The Cairo bulletin., 1904-07-06
CHAPTER vi.
DICKORY MAKES A REPORT

on the pier the man from whom he
had borrowed the rope, he stopped to
return him his property, and thinking
that the good people of the town
should know that, no matter what had
befallen Mai Bonnet his daughter had
not gone with him and was safe among
friends, he mentioned these facts to
tie man, but with very few details
being in a hurry to return with. his
message.
Before he turned into the inlet Dick
DRY was called from the shore and TO
bis surprise he saw his mother stand
ing on the bank in front of mass of
bushes, which concealed her from her
house
Come here, Dickory" she said. land
tell me what You have heard?"
Her son told his doleful tale
II fear me. mother" he said. that
Maj. Bonnets ship has gone on some
secret and bad business, and that he
y mixed up in II, Else why did he
Lesert his daughter? And if he in
tended to take her with him, that was
worse"
Il don't know Dickory," said good
Fame Charter, refectively I'VE must
not be too quick to believe harm OF
Cur fellow-beings 1t does look bad,
as the townspeople thought. that Mai.
onnet should own such a ship with
: such a strange crew, but he is a man
who knows his owa business, and may
rave had good reason for what he has
tone. He might have been sailing out
to some foreign part to bring back
rich cargo, and needed stout men to
fefend it from the pirates that he
might meet with on the seas"
Dickory considered.
Yes. mother he said, 1T might
Lave been that way, but don't believe
that he went of his own accord and
| don't believe that he would take
Cen Greenway with him. | think
mother that they were both stolen
with the ship
THAT might be" said his mother
rbut We have NO right TO take such
4 a view OF II, and to impart it to his
daughter If he went away Of his own
accord. everything will doubtless be
made right. anu we shall know his
reasons for what he has done. II IS
not for us to make up our minds that
Mai Bonnet and good Ben Greenway
have been carried off by wicked men,
for this would be sad indeed for that
fair Girl to believe. So remember,
Dlckory. that it is our duty always to
think the best OF everything. And now
| will go through the underbrush TO
the house, and when you get there
yourself You must tell your story as
ii you had not told it to me.
Before Csckory had reached his
mothers cottage Mistress Kate Bonnet
came running TO meet him, and she did
not seem to DO the same girl he had
left that morning. Her clothes had
been dried and smoothed; even her
hat, which had been found in the boat,
had been made shapely and wearable,
and its ribbons hoated in the breeze
Dic!Iory glanced at her feet and, as
he did so, a thrill of strange delight
ran through him. He saw his own
Sunday shoes, with silver buckles, and
he caught glimpse OF pair Of brown
stockings, which he knew went always
with those shoes
Il am quite myself again" she said,
noticing his wide eyes, "and your
mother has been good enough to lend
me a pair Of your shoes and stockings
Mine are so utterly ruined, and ! could
not walk bareiooted."
Dickory was so filled with pride that
this fair being could wear his shoes,
and that she was wearing them. that
he could only humble some stupid
words about being SO glad to serve her
And she. wise girl. said nothing about
the quantities of soft cottonwood
which Dame Charter had been Obliged
to stuff into the toes before they would
stay upon the small feet they covered
'But my father" cried Kate, what
of him? Where is he?"
Now Dame Charter was with them.
her eyes hard fixed upon her son.
Dickory, mindful of those eyes, told
her what he had to tell. saying as lit
tie as possible about Mai. Bonnet
because. of course, all that he knew
about him was mere hearsay-but d.
lating with much vigor upon the
shameful conduct OF Madam Bonnet;
for the young lady ought surely to
know what sort OF a woman her fa-
Tiers wife really was. and what she
~night expect If she should return 10
her house. He could have said even
more about the interview with the an
gTy woman. but his mothers eyes
we're upon him.
Kate heard everything without a
word. and then she burst into tears.
My father" she sobbed. carried
away. OF gone away, and one is as bad
as the Otheri"
Dame Charter led the weeping girl
TO the bench. and they talked together.
There was no optimist in all the Brit
Ish colonies. nor for that matter in
those belonging to France OF Spain.
or even 10 the Dutch, who was a more
conscientious follower Of her creed
than Dame Charter. She sat by Kate
end she talked 10 her until the girl
stopped sobbing and began 10 see for
herself that her father knew his osFn