Natalie: A Garden Scout Read online

  CHAPTER IV--GIRL SCOUT FARMERETTES

  Mrs. James sent word to the storekeeper at the Corners, directing him tohire help and send them to Green Hill Farm to clean up the housethoroughly. Also to see that a man mowed the lawns and cleaned up thebarns and yards.

  Then came the work of selecting the things Natalie wished to keep, andpacking them ready to ship to Green Hill. The other furnishings in theapartment would not be sold until after the girl was out. Mr. Marvinsaid there was no need to cause her any unnecessary heartache.

  The second week in June, Mr. Marvin sent word to Mrs. James that thehouse was ready for occupancy whenever she wished to move out there. Notonly was the old furniture placed in the respective rooms, but thepieces that had been shipped from the apartment in New York were alsoarranged for the time being. The only things to be moved were the trunksand the cases containing the dishes and bric-a-brac which Natalie wouldkeep.

  Mrs. James read the letter to Natalie at the breakfast table and said:"The sooner we can get away from here, dear, the better for all. Mr.Marvin can then save a whole month's rent for you, as the owner agreedto cancel the lease when Mr. Marvin explained the circumstances. If weremain to the end of this month, it will take an extra week to disposeof what remains here, and that will necessitate another month's rent ifit goes over the first of July."

  "Oh, I'll be only too glad to get away from the home where every roomand object speaks of dear Daddy!" cried Natalie. "Green Hill is solovely at this time of the year that I feel as if I could look forwardthere to meeting Daddy and mother again without feeling any grief at theparting now."

  "Then let us say we will start in a day or two!" exclaimed Mrs. Jameseagerly.

  "But what about school, Jimmy? Exams will not come off until the thirdweek, and I don't want to miss any."

  "Natalie, maybe we can arrange some way with Miss Mason by which you cantake yours without being in school," said Mrs. James.

  "I'll see her to-morrow, Jimmy, and if she says I may do it that way,I'll go with you at once."

  "If she can't make such an exception in your case, Natalie, we may beable to arrange so you can commute to the city for the few last weeks ofschool."

  The next noon Natalie hurried home with the good news that the Principalhad been interviewed and had granted Natalie permission to take herexaminations all at one time during the next few days of school, as heraverage for the year had been so splendid. The fact that she maintaineda high standard all year through in her classes showed that she wouldnot fail now in her yearly examinations.

  "Oh, but this is good news, dear!" exclaimed Mrs. James joyously.

  "Yes, isn't it? If it wasn't for Miss Mason taking the time and interestin me that she does, the Principal would never have listened to myrequest. It seems rather wonderful to have a teacher who is a realfriend, too!"

  "We're grateful, no matter through what channel the good came; but I,too, think Miss Mason a good friend to have," remarked Mrs. James.

  "She said something to me, as I left this noon, about your telling me ofher Scout camp. She laughed and said I would be surprisedand--perhaps--annoyed. If it was the latter feeling, I was to considershe owed me a debt that she would try to pay as soon as possible. Itsounded so amusing, coming from her to me, who owes her all obligationsfor what she has done for me, that I am keen to hear what you have toexplain."

  Mrs. James smiled. "I am sure you will be pleased, Natalie. Miss Masonrented a section of the woodland that runs along the river bank at GreenHill for a camp for her Girl Scout Patrol she told us of. They allexpect to go there on the first of July."

  "Oh, goody! Isn't that just scrumptious!" cried Natalie delightedly.

  "I thought you would like it, but Miss Mason was not so sure that youwould welcome her Scouts. The girls are all good girls, but they havenot had the money or social advantages that you and your friends have. Itold Miss Mason that the sooner all such fol-de-rol was dispelled in agirl's mind the better. And these eight sensible young girls will helpdispel the nonsense."

  "That's right, Jimmy! Since I find myself thrown on the mercy of theworld, I begin to see how unfounded is one's faith in money or position.One day it is yours and the next it is gone!"

  "Rather precocious views for so young a maid, Natalie," said Mrs. James,smiling indulgently at her protegee.

