“Ya-as, ma’am! that’s my name, ma’am,” said the embarrassed deputy.
“We heard what you just said,” pursued Nettie. “About Curly Smith, you know.”
“And we’re awfully interested in Curly,” put in Helen, joining in the attempt to cajole a perfectly helpless officer of the law from the path of duty.
“Your servant, ma’am!” gasped the deputy, very red in the face now, and bowing low before Helen.
“There are three of us, Mr. Ricketts,” suggested Ruth, her own eyes dancing with fun, despite the really serious distress she felt over Curly’s case.
“Bless my soul!” murmured Mr. Ricketts, bowing in her direction, too. “So there are—so there are. _Your_ servant, ma’am.”
“Then, Mr. Ricketts, if you are the servant of _all_ of us, I know you will do what we ask,” and Nettie laughed merrily.
Little drops of perspiration were exuding upon the deputy’s broad, bald brow. He was not used to the society of ladies—not even extremely young ladies; and he felt both ridiculous and in a glow of delight. He chuckled and wabbled his head above his stiff collar, and looked foolish. But there was a grim firmness to his smoothly shaven chin that led Ruth to believe that he would not be an easy person to swerve from his path.
“You know,” repeated Nettie, taking her cue from Helen, “that we are awfully interested in that boy that you say you have come after.”
“The young scamp’s mighty lucky, then—mighty lucky!”
“But he has a broken leg—and he’s awfully sick,” said Nettie, her lips drooping at the corners as though she were about to cry.
“Tut, tut, tut! I’m awfully sorry miss. But——”
“And he’s had an awfully bad time,” broke in Helen. “Curly has. He’s ragged, and he has been ill-treated. And we saw him jump overboard and swim from that steamer before it reached Old Point Comfort, and he was picked up by a fishing boat. Oh! he is awfully brave.”
Mr. Ricketts stared and swallowed hard. He could not find voice to reply just then.
“And he saved that cat from drowning. Oh! I had forgotten that,” said Nettie, chiming in. “He really is very kind-hearted, as well as brave.”
“And,” said Ruth, from the stair above, “I am sure he never helped those men rob the Lumberton railroad station. Never!”
“My soul and body, ladies!” exclaimed the deputy sheriff. “You are sho’ more knowin’ about this yere boy from the No’th than I am. I only got instructions to _git_ him—and git him I must.”