Cassies miracle, p.32
Cassie's Miracle, page 32
“What is it!” yelled Mabel. “What’s happened?” she shouted in alarm as she turned from the stove.
Ed came running in from outside. “Cassie! What’s wrong?” he hollered. Cassie was white as a ghost as she ran to him. He took her in his arms and held her trembling frame as he tried to understand what had happened. “What’s the matter?” he asked again.
“Mice! Everywhere! In the pantry!” exclaimed Cassie, pointing back towards the pantry door. A mouse ran into the kitchen, and then another and another, scurrying along with his friends. Cassie let out another terrified scream. She tried to run out of the house, but Ed held her snugly. Then, as she pushed against him, he let her go, and she ran outside.
Thinking impulsively, Ed grabbed the broom by the door and began swatting at them. Mabel jumped up on a kitchen chair and started yelling. “It went that way! Get it, Ed!” Every once in a while, she screamed when a mouse came running past. “It’s right there! Get it!” she shrieked.
Ed did his best to stomp or hit the mice, but they were quick little devils. Every once in a while, they would squeak when he attempted to beat them. Ed finally exterminated the three mice, but it took quite a bit of effort, and he was breathing hard from the exertion. They were speedy critters, darting under furniture, hiding behind the stove and cupboards. It was chaos for a while, never knowing when one would pop out and make a run for it.
Cassie remained outside, holding her arms around herself, shaking and jumping every time she heard Aunt Mabel scream. Jolts of fear continued to surge through her as she imagined what was happening inside. She listened to the bumps and bangs, squeezing her eyes shut as she grimaced, imagining the squished rodents. She was disgusted; she had never seen so many mice in one place and it set her nerves on edge.
Triumphantly, Ed came outside to try and console Cassie, taking her into his arms and holding her as she trembled. “I got them, Cass. It’s ok, they’re all gone. The mice are dead. I got all three,” he said proudly. “You can come inside now,” he said, trying to reassure her.
“No! I can’t go back in there,” she said adamantly, shaking her head. “There aren’t three, Ed. There’s more than that. There was a nest of them. I pulled out a basket, and it was full of them; they were lying in a pile of rags in a huge nest,” she said with disgust. “Ed, there are still more!” she insisted as she looked towards the house and began to cry. “I saw the mice and dropped the basket. Some of them scattered right at my feet. So, I ran. I was afraid they would run up my skirt. They were everywhere! I can’t go back in there! I won’t!” she declared, standing her ground, shaking and pale. Her heart was pounding, and she felt creepy-crawly all over.
“Ok, ok, I’ll go see.” Ed relented and turned to go back inside to check the pantry. He hoped there weren’t more. He was exhausted from chasing the first three all over the kitchen, and his back was aching from hunching over for so long. “Those little buggers sure are fast,” he thought, and stretched his back before he went inside.
Mabel stepped down off the chair and tried to calm herself. She wasn’t afraid of a mouse, but three mice at once tended to rattle a person’s nerves. Cassie’s terrified screams had shaken her, then to see the mice come running towards her was an even bigger fright. Not knowing which way they were going and if they would run up under her skirts didn’t help her either. She started laughing at herself as she realized how silly she must have looked to Ed, standing on the chair squealing and yelling at him to, “get ‘em.”
“I thought when you had the one pinned under the stove, and the other one ran under your legs, you were going to crack your head on the edge of it; you jumped up so fast,” laughed Mabel. They both cracked up as Ed acted out some funnier moves he’d made, trying to kill them.
“The one in the corner behind the cupboard…I was about to smash him, and his little friend decided to jump on my boot.” Ed reenacted, shaking his foot to get the mouse off before it could scamper up his pant leg. They both laughed heartily, easing some of the tension.
They finally stopped laughing, and Ed suggested, “Maybe you should go check on Cassie; she’s distraught. She believes there are more in the pantry.” Truthfully, he wanted her out of the house just in case more mice came running out of the pantry. He’d heard enough screaming for one day.
Mabel was more than happy to comply.
