"Make Martha buy you some things for some of them," I said lightly and
watched Martha as I spoke. She had never by word or deed showed that she
felt anything but adoringly dependent on me and my bounty, and had put
the check book I had given her from Mr. Cockrell away in my desk without
looking at it. I could see that my words both hurt and shocked her.
"No, Oh, no," she faltered and turned away toward the window.
"But, Martha," I was beginning to say, when an interruption burst into
the room. Young Charlotte stood before us and at her side the boy stood
his ground with the huge book still in what must have been very tired
arms. Their faces were belligerent and small James had upon his
countenance the alarm he always shows during Charlotte's most serious
and dangerous outbursts. Mikey was along, with his mischievous eyes
dancing with delight at the fray.
"Auntie Charlotte, I think somebody ought to whip Stranger for saying
that Minister said he had fairies in his stomach. It is a lie."
"I'll lick him fer you, Miss Charlotte," offered Mikey, with a pass at
the boy that I knew was only an affectionate threat.
"I'll knock a stuffing out of you if you touch him," answered Charlotte,
taking Mikey's offer with her usual literal directness. "When he's
whipped, nobody but Auntie Charlotte can do it. Are you going to do it
now, Auntie Charlotte? We don't want the devil to get him for badness."
And as she spoke she took the boy's hand and held it tightly as if
willing to defend him from the flesh, the devil and the world, only
excepting myself.
"But he did say that I had them here when I put my hand on it, didn't
he, Lady?" demanded the accused, with more courage than I would have
felt at meeting the accusation for him. I simply couldn't face the
explanation and I became craven.
"Mr. Goodloe is down in the library. Go ask him what he did say," I
suggested hopefully.
"We looked everywhere for him and that is the place we skipped. I felt
sure you wouldn't know anything at all about it, Auntie Charlotte, but
Stranger said you know just as much as Minister, which is another thing
I am going to ask him about. Come on, Stranger." And with her usual
lightning rapidity, Charlotte began to marshal her forces out of the
room.
"Please don't!" were the words I sent faltering after her determination
to question Mr. Goodloe about his and my relative erudition, but I felt
that they made no impression.
"Sonny thinks about you just as Charlotte does about Mr. Goodloe, and
he'll say so to everybody," said Martha, with a sad smile after the door
had closed with vigor enough to startle the household.