"We won't need to git no watch dog to foller Janey," said Barnabas, as the children started down the path.

"David," called M'ri, "stop at Miss Rhody's on your way back and find out whether my waist is finished."

With proudly protective air, David walked beside the stiffly starched little girl, who had placed her hand trustfully in his. They had gone but a short distance when they were overtaken by Joe Forbes, mounted on a shining black horse. He reined up and looked down on them good-humoredly.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "_With proudly protective air, David walked beside the stiffly starched little girl_"]

"Going to school, children?"

"I am. Davey's just going to carry my things for me," explained Janey.

"Well, I can do that and carry you into the bargain. Help her up, David."

Janey cried out in delight at the prospect of a ride. David lifted her up, and Joe settled her comfortably in the saddle, encircling her with his arm. Then he looked down whimsically into David's disappointed eyes.

"I know it's a mean trick, Dave, to take your little sweetheart from you."

"She's not my sweetheart; she's my sister."

"Has she promised to be that already? Get up, Firefly."

They were off over the smooth country road, Forbes shouting a bantering good-by and Janey waving a triumphant dinner pail, while David, trudging on his way, experienced the desolate feeling of the one who is left behind. Across fields he came to the tiny, thatched cottage of Miss Rhody Crabbe, who stood on the crumbling doorstep feeding some little turkeys.

"Come in, David. I suppose you're after M'ri's waist. Thar's jest a few st.i.tches to take, and I'll hev it done in no time."

He followed her into the little house, which consisted of a sitting room "with bedroom off," and a kitchen whose floor was sand scoured; the few pieces of tinware could be used as mirrors. Miss Rhody seated herself by the open window and began to ply her needle. She did not sew swiftly and smoothly, in feminine fashion, but drew her long-threaded needle through the fabric in abrupt and forceful jerks.

A light breeze fluttered in through the window, but it could not ruffle the wisp-locked hair that showed traces of a water-dipped comb and was strained back so taut that a little mound of flesh encircled each root. Her eyes were bead bright and swift moving. Everything about her, to the aggressively prominent knuckles, betokened energy and industry. She was attired in a blue calico shortened by many washings, but scrupulously clean and conscientiously starched. Her face shone with soap and serenity.

Miss Rhody's one diversion in a busy but monotonous life was news. She was wretched if she did not receive the latest bulletins; but it was to her credit that she never repeated anything that might work harm or mischief. David was one of her chosen confidants. He was a safe repository of secrets, a sympathetic listener, and a wise suggester.

"I'm glad M'ri's hevin' a blue waist. She looks so sweet in blue. I've made her clo'es fer years. My, how I hoped fer to make her weddin'

clo'es onct! It wuz a shame to hev sech a good match spiled. It wuz too bad she hed to hev them two chillern on her hands--"

"And now she has a third," was what David thought he read in her eyes, and he hastened to a.s.sert: "I am going to help all I can, and I'll soon be old enough to take care of myself."

"Land sakes, David, you'd be wuth more'n yer keep to any one. I wonder," she said ruminatingly, "if Martin Thorne will wait for her till Janey's growed up."

"Martin Thorne!" exclaimed David excitedly. "Judge Thorne? Why, was he the one--"

"He spent his Sunday evenings with her," she a.s.serted solemnly.

In the country code of courtships this procedure was conclusive proof, and David accepted it as such.

"He wuz jest plain Lawyer Thorne when he wuz keepin' company with M'ri, but we all knew Mart wuz a comin' man, and M'ri wuz jest proud of him. You could see that, and he wuz sot on her."

Her work momentarily neglected, Rhody was making little reminiscent stabs at s.p.a.ce with her needle as she spoke.

"'T wuz seven years ago. M'ri wuz twenty-eight and Mart ten years older. It would hev ben a match as sure as preachin', but Eliza died and M'ri, she done her duty as she seen it. Sometimes I think folks is near-sighted about their duty. There is others as is queer-sighted.

Bein' crossed hain't spiled M'ri though. She's kep' sweet through it all, but when a man don't git his own way, he's apt to curdle. Mart got sort of tart-tongued and cold feelin'. There wa'n't no reason why they couldn't a kep' on bein' friends, but Mart must go and make a fool vow that he'd never speak to M'ri until she sent him word she'd changed her mind, so he hez ben a-spitin' of his face ever sence. It's wonderful how some folks do git in their own way, but, my sakes, I must git to work so you kin take this waist home."

