"Well, Sorrel Top, if he is as you say a man of good habits, and loves you and you love him, I see no objection to your getting married as soon as you like."
While Sorrel Top"s affair was being thus satisfactorily disposed of, Daddy was anxiously bending over the sheet, upon which he could not get courage to make the first mark. There he sat silent and anxious, looking vacantly first at the ceiling, then at the pen which stood exactly perpendicular between his clumsy fingers. At length in dispair he arose and began to walk the floor, and then for the first time he observed f.a.n.n.y Green quietly playing with her pet kitten.
"f.a.n.n.y," said he, "do you know how to write?"
"O yes, Daddy, a little; mamma taught me to make all the letters."
"Well, f.a.n.n.y," said he coaxingly, "come here and make a D for me; won"t you? ""Tween you and me I"ve forgot which side the plaguey quirl goes. Here take this ere piece of paper, you might spile the sheet, and I"m mighty particular about hevin it in prime order."
As she took the pen f.a.n.n.y suddenly began to distrust her memory.
"Maybe I"ve forgot myself, Daddy;" rolling up her blue eyes to the anxious face bending over her. But she succeeded admirably in performing her task, which Daddy duly approved, by declaring that the quirl was almost equal to the Honey"s quirls. His effort to copy it was also a success.
"See here, f.a.n.n.y," said he pausing again, "you spell dear, d-e-r-e, don"t you?"
"O no, Daddy, I spell it d-e-e-r. It"s spelled so right under the picture of one in my book."
""Tween you an" me, I don"t mean that ere kind of a dear, f.a.n.n.y, I guess it"s d-e-r-e, I mean. Howsoever, I"ll spell it so and risk it.
Now, f.a.n.n.y," said he, again dipping his pen in the ink, "you stand right here, fur there may be more letters that I"ve forgot how tu make, and if you"ll show me, and help me fur to spell a letter, I"ll mend your sled for you to-morrow."
Thus encouraged, the child, with visions of coasting in her pretty little head, combined wisdom with Daddy"s, who also had his visions, while he wrote as follows:
DERE ORRECTA.
"Mi hart has allers ben yourn, it is old now, but it ain"t dride up nun. will yu marry me now iv got tu be a poor old man. if yu wil i wil c.u.m fur yu on the fust bote. iv got a leetle muny lade up fur a wet day. i hev allers ben stidy, and never drunk anything in my hull life. if yu wil hev me let me no as quick as lightnin figerative speekin.
your old flame,
philip Roarer
Chimney Rock. Minnesota territory."
""Tween you an" me I reckon that ere is tu the pint, anyhow," said Daddy, proudly folding the letter, upon which he had spent two hours of hard mental labor. "I wonder what keeps the honey away so long; it must be monstrous cold in the parlor. Tom Tinknor wont thank me fur lettin the Honey git cold; bless her heart. That ere sled will git fixed to-morrow, you may depend on"t, f.a.n.n.y, fur I shall feel fust rate;" and Daddy capered out of the room as jolly as a half grown boy, with a plum pudding in antic.i.p.ation. But, we will do him the justice to say, that there was a depth and earnestness of feeling in this life-long devotion, to which the ebullitions of youth can bear no comparison.
How to break the matter to Little Wolf was Daddy"s next anxiety. He stood in mortal dread of the ridicule of his young mistress, but still felt that he ought to confide in her. After taking several fidgety turns before the parlor door, he finally resolved to make the _denouement_, and boldly face the consequences.
But the condition in which he found Little Wolf changed the course which he had marked out. She had lain down upon the sofa where fearfully pale and cold and still, she rested, utterly prostrated by the events of the day. Daddy had never seen such a ghastly look upon her face before, and the vague fear that life had fled horrified him, as he stood gazing at her in mute astonishment.
At a movement of the slight little figure Daddy was rea.s.sured, and he bent over her in tender solicitude, "O Honey, O Pet, be you sick? you look awful pale?"
A groan escaped Little Wolf, and, with a long drawn sigh, she rose up languidly. "I don"t feel quite well to-night, Daddy," she said.
"O, Honey, you ought fur to have somebody to nuss you; old Daddy don"t know nothin about gals, and Sorrel Top don"t know nothin about nussin neither. Now here"s the letter I"ve jest writ, if you feel able fur to read it, Honey, you will see that I am tryin fur to git somebody here fur to take care of you suitable."
Daddy watched closely the effect upon Little Wolf, while she purused the letter, and as he discovered no symptoms of ridicule, he fairly worshipped her for her forbearance. "Honey," said he, "what du you think on it?"
"I don"t know," replied Little Wolf absently, "I think on the whole it will do very well."