  Natalie sighed. "Is it not true?"

  "True, of course, but you have not proven it to be so yet. You speakfrom hearsay and from book knowledge. You have not had to make the sorryexperience your own yet."

  "Why, Jimmy! Don't you call my losses the test?" said Natalie, offendedthat Mrs. James should consider her limited condition anything less thana calamity.

  The lady laughed. "Child, you have a lovely home and land free and clearof debt. It is worth at _least_ ten thousand dollars right now. Withjudicious handling it will be worth four times that sum in a few years.You have Rachel and me to live with you and love and cherish you--aswell as protect you. You have Mr. Marvin to take all charge of yourbusiness interests, and last, but not least--you have four loyal youngfriends who stick to you whether you have money or not. This is far frombeing thrown on the cold mercy of the world!"

  Natalie thought deeply over this but she said nothing.

  "Well, let's get busy packing, Jimmy! I want to get away this week, ifwe can."

  "Are you not going back for the afternoon session of school?" asked Mrs.James, surprised.

  "Didn't I tell you I was free now? I do not have to return except forexams. The classes are only reviewing the last term's work now, so I donot have to report for that."

  "Oh, how nice! Then we will get to work at once."

  By afternoon of Wednesday, all baggage was out of the apartment, and thethree occupants were prepared to leave early in the morning. Mr. Marvinhad been notified and he said the key for Green Hill house was at thegeneral store. Mrs. Tompkins would give it to them. Mr. Tompkins hadfollowed his wife's advice and stocked up the kitchen and pantry withwhatever groceries Rachel would need to begin with.

  "Isn't that thoughtful of the Tompkins, Natalie?" said Mrs. Jamesgratefully.

  "Yes, I feel that we will be good friends--the Tompkins and us."

  Natalie had informed her schoolmates that she was to go on the nineo'clock local in the morning, and so wished them all good-by that night.

  "It isn't really 'good-by,' Nat, because we will all see you again sosoon," giggled Norma.

  Belle sent Norma a warning glance and explained hastily: "Yes, it isonly a few weeks before we will be up on the farm with you."

  "Try to fix it, girls, so you can all join me on the farm as soon asschool closes," said Natalie.

  "That will be fine!" declared a chorus of voices.

  So repeated good-bys were said and Natalie wondered why the girlsthought it all so funny! The next morning as Mrs. James and Nataliestood in line at Grand Central Station to buy their tickets, fourlaughing girls pounced upon Natalie, and as many girlish voices said:"Didn't you suspect? How could you believe we would let you go awaywithout sending you off in a royal manner?"

  Natalie laughed joyously. "But it isn't to the North Pole, girls! And itis only a few weeks before you will be there."

  "Never mind! If it is only for a few days, we would see that therailroad company was duly impressed with your importance because of yourfriends who escort you to the train," laughed Janet.

  Mrs. James had purchased the tickets by this time, and they all startedto find Rachel, who was waiting with the baggage. Then they hunted upthe particular gate that gave way to the platform of the train theywanted, and passed through in a grand procession.

  Rachel was last to pass, and as she tried to force the unwieldy bagsthrough without allowing for the narrow brass rails, she got them stuck.A porter sprang forward to assist her, but she scorned him.

  "Whad foh yoh try t' show off _now_? Ef yoh had any sence in yoh haid,yoh'd seen I cud have used help befoh dis! Clar out, now, and don' showyoh kinky monkey-face heah ag'
in!"

  As she puffed out the angry words, Rachel struggled with the baggage,and finally shot through with the release of the knobby portmanteau thatheld her precious property. The gate-keeper laughed quietly at thediscomfiture of the porter who was inordinately proud of his new uniformand brass-corded cap. To be termed a "monkey-face" by an old mammy waspast endurance!

  The incident caused a merry laugh with the group of girls, and Nataliesaid: "There, Rachel! I told you to let us carry one or two of yourbags,--you were too laden for anything!"

