HULDAH GOES SHOPPING.
Though she made light of it to Mrs. Perry, the fright she had
received kept Huldah in a very nervous state for many a day to come.
She lived always in a constant dread of some harm coming to poor
Dick, and she was never really easy if he was out of her sight.
By day, her eyes were here, there, and everywhere, fearful that
somewhere those two dreaded figures might be lurking about, waiting
to attack or steal her Dick; and at night she lay awake hour after
hour, thinking she heard sounds in the house or the garden.
Half-a-dozen times she would get out of her bed, shaking with
nervousness, yet unable to lie still, and peer out, to see if they
really were getting over the garden wall or not, and always she
longed for the night to be over. She felt safer when she was up and
about, with Dick under her eye.
Miss Carew grew quite troubled about her--about them both, in fact,
for Huldah's nervousness, though she tried to keep it to herself,
could scarcely be concealed from Mrs. Perry.
Something must be done to distract the child's mind, she felt,--but
what? And then, as though to solve the difficulty for her, came an
order for half a dozen of Huldah's pretty baskets.
No other cure she could have found would have been half so good.
Huldah's spirits went up to a pitch of delight such as she had never
known before. She was full of gratitude and of eagerness to begin,
and if Miss Rose had not been able to drive her in to Belmouth that
very day to buy the raffia, there was, as Miss Rose said, no knowing
what might have happened.
Huldah liked the work, and she had done so little lately that the
thought of going back to it was a pleasure in itself, but best of all
was the thought of what she would do with the money when she got it.
That thought kept her in one thrill of joy.
She was to have eighteenpence each for the baskets. Nine whole
shillings! It seemed to Huldah a perfect fortune, and she would
spend the whole of it on Mrs. Perry. She would get her in a store of
coal, in readiness for the winter; then they would be able to have
good fires, and not have to be counting the cost all the time.
That was the first decision. After a time, though, that seemed
rather an uninteresting purchase. All her money would be gone at
once, and almost before she had realised that she had got it.
She next decided to get a large piece of bacon, two sacks of coal,
and a sack of corn for the fowls; but this plan was changed again for
others. Every day Huldah thought out some new and delightful
purchases, and what she would have bought finally nobody knows, for
Miss Rose and Mrs. Perry put an end to all her schemes, by insisting
that the money was to be spent on herself. She was to buy a new
winter coat for herself, they decided, and Huldah had to give in.
She was bitterly disappointed at first; it had never entered her head
to spend her money on anyone but Mrs. Perry, it was for her only that
she had wanted it.
Autumn was well advanced now, the mornings and nights were cold, and
the days not really hot, and Huldah soon began to realise that she
did need a warm garment of some sort, for she had only her thin print
frocks, and a little shoulder shawl that Mrs. Perry had given her.
So, as soon as she had got her nine shillings in her pocket, Miss
Rose came with the pony-cart and drove her in to Belmouth to hunt
through the shops in search of a coat or a cloak which would not cost
more than nine shillings, and at the same time be neat and warm,
and--at least, so Huldah hoped,--pretty.
Such a day as that was to Huldah! Such a day as had never come into
her life before. First of all there was the drive, four whole miles
with Miss Rose in her dear little pony-carriage, and actually wearing
one of Miss Rose's old golf cloaks wrapped snugly round her. The sun
shone and the birds sang, and the air was exhilarating with the first
touch of frost; the trees glowed warmly in their autumn dress, and
the hedges too.
Huldah was speechless with excitement, when, after leaving Rob, the
pony, at a livery-stable, she followed Miss Carew into the big
draper's shop where the purchase was to be made. She was half
frightened too, the place was so large, and there were so many people
there, who seemed to have nothing to do but stare about them.
It was quite an ordeal to walk behind the shop-walker between the
long lines of counters with so many people looking over them at her.
She kept very close indeed to Miss Rose, and tried to believe that it
was at Miss Rose they were staring, and not at herself.
Then at last they came to the jacket department, and before she knew
what she was doing a very tall young woman was standing beside her
with a bright scarlet coat in her hands, and actually holding it out
for Huldah to try on.
"Oh, that will not do," interposed Miss Rose, sharply. She was sorry
that Huldah should have seen it, it was so attractive, though
unsuitable, and would probably make all the others seem dull and
ugly. But Huldah knew too that it was quite unsuitable for her
purpose. What she wanted was a serviceable garment for Sundays and
week-days, wet weather and fine; she would have loved though to have
it, and for years after, one of her ambitions was to have a bright
red coat in the winter.
Miss Rose strolled away with the girl, after that, to say a word to
her in private, and to try to help her pick out something suitable;
and very soon they came back again with black coats, blue coats,
dark green and grey coats, and one after the other Huldah tried them
on, and one after the other they were thrown aside as useless.
The shoulders came to her elbows nearly, and the cuffs beyond her
finger-tips, while the collars refused to come anywhere near her
neck! It was most disappointing.
"She is very narrow, and thin for her height," remarked the girl,
apologetically, as one after the other the coats hung off Huldah's
shoulders like loose sacks. "I wonder if you wouldn't find a cloak
more satisfactory for her. Fit does not matter so much with a cloak.
