. - -It was not until then that Sarah felt the arm round her loosen its hold. - -"He has Albert yet," she said. "I am afraid he will do him something." - -Whereupon the arm tightened its grasp once more, and William had only -one hand to hold out to the amazed and delighted twins. - -"Albert is all right," he said. "And you're not to worry about -anything, ever." - -"And if it hadn't been for teacher--" began Sarah. - -"I know," said William. "And now we will go home." - -"Home!" The word was like a burst of song. And only a few hours before -she had thought they would have no home. She took a twin by either -hand. "Come!" - -But the twins drew back. - -"We are going to walk by William," they said together. - -"All right," consented Sarah. - -She and Miss Miflin led the way down the broad steps, and William and -the twins came behind. They gazed at him rapturously, realizing that he -was as wonderful as their vague remembrance pictured him. - -"He is going," said Louisa Ellen, when he drew his hand away, "to buy -us candy!" - -Fortunately it was to Sarah that he handed the bag, and it was with -Sarah that the twins were anxious to sit when they got into the train. -It was a little trying that she would let them have only two chocolate -drops apiece until they got home. - -She looked back once at William and Miss Miflin, who were not talking -to each other, but who smiled at her. There was something in their -faces which made her heart beat. - -"I wonder--" she said softly to herself; then she did not finish the -sentence. - -"Oh, I am going to cook such a supper!" she said to the approving -twins. "First I will fetch Albert and then I will cook." - -But Albert did not need to be fetched. When they opened the kitchen -door, he ran to meet them. - -"Aunt 'Liza fetched me home," he cried, "I am never going away." - -There was the gentle closing of a door, and a rustle of skirts, but -Sarah did not hear. Then she sniffed the air. - -"I smell baked things," she said. Before she finished, the twins were -opening the pantry door. - -"Look here once!" cried Louisa Ellen. - -"Aunt 'Liza's crullers!" said Sarah. "And Aunt Mena's chocolate cake, -five layers, and bread and pies, and it is chicken cooking on the -stove, and I will make waffles yet, and--" - -William caught her by the shoulders as she hurried from cupboard to -stove. - -"Here, youngster, not so fast!" This was William, indeed, with all -William's dear, teasing, familiar ways! He looked at Miss Miflin, and -his voice shook. "She is just like my mother. She--" But he could not -go on. Instead he stooped and kissed Sarah. - -It was not until after supper that there was time to talk; and then -there was so much to be said, that they sat at first silently, except -the twins, who, seated on the settle with Albert between them, were -telling a fantastic tale of the day's adventures. Sarah could hardly -speak for happiness. It seemed best to be quiet, and think, and try to -realize that they were all safe and happy once more. - -When William took Miss Miflin home, Sarah put Albert and the twins to -bed, and told them all a story; then she went downstairs to wait until -William came back. Even then she must be busy. She took up the sewing -which she had laid down the day Albert was taken away. It was finished -by the time that William opened the door. - -He drew a chair up beside hers. - -"Sarah," he said, "if a fairy came and told you that you might have -anything in the world you wanted, what would you choose?" - -"I don't want anything but to stay here," said Sarah. - -"Not if she said you might go to school?" - -"To school?" gasped Sarah. "Ach, but I am going to stay here and keep -the house, so that when you come home again--" - -Sarah was sure that William would not stay in Spring Grove. - -"Come home?" repeated William. "But I am going to stay home. I am going -to stay here and farm, and the trolley is coming almost to the door, -and--" - -The slender tower of the main building of the "Normal" came back into -Sarah's field of vision. - -"Ach!" she cried. "Perhaps I could go to the school, and ride on the -trolley back and forth, and keep house yet, and--" - -William laughed. - -"You shall go on the trolley back and forth, all right, little -Dutchman," he said. "But you shall not keep house, yet." - -"But who will keep house? It is always so many things to do!" - -"What would you think of teacher for a housekeeper?" - -"Teacher!" cried Sarah. "Miss Miflin?" - -"Yes." - -"Would teacher stay here with us?" - -"She says so," answered William gravely. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's When Sarah Saved the Day, by Elsie Singmaster - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WHEN SARAH SAVED THE DAY *** - -***** This file should be named 52257.txt or 52257.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/2/2/5/52257/ - -Produced by David Edwards, Ryan Cowell and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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