Home > Authors Index > Horatio Alger > Jack's Ward > This page
Jack's Ward, a fiction by Horatio Alger |
||
Chapter 13. A Mysterious Visitor |
||
| < Previous |
Table of content |
Next > |
|
________________________________________________
_ CHAPTER XIII. A MYSTERIOUS VISITOR About eleven o'clock one forenoon Mrs. Harding was in the kitchen, busily engaged in preparing the dinner, when a loud knock was heard at the front door. "Who can it be?" said Mrs. Harding. "Aunt Rachel, there's somebody at the door; won't you be kind enough to see who it is?" "People have no business to call at such an hour in the morning," grumbled Rachel, as she laid down her knitting reluctantly, and rose from her seat. "Nobody seems to have any consideration for anybody else. But that's the way of the world." Opening the outer door, she saw before her a tall woman, dressed in a gown of some dark stuff, with strongly marked, and not altogether pleasant, features. "Are you the lady of the house?" inquired the visitor, abruptly. "There ain't any ladies in this house," answered Rachel. "You've come to the wrong place. We have to work for a living here." "The woman of the house, then," said the stranger, rather impatiently. "It doesn't make any difference about names. Are you the one I want to see?" "No, I ain't," said Rachel, shortly. "Will you tell your mistress that I want to see her, then?" "I have no mistress," said Rachel. "What do you take me for?" "I thought you might be the servant, but that don't matter. I want to see Mrs. Harding. Will you call her, or shall I go and announce myself?" "I don't know as she'll see you. She's busy in the kitchen." "Her business can't be as important as what I've come about. Tell her that, will you?" Rachel did not fancy the stranger's tone or manner. Certainly she did not manifest much politeness. But the spinster's curiosity was excited, and this led her the more readily to comply with the request. "Stay here, and I'll call her," she said. "There's a woman wants to see you," announced Rachel. "Who is it?" "I don't know. She hasn't got any manners, that's all I know about her." Mrs. Harding presented herself at the door. "Won't you come in?" she asked. "Yes, I will. What I've got to say to you may take some time." Mrs. Harding, wondering vaguely what business this strange visitor could have with her, led the way to the sitting room. "You have in your family," said the woman, after seating herself, "a girl named Ida." Mrs. Harding looked up suddenly and anxiously. Could it be that the secret of Ida's birth was to be revealed at last? Was it possible that she was to be taken from her? "Yes," she answered, simply. "Who is not your child?" "But I love her as much. I have always taught her to look upon me as her mother." "I presume so. My visit has reference to her." "Can you tell me anything of her parentage?" inquired Mrs. Harding, eagerly. "I was her nurse," said the stranger. Mrs. Harding scrutinized anxiously the hard features of the woman. It was, at least, a relief to know that no tie of blood connected her with Ida, though, even upon her assurance, she would hardly have believed it. "Who were her parents?" "I am not permitted to tell." Mrs. Harding looked disappointed. "Surely," she said, with a sudden sinking of the heart, "you have not come to take her away?" "This letter will explain my object in visiting you," said the woman, drawing a sealed envelope from a bag which she carried in her hand. The cooper's wife nervously broke open the letter, and read as follows: "MRS. HARDING: Seven years ago last New Year's night a child was left on your doorsteps, with a note containing a request that you would care for it kindly as your own. Money was sent at the same time to defray the expenses of such care. The writer of this note is the mother of the child, Ida. There is no need to explain here why I sent away the child from me. You will easily understand that it was not done willingly, and that only the most imperative necessity would have led me to such a step. The same necessity still prevents me from reclaiming my child, and I am content still to leave Ida in your charge. Yet there is one thing I desire. You will understand a mother's wish to see, face to face, her own child. With this view I have come to this neighborhood. I will not say where I am, for concealment is necessary to me. I send this note by a trustworthy attendant, Mrs. Hardwick, my little Ida's nurse in her infancy, who will conduct Ida to me, and return her again to you. Ida is not to know who she is visiting. No doubt she believes you to be her mother, and it is well that she should so regard you. Tell her only that it is a lady, who takes an interest in her, and that will satisfy her childish curiosity. I make this request as IDA'S MOTHER."