  "Da's all right, Honey! I ain't lettin' yoh lug yohse'f to pieces ferme; but dat pickaninny what's dressed up like a hand organ monkey makeshis livin' by fetchin' an' carryin'; so he oughta know his bis'nis, ersomeone's got to teach him it."

  As Natalie reached the platform of the train, she stood still to bid herchums good-by again. Suddenly she remembered what had occurred the nightbefore.

  "Oh, is that why you laughed when I said it need not be a long good-by?"

  "Surely! we had it all planned to come and see you off, and give youconsolation in some tangible form because you would be deprived of ourgracious company for two weeks," giggled Belle, holding out aribbon-bowed box.

  "What's that for?" demanded Natalie, trying to act impatient because thegirls spent their money on her. But her acting was very poorly done.

  "And I thought you would need some farming implements at Green Hill, soI managed to secure these for you," added Janet laughingly.

  She held out a long package that defied guessing as to its contents, soNatalie took it and laughed merrily with the others.

  "And I brought your favorite nourishment, Nat. One of mother's'chocklate' layercakes," said Norma.

  "Oh, my goodness! How shall I carry it without mashing the icing?"exclaimed Natalie, managing, however, to place the square box upon herarm where it was carefully balanced.

  "And I, Nat," said Frances, "feared you would lack fruit on the farm,and so I tried to start you with a supply from the New York orchards."

  It takes little to make a merry heart laugh, and at each sillyschoolgirl speech made with the gift Natalie laughed so heartily that itwas contagious.

  "All aboard!" called the conductor, consulting his timepiece and wavingMrs. James into the coach.

  "Good-by! Good-by!" shouted five girls, and Natalie was bundled into thetrain and found herself watching the girls as the train receded from thestation.

  After she was seated and had tested the box of candies Belle had givenher, Natalie saw Mrs. James deeply interested in a paper-covered book.

  "What's the name of it?" asked she, handing the candy-box across theaisle to Rachel.

  "Looks like candy," replied Rachel, thinking the girl was speaking toher.

  Natalie laughed. "I meant the book, Rachie," explained she.

  Mrs. James looked up with a half absentminded manner. "What did you sayabout the book, dear?"

  "I asked you what it was. Who wrote it?"

  "Oh, it is the new book 'Scouting for Girls,' that Miss Mason gave melast night. It is certainly very interesting, Natalie."

  "Is that the Scout Girls' Manual?" said Natalie, surprised at thethickness of it.

  "Yes, and ever so good! It is filled, from cover to cover, withwonderful information. I never dreamed so much could be found in Naturethat is so absorbing to read about or study."

  "I wonder why Miss Mason did not give me a copy?" was Natalie'srejoinder.

  "She spoke of it. She said she would send it by one of the girls thismorning. Didn't you get it?" asked Mrs. James.

  "I wonder if it is in that box?"

  As she spoke, Natalie began undoing the cord that wrapped the long box,and having removed the paper and then the box-cover, she found not onlythe Manual inside, but a hand-trowel and a weeder.

  "Of all things!" laughed she, as she held out the box to show Mrs.James. "A shovel and a rake for my garden."

  Then it was Mrs. James' turn to laugh. "That is not a shovel, nor is theother a rake, Natalie."

  "Oh, isn't it? What is it, then?"

  "The trowel is used when you wish to dig shallow holes, or loose-earthtrenches. The so-called rake is a weeder that you can use about delicateroots, or in forcing deep roots to let go and come up. Both are verynecessary for a farmer to use about his house-garden."

  "Well, if I ever have occasion to use them, I shall remember Janet."

  "Then you will be remembering her every day this summer, I think,"laughed Mrs. James. "Weeds are the pest of a farmer's existence."

  Natalie was soon absorbed in her Scout book also, and Rachel was theonly one of the trio who could tell about the scenery they passed as thetrain sped on to the nearest station to the secluded little village nearthe farm.

  As the three travellers left the train and stood on the old platform ofthe country station, Natalie gazed about.

  "My goodness! What a desert for isolation. Not a human being in sight,and no sign of a house or barn. Nothing but glaring sign-boards tellingus where to stop in New York for a dollar per night--private bathextra!" exclaimed she.

