"I don"t believe my boys have done anything of the kind," said Peakslow; "though "t wouldn"t be strange if they did. See how that great lubberly Rufe treated our Zeph yist"day! rubbed the dirt into his skin so "t he hain"t got it washed out yit."
"I am sorry for these misunderstandings," said Vinnie, turning to Mrs.
Peakslow with an appealing look. "I wish you and my sister knew each other better. You have a sick child, too, I see."
""T ain"t sick, "xac"ly," replied the mother in a peevish, snarling tone. "Pulled over the teapot, and got hands and arms scalt."
"O, poor little thing!" Vinnie exclaimed. "What have you done for it?"
"Hain"t done nothin" much, only wrapped up the blistered places in Injin meal; that"s coolin"."
"No doubt; but I"ve some salve, the best thing in the world for burns. I wish you would let me bring you some."
"I guess Bubby"ll git along "thout no help from outside," said Peakslow, his ill-natured growl softened by a feeling of tenderness for the child which just then came over him. "He"s weathered the wust on "t."
But Bubby"s fretful cries told that what was left was bad enough.
"I will bring you the salve," said Vinnie, "and I hope you will try it; it is so hard to see these little ones suffer."
She was retiring, when Peakslow called after her,--
"Goin" "ithout the water?"
"I--thought--you had not told me I could have it."
"Have it! of course you can have it; I wouldn"t refuse n.o.body a pail o"
water. Ye see where the well is?"
"O yes; thank you." And Vinnie hastened to the curb.
"She can"t draw it," snickered Zeph. "Handle"s broke; and the crank"ll slip out of her hands and knock her to Jericho, if she don"t look out."
"Seems to be a perty spoken gal," said Peakslow, turning to finish his breakfast. "I"ve nothin" ag"in _her_. You"ve finished your breakfast; better go out, Dudley, and tell her to look out about the crank."
With mixed emotions in his soul, Dud went; his countenance enlivened at one and the same time with a blush of boyish bashfulness and a malicious grin. As he drew near, and saw Vinnie embarra.s.sed with the windla.s.s, which seemed determined to let the bucket down too fast (as if animated with a genuine Peakslow spite toward her), the grin predominated; but when she turned upon him a troubled, smiling face, the grin subsided, and the blush became a general conflagration, extending to the tips of his ears.
"How does "t go?"
"It"s inclined to go altogether too fast," said Vinnie, stopping the windla.s.s; "and it hurts my hands."
"Le" me show ye."
And Dud, taking her place by the curb, let the windla.s.s revolve with moderated velocity under the pressure of his rough palms, until the bucket struck the water. Then, drawing it up, he filled her pail.
The grin had by this time faded quite out of his countenance; and when she thanked him sweetly and sincerely for helping her, the blush became a blush of pleasure.
"It is more than I can carry," she said. "I shall have to pour out some."
Thereupon Dud Peakslow astonished himself by an extraordinary act of gallantry.
"I"ll carry it for ye as fur as the road; I"d carry it all the way, if "t was anywhere else." And he actually took up the pail.
"You seem to have a very bad opinion of my relations," Vinnie said.
"Good reason! They hate us, too!"
"And think _they_ have good reason. But I"m sure you are not so bad as they believe; and _you_ may possibly be mistaken about _them_. Let me take the pail now. You are very kind."
Dud gave up the pail with reluctance, and gazed after her up the road, his stupid mouth ajar with an expression of wistful wonder and pleasure.
"Hurry now and git up the team, Dud!" his father called from the door.
"What ye stan"in" there for? Didn"t ye never see a gal afore?"
When Vinnie reached home with her pail of water, all gathered around, eager to hear her adventure.
"The lions were not very savage, after all," she said, laughing.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
AN "EXTRAORDINARY" GIRL.
After breakfast Vinnie left Lill to "do the dishes," and went with her box of salve to fulfil her promise to Mrs. Peakslow. Dud and Zeph were off at work with their father; and she was glad to find the mother alone with the younger children.
"Oh! you ag"in?" said Mrs. Peakslow, by the chimney, looking up from a skillet she was stooping over and sc.r.a.ping. "Ye need n"t "a" took the trouble. Guess Bubby"s burns "ll git along."
But Vinnie was not to be rebuffed.
"I have brought some linen rags to spread the salve on. Will you let me do it myself? I wish you would; the poor thing is suffering so."
And Vinnie knelt down beside the girl who was holding Bubby in her arms.
"Is "t any o" the Betterson folks"s sa"v"?" Mrs. Peakslow inquired, sc.r.a.ping away at her skillet.
"No; it is some I brought from the East with me, thinking I should find a use for it in my sister"s family; it is good for various things."
"Better keep it for her family!" snarled Mrs. Peakslow. Sc.r.a.pe, sc.r.a.pe.
"There"s plenty and to spare," said Vinnie, unrolling her rags. "And my sister will be only too glad if it can be of any service to you."
"Think so?" Mrs. Peakslow stopped her sc.r.a.ping and scowled at Vinnie.
"Her folks hain"t never showed us none too much good-will."
"They have never known you,--you have never understood each other," said Vinnie. "It is too bad that the troubles between the men should prevent you and her from being on neighborly terms. Can I use a corner of this table to spread the salve? And can I see the little thing"s burns, so as to shape the plasters to cover them?"
"He tol" me not to use the sa"v", if ye brought it," said Mrs. Peakslow doubtfully, laying down the skillet.