Under the Lilacs (22 page)

For a minute, Ben did not seem to understand him, plainly as he spoke; then he turned an angry scarlet, and, with a reproachful
glance at his mistress, opened the little drawer so that both could see all that it contained.

“They ain’t anything; but I’m fond of ’em — they are all I’ve got — I was afraid he’d laugh at me that time, so I wouldn’t
let him look — it was father’s birthday, and I felt bad about him and Sanch —”

Ben’s indignant voice got more and more indistinct as he stumbled on, and broke down over the last words. He did not cry,
however, but threw back his little treasures as if half their sacredness was gone; and, making a strong effort at self-control,
faced around, asking of Miss Celia, with a grieved look —

“Did
you
think I’d steal anything of yours?”

“I tried not to, Ben, but what could I do? It was gone, and you the only stranger about the place.”

“Wasn’t there
anyone
to think bad of but me?” he said, so sorrowfully that Miss Celia made up her mind on the spot that he was as innocent of
the theft as the kitten now biting her buttons, no other refreshment being offered.

“Nobody, for I know my girls well. Yet, eleven dollars are gone, and I cannot imagine where or how; for both drawer and door
are always locked, because my papers and valuables are in that room.”

“What a lot! But how could / get it if it was locked up?” and Ben looked as if that question was unanswerable.

“Folks that can climb in at windows for a ball can go the same way for money, and get it easy enough when they’ve only to
pry open an old lock!”

Thorny’s look and tone seemed to make plain to Ben all that they had been suspecting, and, being innocent, he was too perplexed
and unhappy to defend himself. His eye went from one to the other, and, seeing doubt in both faces, his boyish heart sunk
within him; for he could prove nothing, and his first impulse was to go away at once.

“I can’t say anything, only that I
didn’t
take the money. You won’t believe it, so I’d better go back where I come from.
They
weren’t so kind, but
they
trusted me, and knew I wouldn’t steal a cent. You may keep my money, and the
kitty, too; I don’t want ’em,” and, snatching up his hat, Ben would have gone straightaway, if Thorny had not barred his passage.

“Come, now, don’t be mad. Let’s talk it over, and if I’m wrong I’ll take it all back and ask your pardon,” he said, in a friendly
tone, rather scared at the consequences of his first attempt, though as sure as ever that he was right.

“It would break my heart to have you go in that way, Ben. Stay at least till your innocence is proved, then no one can doubt
what you say now.”

“Don’t see how it
can
be proved,” answered Ben, appeased by her evident desire to trust him.

“We’ll try as well as we know how, and the first thing we will do is to give that old secretary a good rummage from top to
bottom. I’ve done it once, but it is just possible that the bills may have slipped out of sight. Come, now, I can’t rest till
I’ve done all I can to comfort you and convince Thorny.”

Miss Celia rose as she spoke, and led the way to the dressing room, which had no outlet except through her chamber. Still
holding his hat, Ben followed with a troubled face, and Thorny brought up the rear, doggedly determined to keep his eye on
“the little scamp” till the matter was satisfactorily cleared up. Miss Celia had made her proposal more to soothe the feelings
of one boy and to employ the superfluous energies of the other, than in the expectation of throwing any light upon the mystery;
for she was sadly puzzled by Ben’s manner, and much regretted that she had let her brother meddle in the matter.

“There,” she said, unlocking the door with the key Thorny reluctantly gave up to her, “this is the room and that is the drawer
on the right. The lower ones have seldom been opened since we came, and hold only some of papa’s
old books. Those upper ones you may turn out and investigate as much as you — Bless me! here’s something in your trap, Thorny!”
and Miss Celia gave a little skip as she nearly trod on a long, gray tail, which hung out of the hole now filled by a plump
mouse.

But her brother was intent on more serious things, and merely pushed the trap aside as he pulled out the drawer with an excited
gesture, which sent it and all its contents clattering to the floor.

“Confound the old thing! It always stuck so I had to give a jerk. Now, there it is, topsy-turvy!” and Thorny looked much disgusted
at his own awkwardness.

