Part 9 (1/2)

”Jes' fine!” said Mrs. Wiggs; ”only he comes home at night 'most dead. I give him money to ride, but ever' day last week he et up his nickel.”

”Who--who has charge of him now?” Lucy blushed at her subterfuge.

”Mr. Bob,” said Mrs. Wiggs; ”he's the gentleman that took us to supper. He's got money. Asia said he give the n.i.g.g.e.r waiter a quarter. Billy is jes' crazy 'bout Mr. Bob; says he's goin' to be jes' like him when he grows up. He will, too, if he sets his head to it! Only he never kin have them big brown eyes an' white teeth Mr.

Bob's got. Why, when Mr. Bob smiles it jes' sort of breaks up his whole face.”

Lucy's eyes were fixed on the mammoth b.u.t.terfly upon whose iridescent wings Asia was putting the finis.h.i.+ng touches, but her thoughts were far away.

”I jes' wish you could see him!” went on Mrs. Wiggs, enthusiastically.

”I wish I could!” said Lucy, with such fervor that Mrs. Wiggs paused on her way to answer a knock at the outside door.

There was a sc.r.a.ping of feet in the pa.s.sage.

”I have been driving all over the country looking for you,” said a man's voice. ”I have some Christmas traps for the kids.”

Lucy rose hastily, and turned just as Redding entered.

”Mr. Bob, this is Miss Lucy,” announced Mrs. Wiggs, triumphantly; ”she was jes' 'lowin' she'd like to see you.”

If a blue-eyed angel straight from the peaks of paradise had been presented to him, Redding could not have been more astounded nor more enraptured.

But to Lucy it was a moment of intense chagrin and embarra.s.sment.

During the long silence of the past year she had persuaded herself that Redding no longer cared for her. To be thrust upon him in this way was intolerable. All the blood in her veins rushed to her face.

”Do you know where my m.u.f.f is, Mrs. Wiggs?” she asked, after a formal greeting.

”Oh! you ain't a-goin'?” asked the hostess, anxiously. ”I wanted you all to git acquainted.”

”Yes, I must go,” said Lucy, hurriedly, ”if you will find my m.u.f.f.”

She stood nervously pulling on her gloves, while Mrs. Wiggs searched for the lost property. There was a deafening tumult in her heart, and though she bit her lips to keep from laughing, the tears stood in her eyes.

”Austry's under the bed,” announced Europena, who had joined in the quest.

”I ain't!” came in shrill, indignant tones, as Mrs. Wiggs dragged forth the culprit, and restored the m.u.f.f.

”May I drive you over to the avenue? I am going that way.” It was Redding's voice, but it sounded queer and unnatural.

”Oh, no! No, thank you,” gasped Lucy, hardly knowing what she said.

Her one idea was to get away before she broke down completely.

Redding held the door open as she pa.s.sed out. His face was cold, calm, inscrutable; not a quiver of the mouth, not a flutter of the lids, but the light went out of his eyes and hope died in his heart.

Mrs. Wiggs stood watching the scene in perplexity.

”I dunno what ailed Miss Lucy,” she said, apologetically; ”hope it wasn't the toothache.”