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But Jim Tenny, his mouth set, his black brows scowling, his hard grasp on Eva's arm, pushed straight through the gathering crowd until they came to Clarkson's stables at the rear of Lloyd's, where he kept his horse and buggy for he lived at a distance from his work, and drove over every morning.
Tenny did not intend any disrespect to the two youngest ones; but she really had no room for them, as her guests were to spend the night. "The mistake she made was in asking Susy and Prudy," said Aunt Louise; "but I suppose she was curious to see our little poetess." Prudy blushed, and hid her face behind the curtain. "Poor little sister," thought she, "how she feels!"
"Yes," said Ellen, and she felt shamed and remorseful that her own affairs had been uppermost in her mind, and that Abby had supposed that she might be disturbed over this great trouble of her poor aunt's. "I think it is dreadful," said Abby. "I wish I could get hold of that woman." By "that woman" she meant the woman with whom poor Jim Tenny had eloped. "I do," said Ellen, bitterly.
"Look at that, Jim Tenny," said he, with a shove of an elbow towards his next neighbor. "Get out, will ye?" growled Jim Tenny, but he looked. Then three girls from the stitching-room came crowding up behind with furtively tender pressings of round arms against the shoulders of the young men.
"There, there, darling, Ellen will take care of you," whispered Ellen. But Amabel did not hear. The next afternoon poor Eva Tenny was carried away, and Andrew accompanied the doctor who had her in charge, as being the only available male relative.
As Jim Tenny, with Eva Loud and the child, drove down the road towards the Brewster house, his horse and buggy became the nucleus of a gathering procession, shouting and exclaiming, with voices all tuned to one key of passionate sympathy. There were even many women of the poorer class who had no sense of indecency in following the utmost lead of their tender emotions.
But Andrew passed Eva Tenny coming to the house on his way out of the yard, and when she entered Fanny began at once: "Who do you s'pose came home with Ellen last night?" said she. She looked at Eva, then at Ellen, with a glance which seemed to uncover a raw surface of delicacy. Ellen flushed angrily. "Mother, I do wish " she began; but Fanny cut her short.
They'd say it wandered through the pass by itself, and I suppose there's one chance in a thousand it could have." "Damned unlikely, though," shrugged Tenny. "Sure; but the law's that way. You've got to be dead certain. Besides, if he was pulled in for that we might never find out just what's at the bottom of it all.
Jim Tenny, before he drove away, went to the door and spoke to Eva. "Anything I can do?" he asked, with a curious, tender roughness. He did not look at her as he spoke. "No; thank you, Jim," replied Eva. Suddenly the young man reached out a hand and stroked her rough hair. "Well, take care of yourself, old girl," he said. Eva went to her sister as Jim went out of the yard.
I guess I've got two hundred and ten dollars a year income, and I'll give up a half of that, and Andrew can put a mortgage on the house, if that Tenny woman has got to be supported because her husband has run off and left her and her young one. You sha'n't go to work in a shop." "I've got to, grandma," said Ellen. The old woman looked at her.