“No harm done; I left nothing of value in it. Look back there, Ben, and see if there is room for a paper to get worked over
the top of the drawer. I felt quite a crack, but I don’t believe it is possible for things to slip out; the place was never
full enough to overflow in any way.”

Miss Celia spoke to Ben, who was kneeling down to pick up the scattered papers, among which were two marked dollar bills —
Thorny’s bait for the thief. Ben looked into the dusty recess, and then put in his hand, saying carelessly —

“There’s nothing but a bit of red stuff.”

“My old pen-wiper — Why, what’s the matter?” asked Miss Celia, as Ben dropped the handful of what looked like rubbish.

“Something warm and wiggly inside of it,” answered Ben, stooping to examine the contents of the little scarlet bundle. “Baby
mice! Ain’t they funny? Look just like mites of young pigs. We’ll have to kill ’em if you’ve caught their mammy,” he said,
forgetting his own trials in boyish curiosity about his “find.”

Miss Celia stooped also, and gently poked the red cradle
with her finger; for the tiny mice were nestling deeper into the fluff with small squeaks of alarm. Suddenly she cried out:
“Boys, boys, I’ve found the thief! Look here; pull out these bits and see if they won’t make up my lost bills.”

Down went the motherless babies as four ruthless hands pulled apart their cozy nest, and there, among the nibbled fragments,
appeared enough finely printed, greenish paper to piece out parts of two bank bills. A large cipher and part of a figure one
were visible, and that accounted for the ten; but though there were other bits, no figures could be found, and they were willing
to take the other bill on trust.

“Now, then,
am
I a thief and a liar?” demanded Ben, pointing proudly to the telltale letters spread forth on the table, over which all three
had been eagerly bending.

“No; I beg your pardon, and I’m very sorry that we didn’t look more carefully before we spoke, then we all should have been
spared this pain.”

“All right, old fellow, forgive and forget. I’ll never think hard of you again — on my honor I won’t.”

As they spoke, Miss Celia and her brother held out their hands frankly and heartily. Ben shook both, but with a difference;
for he pressed the soft one gratefully, remembering that its owner had always been good to him; but the brown paw he gripped
with a vengeful squeeze that made Thorny pull it away in a hurry, exclaiming, good-naturedly, in spite of both physical and
mental discomfort —

“Come, Ben, don’t you bear malice; for you’ve got the laugh on your side, and we feel pretty small. I do, anyway; for, after
my fidgets, all I’ve caught is a mouse!”

“And her family. I’m so relieved I’m almost sorry the poor little mother is dead — she and her babies were so happy in the
old pen-wiper,” said Miss Celia, hastening to
speak merrily, for Ben still looked indignant, and she was much grieved at what had happened.

“A pretty expensive house,” began Thorny, looking about for the interesting orphans, who had been left on the floor while
their paperhangings were examined.

No further anxiety need be felt for them, however; Kitty had come upon the scene, and as judge, jury, and prisoner turned
to find the little witnesses, they beheld the last pink mite going down Pussy’s throat in one mouthful.

“I call that summary justice — the whole family executed on the spot! Give Kit the mouse also, and let us go to breakfast.
I feel as if I had found my appetite, now this worry is off my mind,” said Miss Celia, laughing so infectiously that Ben had
to join in spite of himself, as she took his arm and led him away with a look which mutely asked his pardon over again.

“Rather lively for a funeral procession,” said Thorny, following with the trap in his hand and Puss at his heels, adding,
to comfort his pride as a detective: “Well, I said I’d catch the thief, and I have, though it is rather a small one!”

C
HAPTER
17

“
C
elia, I’ve a notion that we ought to give Ben something. A sort of peace offering, you know; for he feels dreadfully hurt
about our suspecting him,” said Thorny, at dinner that day.

“I see he does, though he tries to seem as bright and pleasant as ever. I do not wonder, and I’ve been thinking what I could
do to soothe his feelings. Can you suggest anything?”

“Cuff buttons. I saw some jolly ones over at Berryville — oxidized silver, with dogs’ heads on them, yellow eyes, and all
as natural as could be. Those, now, would just suit him for his go-to-meeting white shirts — neat, appropriate, and
in memoriam.”

