The Roswell Legacy by Frances Statham (parable of the sower read online .TXT) 📗

door and followed Nelly Rose down the steps to the small, dark lobby. As if she were suspicious of both Souci and the man, the woman stood within hearing range.

“I understand, monsieur, that you are looking for two small boys,” Souci said.

“Yes, the ones leaving the exposition with you late this afternoon. Do you happen to know their names and where they might be staying?”

Souci turned her head slightly before answering. Nelly Rose was still eavesdropping. “No, monsieur. But if you would like to leave your name and where you can be reached, I might bump into them tomorrow.”

Jonathan nodded and walked to the lobby desk where the custodian was half asleep.

As he took a pencil and began to write, Souci said, “These are your sons, monsieur?”

“No. My wife’s little brother and his friend. They’ve run away from school. And the families are quite worried.”

“When you’re finished, Souci, come on back upstairs.” Satisfied that Souci had not made an evening assignation, Nelly Rose began to climb the steps.

As Souci took the slip of paper with Jonathan’s name and address, she quickly whispered, “What did you say their names are?”

“Nathan and Quincy, or Pinky.”

“They’re asleep in my room—one oh three. But you understand, Madame must not find out I’m sheltering them. Wait at the back entrance and I will bring them out to you.”

Jonathan nodded. “Well, thank you very much,” he said, loud enough for Nelly Rose to hear. “Miss …”

“I’m called Souci, Monsieur Jonathan.”

As he walked past the shabby red carpeting to the front door, Souci rushed to catch up with Nelly Rose. She put her hand over her mouth as she yawned. “Such a long day, madame. And I am so tired.”

“Yes, we’d all better get to sleep early. Our vacation is over and tomorrow’s a long traveling day.”

When Souci reached her room, Meara was waiting for her. “What happened?” she asked.

“The family has come for Nathan and Pinky.”

“How did they know they were here?”

“The man saw us together at the exposition, and he traced us here.”

“Are we going to get into trouble because of it?”

“Only with Madame, if she catches us. We will have to wake the boys and take them down the back stairs. The man will be waiting in the alleyway.”

Souci went over and knelt by the pallet. “Petit, you must wake up,” she said. “Someone has come for you.”

Nathan was sound asleep and it took him a long time to wake sufficiently to understand what Souci was saying.

“You must get up, Nathan. Your family has come for you.”

“Papa?”

“No. Monsieur Jonathan.”

“Is Ginna with him?”

“I do not know. Perhaps so.”

“Pinky, wake up,” Nathan said. “We’re going home.”

In the alleyway, Andrew and Jonathan waited in the carriage. The section was not a good one to be in after dark, and Andrew was wary. He kept his hand on the small pistol he’d brought with him, for cutthroats and murderers could easily be lurking around the corner.

A large rat came out of the trash and shuffled down the alleyway, causing the horse to snort.

“Easy, boy,” Jonathan said, soothing the nervous animal.

“What’s keeping them?” Andrew said. “We should have walked in and gotten them.”

“No. If we had done that, the woman would be in trouble with the madam. From her manner, I could tell she was afraid of her.”

Down the alleyway, a man leaned against the side of the old building and waited, while the slow rain dripped from the sharp-angled eaves. His knife was stuck into his belt where he could retrieve it at a moment’s notice. And beside him, he slowly positioned the barrel so that he could roll it in the path of the carriage as it started out of the alleyway. He was quite adept at working alone in the mean streets at night. But it wasn’t often that a carriage so fine wandered into the neighborhood. Already he was calculating how much money the men’s wallets held.

“Quick, Nathan. Down these steps, petit,” Souci whispered, guiding the boy while Meara followed with Pinky.

Nathan suddenly balked. “Why are we going this way, Souci?”

“I told you, little one. Madame would throw me out in the streets if she discovered I had you in my room.”

“Then we don’t want you to get into trouble on account of us. Do we, Pinky?”

“No.”

And so the two boys hurried on, with Souci leading the way. Quickly, she slid the iron bar back and opened the door. In the carriage, Jonathan heard the squeak. “I’ll go to the door, Andrew,” he said, and jumped down from the carriage.

Clandestinely, Souci put her hand over Nathan’s mouth to keep him from speaking. Without saying a word, Jonathan lifted Nathan into the carriage and then came back for Pinky.

He stood there for a moment in the faint glow of the old gaslight hanging inside the dingy hallway. “Thank you,” Jonathan said, and pressed a large bill into Souci’s hands.

“Merci,” she whispered, stuck the bill into the bosom of her dress, and then quickly closed the door, leaving the alleyway in almost total darkness.

“Jonathan, I’m so glad—” Nathan began.

“Hush, Nathan,” he whispered. “Don’t speak until we’re out of this dark place.”

The horse’s hooves made a metallic sound against the slippery cobblestones. And then the racket of the barrel rolling directly in front of the carriage caused the horse to rear in fright.

The shadow moved and jumped onto the carriage. “Your wallets, gentlemen,” the man said, pressing the knife against Jonathan’s throat.

Before he knew what had happened, the robber was on the ground with his knife wrenched from his hand and his elbow in terrible pain. In surprise, he watched the carriage disappear down the alleyway.

“That was an expert maneuver,” Andrew complimented Jonathan. “I thought I was going to have to use my pistol.”

In the back of the carriage, two small boys held tightly to each other as the carriage careened around a curve and the horse galloped toward the light ahead. But once the carriage slowed, they realized they were safe.

“Boy, I can hardly wait to