When Mr. Ransom came down to breakfast, he said that Mamma would not be down right away; but sent word that Nellie might "pour out" for her this morning. She had had a restless, wakeful night, having been made nervous and uncomfortable by the knowledge that a mouse was around, and could not compose herself to sleep after the little excitement in the children's room.
Were Carrie's troubles never coming to an end?
"Pouring out" was not new to Nellie, for she had made tea and coffee for her father and brothers many a morning before when mamma was not well enough to come downstairs; but still it was an important business, and one to which she felt obliged to bend every energy, till all were served according to their liking. Then she felt at leisure for conversation, and for observing what was going on about the table.
"Are you not going to eat your breakfast, Carrie?" she asked, seeing that her sister sat idly playing with her spoon, as if she had no appetite.
"I'm not hungry," answered Carrie, not altogether pleased at having notice drawn upon her.
"Did the mouse frighten your appetite away, Carrie?" asked Mr. Ransom, looking at her.
"No, papa,--I--I think not. I'm not afraid of mice," said Carrie.
"But he frightened us very much before we knew what it was," said Nellie; "and afterwards we thought he was in the bed, papa."
"What was it? Tell us all about it," said Johnny. "A mouse! Won't mamma be in a taking, though?"
"Poor mamma!" said Nellie; and then she related the whole story, seeming to think her own experience and Carrie's rather a good joke, though she was sadly troubled about mamma's nervousness over the matter.
"That's worse than white mice," said Daisy, who had listened with wide open eyes, in such intense interest that she quite forgot to eat her breakfast.
"But that's awful for mamma," said Bob. "What will she do?"
"It is a great pity," said Mr. Ransom. "I had hoped mamma would not be troubled in that way."
"They seem to be appearing all over the house at once," said Nellie, "and only since day before yesterday when I found the first in the store-room."
"Did you find one in the store-room too?" asked Johnny.
"Ever so many in a box; but Catherine killed them," said Nellie, never doubting, of course, that she was stating the truth.