Ed went to the pantry door and looked into the small, poorly lit room. Finding the outside door into the pantry, he opened it to let in more light. The clutter of old bottles, boxes, and baskets full of odds and ends filled the shelves and floor of the room. The basket of rags Cassie had taken down and dropped was in the middle of the floor. Sure enough, it was full of shredded fabric and stuffing, making a giant nest. On closer inspection, he could see pink baby mice inside, about a dozen of them squirming. Two full-grown mice scurried into a corner behind a box as he moved the basket. He was disgusted; their new home was infested with mice. Picking up the basket full of mice, he carried it outside to the fire and tossed it in. He hated to kill anything, but this was their home, and he wouldn’t allow Cassie and the baby to get sick from vermin. He knew where plagues came from, and already, he was worried about Cassie being exposed to the mice droppings and their possible fleas from handling the basket.
As soon as he had the basket burning, he told Cassie to wash up for fear of her getting sick. He filled a bucket with well water, brought out soap and a clean towel for her, and told her and Aunt Mabel not to come into the house for a while. Ed worked for hours, catching and killing the mice as he pulled out boxes and trunks and took them into the yard. Some of the mice left of their own accord, frightened by the moving of their homes; the others he willingly exterminated.
The women stayed outside and worked, boiling linens and wiping down everything with lye soap and scalding water. Once the pantry had been emptied, everything was mopped and wiped down. The lye wash water was very strong but effectively sanitized the room. Cassie stayed outside, not wanting to go back into the house for a few reasons. By afternoon everyone was exhausted. The bed ticking was dry, as was the rope for the bed. Ed took the rope into the bedroom and restrung the bed, tightening the rope so as it dried, it would shrink even more, keeping the mattress firm. Cassie and Mabel filled the mattress with fresh straw, plumping it up nice and thick. Once the rope was completely dry, Ed brought in the ticking and placed it on the restrung bed that no longer sagged. Aunt Mabel came in and made the bed with the fresh, clean sheets and blankets. Ed would be living here now and needed to have a place to sleep. Even though there weren’t curtains on the windows, Ed didn’t mind; he was a long way out of town and secluded in the woods. To make sure all the mice were gone, he decided to leave the boxes and things outside for the night and close all the doors. It was getting late, and soon he would need to feed the animals and milk the cow.
Cassie and Mabel decided to head back to make supper while Ed finished the chores. George had stopped by briefly in the afternoon and saw there wasn’t much for him to do. Then saying he had an idea, he left them, informing them he would be back by supper time.
Back at Aunt Mabel’s house, Cassie changed out of her dirty clothes and removed the towel from off her hair, which she was extremely grateful for. Then, washing thoroughly to get all the dust off, she changed into one of her day dresses and apron. Next, Aunt Mabel took her turn washing up and changing out of her dirty clothes while Cassie started cooking. Cassie was still feeling jumpy and kept looking down in the corners of the kitchen and shadows, expecting to see tiny creatures there. By the time Ed arrived, supper was on the table. Soon after, they heard George drive into the yard.
“I have a surprise for you, Cassie!” hollered George as he pulled up to the house.
Cassie and the others came outside to see what he was yelling about.
“I have a surprise for you, Cassie,” he said excitedly as they came out to the wagon. “It’s here in this crate.” George jumped down from the wagon seat, reached into the wagon bed, and lifted a wooden crate with a cat inside. It meowed, wanting to be let out.
“A cat!” Cassie cheered, clasping her hands together. “What a wonderful idea!” She loved cats, and this was a pretty one, a light orange short hair with yellow eyes and a cute little face.
“Mr. Tucker said she’s a good mouser and will lend her to you until you get the mice problem under control. He even offered to let you keep one of the kittens she’ll be having soon,” he said excitedly.
“That’s very nice of Mr. Tucker, but won’t he want her back long before that?” she asked as she stuck her fingers through the slit in the crate to pet the cat’s soft fur.
“Mr. Tucker also has a tomcat that keeps his mice away, so he can let you have her for a while,” he said.
