第4章

"This house is empty.Ain't nobody lived in it for 'most a year."The two women looked at each other.Mrs.Barnes drew along breath.

"Well," she observed, "if this ain't the last straw.Such a cruise as we've had; and finally be shipwrecked right in front of a house and find it's an empty one! Don't talk to ME! Well," sharply, "what shall we do next?"The driver shook his head.

"Dummed if I know!" he answered."The old wagon can't go another yard.I--I cal'late you folks'll have to stay here for a spell.""Stay? Where'll we stay; out here in the middle of this howlin'

wilderness?"

"I guess so.Unless you want to walk the rest of the way, same's I'm cal'latin' to.I'm goin' to unharness the horse and put him under the shed here and then hoof it over to the village and get somebody to come and help.You can come along if you want to, but it'll be a tougher v'yage than the one we've come through.""How far off is this--this village of yours?""Oh, about a mile and a half!"

"A mile and a half! And it's beginnin' to rain again! Emily, Idon't know how you feel, but if the horse can wait under the shed until somebody comes I guess we can.I say let's do it."Emily nodded."Of course, Auntie," she said, emphatically."We couldn't walk a mile and a half in a storm like this.Of course we must wait.Where is the shed?"Winnie S.led the way to the shed.It was a ramshackle affair, open on one side.General Jackson, tethered to a rusty ring at the back, whinnied a welcome.

The driver, holding the lantern aloft, looked about him.His two passengers looked also.

"Well," observed Thankful, "this may have been a shed once, but it's more like a sieve now.There's more leaks to the roof than there is boards, enough sight.However, any port in a storm, and we've got the storm, sartin.All right, Mister What's-your-name, we'll wait."Winnie S.turned away.Then he turned back again.

"Maybe I'd better leave you the lantern," he said, doubtfully."Iguess likely I could get along without it and--and 'twould make it more sociable for you."He put the lantern down on the earth floor beside them and strode off into the dark.Mrs.Barnes called after him.

"Ain't there any way of gettin' into that house?" she asked."It acts as if 'twas goin' to storm hard as ever and this shed ain't the most--what did you call it?--sociable place in creation, in spite of the lantern.If we could only get inside that house--"Winnie S.interrupted.They could not see him, but there was a queer note in his voice.

"Get inside!" he repeated."Get into THAT house this time of night!

Well--well, maybe you could, but I wouldn't do it, not for nothin'.

You better wait in the shed.I'll be back soon as ever I can."They heard him splashing along the road.Then a gust of wind and a torrent of rain beating upon the leaky roof drowned all other sounds.Emily turned to her companion.

"Auntie," she said, "if you and I were superstitious we might think all this, all that we've been through, was what people call a sign, a warning.That is what ever so many South Middleboro people would say.""Humph! if I believed in signs I'd have noticed the weather signs afore we started.Those are all the 'signs' I believe in and Iought to have known better than to risk comin' when it looked so threatenin'.I can't forgive myself for that.However, we did come, and here we are--wherever 'here' is.Now what in the world did that man mean by sayin' we better not try to get into that house? I don't care what he meant.Give me that lantern.""Auntie, where are you going?"

"I'm goin' to take an observation of those windows.Nine chances to one they ain't all locked, and if there's one open you and I can crawl into it.I wish we could boost the horse in, too, poor thing, but self-preservation is the first law of nature and if he's liable to perish it's no reason we should.I'm goin' to get into that house if such a thing's possible.""But, Auntie--"

"Don't say another word.I'm responsible for your bein' here this night, Emily Howes.You wouldn't have come if I hadn't coaxed you into it.And you shan't die of pneumonia or--or drownin' if I can help it.I'm goin' to have a look at those doors and windows.

Don't be scared.I'll be back in a jiffy.Goodness me, what a puddle! Well, if you hear me holler you'll know I'm goin' under for the third time, so come quick.Here goes!"Lantern in hand, she splashed out into the wet, windy darkness.