The Girls of Hillcrest Farm; Or, The Secret of the Rocks

by Amy Bell Marlowe

  CHAPTER XX

  THE TEMPERANCE CLUB AGAIN

  The boys sat in the buckboard and talked earnestly while Lyddy and'Phemie Bray "visited" with the Widow Harrison. She was a tall, gaunt,sad woman--quite "spry," as Lucas had said; but she was evidently troubledabout her future.

  Her poor sticks of furniture could not bring any great sum at the auction,which was slated for the next Monday. She admitted to the Bray girls thatshe expected the money raised would all have to go to the mortgagee.

  "I _did_ 'spect I'd be 'lowed to live here in Bob's place till I died,"she sighed. "Bob was hard to git along with. I paid dear for my home, Idid. And now it's goin' to be took away from me."

  "And you have no relatives, Mrs. Harrison? Nobody whose home you wouldbe welcome in?" asked Lyddy, thoughtfully.

  "Not a soul belongin' to me," declared Mrs. Harrison. "An' I wouldn't askcharity of nobody--give me my way."

  "You think you could work yet?" ventured Lyddy.

  "Why, bless ye! I've gone out washin' an' scrubbin' when I could. Butfolks on this ridge ain't able to have much help. Still, them I've workedfor will give me a good word. No _young_ woman can ekal me, I'm proud tosay. I was brought up to work, I was, an' I ain't never got rusty."

  Lyddy looked at 'Phemie with shining eyes. At first the younger sisterdidn't comprehend what Lyddy was driving at. But suddenly a light floodedher mind.

  "Goody! that's just the thing!" cried 'Phemie, clasping her hands.

  "What might ye be meanin'?" demanded the puzzled Mrs. Harrison, lookingat the girls alternately.

  "You are just the person we want, Mrs. Harrison," Lyddy declared, "and weare just the persons _you_ want. It is a mutual need, and for once the twoneeds have come together."

  "I don't make out what ye mean, child," returned the old woman.

  "Why, you want work and a home. We need somebody to help us, and wehave plenty of space so that you can have a nice big room to yourselfat Hillcrest, and I _know_ we shall get along famously. Do, _do_, Mrs.Harrison! Let's try it!"

  A blush rose slowly into the old woman's face. Her eyes shone with suddenunshed tears as she continued to look at Lyddy.

  "You don't know what you're saying, child!" she finally declared, hoarsely.

  "Yes, dear Mrs. Harrison! We need you--and perhaps you need us."

  "Need ye!" The stern New England nature of the woman could not break upeasily. Her face worked as she simply repeated the words, in a tone thatbrought a choking feeling into 'Phemie's throat: "_Need ye!_"

  But Lyddy went on to explain details, and bye-and-bye Mrs. Harrison gainedcontrol of her emotions. Lyddy told her what she felt she could affordto pay.

  "It isn't great pay, I know; but we're not making much money out of theboarders yet; if we fill the house, you shall have more. And we will besure to treat you nicely, Mrs. Harrison."

  "Stop, child! don't say another word!" gasped the old woman. "Of course,I'll come. Why--you don't know what you're doing for me----"

  "No; we're doing for ourselves," laughed Lyddy.

  "You're givin' me a chance to be independent," cried Mrs. Harrison."That's the greatest thing in the world."

  "Isn't it?" returned Lyddy, sweetly. "I think so. That's what we aretrying to do ourselves. So you'll come?"

  "Sure as I'm alive, Miss," declared the old woman. "Ye need have no fear Iwon't. I'll be over in time to help ye with supper Monday night. And waittill Tuesday with your washin'. I'm a good washer, if I _do_ say it asshouldn't."

  The young folks drove back to Hillcrest much more gaily than they hadcome. At least, 'Phemie and Lucas were very gay on the front seat. HarrisColesworth said to Lyddy:

  "Lucas has been giving me the full history of the Widow Harrison'stroubles. And her being sold out of house and home isn't the worstshe's been through."

  "No?"

  "The man she married--late in life--was a Tartar, I tell you! Just ascranky and mean as he could be. Everybody thought he was an old soldier.He was away from here all during the Civil War--from '61 to '65--and folkssupposed he'd get a pension, and that his widow would have _something_for her trouble of marrying and living with the old grouch.