“Oh, thank you, Uncle George!” Cassie wrapped her arms around George’s neck and gave him a quick hug. “Thank you, Mr. Tucker!” she said, bubbling with glee. “She’s so pretty. Let’s take her inside and give her some milk. We don’t want her to be scared of us.”
Ed delighted in Cassie’s enthusiasm as she ran ahead to get the milk ready. Then, as he walked with George into the house, he thanked him for making Cassie so happy.
“It’s my pleasure,” George said, still blushing from Cassie’s affection.
Once inside, George slowly opened the crate, letting Cassie take the cat out very carefully. At first, the cat was frightened, but then calmed as Cassie stroked her and sat her in front of the bowl of milk on the floor. The cat looked around at the people standing there staring at her, and then crouched down and drank the milk hungrily.
Leaving the cat, they went to the table and sat down to eat their supper as they talked about the day’s events, which centered around the mice. With each telling, the stories became more and more animated, laughter erupting around the room, with Cassie joining in. It did settle her nerves a little, knowing that a cat was coming to live with them.
“Getting a cat was a great idea, George,” Ed said, as relieved as Cassie about having a cat in the house. It would take care of the mice he’d missed and keep more from coming in. He planned to take the cat home and keep her inside to stalk and catch mice through the night.
Once they finished supper and cleaned up the dishes, Cassie packed Ed a loaf of bread, butter, bacon, cheese, and coffee grounds for breakfast. There were chickens and the milk cow at the cottage, and the old pans and dishes had all been washed and placed back into the cupboards, ready for him to use. Ed was grateful for Cassie’s thoughtfulness; now he would be able to make himself something to eat.
George put the cat back into the crate and took it out to the buggy, then came back into the house and said goodnight to Ed, who was carrying out the box of food to the buggy. Cassie followed with a jar of preserves and pickles that Aunt Mabel insisted he take. Ed loaded the box and jars carefully into the buggy and turned to hug Cassie before he left.
“Goodnight, my love. Sleep well, and no more worries about the house. By the time you get back tomorrow, all will be safe and sound,” Ed said as he kissed her forehead. “I’ll be by to pick you up at eight,” he said, and jumped into the buggy.
“Goodnight, my Prince Edward. I will see you in the morning, my love.” Cassie stepped back, letting Ed drive away as she smiled contentedly.
***
Ed came to the house the following morning to pick up Cassie and Mabel for another cleaning day. To his surprise, Mabel apologized and said she had to go to town and finish up some preparations for the wedding reception. Now that they were having it at the Town Hall, she had more to do and wanted to ask friends to help with refreshments. She was also going to help make the wedding quilt that Cassie didn’t know about and make a few surprise purchases for Cassie.
Cassie didn’t mind cleaning the cottage without Aunt Mabel. There were only a few things left to do, and Ed would be there to help her if any problems arose.
As Ed and Cassie drove to the cottage, Ed told Cassie that the cat had been active all night and cleared out the last of the mice. That eased Cassie’s mind, but she was still a little leery.
From a distance, the cottage looked cleaner as the windows reflected sunlight brightly back at them. The boxes and trunks from the day before still sat outside, and the cat was sunning herself on the porch. Cassie smiled at the welcome sight. As she entered the cottage with a bit of apprehension, she was greeted with the familiar smell of coffee, bacon, and only a hint of lye. The rooms were bright with sunlight. She smiled as she sat her bucket down and put her hands on her hips and surveyed the home with new determination. This was her home, and nothing was going to keep her from feeling safe and comfortable in it, not even pesky mice.
Ed and Cassie spent the day sorting through what was left in the house and kept only the bare essentials. The unwanted, they stored in trunks in the barn, with the idea of fewer hiding places for mice to make nests.
That afternoon while Cassie was busy doing a final scrubbing of the kitchen floor, she discovered the root cellar door. She stopped scrubbing to lift the rug in the middle of the room when she saw the latch and hinges of the trapdoor. She’d forgotten all about it and wondered what it was like and what she would find. Cassie was not about to go down there without Ed checking it out first. She finished scrubbing the floor and took her bucket of water outside to dump when she saw Ed coming back from the barn.