  Mrs. James laughed. It was true, but it sounded funny the way Nataliespoke.

  "We ain't got to walk, has we, Mis' James?" asked Rachel plaintively.

  "I don't see anything else to do, Rachel. Do you?"

  "Not yet, but mebbe someone'll come along. I'd jes' as soon ride behin'a mule es not. Th' misery in my spine is _that_ bad sence I've be'npackin' and movin' so hard all week."

  "A mule would be welcomed, but there is none," laughed Natalie.

  "Isn't the landscape beautiful?" said Mrs. James, gazing about withadmiring eyes.

  "As long as it is all that is beautiful to look at at this station, Imust agree with you, Jimmy," teased Natalie.

  But both of them now saw Rachel staring down at the dusty road that ranpast the platform, and when she dropped her bags and started along theroad, acting in a strange manner, Mrs. James whispered nervously toNatalie.

  "What can be the matter, Natalie? Can anything have made her brainturn?"

  Rachel kept on going, however, bending over and staring at the dust inthe middle of the road. Natalie was dumbfounded at such queer behavior,and was about to call to the colored mammy, when Rachel suddenlystopped, straightened up and shouted at something hidden from the eyesof the two who were waiting with the bags.

  "Heigh dere! Come back foh us, yoh hackman!" was the echo that waswafted back to the station and the patient waiters.

  Both of them laughed heartily. And Natalie said: "That was what she wasdoing! Obeying Scout instructions the first thing, and 'tracking ahorse' in the wilds of this land."

  "Maybe that is the cab Mr. Marvin ordered to meet us."]

  "Maybe that is the cab Mr. Marvin ordered to meet us. He said we mustnot be discouraged if it turned out to be a 'one-horse chaise' insteadof a taxi," remarked Mrs. James, highly amused at the experience.

  Natalie made a vicious slap at a green bottle-fly that had annoyed herever since she alighted from the train. Now she laughed and said: "Not aone-horse chaise, Jimmy, but 'one horse-fly' is here to meet us."

  It was such an opportune play on words that they both laughed merrily.Rachel was now found to be arguing with a man seated in an antiquevehicle. He seemed to enjoy the conversation immensely, for he wascomfortably stretched out with his feet up over the dashboard and hisarms resting along the top of the back of his seat.

  "Let's go over and add our persuasions to Rachel's," said Natalie,picking up her luggage and starting away.

  When they drew near enough to hear the conversation between Rachel andthe man, the former was saying: "Yuh don't know what I kin do to yoh! Doyuh want to see my pow'ful arm?"

  The driver sat up at that and looked at the doubled up thickness of thatmember of Rachel's anatomy. Then he said: "But I always gits that much ahead fer such a long trip."

  "What's the matter here?" demanded Natalie, coming up to join in theargument.

  "Chile, dis highway robber wants
to take fifty cents a haid fer takin'us acrost to Green Hill Fahm. Why, it ain't no furder'n f'om heah t'dere, an' I tells him it is stealin'. In Noo York sech profiteers gitswhat's comin' t' 'em."

  Mrs. James interpolated at this. "Fifty cents each is not too much,Rachel. But he must take the luggage as well."

  The colored woman retreated at that, and cabby chuckled. "How muchbaggage?"

  "Three suit-cases and these bags and hat-boxes."

  "I don't see no suit-cases," mumbled he.

  "You would, if you had been at the station where you belong. Thestation-man took the checks and turned the bags over to us before goingaway to enjoy himself until the next train comes in," retorted Natalie,impatiently.

  "All right; I'll wait fer yuh 'til yuh git back," agreed the driver,preparing to take things easy again.

  "See here," said Mrs. James, sternly. "Are you Amity Ketchum?"

  "Yes'um,--at your service."

  "Then you're the man our lawyer engaged to meet the train and drive usto Green Hill. Now stop your arguing and get those suit-cases, then takeus to our home."

