Shadrach's eyes opened wide as he looked at the photograph. He uttered
an exclamation, stepped to the door of the upper hall and called,
“Zoeth!” Then he returned to the table and took from the drawer the next
photograph upon the pile in the box. It was the old, faded picture of
the partners of Hall and Company.
Isaiah came stumbling up the stairs.
“Anythin' I can do for you, Cap'n Shad?” he asked. “Zoeth, he's gone out
to shut up the barn door. Rain was liable to beat in, he said. I told
him I'd do it, but--Godfreys mighty!”
The Captain had paid no attention to him and he had entered the room and
approached his employer from behind. Now over the latter's shoulder he
saw the two photographs.
“Godfreys mighty!” cried the startled Isaiah.
Shadrach turned and looked at him.
“Well,” he demanded, “what's the matter? What are you starin' like that
for?”
“Them--them pictures,” gasped Mr. Chase.
“Well, what about 'em? Where did Mary-'Gusta get 'em, do you know?
Did--Here! Where are you goin'?”
“I--I ain't goin' anywheres. I'm a-goin' downstairs. I got my
dishwashin' to do. I--let go of me, Cap'n Shad! I got to go this minute,
I tell you.”
But the Captain did not let go of him. Instead, keeping a firm hold upon
the collar of the frightened cook and steward, he twisted him around
until he could look him straight in the eye. This was difficult, for
Isaiah plainly did not wish to be looked at in that manner.
“Humph!” grunted Captain Shad, after a moment's inspection. “Humph! I
cal'late I've got the right pig by the ear this time. Set down in that
chair, Isaiah Chase; I want to talk to you.”
CHAPTER XXIX
The northeaster was developing. It was now raining hard and the wind was
rising. The gusts swept across the top of the little hill and the window
sashes of the For'ard Lookout rattled and the hinges of the ancient
blinds squeaked. The yard, which had been so attractive, was shorn of
its decorations. The tables had been carried inside; the lanterns taken
down; the wonderful sign, pride of the talented Mr. Bemis, had been
tenderly conveyed to the attic. Cook, waitresses and salesgirl had
departed. The tea-room and gift shop had gone into winter quarters to
hibernate until the following spring.
The rooms inside had been thoroughly swept and cleaned and most of the
furniture and the best of the old prints covered with dust cloths. Some
of the smaller articles, however, were still upon the shelves of the
gift shop, Mary having ordered her assistants to leave them there, as
she wished to look them over herself before putting them away. Some
of her selections for stock had sold remarkably well and she had been
obliged to reorder many times; others of which she had been quite
confident when purchasing had not sold at all. Both good sellers and bad
she meant to list as a guide to future choosing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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