Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-06-04
BY mary j. HOLMES
CHAPTER VI.


CHAPTER vi.
Mary had been at the poorhouse about
three weeks when Miss Grundy one day
ordered her to tie on her sun-bonnet and
run across the meadow and through the
woods until she came to rye stubble,
then follow the footpath along the fence
until she came to another strip Of woods,
with brook running through it. "And
just on the fur edge of them woods" said
she, you'll see the men folks to work y
and do tell 'em to come to their dinner
quick"
1t was q mild September day, and
Mary determined not to hurry. She had
not gone far when she came suddenly
upon 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 Billy
had said of him, she was about turning
away when the smallest of the girls
espied her, and called out: Look here,
Rose, 1 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" OF
not, Jenny dill not stop to think, and
going toward Mary she said: Have you
come to play in the woods?"
"No, was Maryss reply. 81 came tt
call the, folks to dinner"
"Oh, it was you that screamed SO loud
I couldn't think who it was, but it cant
be. dinner-time?"
Eyes, tits; it's noon."
"Well, we don't have dinner until 2
and we can stay here till that time
Won't you play with us?"
mo, can't; must go back and
work." said Mary.
Work" repeated Jenny. N'T think
its bad enough to have to live in thai
old house without working; but come and
see our fish pond;" and taking May's
hand, she led her to wide part of the
stream where the water had been dam
fiedaup 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.
80 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 creative for
gotten the word, but it means dirty and
careless, and / guess l do look like a
fright, don't IY'
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 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 I do your
Dress" because it is clean"
"Why, so was my dress this morning.
said Jenny, ''but there can't anybody play
in the mud and not get dirty"
Jenny drew nearer to Mary and said:
IF you'll never tell anybody as long as
you live and braeathe, I'll tell you some
thing"
4hdAJ gave LIE TeQulTeu promise, anu
Jenny continued: II shouldn't like to
have my mother know it, for she scolds
Z all the time now about nv vulgar
tastes, though I'm sure Rose likes the
same things that do, except Billy Ben
der, and it's about him was going to
tell you. He was so pleasant couldn't
: help loving him, if mother did say /
mustn't. He used to talk to me about
keeping clean, and once tried a whole
week, and 1 only dirtied four dresses in
all that time. Oh! how handsome and
: funny his eyes looked when told him
about it. He took me in his Ian. and
said that was more than he thought q
. little girl ought to dirty. Did you ever
see any boy you loved as well as Won do
Billy Bender?"
n Mary hesitated a moment for mroh
as she liked Billy. there was another
whom she loved better tbougb bo bod
never been one-half as kind to bor ~
Billy had. After a time she ansvarad
1sYes. like. or I did like Gaorge Mora.
land. but I shall never 500 hin, "a o;,, >,
and then she told Jenny of her bon,a !,
Engiano' OF tne long, dreary voyage to
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