  Mrs. James' erstwhile good-nature turned like the proverbial worm andshe became very imperious. So much so, that lazy Amity chirruped to hishorse and went back for the baggage. When he returned and stopped besidethe ladies, Mrs. James got in and sat on the back seat that wasadjustable to meet demands. Natalie got in and sat beside her, andRachel laboriously climbed up and dropped into the vacant seat besidethe driver. The entire vehicle cracked when her ponderous weight fellupon the old bench, and Amity scowled threateningly at her black, shinyface.

  "I gotta stop at Tompkins' fer some groceries," grumbled Amity, withscant ceremony in his tones.

  There was silence for the time it took to reach the "Emporium" at theCorners, but when the proprietor hurried out to welcome the city people,the latter smiled and felt better for his friendliness. Amity had goneinside to get his order filled, and then came out with arms laden withpackages.

  Mrs. Tompkins followed her customer out to the steps, and was introducedby her husband to the three strangers. She was very pleasant and toldMrs. James to call upon her for anything she needed or wanted done.After thanking the gracious woman, Mrs. James was about to ask heradvice on an important matter, but the hackman gave his horse a cut withthe hickory stick, and almost dislocated his passengers' necks with thelurch given the vehicle.

  The two storekeepers were left standing on the steps watching thebuckboard pass out of sight. Mrs. James was angry, but said nothingmore. She knew how Rachel's temper was instantly kindled when anyonedared to offend a member of her revered family, and she understood justwhat Amity would get if he was not more considerate towards them.

  Having driven little less than a mile along the good highway, Amitysuddenly turned off into a rough, badly-kept country road. Mrs. Jameslooked anxiously back, and on each side, then said: "Mr. Ketchum, thisis not the road to Green Hill Farm. You should have kept right on thatother road."

  "I know it!" retorted Amity. "I'm going this way so's to leave thesevittles at my house fer dinner."

  "Is your house far out on this road?" queried Mrs. James, after anunusually hard bump of the vehicle over a deep rut.

  "Not so fer. I'll turn down th' next lane, and then to the right, andthere's my place. There's a back road what runs from my farm to yourwoodland. I kin go that way and drive you up to your barn by awood-cutter's road," explained Amity.

  "Well, I hope you won't find any worse roads than this is, when we turninto that lane," was Mrs. James' reply. But the words were disconnectedbecause of the incessant bouncing of the buckboard along the dried mudand over large stones imbedded in it.

  Rachel had to cling with both hands to the small iron handle at the sideof the board seat, but she fared better than the two in the back seat,as she was too heavy to be easily moved; and the driver's seat wasstationary, whereas the second seat slid dangerously up and down theshallow grooves into which its side-feet fitted loosely. The side onwhich Rachel sat sagged at least ten inches lower than on Mrs. James'side, and the latter found it necessary to balance herself on her lefthip to retain any sort of seat whatever.

  They had travelled a mile of this sort of roadway when Cherub, thehorse, of his own accord, turned in at a gap in the old rail fence andapproached a carelessly-kept farm and dilapidated house. This privateroad was far worse than the one they just left, but Mrs. James and hercompanions expressed no impatience over it.

  Then they came to what might have been a very picturesque stream, hadthe banks on both sides been kept in order. The only visible bridge overthis water was composed of enough loose planks to give passageway forwagons or cattle. These old planks were not secured in any way, andmoved threateningly when anything came in contact with them.

  On both sides of this crude bridge the rains had washed out the dirtfrom under the planks, so that deep ruts formed. And just beforereaching this rut, on the side of approach by the vehicle, was a hugeboulder that thrust up its jagged head from the very middle of the roughroadway.

  Amity had known of this obstruction in the road for a long time, but hewas too lazy to remove this menace. He had always managed to guide thehorse so that the wheels just managed to clear the rock. Sometimes, witha heavy load on the buckboard, the flooring would scrape along the topof the stone, but a little nerve-racking thing like that never phasedAmity.

