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Mildred Keith

<h2>Chapter Seventeenth.</h2> <div class='poem'> "The rose that all are praising Is not the rose for me." —Baylie. </div> "Gotobed Lightcap, you're the biggest fool that ever was born!" exclaimed the young blacksmith, between his clenched teeth, throwing Mildred's dainty note upon the floor and grinding it with his heel, while the hot blood surged over his swarthy face, which expressed in every lineament intense mortification and chagrin. "You might 'a knowed the likes o' her couldn't never fancy sech a ungainly, know nothin' varmint as you be." He dropped his face into his hands for a moment, groaning in spirit—for the wound in his heart was deep as well as that to his pride. "It does seem as if there warn't nothin' left in this world worth livin' fur!" he sighed. "But then I'm not the feller to give up and die! I'll fight it out an' get over it yet." He picked up the letter and thrust it into his[217] bosom, straightened himself, went down into the smithy, and fell to work at his anvil, dealing vigorous blows as if thus he would drive away the demon of despair. He ate little at dinner, and conscious that Rhoda Jane's sharp eyes were upon him, scarcely lifted his from his plate. He hurried back to his work. She followed him the next minute. "So she's give you the mitten?" "Who told you so?" he asked defiantly, standing before her with arms folded and head erect, but reddening to his very hair. "Humph! I ain't blind, and anybody could see it with half an eye. Well, never you mind! you're a sight too good fur her, the—" "Don't you call her no names now! I ain't agoin' to have it. It's me that isn't fit to hold a candle to the like o' her, and had ought to had sense enough to know it. "Well, I didn't boast like Ransquattle; that's one small bit o' comfort as things has turned out," he concluded moodily, picking up his hammer. "How'd he take his mitten?" laughed Rhoda Jane. "Wouldn't I ha' liked to seen him puttin' it on!" "Take it! you never see anybody look so[218] cheap as Nick when Mocker asked him 'tother day when the weddin' was to come off. Then the fellers run him ('twas at Chetwood and Mocker's store; I'd run in on a arrant fur mother) and he growed thunderin' mad, and begun callin' her names till Ormsby was ready to put him out—if he hadn't walked off hisself—and I could 'a horse-whipped him with a right good will." "Well, don't you go and break your heart fur her." "I ain't a goin' to. There now, you'd better leave; fur I've a job on hand." The building lot selected by the Keiths was bought and fenced in almost immediately, and men set to work at digging the cellar, and then putting up the walls of the new house. By dint of energetic oversight and urging on of the workmen, Mr. Keith succeeded in having it roofed in before the first heavy fall of snow; so that some advance could be made with the laying of floors, lathing, etc., during the winter. When spring came things took a fresh start; more men were employed and every effort put forth by the owner, to have the building hurried on to completion. Each member of the family was deeply interested; the children made daily journeys to[219] the spot and all Rupert's leisure time was devoted to digging, planting and other improvements of the grounds. The boy was full of energy and fond of life in the open air. His garden did him credit, supplying nearly all the vegetables wanted for family use. With some assistance from older heads and hands, he terraced the bank overlooking the river, made steps down to the water's edge, where was a fine spring, and built a small arbor and a spring-house. The new dwelling would be hardly so large as the one they were to leave for it, until an addition should be built, but of more sightly appearance and far more conveniently arranged. Besides it was their own, and who does not know the charm that ownership gives? They were very impatient to get into it; and there was great rejoicing among the children when at last the announcement was made that it was fit for occupancy. It was their father who brought the news into their reading and sewing circle, one bright warm afternoon early in July. "When shall we move, wife?" he asked. "Oh to-night, to-night! please, mother say to-night," cried several little voices. [220] Mrs. Keith laughed. "It is no such quick work, children." "But we might bedin," said Don. "I'll take dis tat and tum back aden for other tings," hugging up a large white and yellow cat that had been a petted member of the household for some months past. "H'm!" said Cyril, "Toy can take his own self; he's got more feet to run with than any of the rest." "And he always runs alongside wherever we goes," put