“Ed, I found the door to the root cellar. Do you want to come and see what’s down there? I’m afraid to look,” she said, smiling hopefully.
“Sure, Cass, I’ll come and check it out. Give me a minute to get the lantern. I’m going to need to see down there.” Ed went back into the barn and brought out the metal can of kerosene.
As he came through the side door, Ed found a lantern hanging on a nail in the pantry. He took the lantern to the kitchen table and carefully filled it with kerosene. The odor was pungent. Placing the can of kerosene back outside to keep the fumes out of the house, he then lit the lantern and lifted the trapdoor of the root cellar as Cassie stood back. Ed carried the lantern and ducked as he descended below the kitchen floor. Once he reached the bottom of the steps, Ed noticed how cold it was, close to forty degrees, he guessed. The cellar was pretty large, ten feet deep and ten-foot square. The floor was hard-packed dirt, and the walls were covered with planks running floor to ceiling. The planks were yellow orange in color, and as he brought the light closer, he was amazed at what he was looking at.
“Cass, come on down. I have to show you something. It’s amazing!” Ed exclaimed. “Don’t worry, it’s safe; there aren’t any mice down here,” he said as he walked to the steps and shined the lantern so she could see to come down safely.
Cassie bent over, looking down through the hole. She could see Ed and the steps and the dirt floor, but nothing else. “Ok, but you better be sure,” she said, cautiously coming down the first few steps. Ed moved a few steps up and took her hand and walked down with her so she wouldn’t fall. It was surprisingly cold and damp and felt wonderful compared to the increasing summer heat. She took a deep breath; it smelled fresh and earthy.
The walls were clean and smooth, with bright wood planking. There were wooden shelves built behind the stairs along the back wall with jars of canned food neatly lined up. Another group of shelves had baskets of vegetables; potatoes, carrots, turnips, and beets packed loosely in sand. Hanging from the ceiling rafters were bunches of herbs tied together, and braided ropes of onions and garlic that were kept dry for future use.
“My goodness, what an amazing cellar,” Cassie said, investigating further. Along the walls she opened barrels of dried corn, beans, and wheat.
“Look at this!” Ed pointed to the paneling. “Do you know what this is?” he asked with excitement.
“No, I’m not sure what you mean.”
“It’s called Osage Orange or bow wood. It’s what the Osage Indians used to make their bows with. It’s known for its hardness and resistance to moisture and is believed to repel rodents and insects. They don’t like the smell.” Ed leaned forward and took a sniff. “But it smells nice to me. It smells like citrus. And look, it’s on the ceiling as well—what a wonderful idea. Mr. Crowley is a genius. This is a perfect place for storing the vegetables during the winter and all sorts of other things.” Becoming even more excited, he said, “Cass, you can put your milk, cream, cheese, and meats down here to keep from spoiling. It will save you from going to the icehouse so often.”
Cassie was amazed. “I remember he said they lived in the root cellar for a while when they first moved here. Building the barn first, then later building on top of this. Can you imagine living down here? Look how nice they’ve kept it,” Cassie said in awe.
The cellar was one of the cleanest places in the cottage. They were both excited and continued to explore its contents. There was a crock of lard and one of butter she found on another set of shelves. The jars on the back shelves were dated two years ago, and Cassie supposed they were probably still good. Among the jars of fruit and vegetables were peaches and pickles. She smiled, loving both, and silently thanked Mrs. Crowley for her hard work.
“Shall we go back up?” asked Ed as he took the lantern off the hook he’d hung it from. “I don’t want to let all the cold air out.”
Cassie went up the steps in front of Ed and moved aside as he came through the opening, ducking a little, then he closed the trapdoor and smiled at Cassie.
“Well, that’s a little pot of gold. What luck!” Ed exclaimed in amazement.
“It’s wonderful. I’m so looking forward to living here with you. This has been such an adventure, and I’m excited for it to continue,” she said, hugging and smiling up at him.
“Oh yes, my dear. The adventure is just beginning. There is so much more to come,” Ed said, and kissed her softly on the lips.
