Read Ebook: Mousey by Stooke Eleanora H

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Ebook has 780 lines and 29022 words, and 16 pages

MOUSEY GOES OUT TO TEA

MOUSEY had been perfectly correct in her surmise that Nellie Thomas would make fun of Mr. Harding. This she did on the following day, when all the girls were assembled in the playground.

"I wish you could have seen Mousey's cousin yesterday," she said, laughing merrily. "Such a funny old man he looked, and, oh, so shabby! Mousey, I wonder you were not ashamed to be seen with him!"

"Ashamed!" Mousey cried, her cheeks burning, her heart swelling with anger; "why should I be ashamed of Cousin Robert?"

"Because he's such a miser, and dresses so shabbily," Nellie retorted. "I declare it's positively wicked of him to be so mean! My father says Mr. Harding could afford to live in a nice house, and keep several servants; but he prefers that dirty little shop of his. He won't give money to anything, or anybody--not even to the hospital. And he never goes to church, does he, Mousey?"

"No," Mousey acknowledged reluctantly, in a troubled voice, feeling ready to cry. It was very trying for her to be obliged to stand by and listen to all this; but she could not prevent the girls discussing Mr. Harding if they were inclined to do so. "I wish you wouldn't run out against Cousin Robert," she added, looking appealingly at Nellie: "I can't bear to hear it."

"Very well," Nellie responded good-humouredly; "but why should you mind?"

"He is very good to me," Mousey said earnestly.

"So he ought to be! Mother said yesterday that you looked a nice little girl, and she was glad we were friends. And, oh, Mousey, she said I might ask you to tea next Saturday! Do you think Mr. Harding will let you come?"

"Yes, I think he will. How kind of your mother, Nellie!"

Much to Mousey's delight she had no difficulty in obtaining Mr. Harding's permission to spend the following Saturday afternoon at Halcyon Villa, which was the name of Nellie's home. She thought of little else but the pleasure in store for her during the days which followed; and when Saturday afternoon arrived, her excitement seemed, in a lesser degree, to affect the whole household. Maria combed and brushed her glossy brown hair, giving her well-meant instructions all the while as to how she was to behave.

"Mind you thank Mrs. Thomas for her kindness in inviting you," she said as she accompanied Mousey downstairs when the little girl was at last ready to start.

"I will be sure to do that," Mousey answered.

Mr. Harding was in the parlour. He looked the child up and down critically as she entered the room, and nodded his approval as he told her--

"John Monday shall go with you to show you the way, and I will send him to fetch you this evening. I hope you will have a pleasant time. Good-bye, child."

"Good-bye, Cousin Robert," she replied, putting her arms about his neck and kissing his cheek.

He followed her into the shop, where the assistant was waiting, cap in hand, to escort her to Halcyon Villa, and afterwards stood on the doorstep watching the young folks out of sight.

In about half an hour's time John Monday returned, and informed his master that he had delivered Mousey in safety into the keeping of her friend.

"The little Thomas girl was at the garden gate waiting," he said. "What a pretty house Halcyon Villa is--all covered with roses and creepers. Shouldn't I like to live in a place like that!"

"I dare say you would," Mr. Harding replied sarcastically. "It must cost a fine penny to keep up."

"Mr. Thomas does a good trade," the lad remarked. "I don't see the use of money if one can't spend it."

"Eh? What?" the old man almost shouted. "Who asked your opinion? What do you know about it, pray?"

"They say Mr. Thomas gives away a lot of money," John Monday continued. "Don't you remember, sir, he gave fifty pounds to the hospital last Christmas?"

"What of that? I could give ten times fifty pounds and not feel the want of it! I wonder which of us will leave most money behind him-- Thomas or I?"

Mr. Harding rubbed his hands and chuckled, whilst his assistant gazed at him with interest. The boy knew his master's greatest ambition was to die a wealthy man. A question he had longed to ask often before trembled on his lips, but he hesitated to put it.

"Well!" the old man cried testily; "why are you staring at me like that?"

"I was wondering why you wanted to die a rich man," the boy responded bluntly. "Money is no good to folks after they're dead."

For a minute Mr. Harding seemed about to make an angry reply, for he darted a furious glance at his companion; but, apparently changing his mind, he told him to take charge of the shop, and retired to the parlour, perhaps to think over the question, and answer it to himself.

Meanwhile, Mousey had been introduced to Mrs. Thomas, and to Nellie's little brothers, who were a few years her junior. Soon the children were playing games in the garden, and thoroughly enjoying the beautiful May afternoon. The time passed all too quickly, so that Mousey was greatly surprised when Mrs. Thomas came out and called them into the house for tea.

