"I knew you'd come to-night," Rodman cried eagerly. "I told Aunt
Boynton you'd come."
"How is she, well as common?"
"No, not a bit well since yesterday morning, but Mrs. Mason says
it's nothing worse than a cold. Mrs. Mason has just gone home,
and we've had a grand house-cleaning to-day. She's washed and
ironed and baked, and we've put Aunt Boynton in clean sheets and
pillow-cases, and her room's nice and warm, and I carried the eat
in and put it on her bed to keep her company while I came to
watch for you. Aunt Boynton let Mrs. Mason braid her hair, and
seemed to like her brushing it. It's been dreadful lonesome, and
oh! I am glad you came back, Ivory. Did you find any more spruce
gum where you went this time?"
"Pounds and pounds, Rod; enough to bring me in nearly a hundred
dollars. I chanced on the greatest place I've found yet. I
followed the wake of an old whirlwind that had left long furrows
in the forest,--I've told you how the thing works,--and I tracked
its course by the gum that had formed wherever the trees were
wounded. It's hard, lonely work, Rod, but it pays well."
"If I could have been there, maybe we could have got more. I'm
good at shinning up trees."
"Yes, sometime we'11 go gum-picking together.
Pages:
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292