  This time, however, Cherub was in a great hurry to get his feed, whichhe was sure would be awaiting him in the barn, so he failed to respondto the usual hard yank on the reins. The consequence was, one fore-wheelstruck sharply in the middle of the boulder, and brought the buckboardto an unexpected stop. The awful strain on the old rotten harness whenCherub pulled and the vehicle was held up, caused the frayed ropemendings to part and the eager horse hurried forward, leaving hisunwelcome drag behind.

  Of course, the violent halt sent the occupants of the buckboard suddenlyforward, so that Mrs. James unceremoniously struck Amity in the back andcaused him to lose his breath. Had he not had his feet braced againstthe foot-rail in front, he would have fallen forward. Rachel, not havingused the foot-rail and not expecting any catapulting, went headlong overthe old dashboard. As the board was meant for a screen from water andmud and not as a support for such a heavy body as Rachel's, itsplintered and let her sag down between the empty shafts, her headresting on the whiffle-tree and her heels wildly kicking close toNatalie's head.

  The two other passengers were too frightened to notice that Rachel hadon her hand-knitted, gayly striped stockings, brought years ago from"Norf Car'liny" and only worn on rare occasions; and Amity was tooanxious to coax Cherub back and save himself any effort by going forhim, to think of assisting Rachel to extricate herself from thebroken-in dashboard.

  Natalie and Mrs. James jumped out and, after heroically lifting andpulling, managed to bring Rachel right-side-up once more. The moment shelearned what had happened, and saw the driver waiting for Cherub toreturn, she shook a doughty fist at him and scolded well.

  So impressive were her speech and actions that Amity considered"discretion to be the better part of valor" this time, and jumped out tocatch Cherub and bring him back to his job. While the hackman was away,Rachel turned to Mrs. James and spoke.

  "Ef yoh-all pays dat good-fer-nuttin' one cent affer my mishap, den Igoes straight back t' Noo York an' gits d' law on him to mek him pay mefer playin' such tricks on defenseless women."

  "He didn't do it on purpose, Rachel. It was an accident," explained Mrs.James, hoping to placate Rachel before Amity came back with the horse.

  "Ah don' care--akserdent er no akserdent, I ain't goin' foh to have nofool-man like him dumpin' me down between dem shaffs what is fit onnyfer a mule! Now yoh heah me? Don' yoh go foh to pay him nuttin' fer distrip!" retorted Rachel with ire.

  Natalie laughed unrestrainedly at the funny scene, but the driver wasagain crossing the bridge, leading the balky Cherub, so she managed tocover her face to hide her amusement. While Amity tried to tie
up thedamaged portions of the harness so that the trip might be completed,Rachel came over and glared down at him.

  "Say, yoh pore mis'able chunk of cotton-haid! Don' yoh know I kinkerleck damages f'om yoh foh whad happened t' me on dis premises ofyourn?"

  Amity looked up and returned her glare. "Say, you old black mammy, don'tyou know I kin make you pay handsome fer smashin' my buckboard? Even theharness would have held if you hadn't been so heavy as to make Cherubbreak away from the load."

  That was too much for Rachel. She straightened up with family pride andplanted her hands on her ample hips as she declared: "See heah, ig'nantclod-hoppeh! Don' yoh go an' fool yohse'f wid t'inkin' I'se aseasy-goin' as dat harness ob yourn--'cus I ain't! I'm an out-an'-out NooYorker, I am, an' yoh kin ast Mis' James! I made one on dem freshcondoctors in Noo York pay me fohty dollahs onct, when he started histrolley an' dumped me down flat in th' road an' druv away a-laffin atme. An' I wasn't damaged half as much dat time, as you done."

  Amity had finished tying up the harness and was backing Cherub into theshafts as he listened to this warning. He now half-closed his squintyeyes and switched the quid of chewing tobacco from one cheek to theother before he replied to Rachel. Then he drawled out tantalizingly:"You big blackberry, you! Puttin' on such airs about what you did tocar-conductors! But I ain't no easy mark like 'em,--see?"

  Rachel gasped at his insolence and turned to Mrs. James for succor.Words failed her.

  "Amity Ketchum," commanded Mrs. James sternly, "drive us to ourdestination without further delay, or any more words!"

