Unseen by his mistress, the smile on the servant's face grew more
pronounced; and the small defender of the rights of the poor saw one of
the man's blue Irish eyes close slowly in a deliberate wink of good
fellowship. In a voice too low to be heard distinctly in the automobile
behind him, he said, "Yer all right, kid, but fer the love o' God beat
it before I have to lay hands on ye." Then, louder, he added gruffly,
"Get along wid ye or do ye want me to help ye?"
Bobby retreated in good order to a position of safety a little way down
the road where his sister was waiting for him.
With decorous gravity the imposing chauffeur went back to his place at
the door of the automobile.
"Gee!" exclaimed Bobby. "What do yer know about that! Old Adam Ward's
swell daughter a-goin' up to see the Interpreter. Gee!"
On the lower step of the zigzag stairway, with her hand on the railing,
the young woman paused suddenly and turned about. To the watching
children she must have looked very much indeed like the beautiful
princess of the Interpreter's fairy tale.
"Tom--" She hesitated and looked doubtfully toward the children.
"Yes, Miss."
"What was it that boy said about his rights?"
"He said, Miss, as how they had just been to visit the Interpreter an'
the old man give 'em cookies, and so they thought they was privileged
to sit on his steps."
A puzzled frown marred the really unusual loveliness of her face. "But
that was not all he said, Tom."
"No, Miss."
She looked upward to the top of the cliff where one corner of the
Interpreter's hut was just visible above the edge of the rock. And
then, as the quick light of a smile drove away the trouble shadows, she
said to the servant, "Tom, you will take those children for a ride in
the car. Take them wherever they wish to go, and return here for me. I
shall be ready in about an hour."
The man gasped. "But, Miss, beggin' yer pardon,--the car--think av the
upholsterin'--an' the dirt av thim little divils--beggin' yer pardon,
but 'tis ruined the car will be--an' yer gowns! Please, Miss, I'll give
them a dollar an' 'twill do just as well--think av the car!"
"Never mind the car, Tom, do as I say, please."
In spite of his training, a pleased smile stole over the Irish face of
the chauffeur; and there was a note of ungrudging loyalty and honest
affection in his voice as he said, touching his cap, "Yes, Miss, I will
have the car here in an hour--thank ye, Miss."
A moment later the young woman saw her car stop beside the wondering
children. With all his high-salaried dignity the chauffeur left the
wheel and opened the door as if for royalty itself.
The children stood as if petrified with wonder, although the boy was
still a trifle belligerent and suspicious.
In his best manner the chauffeur announced, "Miss Ward's compliments,
Sir and Miss, an' she has ordered me to place her automobile at yer
disposal if ye would be so minded as to go for a bit of a pleasure
ride."
"Oh!" gulped little Maggie.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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