The
worst feature of the affair was that every one in the two
villages suddenly and contemporaneously wanted molasses, so that
Cephas spent the afternoon reviewing his misery by continually
turning the tap and drawing off the fatal liquid. Then, too,
every inquisitive boy in the neighborhood came to the back of the
store to view the operation, exclaiming: "What makes the floor so
wet? Hain't been spillin' molasses, have yer? Bet yer have! Good
joke on Old Foxy!"
X
ON TORY HILL
It had been a heavenly picnic the little trio all agreed as to
that; and when Ivory saw the Baxter girls coming up the shady
path that led along the river from the Indian Cellar to the
bridge, it was a merry group and a transfigured Rodman that
caught his eye. The boy, trailing on behind with the baskets and
laden with tin dippers and wildflowers, seemed another creature
from the big-eyed, quiet little lad he saw every day. He had
chattered like a magpie, eaten like a bear, is torn his jacket
getting wild columbines for Patty, been nicely darned by
Waitstill, and was in a state of hilarity that rendered him quite
unrecognizable.
"We've had a lovely picnic!" called Patty; "I wish you had been
with us!"
"You didn't ask me!" smiled Ivory, picking up Waitstill's
mending-basket from the nook in the trees where she had hidden it
for safe-keeping.
Pages:
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97