Daddy"s face fairly shone. "I know"d you would agree tu it," said he, "you allers had uncommon penetration."
Little Wolf sat shivering and silent, while Daddy p.r.o.nounced his eulogy, and the old man began again to be alarmed. "O Honey," he broke forth, "what makes you so sick? the doctor said you was doin fust rate this afternoon. I guess I"d better go fur to fetch him right off."
"O no, Daddy, I"m only chilled; you may light me to my room."
"Sartin I will, Honey, and I"ll keep a fire fur you all night, fur I shouldn"t sleep a wink nohow."
True to his word, Daddy diligently tended the fire, creating in Little Wolf"s apartment a general disturbance by his nocturnal labors. Had she been so inclined, sleep would have been impossible, while Daddy"s enthusiasm raged, for a series of disasters attended his most careful efforts. The bedroom door creaked, the stove door grated on its hinges, the shovel and tongs would rattle, and there was sure to be an occasional downfall of wood, which echoed through the lonely house like the voice of seven thunders.
It was therefore quite a relief to Little Wolf when the grey morning hours began to dawn and Daddy consented to seek a little repose, with the promise that he should not be allowed to over-sleep, "fur," said he, "I must start airly fur to post them are letters, and you won"t mind a calling of me, Honey, bein you had such a oncommon night"s rest, fur I took particular pains not to disturb you."
Little Wolf did not think it worth while to mention that she had lain awake the entire night, for there was then no counting upon the effect such a communication might have upon Daddy"s already over-wrought sensibilities. As it was, he left her, flattering himself that he had greatly contributed to her health and comfort, and, with an approving conscience, laid him down and slept.
At the appointed time he was awakened by f.a.n.n.y, and rubbing open his eyes, he asked, "Is the Honey up yet?"
"O yes, Daddy and we"ve all had breakfast, and I"ve got my sled all ready for you to mend," said f.a.n.n.y cheerfully.
"Why yes, f.a.n.n.y, I know I promised fur tu mend it; but, "tween you and me, I"ve got fur to go to Pendleton first." Howsoever, I"ll fix it afore night."
f.a.n.n.y looked rather grave.
""Tween you an" me, I"m sorry fur tu disappoint you, f.a.n.n.y, but the Honey would be wuss disappointed if I did not post her letter."
"Yours too, Daddy, you musn"t forget it," said f.a.n.n.y thoughtfully.
Notwithstanding f.a.n.n.y"s exhortation Daddy actually forgot both letters, having neglected to take them from his pocket when he changed his coat, Imagine then his consternation, when, having arrived at the post-office and rummaged his pockets in vain he discovered his mistake.
At this critical juncture young Sherman and Dr. Goodrich, arm in arm, happened to drop in at the office, and Daddy, for reasons of his own, pounced upon the latter and held him fast. "Doctor," said he, ""tween you an" me, was you a going fur tu see the Honey to-day? She was took very poorly last night. I was afeared she was clean gone one spell."
"Did Miss DeWolf send for me, Daddy?" said the doctor uneasily regarding the grip that the old man had fastened upon his coat sleeve.
"Why no, doctor; she sent me fur to mail some important letters, and I actually left "em at home in my tother coat. One of "em was fur to go tu Miss Tinknor; "tween you an me the Honey is mighty fond of Miss Tinknor. I"m kinder calculatin the old lady will be the Honey"s mother-in-law some day."
The start which Edward gave at this announcement was perceptible to both Daddy and the doctor. The former, not relishing such a demonstration of interest from so questionable a source, inwardly resolved to put to flight the false hopes by which he imagined the young man was agitated. Casting a side long glance at his intended victim he added, "Mr. Tom is a very uncommon fine young man; he is stidy; he never drinks nothin. The Honey has know"d him allers; they played together when they was children and has allers been uncommon attached. Tom particularly requested me fur tu take good care of her while he was gone, and I ain"t no doubt if the good Lord was fur tu take her away it would nigh about break his heart."
The doctor, conscious that Edward did not relish the subject, and anxious himself to terminate the interview, waved the matter, simply saying, "I shall be going that way by-and-by, Daddy, and will call upon Miss DeWolf if I have time."
On this a.s.surance Daddy"s grasp readily relaxed, and his prisoner, taking advantage of this favorable symptom, made his escape.
CHAPTER XXVII.
DOING AND GETTING GOOD--WYCOFF"S REFORM.
The day was mild and spring-like, and Daddy had not been long gone, when the snow began to yield to the soft touches of the sun"s bright rays.
f.a.n.n.y stood by the window and sighed, and wished audibly that the sun would "put on a veil."