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 troubled
about 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 that
she 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, I
did. And now it's goin' to be took away from me."
"And you have no relatives, Mrs. Harrison? Nobody whose home you would
be welcome in?" asked Lyddy, thoughtfully.
"Not a soul belongin' to me," declared Mrs. Harrison. "An' I wouldn't ask
charity 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. But
folks on this ridge ain't able to have much help. Still, them I've worked
for will give me a good word. No _young_ woman can ekal me, I'm proud to
say. 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 sister
didn't comprehend what Lyddy was driving at. But suddenly a light flooded
her mind.
"Goody! that's just the thing!" cried 'Phemie, clasping her hands.
"What might ye be meanin'?" demanded the puzzled Mrs. Harrison, looking
at the girls alternately.
"You are just the person we want, Mrs. Harrison," Lyddy declared, "and we
are just the persons _you_ want. It is a mutual need, and for once the two
needs 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 we
have plenty of space so that you can have a nice big room to yourself
at 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 sudden
unshed 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 up
easily. Her face worked as she simply repeated the words, in a tone that
brought a choking feeling into 'Phemie's throat: "_Need ye!_"
But Lyddy went on to explain details, and bye-and-bye Mrs. Harrison gained
control of her emotions. Lyddy told her what she felt she could afford
to pay.
"It isn't great pay, I know; but we're not making much money out of the
boarders yet; if we fill the house, you shall have more. And we will be
sure 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 are
trying to do ourselves. So you'll come?"
"Sure as I'm alive, Miss," declared the old woman. "Ye need have no fear I
won't. I'll be over in time to help ye with supper Monday night. And wait
till Tuesday with your washin'. I'm a good washer, if I _do_ say it as
shouldn't."
The young folks drove back to Hillcrest much more gaily than they had
come. At least, 'Phemie and Lucas were very gay on the front seat. Harris
Colesworth said to Lyddy:
"Lucas has been giving me the full history of the Widow Harrison's
troubles. And her being sold out of house and home isn't the worst
she's been through."
"No?"
"The man she married--late in life--was a Tartar, I tell you! Just as
cranky 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 folks
supposed 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 camp
follower, or something. He couldn't get a pension. And he let folks think
that he had brought home a lot of money, and had hidden it; but when he
died two years ago Mrs. Harrison didn't find a penny. He'd just mortgaged
the 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. "Lucas
says she has a few pieces of furniture that maybe I'd like to have--a
chest of drawers, and a desk----"
"Oh, yes! I saw them," responded Lyddy, "And she's got some kitchen things
I'd like to have, too. I _need_ her Dutch oven."
"Oh, I say, Miss Lyddy!" he exclaimed, eagerly, yet bashfully, "you're not
going to try to cook over that open fire all this summer? It will kill
you."
"I _do_ need a stove--a big range," admitted the young girl. "But I don't
see how----"
"Let me lend you the money!" exclaimed Harris. "See! I'll pay you ahead
for father and me as many weeks as you like----"
"I most certainly shall not accept your offer, Mr. Colesworth!" declared
Lyddy, immediately on guard again with this too friendly young man. "Of
course, I am obliged to you; but I could not think of it."
She chilled his ardor on this point so successfully that Harris scarcely
dared suggest that they four go to the Temperance Club meeting at the
schoolhouse that night. Evidently Lucas and he had talked it over,
and were anxious to have the girls go. 'Phemie welcomed the suggestion
gladly, too. And feeling that she had too sharply refused Mr. Colesworth's
kindly suggestion regarding the kitchen range, Lyddy graciously agreed to
go.
Mr. Somers, the school teacher, was possibly somewhat offended because
Lyddy had refused to accompany _him_ to the club meeting; but for once
Lyddy 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 certainly
their loyal friend and helper?
So when the ponies and buckboard appeared after supper the two girls were
in some little flutter of preparation. Old Mr. Colesworth and Grandma
Castle (as she loved to have the girls call her) were on the porch to see
the party off.
The girls had worked so very hard these past few weeks that they were both
eager for a little fun. Even Lyddy admitted that desire now. Since their
first venture to the schoolhouse and to the chapel, Lyddy had met very
few of the young people. And 'Phemie had not been about much.
Since Sairy Pritchett and her mother had put their social veto on the Bray
girls the young people of the community--the girls, at least--acted very
coldly toward Lyddy and 'Phemie. The latter saw this more clearly than her
sister, for she had occasion to meet some of them both at chapel and in
Bridleburg, where she had gone with Lucas several times for provisions.
Indeed she had heard from Lucas that quite a number of the neighbors
considered 'Phemie and her sister "rather odd," to put it mildly. The
Larribees were angry because Mr. Somers, the school teacher, had left them
to board at Hillcrest. "Measles," they said, "was only an excuse."
And there were other taxpayers in the district who thought Mr. Somers
ought 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 teacher
right away from Sairy Pritchett----
'Phemie thought all this was funny. Yet she was glad Lyddy had not heard
much of it, for Lyddy's idea of fun did not coincide with such gossip and
ill-natured criticisms.
'Phemie was not, however, surprised by the cold looks and lack of friendly
greeting that met them when they came to the schoolhouse this evening.
Mr. Somers had got there ahead of them. There was much whispering when the
Bray girls came in with Harris Colesworth, and 'Phemie overheard one
girl whisper:
"Guess Mr. Somers got throwed down, too. I see she's got a new string to
her 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 Lucas
beside herself. There didn't seem to be any easy way of getting out of the
place.