Mrs. Thomas was a kind-hearted, motherly woman, whose sympathies had been aroused by the account Nellie had given her of the old jeweller's lonely little cousin.

"I am sure you must be dull sometimes, my dear, living in a house without other children," she said, turning to Mousey when they were all seated at the tea-table; "you must come and see us as often as you like. We shall always be glad to see you."

Mousey thanked her gratefully, and acknowledged she was often dull on the Saturday holiday, because she had no one to talk to but Maria, her cousin and John Monday being always busy in the shop. Mrs. Thomas had not heard of John Monday before, so Mousey had to explain who he was, and was relieved to find that Nellie's mother did not appear shocked and astonished, as Nelly had seemed, on hearing the boy had been born and bred in the workhouse, and in consequence her heart warmed towards her kind hostess. Shortly before the time arrived for Mousey to leave, Mr. Thomas returned from business, and gathered a big bunch of flowers for her. He invited her to come again when the strawberries would be ripe, and pointed out that the berries were already set.

Presently John Monday was discovered lurking outside the garden gate, too shy to walk boldly up to the front door and announce his presence; and then Mousey said good-bye to her new friends, after thanking them gratefully for their kindness to her.

"I've had a lovely time," she told John Monday as they walked home together. "I've not been so happy since mother died as I've been to day. You shall have some of my flowers. Aren't they beauties? Look at these lilies of the valley, and smell how sweet they are."

She lifted the nosegay to his face whilst he sniffed at it, and smiled his appreciation.

"Why didn't you come up to the door and ring the bell?" she asked.

"I hadn't been waiting very long," he answered evasively; "not more than a quarter of an hour."

"Oh, but that was a long time! I would have come before if I had known you were there. Mr. Thomas gave me these flowers, and he asked me to come again when the strawberries are ripe. That will be soon, won't it?"

"In a week or so, I suppose. I say, doesn't it seem horrid going back to Mr. Harding's dull old place after having been there?" the lad asked, jerking his thumb backwards in the direction from which they had come.

"Yes, perhaps it does a little."

"Wouldn't you like to live in a pretty house with fine gardens?"

Mousey nodded. She was in capital spirits, and at that moment the thought of her cousin's home did not depress her; on the contrary, she felt eager to return to tell Mr. Harding and Maria what a pleasant afternoon she had spent.

After that, Mousey became a constant visitor at Halcyon Villa. Her friendship with Nellie Thomas strengthened day by day, and was the source of much happiness to both children; but Nellie was never asked to visit Mousey's home, although Mousey was always made welcome and greeted kindly and affectionately by each member of the Thomas household.

JOHN MONDAY IS CONFIDENTIAL

IT was a hot afternoon at the beginning of July. The air was sultry, as though a thunderstorm was not far off; and the sky was enveloped in a haze of grey mist, which, though it hid the sun, made the atmosphere not one whit less oppressive.

John Monday, in charge of his master's shop, was seated on a high stool behind the counter, idly swinging his long legs, and yawning occasionally as though weary of the day. Peering through the dusty window, he saw the street was unusually quiet, for few folks were about, and the children were not yet let loose from the board schools. A couple of babies, old enough to toddle, were playing in the gutter on the opposite side of the way. John Monday watched them with some amusement, and laughed to himself when one put a handful of dust on the other's head. This ill-treatment brought about a quarrel, which was settled by a blow from a small fist that, however, hit sufficiently hard to evoke a yell of mingled wrath and pain from the first offender. The next minute a slatternly woman appeared upon the scene, and after administering a shower of smart slaps on the bare arms of each child, dragged them into a doorway near by, and thus left the street free from any human presence.

John Monday sighed, and wished someone would come into the shop. He slipped off his stool, and going to the door stood on the step gazing up and down the street. At first there was not a living being within sight, but presently a figure appeared around the corner--a big man, clad in a tweed suit, bearing a large market-basket covered with a snowy linen cloth. He was evidently a countryman, judging from his healthy, ruddy countenance, and a stranger in Haughton, the boy decided, as he noted how the big man stared about him.

When the stranger caught sight of John Monday, he quickened his footsteps, and advanced towards him with a good-humoured smile on his face.

"Can you tell me where Mr. Harding lives?" he asked politely. "Mr. Harding, the watchmaker and jeweller?"

"Yes, I can," was the reply; "he lives here."

"Here!"

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