"So you were Ida's nurse?" she said, gently. "Yes, ma'am," said the stranger. "I hope the dear child is well?" "Perfectly well. How much her mother must have suffered from the separation!" "Indeed you may say so, ma'am. It came near to breaking her heart." "I don't wonder," said sympathizing Mrs. Harding. "I can judge of that by my own feelings. I don't know what I should do, if Ida were to be taken from me." At this point in the conversation, the cooper entered the house. He had come home on an errand. "It is my husband," said Mrs. Harding, turning to her visitor, by way of explanation. "Timothy, will you come here a moment?" The cooper regarded the stranger with some surprise. His wife hastened to introduce her as Mrs. Hardwick, Ida's old nurse, and placed in her husband's hands the letter which we have already read. He was not a rapid reader, and it took him some time to get through the letter. He laid it down on his knee, and looked thoughtful. "This is indeed unexpected," he said, at last. "It is a new development in Ida's history. May I ask, Mrs. Hardwick, if you have any further proof? I want to be careful about a child that I love as my own. Can you furnish any other proof that you are what you represent?" "I judged that the letter would be sufficient. Doesn't it speak of me as the nurse?" "True; but how can we be sure that the writer is Ida's mother?" "The tone of the letter, sir. Would anybody else write like that?" "Then you have read the letter?" asked the cooper, quickly. "It was read to me before I set out." "By whom?" "By Ida's mother. I do not blame you for your caution," said the visitor. "You must be deeply interested in the happiness of the dear child, of whom you have taken such excellent care. I don't mind telling you that I was the one who left her at your door, seven years ago, and that I never left the neighborhood until I saw you take her in." "And it was this that enabled you to find the house to-day?" "You forget," corrected the nurse, "that you were not then living in this house, but in another, some rods off, on the left-hand side of the street." "You are right," said Timothy. "I am inclined to believe in the truth of your story. You must pardon my testing you in such a manner, but I was not willing to yield up Ida, even for a little time, without feeling confident of the hands she was falling into." "You are right," said Mrs. Hardwick. "I don't blame you in the least. I shall report it to Ida's mother as a proof of your attachment to the child." "When do you wish Ida to go with you?" asked Mrs. Harding. "Can you let her go this afternoon?" "Why," said the cooper's wife, hesitating, "I should like to have a chance to wash out some clothes for her. I want her to appear as neat as possible when she meets her mother." The nurse hesitated, but presently replied: "I don't wish to hurry you. If you will let me know when she will be ready, I will call for her." "I think I can get her ready early to-morrow morning." "That will answer. I will call for her then." The nurse rose, and gathered her shawl about her. "Where are you going, Mrs. Hardwick?" asked the cooper's wife. "To a hotel," was the reply. "We cannot allow that," said Mrs. Harding, kindly. "It's a pity if we cannot accommodate Ida's old nurse for one night, or ten times as long, for that matter." "My wife is quite right," said the cooper, hesitatingly. "We must insist on your stopping with us." The nurse hesitated, and looked irresolute. It was plain she would have preferred to be elsewhere, but a remark which Mrs. Harding made, decided her to accept the invitation. It was this: "You know, Mrs. Hardwick, if Ida is to go with you, she ought to have a little chance to get acquainted with you before you go." "I will accept your kind invitation," she said; "but I am afraid I shall be in your way." "Not in the least. It will be a pleasure to us to have you here. If you will excuse me now, I will go out and attend to my dinner, which I am afraid is getting behindhand." Left to herself, the nurse behaved in a manner which might be regarded as singular. She rose from her seat, and approached the mirror. She took a full survey of herself as she stood there, and laughed a short, hard laugh. Then she made a formal courtesy to her own reflection, saying: "How do you do, Mrs. Hardwick?" "Did you speak?" asked the cooper, who was passing through the entry on his way out. "No," answered the nurse, rather awkwardly. "I may have said something to