  This gave Rachel courage to add: "Da's whad I say, too! Whad'he wantabring us all outen our way, anyway, when we hired him to drive us t'Green Hill Fahm, an' da's all!"

  "Ef someone here don't make her shet up sassin' me so I'll dump all yourbaggidge out an' you kin all walk to Green Hill, es far es I care!"threatened Amity, standing up defiantly and refusing to get into thebuckboard and start on the way.

  Natalie turned to see how far the main road might be, and Mrs. Jamesglanced fearfully at the number of heavy suit-cases and bags to bedelivered at the farmhouse, but Rachel was the one to call his dare.

  "Ef yoh hain't in dat seat an' drivin' dat bony nag along in jus' twosecunts,--den yoh go haid-fust down in dat water--unnerstan' me?" Sherolled up her loose sleeves and showed a pair of powerful arms thatlooked like business.

  Amity was a thin little man, and this Amazon apparently meant what shesaid, for she came for him with dire purpose expressed in her face. Sohe jumped into the buckboard and started the horse across the bridgewithout waiting for Rachel to get in.

  Mrs. James rapped him on the shoulder to stop, and Natalie called toRachel to hurry and get in, but Amity seemed unable to make Cherub haltand Rachel tossed her head and scorned to ask the man to let her ride.To Natalie's coaxings, she shouted back: "Don' worry, Honey! Rachelain't goin' t' contamerate herse'f by sittin' nex' to sech white trash."

  But the road was bad and walking was irksome for Rachel who wasaccustomed to stone walks and trolleys in the city when she felt tired.She had to jump mud-puddles that reached across the road, or ploughthrough the sandy deep when the way ran alongside a sand-pit and sandlay heavy on the road.

  Finally Amity drove up the hill that ascended from the river, andstopped beside the piazza steps. The driver felt that he had finished ahard day's work, and now sat back resting, allowing the ladies to getdown as best they could.

  Mrs. James took her purse from the hand-bag to pay for the trip, whenRachel puffed up beside them. She saw the luggage still in the vehicle,and turned to order Amity.

  "Carry dat baggidge t' th' doah, yoh lazy-bones!"

  "I was hired to drive three passengers to Green Hill. I done it, an'that's all I have to do!" retorted he.

  "Mis' James, don' yoh dare pay him a cent till he min's what I tellhim," commanded Rachel, stern because she was on her own soil at last.

  Amity remembered he had not been paid, so he grumblingly transferred thebags from the buckboard to the steps, then held out his hand for hispayment. "Dollar an' a half," said he.

  "Mis' James, don't you go an' pay him no moh den one dollah, I tellsyoh! He cain't make me pay nottin' cuz he made me walk half th' way. Datdon't stan' in any United States Co'ht, no-how!" shrilled Rachel,furiously.

  Mrs. James had opened her purse and hesitated between two fires--"topay, or not to pay" the full price asked.

  "Don't fergit my dashboard is smashed, an' I ain't sayin' a word 'boutpayin' fer dat!" snapped Amity. "An' don' yoh fergit my se'f respeck an'modesty what was smashed when yoh made me stan' on m' haid in doseshaffs! I shore will git Mr. Marwin to sue yoh, ef yoh don't go 'long'bout yoh bis'nis!" exclaimed Rachel.

  Mrs. James placed a dollar bill on the front seat, and turned to Natalieand said: "Open the side-door, dear, so we can go in."

  Amity got up in the buckboard, took the dollar and drove away withoutsaying another word. Rachel waited and watched him drive to the frontgate, where he turned to call back to her: "When you want a job in acircus as a giant huckleberry, come to me fer references. 'I'll tell th'worl'' what a fighter you are!"

  And Rachel shouted back at him: "Yoh got th' fust an' last cent outendis fam'ly foh joy-ridin'! I'm goin' to start a hack-line an' put yohouten bis'nis, ef I has t' take all m' life-insuhance money to do it, Iam. I got a nephew what'll be glad t' he'p me do a good turn to th'country, as puttin' yoh back whar yoh b'long!" Then she turned to hercompanions for their approval.