  "But it seems he never enlisted at all. He was just a sutler, or campfollower, or something. He couldn't get a pension. And he let folks thinkthat he had brought home a lot of money, and had hidden it; but when hedied two years ago Mrs. Harrison didn't find a penny. He'd just mortgagedthe old place, and they'd been living on the money he got that way."

  "It seems too bad she should lose everything," agreed Lyddy.

  "I am going to stay over Monday and go to the vendue," said Harris. "Lucassays she has a few pieces of furniture that maybe I'd like to have--achest of drawers, and a desk----"

  "Oh, yes! I saw them," responded Lyddy, "And she's got some kitchen thingsI'd like to have, too. I _need_ her Dutch oven."

  "Oh, I say, Miss Lyddy!" he exclaimed, eagerly, yet bashfully, "you're notgoing to try to cook over that open fire all this summer? It will killyou."

  "I _do_ need a stove--a big range," admitted the young girl. "But I don'tsee how----"

  "Let me lend you the money!" exclaimed Harris. "See! I'll pay you aheadfor father and me as many weeks as you like----"

  "I most certainly shall not accept your offer, Mr. Colesworth!" declaredLyddy, immediately on guard again with this too friendly young man. "Ofcourse, I am obliged to you; but I could not think of it."

  She chilled his ardor on this point so successfully that Harris scarcelydared suggest that they four go to the Temperance Club meeting at theschoolhouse that night. Evidently Lucas and he had talked it over,and were anxious to have the girls go. 'Phemie welcomed the suggestiongladly, too. And feeling that she had too sharply refused Mr. Colesworth'skindly suggestion regarding the kitchen range, Lyddy graciously agreed togo.

  Mr. Somers, the school teacher, was possibly somewhat offended becauseLyddy had refused to accompany _him_ to the club meeting; but for onceLyddy took her own way without so much regard for the possible "feelings"of other people. The teacher could not comfortably take both her and'Phemie in his buggy; and why offend Lucas Pritchett, who was certainlytheir loyal friend and helper?

  So when the ponies and buckboard appeared after supper the two girls werein some little flutter of preparation. Old Mr. Colesworth and GrandmaCastle (as she loved to have the girls call her) were on the porch to seethe party off.

  The girls had worked so very hard these past few weeks that they were botheager for a little fun. Even Lyddy admitted that desire now. Since theirfirst venture to the schoolhouse and to the chapel, Lyddy had met veryfew of the young people. And 'Phemie had not been about much.

  Since Sairy Pritchett and her mother had put their social veto on the Braygirls the young people of the community--the girls, at least--acted verycoldly toward Lyddy and 'Phemie. The latter saw this more clearly than hersister, for she had occasion to meet some of them both at chapel and inBridleburg, where she had gone with Lucas several times for provisions.

  Indeed she had heard from Lucas that quite a number of the neighborsconsidered 'Phemie and her sister "rather odd," to put it mildly. TheLarribees were angry because Mr. Somers, the school teacher, had left themto board at Hillcrest. "Measles," they said, "was only an excuse."

  And there were other taxpayers in the district who thought Mr. Somersought to have boarded with _them_, if he had to leave Sam Larribee's!

  And of course, the way that oldest Bray girl had taken the school teacherright away from Sairy Pritchett----

  'Phemie thought all this was funny. Yet she was glad Lyddy had not heardmuch of it, for Lyddy's idea of fun did not coincide with such gossip andill-natured criticisms.

  'Phemie was not, however, surprised by the cold looks and lack of friendlygreeting that met them when they came to the schoolhouse this evening.Mr. Somers had got there ahead of them. There was much whispering when theBray girls came in with Harris Colesworth, and 'Phemie overheard onegirl whisper:

  "Gu
ess Mr. Somers got throwed down, too. I see she's got a new string toher bow!"

  "Now, if Lyddy hears such talk as that she'll be really hurt," thought'Phemie. "I really wish we hadn't come."

  But they were in their seats then, with Harris beside Lyddy and Lucasbeside herself. There didn't seem to be any easy way of getting out of theplace.