HOW STUBBINS WENT TO SEE MR. HODGKINS
Tom Randall, Cornelia Mary, and Sally met the Mulvaneys with a lumber
wagon. In spite of all Cornelia Mary could do to prevent such actions,
Tom fairly shouted when he saw the family lifted from the train by
the grinning brakeman, while Sally's face was the colour of a poppy
as she went forward to greet her friends. It wasn't easy to claim the
Mulvaneys in the presence of the amused passengers, whose faces filled
the car windows. It was a relief to hear the engine whistle and see the
train start.
"We're going right straight to your house," Sally told Mrs. Mulvaney.
"Mamma is there this morning waiting for you. Why won't the children
talk? What's the matter? Have they lost their tongues?"
"They never was on the cars before," explained Mrs. Mulvaney, "and
they behaved real well. They act kind of bashful now." Whereupon the
seven looked foolish, and wouldn't speak to Sally. Even Stubbins was
dumb.
"This is your new teacher," Sally continued by way of introducing the
family, "and that boy on the front seat is her brother Tom. Climb in,
children. Where will you sit, Mrs. Mulvaney?"
"I'll just hist myself on to the front seat with the boy," was the
reply, and that must have been the reason Tom drove home by way of
Park's Corner instead of through the village.
"Why, Tom," remonstrated Cornelia Mary, "it's three miles farther the
road you've started on!"
"Want to give your school a chance to see the country," was the
response. "Geddap, geddap!"
"This spring air won't hurt anybody," Sally put in. "Oh, Hannah, isn't
it lovely? Aren't you ever going to talk again, Hannah?"
Not a word from Hannah. Stubbins was the first to find his voice. "Oh,
pigth, pigth, thop the horthe!" he cried. "Thay, boy, I want to thee
the pigth!"
"Whoa!" said Tom. "Didn't you ever see pigs before, Stubbins?"
"Yeth, but I never thaw pigth in the country, did I?"
"Do you like pigs?"
"I geth I do! Are they pigth where we are going?"
"Giddap," repeated Tom, pulling at the reins, and then turning so that
he could look at Stubbins he said this:
"Pigs? Why, I should say yes! Look here, Stubbins, there are so many
pigs in the country they run wild—wild, I say, and if any little kid
is a pig catcher all he's got to do is catch a pig and keep it if he
can. You can even take pigs to school here, ride 'em right into the
schoolhouse if the door's open."
Stubbins glanced inquiringly at Cornelia Mary, but she and Sally were
busy talking with Mike and Johnnie, while Chinky and Hannah were busy
listening to them. Mrs. Mulvaney was thinking, and paid no attention to
Tom's nonsense.
"Thay, boy," suggested Stubbins, "leth thop the horthe and go back and
get thome pigth now."
"Haven't time," was the reply, "plenty of wild pigs all through the
country; you'll want something to do when you get home."
During the rest of the drive, Stubbins hugged his bundle and dreamed of
pigs, and after a few minutes' silence Tom entertained Mrs. Mulvaney
with stories of the house in which she was to live.
"I wouldn't stay in that house over night for one thousand dollars!" he
remarked.
"Land sake, why not?" asked the woman.
In low tones lest Cornelia Mary should overhear, Tom did his best to
scare Mrs. Mulvaney. He told nothing but the truth, but he handled the
truth in such a way Mrs. Mulvaney felt cold chills going up and down
her back in spite of all the clothes she had on. At last she spoke.
"Now that's enough, young man," she said, "and if I ever catch you
telling my young ones any of that stuff, I'll shake some sense into
you. You'll be more rattled-headed than you are now, if I ever lay
hands on you."
"Giddap," remarked Tom, astonished for once in his life.
If Heaven had opened to receive the Mulvaneys, they could scarcely have
been more pleased than when the new home was reached.
Early in the afternoon Stubbins slipped away from the family and went
in search of wild pigs. Tom was right. Back of the house was a field
of small pigs. Stubbins gave a shout of joy and started in pursuit. He
caught a little pig easily, and carried it, kicking and squealing, to
his new home.
The family were in the sitting-room and didn't hear Stubbins when
he carried the pig through the kitchen, the dining-room, and up the
stairs. Into the attic over the kitchen he thrust the pig, then
returned to the field for another. In less than an hour, five pigs were
in that attic and Stubbins was happy.
"Now I think I thaw a nithe big pig thomewhere," he remarked, climbing
a fence, and looking carefully over the fields of his neighbour.
Welcome Hodgkins. Sure enough! Beyond the field in which he caught the
five was one big pig. Away flew Stubbins. It wouldn't be so easy to
get that pig home because it was too big to carry.
"Come, pig, pig, pig," called Stubbins, "nithe piggie, come pig."
The nice pig looked up, and said, "Ooof—oof—oof! Ugh—ugh—ugh!"
Stubbins ventured nearer, but the pig took alarm and trotted grunting
across the field. The pig had four legs and Stubbins only two rather
uncertain ones; nevertheless, after rather an exciting chase, the pig
was caught.
"Now, mithter, how will I get you home? Hold sthill; here, I geth I'll
have to get on and ride the way that boy thed. Geddap over to the gate.
Hold sthill till I get hold of your ear. Wait, I thay!"
The pig wouldn't wait, and Stubbins wouldn't let go. Clinging to the
creature's ears, he somehow managed to scramble on its back. Then began
a wild ride.
"I didn't know a pig could go tho fatht," gasped Stubbins, hanging on
for dear life, while the pig squealed and squealed and squealed. "Why,
thay! What you trying to do, pig?" grumbled Stubbins, as the animal
began rubbing him against the fence corner. "Oh, I thay, get out of
thith!"
The pig got out, but he made straight for the barnyard where Welcome
Hodgkins was feeding the chickens. There was a scattering of poultry
as the pig dashed beneath a wagon in the middle of the yard, landing
Stubbins—bump—swish! on his back in the mud.
[Illustration]
"Sthop the pig," cried Stubbins, struggling to his feet, "sthop my pig
I thay!"
"See here, youngster, that's my pig!" declared Welcome Hodgkins. "Who
are you, anyway, and what are you trying to do with my pig?"
"I'm Thubbinth, and I wath taking the pig to my houthe. I didn't know
it wath your pig, and I didn't come to thee you, tho there!"