"Who are you, young lady?" he inquired with a jolly smile,--"are you
little Red-Riding Hood or the Princess Far Away, or perhaps the
Sleeping Beauty recently awakened?"
"I'm Athalie Greensleeve."
"Lady Greensleeves! I knew you were somebody quite as distinguished
as you are beautiful. Would you mind saying to Mr. Greensleeve that
there is much moaning on the bar, and that it will still continue
until he arrives to instil the stillness of the still--"
"What?"
"We merely want a drink, my child. Don't look so seriously and
distractingly pretty. I was joking, that's all. Please tell your
father how very thirsty we are."
As the child turned to obey, C. Bailey, Sr., put one big arm around her
shoulders: "I didn't mean to tease you on such short acquaintance," he
whispered. "Are you offended, little Lady Greensleeves?"
Athalie looked up at him in puzzled silence.
"Smile, just once, so I shall know I am forgiven," he said. "Will
you?"
The child smiled confusedly, caught the boy's eye, and smiled again,
most engagingly, at C. Bailey, Sr.'s, son.
"Oho!" exclaimed the senior Bailey laughingly and looking at his son,
"I'm forgiven for your sake, am I?"
"For heaven's sake, Clive," protested one of the gunners, "let the
little girl go and find her father. If I ever needed a drink it's
now!"
So Athalie went away to summon her father. She found him as she had
last noticed him, sitting asleep on the big leather office chair.
Ledlie, behind the desk, was still reading his soiled newspaper, which
he continued to do until Athalie cried out something in a frightened
voice. Then he laid aside his paper, blinked at her, got up leisurely
and shuffled over to where his partner was sitting dead on his leather
chair.
* * * * *
The duck-hunters left that night. One after another the four gentlemen
came over to speak to Athalie and to her sisters. There was some
confusion and crowding in the hallway, what with the doctor, the
undertaker's assistants, neighbours, and the New York duck-hunters.
Ledlie ventured to overcharge them on the bill. As nobody objected he
regretted his moderation. However, the taking off of Greensleeve
helped business in the bar where sooner or later everybody drifted.
When the four-seated livery wagon drove up to take the gunning party
to the train, the boy lingered behind the others and then hurried back
to where Athalie was standing, white-faced, tearless, staring at the
closed door of the room where they had taken her father.