in Fan. "Mother can we help move?" The question was unheard and remained unanswered; for the reason that the older people were talking busily among themselves. "I think we may begin to-morrow," Mrs. Keith was saying; "Celestia Ann is through with her week's washing and ironing, and I'll set her and Mrs. Rood both to cleaning the new house, while we pack up things here." "Oh, goodie, goodie! mother, mayn't we all help!" chorused the children. "We will see, dears; perhaps there may be some little things that you can carry; your own toys you shall carry at any-rate, if you wish. Yes, Stuart, I have had the parlor and one bedroom of the new house cleaned already." [221] "O mother, can't we have this carpet taken up immediately—I mean go to work and take it up—and have it shaken and carried right over there? and perhaps we could get it down this afternoon, you and auntie and I; and have the furniture of that room carried right into it to-morrow morning, the first thing." "A capital idea," her father said; "then we will have one room comfortable there before all are torn up here. Come, children, scamper out of the way! Wife; where's the tack hammer?" "Oh, can't we help?" pleaded the children, "Where shall we go?" "No, not with this. Go anywhere out of the way." The order was obeyed somewhat reluctantly, all going out to the adjoining room. Zillah and Ada stopped there and each took a book; the younger three went up stairs. "Let's pack up our things," said Cyril. "What'll we pack 'em in?" queried Don. "We'll see." The boys got out their stores of marbles, balls, bits of twine, a broken knife or two, a few fish hooks and a set of Jackstraws their father had made for them. Fan brought out her treasures also, which[222] consisted of several dolls and their wardrobes, a picture book and some badly battered and bruised dishes; the remains of a once highly prized metal toy tea set. A packing box in one corner of the large second story room was where the playthings of the little ones were always kept when not in use. "A place for everything and everything in its place," being one of the cardinal rules of the household. "Can we take 'em over there now?" asked Fan, as she gathered hers pell mell into her apron. "No, of course not," said Cyril. "Didn't you hear mother say we couldn't begin moving till to-morrow?" "Then what did we get 'em out for?" "To pack 'em up and have 'em ready to take over in the morning." "What'll we pack 'em in?" reiterated Don. "Let's look round for a box 'bout the right size," said Cyril. "Course we can't carry them in the big board one. It's too heavy." A good deal of rummaging followed upon that; first in the outer room, then in the other, occupied by Aunt Wealthy and Mildred. Finally they came upon a pasteboard box standing on Mildred's writing table, which Cyril pronounced just the thing. [223] "But maybe Milly won't like us to take it," objected Fan, as he unceremoniously emptied the contents upon the table. "Oh, she won't care; there's nothing in it but old papers and things writed all over. She's done with them and she'll be puttin' them in the fire next thing. You know she always likes to burn up old rubbish." That last statement was certainly according to fact, and Fan made no further objection. Don suggested asking leave, but Cyril overruled that also. "No; they're all too busy down there; we mustn't bother," he said, walking off with his prize. One paper had fallen on the floor. Fan stooped, picked it up and looked at it curiously, as the boys hurried off into the other room with their prize. "Milly didn't do that," she remarked; "tain't pretty writin' like hers. Guess she wouldn't want to keep such an ugly old thing." "Come Fan," Cyril called, "do you want to put your things in too?" "Yes;" she said, coming out with the letter still in her hand. Fan's dolls were put in last and the box was too full to allow the lid to go on. [224] "I'll take Bertha and carry her in my arms," she said, lifting out her largest and favorite child. "I want her to play wis now and I'd raser not trust her in dere wis dose marbles and balls rollin' round." "Now the lid fits on all right," said Cyril, adjusting it. "We're all packed up," observed Don, with satisfaction. "Now let's go play in the grove." The others were agreed and Fan decided that she must take with her two small rag dolls in addition to Bertha. Puss had come up stairs with the children and was walking round and round them, as they sat on the carpet, rubbing affectionately against them and purring loudly. "Let's give 'em a ride on Toy's back," said Cyril. "Here's a string to tie 'em on with, and this old letter shall be the saddle," picking up the one Fan had brought from the other room, and which she