This was David's first glimpse of a romance outside of story-books, but the name of Martin Thorne evoked disturbing memories. Six years ago he had acted as attorney to David's father in settling his financial difficulties, and later, after Peter Dunne's death, the Judge had settled the small estate. It was only through his efforts that they were enabled to have the smallest of roofs over their defenseless heads.

"Miss Rhody," he asked after a long meditation on life in general, "why didn't you ever marry?"

Miss Rhody paused again in her work, and two little spots of red crept into her cheeks.

"'Tain't from ch'ice I've lived single, David. I've ben able to take keer of myself, but I allers hed a hankerin' same as any woman, as is a woman, hez fer a man, but I never got no chanst to meet men folks. I wuz raised here, and folks allers hed it all cut out fer me to be an old maid. When a woman onct gets that name fixt on her, it's all off with her chances. No man ever comes nigh her, and she can't git out of her single rut. I never could get to go nowhars, and I wa'n't that bold kind that makes up to a man fust, afore he gives a sign."

David pondered over this wistful revelation for a few moments, seeking a means for her seemingly hopeless escape from a life of single blessedness, for David was a sympathetic young altruist, and felt it inc.u.mbent upon him to lift the burdens of his neighbors. Then he suggested encouragingly:

"Miss Rhody, did you know that there was a paper that gets you acquainted with men? That's the way they say Zine Winters got married."

"Yes, and look what she drawed!" she scoffed. "Bill! I don't know how they'd live if Zine hadn't a-gone in heavy on hens and turkeys. She hez to spend her hull time a-traipsin' after them turkeys, and thar ain't nuthin' that's given to gaddin' like turkeys that I know on, less 't is Chubbses' hired gal. No, David, it's chance enough when you git a man you've knowed allers, but a stranger! Well! I want to know what I'm gittin'. Thar, the last st.i.tch in M'ri's waist is took, and, David, you won't tell no one what I said about Mart Thorne and her, nor about my gittin' merried?"

David gave her a reproachful look, and she laughed shamefacedly.

"I know, David, you kin keep a secret. It's like buryin' a thing to tell it to you. My, this waist'll look fine on M'ri. I jest love the feel of silk. I'd ruther hev a black silk dress than--"

"A husband," prompted David slyly.

"David Dunne, I'll box yer ears if you ever think again of what I said. I am allers a-thinkin' of you as if you wuz a stiddy grown man, and then fust thing I know you're nuthin' but a teasin' boy. Here's the bundle, and don't you want a nutcake, David?"

"No, thank you, Miss Rhody. I ate a big breakfast."

A fellow feeling had prompted David even in his hungriest days to refrain from accepting Miss Rhody's proffers of hospitality. He knew the emptiness of her larder, for though she had been thrifty and hard-working, she had paid off a mortgage and had made good the liabilities of an erring nephew.

When David returned he found Miss M'ri in the dairy. It was churning day, and she was arranging honey-scented, rose-stamped pats of b.u.t.ter on moist leaves of crisp lettuce.

"David," she asked, looking up with a winning smile, "will you tell me why you didn't want to go to school?"

The boy's face reddened, but his eyes looked frankly into hers.

"Yes, Miss M'ri."

"Before you tell me, David," she interposed, "I want you to remember that, from now on, Barnabas and I are your uncle and aunt."

"Well, then, Aunt M'ri," began David, a ring of tremulous eagerness in his voice, "I can read and write and spell, but I don't know much about arithmetic and geography. I was ashamed to start in at the baby cla.s.s. I thought I'd try and study out of Jud's books this summer."

"That's a good idea, David. We'll begin now. You'll find an elementary geography in the sitting room on the shelf, and you may study the first lesson. This afternoon, when my work is done, I'll hear you recite it."

David took the book and went out into the old orchard. When M'ri went to call him to dinner he was sprawled out in the latticed shadow of an apple tree, completely absorbed in the book.

"You have spent two hours on your first lesson, David. You ought to have it well learned."

He looked at her in surprise.

"I read the whole book through, Aunt M'ri."

"Oh, David," she expostulated, "that's the way Barnabas takes his medicine. Instead of the prescribed dose after each meal he takes three doses right after breakfast--so as to get it off his mind and into his system, he says. We'll just have one short lesson in geography and one in arithmetic each day. You mustn't do things in leaps. It's the steady dog trot that lasts, and counts on the long journey."