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"Jinnie'll be glad to let you help her, sir, providin' you keep track of the money you spend," he agreed. The girl could scarcely believe her ears. Suddenly her indignant sense of Maudlin's abuse faded away, leaving her encouraged and warm with ambition. Theodore took one more stride around the little room. "Now that's sensible, Mr. Grandoken," he said contentedly.
"Will he die?" she whispered, in awe-stricken tones. "Maudlin's dyin'," replied the cobbler, with bowed head, "an' Mr. King's awful bad off, the doctor says." Jinnie went to Lafe's side and put her arm about his neck, and as if it had never been, their joy was blotted out by the hand of a bloody tragedy. Tearing away from Paradise Road, Jordan Morse drove madly up the hill.
"I thought I saw Jinnie come in," she hesitated Then realizing something was wrong, her eyes fell upon the stricken girl. "She was just earnin' a little sausage by dancin'," the butcher excused. Peggy stared and stared, stunned for the moment. The hangdog expression on Maudlin's face expressed his crime better than words would have done.
"Jinnie says you wanted me." "Yes, a few minutes' chat; that's all!" "Spit it out," said Bates. Lafe put down his hammer with slow importance. "It's this way, Jasper. Maudlin's " "What's Maudie done now?" demanded Bates, lighting his pipe. "He's been botherin' my girl, that's what," responded Lafe. "Jinnie?" "Sure. She's all the girl I got.... Maudlin's got to stop it, Bates."
The wood gatherer came so close that he forced her back a step on the marsh path. Her disdainful eyes had drawn him to her, for, like all men, he could be drawn by the woman who scorned him, and mesmerized by the sheer repulse. By great effort, Jinnie had escaped from Maudlin's insults for many months, but he had never been quite so aggressive as this!
Side by side they seated themselves on a fallen tree. The young wood gatherer looked wicked enough to do anything that might be requested of him. "Are you married?" asked Morse. Maudlin's face darkened. "No," he grunted moodily. "Ha! In love? I see!" laughed the other.
Mistress Alexandra was quite gracious now. "Thursday shall be a fortnight, being Saint Maudlin's Day, at ten o' the clock in the forenoon. Will hath passed word to me to get me in, and two other with me. You'll come, my mistresses? There'll not be room for Mistress Amphillis; I'm sorry." Alexandra tossed her head very contemptuously. "What does Amphillis want of jousts?" said she.
"I'll talk to Maudie," said he, "but he's an onery kid; has been ever since his mother died. He don't git along with his stepma very well, and she's got such a lot of little kids of 'er own she ain't time to train no hulk of a boy like Maudlin." Pausing a moment, he went on, "Maudlin's been madder'n hell because that duffer King's been haulin' Jinnie's wood. He says "
But Maid Marian only scolds the more, and at last goes away leaving the others in sad bewilderment. Of course this was not Maid Marian at all, but Mother Maudlin, the old witch, who had taken her form in order to make mischief. Meanwhile the real Maid Marian discovers that the venison has been sent away to Mother Maudlin's.
"Yes," gulped Jinnie, "and Maudlin's dead. The hospital people say Mr. King can't live." The last words were stammered and scarcely audible. "Lafe, who shot him?" "I dunno," said Lafe. "Didn't you see who had the gun?" persisted the girl, wiping her eyes. "Mr. King didn't have it; nuther did Maudlin. It came from over there, an' I heard a car drive away right after."
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