The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1901-05-31
CHAPTER VI.


three weeks when Miss Grundy one day
ordered her to tie on her sun-bonhet anu
run across the meadow and through tho
woods until she came to rye stnoDie'
then follow the footpath along the renee
until she came to another strip OF woods,
with a brook running through 1t. Ana |
lust on the fur edge Of them woods said
she, you'll see the men folks to work;
and do tell 'em to come to their dinner
quick" i
II was a mild September day, and
Mary determined not to hurry. She had
not gone far when she came suddenly
upon a boy and two little girls, who seem
ed TO be playing near the brook. In the
features of the boy she recognized Henry
Lincoln, and remembering what bily
had saidSof him, she was about turning
away when the smallest OF the girls
espied her. and called out: Look here
Rose, / reckon that's Mary Howard.
I'm going to speak to her."
Jenny Lincoln, you mustn't do any
such thing. Mother won't like It," an-
swered the girl called Rose.
But whether mother would like IT. or
not, Jenny did not stop to think, ana
going toward Mary she said: Have you
come to play in the woodsW
NO" was Mary's reply. Il came to
call the folks to dinner"
"Oh, 1t was you that screamed so loud.
couldn't think who it was, but It cant
be dinner-timeW
''Yes, It's; it's noon"
"Well, we don't have dinner until z,
and we can stay here till that time.
Won't you play with usY
mo, | can't; | must go back and
work." said Mary.
Work. repeated Jenny. ii think
it's bad enough to have to live in that
old house without working; but come and
see our fish pond;" and taking Mary's
hand, she led her to a wide part of the
stream where the water had been dam
med up until it was nearly two feet deep
and clear as crystal. Looking in, Mary
could see the pebbles on the bottom,
while fish occasionally darted out and
then disappeared.
II made this almost all myself" said
Jenny. Henry wouldn't help me be-
cause he's so ugly, and Rose was afraid
of backing her fingers. But don't care.
Mother says I'm great-great-Pye for
gotten the word, but it means dirty and
careless and l guess do look like a
fright, don't ~
Mary now for the first time noticed the
appearance of her companion, and readi-
ly guessed that the word which she could
not remember was "slattern." She was
fat, chubby little girl, with a round,
sunny face and laughing blue eyes, while
her brown hair hung around her fore
head in short, tangled curls. Altogether
she was just the kind of little girl which
one often finds in the country swinging
on gates and making mud pies.
Mary was naturally very neat; and in
reply to Jenny's question as to whether
she looked like a fright, she answered,
II like your face better than do your
Dress" because it is clean"
why, so was my dress this morning, 7"
said Jenny, "but there can't anybody play
in the mud and not get dirty"
Jenny drew nearer to Mary and said:
III you'll never tell anybody as long as
you live and braeathe, I'll tell you some
thing"
Mary gave the required promise, and
Jenny continued. Il shouldn't like to
have my mother know It, for she scolds
all the time now about my vulgar
tastes though I'm sure Rose likes the
same things that do, except Billy Ben
der and It's about him l was going to
tell you. He was so pleasant | couldn't
help loving him, II mother did say
mustn't. He used to talk to me about
keeping clean, and once tried a whole
week, and only dirtied four dresses IL
all that time Oh! how handsome ant
funny his eyes looked when | told hin
about It. He took me in his lap, anC
said that was more than he thought {
little girl ought to dirty. Did you evel
see any boy you loved as well as you dt
Billy Bender|
Mary hesitated a moment, for, mucl
as she liked Billy, there was another
whom she loved better, though he hat
never been One-half as kind to her al
Billy had. After a time she answered
"Yes, like. or did like. George More
land, but | shall never see him again; :
and then she told Jenny of her home Ii
England, of the long, dreary voyage t
America, and Of her fathers death; bu
when she came to the sad night when he
mother and Frankly died, she could no
go on, and laying her face in Jenny's lal
she cried for long time. Jenny's tear
flowed, too, and she, softly caressinI
Mary, said: Don't cry SO, for I'll Low
you, and we'll have good times together
too. We live in Boston every winter
but 1t will be most six weeks before W
go, and l mean to see you every day."
"In Boston" said Mary, inquiringly
George lives In Boston"
Jenny was silent moment, and the
suddenly clapping her hands together
she exclaimed: II know George More
land. He lives just opposite cur house
and is Ida Seldon's cousin. Why, he
most as handsome as Billy Bender, onl
he leases you more. I'll tell him abou
you, for mother says he's got lots 0
money, and perhaps he'll give you some.
Mary felt that she wouldn't for tn
world have George know she was in tn
poorhouse, and she quickly answered
mo, no, you mustn't tell him q wor
about me. l don't want you to. Prom
Use that you won't"