myself. It's of no consequence." "Somehow," thought the cooper, "I don't fancy the woman's looks; but I dare say I am prejudiced. We're all of us as God made us." When Mrs. Harding was making preparations for the noonday meal, she imparted to Rachel the astonishing information which has already been detailed to the reader. "I don't believe a word of it," said Rachel, resolutely. "The woman's an impostor. I knew she was, the very minute I set eyes on her." This remark was so characteristic of Rachel, that her sister-in-law did not attach any special importance to it. Rachel, of course, had no grounds for the opinion she so confidently expressed. It was consistent, however, with her general estimate of human nature. "What object could she have in inventing such a story?" asked Mrs. Harding. "What object? Hundreds of 'em," said Rachel, rather indefinitely. "Mark my words; if you let her carry off Ida, it'll be the last you'll ever see of her." "Try to look on the bright side, Rachel. Nothing is more natural than that her mother should want to see her." "Why couldn't she come herself?" muttered Rachel. "The letter explains." "I don't see that it does." "It says that same reasons exist for concealment as ever." "And what are they, I should like to know? I don't like mysteries, for my part." "We won't quarrel with them, at any rate, since they enable us to keep Ida with us." Aunt Rachel shook her head, as if she were far from satisfied. "I don't know," said Mrs. Harding, "but I ought to invite Mrs. Hardwick in here. I have left her alone in the front room." "I don't want to see her," said Rachel. Then, changing her mind suddenly: "Yes, you may bring her in. I'll soon find out whether she's an impostor or not." The cooper's wife returned with the nurse. "Mrs. Hardwick," she said, "this is my sister, Miss Rachel Harding." "I am glad to make your acquaintance, ma'am," said the visitor. "Rachel, I will leave you to entertain Mrs. Hardwick, while I get ready the dinner." Rachel and the nurse eyed each other with mutual dislike. "I hope you don't expect me to entertain you," said Rachel. "I never expect to entertain anybody ag'in. This is a world of trial and tribulation, and I've had my share. So you've come after Ida, I hear?" with a sudden change of tone. "At her mother's request," said the nurse. "She wants to see her, then?" "Yes, ma'am." "I wonder she didn't think of it before," said Rachel, sharply. "She's good at waiting. She's waited seven years." "There are circumstances that cannot be explained," commenced the nurse. "No, I dare say not," said Rachel, dryly. "So you were her nurse?" "Yes, ma'am," answered the nurse, who did not appear to enjoy this cross-examination. "Have you lived with Ida's mother ever since?" "No--yes," stammered the stranger. "Some of the time," she added, recovering herself. "Umph!" grunted Rachel, darting a sharp glance at her. "Have you a husband living?" inquired the spinster. "Yes," answered Mrs. Hardwick. "Have you?" "I!" repeated Rachel, scornfully. "No, neither living nor dead. I'm thankful to say I never married. I've had trials enough without that. Does Ida's mother live in the city?" "I can't tell you," said the nurse. "Humph! I don't like mystery." "It isn't any mystery," said the visitor. "If you have any objections to make, you must make them to Ida's mother." "So I will, if you'll tell me where she lives." "I can't do that." "Where do you live yourself?" inquired Rachel, shifting her point of attack. "In Brooklyn," answered Mrs. Hardwick, with some hesitation. "What street, and number?" "Why do you want to know?" inquired the nurse. "You ain't ashamed to tell, be you?" "Why should I be?" "I don't know. You'd orter know better than I." "It wouldn't do you any good to know," said the nurse. "I don't care about receiving visitors." "I don't want to visit you, I am sure," said Rachel, tossing her head. "Then you don't need to know where I live." Rachel left the room, and sought her sister-in-law. "That woman's an impostor," she said. "She won't tell where she lives. I shouldn't be surprised if she turns out to be a thief." "You haven't any reason for supposing that, Rachel." "Wait and see," said Rachel. "Of course I don't expect you to pay any attention to what I say. I haven't any influence in this house." "Now, Rachel, you have no cause to say that." But Rachel was not to be appeased. It pleased her to be considered a martyr, and at such times there was little use in arguing with her. _ |
||