had laid down beside the box. The others were pleased with the idea; Cyril twisted the letter into some slight resemblance to a saddle, and in spite of a vigorous resistance from the cat, tied it and the dolls pretty securely to her back. [225] She was of course expected to go with or follow them as usual; but the instant they released her she flew down the stairs, darted out of the open kitchen door, tore across the yard and scaled the fence in a twinkling. The children pursued at their utmost speed, but Toy was out of sight before they could descend the stairs. "Well, I never! that 'ar cat must a gone mad," Celestia Ann was saying, standing in the doorway, her hands on her hips, her gaze turned wonderingly in the direction Toy had taken. "Where? which way did she go?" asked the children breathlessly. "Over the fence yonder, tearing like mad. She went like a streak o' lightnin' through the kitching here, and I didn't see no more of her after she clum the fence. She's got the hydrophoby bad, you may depend; and I only hope she won't bite nobody, 'fore somebody knocks her in the head." "No, it's my dolls she's got," said Fan, who had not the slightest idea what "hydrophoby" might be. "O, boys, hurry and catch her 'fore she loses 'em," she called after her brothers as they renewed the pursuit, hurrying across the yard and climbing the fence with a speed that did credit to their ability in that line. [226] Fan stood beside it, gazing out anxiously through a crack between the high, rough boards till the boys returned all breathless with running, to report, "No Toy and no dolls to be seen anywhere." "But don't cry," added Cyril, seeing Fan's lips tremble ominously; "she'll come back when she wants her supper; you bet." "It's wicked to bet," remarked Don virtuously. "I didn't," said Cyril, "come let's go play in the grove. I'll bend down a tree and give you a nice ride, Fan." Gotobed Lightcap had just finished a job, and pausing a moment to rest, was wiping the perspiration from his brow with a rather dilapidated specimen of pocket-handkerchief, when a cat darted in at the open door, ran round the smithy in a frightened way, then lay down on the floor and rolled and squirmed kicking its feet in the air in the evident effort to rid itself of something tied to its back. With a single stride Gotobed was at the side of the struggling animal. He took it up and in a few seconds had relieved it of its hated incumbrance. "It's them Keith children's pet cat," he said half aloud, "and they've been a tyin' some[227] of their doll babies onto it. There you kin go, puss; don't take up yer lodgin' here; for we've cats enough o' our own. "Eh! what's this?" as his eye fell on the letter and he recognized his own awkward, ill-shaped hieroglyphics. He felt his face grow very red and hot as he straightened it out upon his knees, his heart fluttering with the thought of the possibility that it might have been some little liking for the writer that had prevented its immediate destruction. There were some words in pencil along the margin; he held it up to the light and slowly deciphered them. He was not much accustomed to reading writing and this had become slightly blurred: but he made it out clearly at last; a jesting remark about his mistakes in spelling and grammar, which were many and glaring. "I wouldn't ha' believed it of her!" he exclaimed, crimsoning with anger and shame as he flung the torn and crumpled sheet into the fire of his forge, the dolls after it. He caught up his hammer and fell to work again, muttering to himself, "It's her writin'; there can't be no mistake; fur it's just like what she writ me afore. And I wouldn't a' believed[228] it of her, I wouldn't; I thought she'd a kind heart and would make allowance fur them that hasn't had the same chance as her." He had not been wrong in his estimate of Mildred. She would never have wounded his feelings intentionally. She had a habit of writing her thoughts on the margin of what she was reading, and the words had been carelessly traced there with no expectation that they would ever be seen by any eye but her own. Nor would they but for the mischievous meddling of the children. She set no value upon the letter; did not miss it till months afterwards, and then supposed she had destroyed it, though she could not distinctly remember having done so. In the meantime Gotobed kept his own counsel, concealing his hurt as well as he could and trying not to hate the hand that had inflicted it. <hr class="chap" />[229] <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i012.jpg" width-obs="220" height-obs="47" alt="decoration" /></div> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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