The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1918-10-24
CHAPTER l-continued.

|
Chuck-a-chuck J" came from behind
the old house. A few white-feathered
fowls that had been in sight scurried
wildly away In answer to the sum
mons.
Mr.. Stagg, still looking at the little
girl, set down the bag and reached
for the dogs leash. The loop Of the
latter he passed around the gatepost.
II tell you what 1t is, Car'lyn May.
You'd better meet Aunty Rose first
alone. I've my fears about this mon
grel"
"Oh, Uncle joe" quivered his niece.
"You.' go ahead and get acquainted
with her." urged Mr.. Stagg. "She
don't like dogs. They chase her
chickens and run over her flower beds.
Aunty Rose Is peculiar. might say"
"Oh, Uncle Joe !" repeated the little
girl family. :.
you've got to make her like you, II
you want to live here" the hardware
dealer concluded firmly.
He gave Carolyn May a little shove
up the path and then stood back and
mopped his brow with his handker-
chief Prince strained Mt the leash
and whined. wishing to follow his little
mistress.
| Mr.. Stagg said: "You'd better keep
mighty quiet, dog. If you want your
home address to be The Corners, sing
small"
Carolyn May did not hear this, but
disappeared after the fowls around
the corner Of the wide, vlne-draped
porch. The pleasant back yard was
| full of sunshine. On the gravel path
beyond the old well. with its long
sweep and bucket, half hundred
chickens, some guineas and flock Of
turkeys scufiied for grain which was
being thrown to them from an open
pan.
That pan was held In the plump
hand of n very dignifed-looking wom-
an, dressed In drab and with a sun-)
bonnet on her head.
Aunty Roses appearance smote the
little girl with n feeling of awe.
There was no frown on her face;
1t was only calm, unrufiled, unemo-
tional. 1t simply seemed as though
nothing, either material or spiritual,
could rufiie the placidity of Aunty
Rose Kennedy.
She came Of Quaker stock and the
serenity of body and spirit taught by
the sect built wall between her and
everybody else.
"Child. who are your" asked Aunty
Rose with some curiosity.
The little girl told her name; but
perhaps 1t was her black frock and
hat that identified her In Aunty Roses
mind, after all.
"You are Hannah Stages little girl"
she said.
"Yes'm-if you please" Carolyn May
confessed family.
"And how came you here aloneg
IF you please. Uncle Joe said I'd
better prob'ly come ahead and get ac-
quainted with you first"
"'FirstT What do you mean, .firstr"
asked Aunty Rose sternly.
'First-before you saw Prince" re-
sponded the perfectly frank little girl.
Uncle Joe thought maybe you
|
'Dogsw
'No, ma'am. And of course where
live Prince has to live too. So"
$50 you brought your dog?"
''Yes, ma'am."
"Of course" said Aunty Rose COM
posedly. II expected you to come here.
do not know what Joseph Stagg ex-
pected. But did not suppose you
would have a dog. Where is Joseph
Stagg?"
"He-he's coming"
with the dogr
''Yes, ma'am."
Aunty Rose seemed to take some
time TO digest this; but she made no
further comment In regard to the mat
ter, only saying:
| Let us so into the house, Car'lyn
May. You must take off your hat
and bathe your face and hands,"
Carolyn May Cameron followed the
stately figure of Aunty Rose Kennedy
Into the blue-and-white kitchen of the
old house. with something Of the feel
Ing Of a culprit on the way to The
block.
Such big kitchen as 1t was! The
little girl thought 1t must be almost
as big as their whole apartment In
Harlem "put '"ge..ar."
~he srtle girl took on her plain
black hat, shook back her hair and
patted 1t smooth with her hands, then
plunged her hands and face into the
basin of cool water Aunty Rose had