Miss Celia could not help laughing, it was such a boyish suggestion; but she agreed to it, thinking Thorny knew best, and
hoping the yellow-eyed dogs would be as balm to Ben’s wounds.

“Well, dear, you may give those, and Lita shall give the little whip with a horse’s foot for a handle, if it is not gone.
I saw it at the harness shop in town; and Ben admired it so much that I planned to give it to him on his birthday.”

“That will tickle him immensely; and if you’d just let him put brown tops to my old boots, and stick a cockade in his hat
when he sits up behind the phaeton, he’d be a happy fellow,” laughed Thorny, who had discovered that one of Ben’s ambitions
was to be a “tip-top groom.”

“No, thank you; those things are out of place in America, and would be absurd in a small country place like this. His blue
suit and straw hat please me better for a boy; though a nicer little groom, in livery or out, no one could desire, and you
may tell him I said so.”

“I will, and he’ll look as proud as Punch; for he thinks every word you say worth a dozen from anyone else. But won’t
you
give him something? Just some little trifle, to show that we are both eating humble pie, feeling sorry about the mouse money.”

“I shall give him a set of schoolbooks, and try to get him ready to begin when vacation is over. An education is the best
present we can make him; and I want you to help me fit him to enter as well as we can. Bab and Betty began, little dears —
lent him their books and taught all they
knew; so Ben got a taste, and, with the right encouragement, would like to go on, I am sure.”

“That’s so like you, Celia! Always thinking of the best thing and doing it handsomely. I’ll help like a house afire, if he
will let me; but, all day, he’s been as stiff as a poker, so I don’t believe he forgives
me
a bit.”

“He will in time, and if you are kind and patient, he will be glad to have you help him. I shall make it a sort of favor to
me on his part, to let you see to his lessons, now and then. It will be quite true, for I don’t want you to touch your Latin
or algebra till cool weather; teaching him will be play to you.”

Miss Celia’s last words made her brother unbend his brows, for he longed to get at his books again, and the idea of being
tutor to his “manservant” did not altogether suit him.

“I’ll tool him along at a great pace, if he will only go. Geography and arithmetic shall be my share, and you may have the
writing and spelling; it gives me the fidgets to set copies, and hear children make a mess of words. Shall I get the books
when I buy the other things? Can I go this after-noon?

“Yes, here is the list; Bab gave it to me. You can go if you will come home early and have your tooth filled.”

Gloom fell at once upon Thorny’s beaming face, and he gave such a shrill whistle that his sister jumped in her chair, as she
added, persuasively —

“It won’t hurt a bit, now, and the longer you leave it the worse it will be. Dr. Mann is ready at any time; and, once over,
you will be at peace for months. Come, my hero, give your orders, and take one of the girls to support you in the trying hour.
Have Bab; she will enjoy it, and amuse you with her chatter.”

“As if I needed girls round for such a trifle as that!” returned Thorny with a shrug, though he groaned inwardly at the prospect
before him, as most of us do on such occasions. “I wouldn’t take Bab at any price; she’d only get into some scrape, and upset
the whole plan. Betty is the chicken for me — a real little lady, and as nice and purry as a kitten.”

“Very well; ask her mother, and take good care of her. Let her tuck her dolly in, and she will be contented anywhere. There’s
a fine air, and the awning is on the phaeton, so you won’t feel the sun. Start about three, and drive carefully.”

Betty was charmed to go, for Thorny was a sort of prince in her eyes; and to be invited to such a grand expedition was an
overwhelming honor. Bab was not surprised, for, since Sancho’s loss, she had felt herself in disgrace, and been unusually
meek; Ben let her “severely alone,” which much afflicted her, for he was her great admiration, and had been pleased to express
his approbation of her agility and courage so often that she was ready to attempt any foolhardy feat to recover his regard.
But vainly did she risk her neck jumping off the highest beams in the barn, trying to keep her balance standing on the donkey’s
back, and leaping the lodge gate at a bound; Ben vouchsafed no reward by a look, a smile, a word of commendation; and Bab
felt that nothing but Sancho’s return would ever restore the broken friendship.