Now this one is a very good one; it cost fifteen shillings at first,
but it is reduced very much, because it is a little out of fashion,
and slightly shop-worn," and she held up a warm brown cloak with big
bone buttons, and, oh! joy of joys in Huldah's eyes, a hood lined
with blue! "Hoods aren't being worn now," she went on; but Huldah
heard no more.
"Not worn! Out of fashion!" All her life Huldah had longed for a
cloak with a hood! In a rapture she felt the cloak being placed on
her shoulders, and saw the girl button the big horn buttons, and in a
tumult of shy delight she looked over herself, and then up at Miss
Carew.
"That fits her very well," said the girl, in a tone of relief.
Miss Rose read Huldah's eager face, and almost nervously enquired the
price. It would be such a blow if it should be beyond them.
"It is reduced to eight shillings, madam," said the girl, who was
almost as anxious to sell as they were to buy. "It is good cloth, a
real bargain."
"Then we must have it, mustn't we, brownie?" cried Miss Rose,
promptly. "It may not be as warm as a coat, but it certainly fits
her and suits her. Why, we have turned you into a brownie again,
Huldah! Are you pleased with your purchase?"
"Oh yes, miss! I think it is lovely, I like it better than any!"
gasped Huldah, excitedly. She could scarcely believe yet that she
was not in a dream, or that it could really be she, Huldah Bate, to
whom all this was happening.
The young attendant stooped to unbutton the cloak, to take it away
and wrap it in a parcel, but Miss Carew stopped her. "I think she
may as well wear it home," she said. "It is cold, and it will be the
easiest way of carrying it."
"Yes, madam. I will give you the bill."
When the stranger's back was turned, Huldah found her tongue.
"Oh, Miss Rose, isn't it lovely! It's so warm, I can feel it
already, and--and oh, I can't believe it is mine!"
"I am glad you like it, dear. Now get out your purse, and pay the
bill."
That was indeed a proud moment! From the depth of her pocket, and
from beneath the wonderful cloak, Huldah produced a small, rather
shabby purse, an old one of Miss Carew's, and from its pockets she
produced all her worldly wealth. Her fingers trembled so, she could
scarcely separate the coins, but at last it was all managed; and,
still in a maze of delight, she found herself walking out of the shop
behind Miss Carew, clutching her thin little purse, in which reposed
one solitary shilling, and proudly wearing her own purchase.
To have walked out in it between that double fire of staring eyes,
would have been an ordeal she could scarcely have endured, if it had
not been that her thoughts were more occupied with her shilling than
with herself, for with it she was going to buy something to take home
to Mrs. Perry, and what that something was to be was a matter for
grave consideration.
However, with Miss Rose's help, the money was at last laid out on
some tea and some biscuits, and, greatest treat of all, a smoked
haddock, to make a feast for the tea which was to crown the end of
that glorious afternoon.
The tea and the fish and some of the biscuits were for Mrs. Perry,
and some of the biscuits were for Dick, as his share of the
rejoicing, but for Miss Rose Huldah had nothing, and that was the one
cloud on that happy, wonderful day. It was rather a big cloud, too,
for she did long to do something for her, to show how grateful she
was, and the thought of it kept her very quiet and grave for a part
of the drive home.
"Are you tired, brownie?" asked Miss Rose, presently, noticing her
silence.
Huldah looked up with grateful, happy eyes. "Oh no, miss. I am too
happy to be tired! and it's lovely to feel the warmth of my cloak
coming in to my shoulders. I think it is so beautiful. Do you like
it, miss?"
"Very much indeed, and I like to have our brownie in brown again; it
seems just right!"
Huldah laughed happily. "I wish"--she began, then stopped, as a
sudden idea flashed on her mind. Why, of course, she could be a real
brownie, and by getting up very early she could, without anyone's
knowing anything about it, make one of her prettiest and nicest
baskets for Miss Rose! Her spirits went up, and up with pleasure at
the thought all her gravity left her, and when at last they drew up
before the cottage in Woodend Lane, her face was one big radiant
smile. Mrs. Perry was at the door as soon as they had reached the
gate.
"Oh my!" she exclaimed, throwing up her hands with pleasure and
surprise at the sight of Huldah walking up the path actually wearing
her new purchase. "Oh my, how nice we do look! Now, I do call that
just perfect!"
The child's face was glowing with health and happiness, her eyes were
beaming with affection, and eager for sympathy. Could she possibly
be the little ill-used, runaway waif who had come to her door
starving, only so short a time ago? Mrs. Perry asked herself the
question as she looked at her, and in her heart thanked God for
sending her this blessing, this chance to help another; and for
staying her tongue when she had felt tempted to bid her begone.
Across her mind too flashed the thought of what might have happened
to Huldah, if she had turned her away that night. Would it have been
to the workhouse, or the jail she would have drifted,--this bonnie,
healthy, smiling child? But her mind was drawn back to healthier
thoughts by Huldah's little brown work-worn hands.
"Don't you like it, ma'am?" she was asking, troubled by the gravity
on Mrs. Perry's face.
"Like it!" she cried, coming back to the present with glad relief.
"I should think I did, and you in it, too, dear!" and for the first
time in her life she stooped and kissed the little maiden, and Huldah
returned the kiss with all the warmth of her affectionate heart
welling up to her lips.
It was the first time anyone had kissed her since her mother died,
and the first time that she had kissed anyone but Dick and Charlie.