VII.
_THE SILVER CUP._
DAY after day passed by at Chalecoo and each one seemed to bring somenew happiness. A book could be filled in telling all the childrendid in this charming place, of the drives they took in the greatrockaway, of their rows upon the lake, of their walks in the lovelywoods and glens, and even of one or two wild clambers over the higherrocks where the little girls had to be helped up and down, and Bessieoften to be carried in the arms of papa or Uncle Ruthven. Sometimes,however, the grown people and boys went on expeditions which Mrs.Bradford thought too fatiguing, or hard, for her little girls, andthey staid at home with grandmamma and Colonel and Mrs. Rush; for theColonel having, as he said, only one leg he could fairly call his own,did not choose to risk that or his neck, by climbing up and down steepplaces on the make believe one.
But there were always pleasures enough to be found around the LakeHouse, and Maggie and Bessie were never at a loss what to do withthemselves when they were left behind, and could see these parties gooff without a word of murmuring.
Then there were visits now and then to the homestead and Aunt Patty,and on the way there they would stop and ask after Willie Richards andhis mother. It was quite surprising to see how both Mrs. Richards andher boy improved in this bracing mountain air. The poor little baby,too, began to grow well and fat, and to look like other babies of itsage. It was a great pleasure to Maggie and Bessie to think they haddone so much towards bringing all this about.
Now and then Lem and Dolly gave them some trouble, though they werenever annoyed by them again in the "Sunday Bower." Mr. Porter andBuffer took good care of _that_. But the boys had built for theirsisters what they called a "Fairy Bower," made by drawing together thetop branches of some young alder trees to form a roof, and weaving inbranches at the back. This pretty, leafy house was furnished with atable formed of an old mossy stump, and with a couple of small logsfor seats, and here the children used to play, as Bessie said with"the greatest cunningness." Here they kept house with their dollies,having acorns for cups and saucers, and bits of flat stone for dishesand plates; and here one afternoon, Miss Margaret Colonel Horace RushBradford behaved very badly because her young mamma would not leaveher there to spend the night. It would be quite impossible to tell allthe trouble the mamma and aunt had in carrying this very naughty childto the house, where she was immediately undressed and put to bed asa punishment for her naughtiness. But she only remained there aboutten minutes, for the doctor said she was not very well and prescribeda ride with the rest of the family. Perhaps this same doctor, UncleRuthven, knew that her mamma felt lonely without her and wished anexcuse for taking her up.
But Margaret Colonel Horace and her mamma both had reason to be gladthat she was not left to her own will; for the next morning the "FairyBower" was found destroyed, the cups and dishes scattered, the tableand seats rolled over the rocks, and the arbor itself rudely pulled topieces. It was easy to guess who had done this; and if the doll hadbeen left she would have shared the same fate or been carried away.
Another time the boys left quite a fleet of little boats moored nearthe lower end of the lake, and the next day they also were destroyed.But these, after all, were not very great troubles, and were soonremedied; for another bower was built beneath two tall althea bushesnear the house, where no evil disposed person would dare to come;and the boys took care not to leave their boats where they could bemeddled with again.
And when the first anger and disappointment had passed over, Maggieand Bessie were more sorry than ever for the poor unhappy children whocould take delight in such wanton mischief.
The gardens were coming on finely, and though they were planted solate, by the first of August they looked very green and pretty. Theslips of geranium, heliotrope, and verbena had taken root, and weregrowing nicely, while lady-slippers, petunias, mignonette, and otherseed plants had sprung up, and began to spread as if they meant tomake up for lost time. Two of the former were the especial pride anddelight of the little girls; the one a rose geranium belonging toMaggie. This, though a mere slip when it was set out, had shot upand spread itself around, and thrust out new leaves and buds in sucha profuse, hearty, make-the-most-of-it manner, that it was quite awonder to all who saw it. The other was a heliotrope which had beengiven to Bessie by her papa, and which also had been little more thana sprig when she first had it; but it was now a flourishing littleplant, not running riotous in the way Maggie's geranium did, but freshand fair, with a cluster or two of delicate, perfumed blossoms, andthe promise of more. Upon these two the children bestowed particularcare, hoping, and not without reason, that Cousin Alexander wouldthink them each worthy of a prize.
That gentleman used to come up quite often to look at the gardens,for he gave prizes, not only for the fine plants and vegetables, butalso for the neatness and order in which the gardens were kept; and healways gave great praise to all five.
Perhaps Maggie and Fred might not have kept their plots in such goodorder, or worked so perseveringly at weeding, raking, and watering,had it not been for Harry and Bessie, who never forgot to go each dayand look at their plants, and never suffered a weed to do more thanshow the tip of its head above the soil. When anything needed to bedone which was too hard for Maggie and Bessie, the boys would helpthem with it, especially Hafed, who seemed to take more interest intheir gardens than in his own, and who would have done all the workfor them if they had allowed it.
Frankie had at last gratified his desire of catching a pollywog, andthis he did in a manner not quite so pleasant to some of his friendsas to himself.
Bessie among the Mountains. p. 134]
There was a little brook which ran by the side of the house, andjoined that which came from the glen, after which they went ontogether until they emptied into the lake. In this the children weresometimes allowed to play, since it was shallow, and they had greatfun there, building little dams, sailing the tiny boats which the boysmade for them, or dipping the water out in some small pails mamma hadbought for them, and carrying it from place to place. Any littlechild who has played in such a stream, knows in how many ways it canamuse itself with the bright running water. But the greatest delightof all was a paddle in this same brook; and when mamma thought it bestthey should not go on some wished-for excursion, this was sometimesgranted in its place, and was considered a great treat. It was at oneof these times, when Maggie, Bessie, and Frankie were all enjoyingthemselves as much as three happy children could do; with shoes andstockings off, pattering about with bare feet in the cool, sparklingwater, while mamma, grandmamma and Aunt Patty sat with their work uponthe piazza, that the little fellow secured his prize. He was stoopingto pick up a smooth, round pebble from the bottom of the stream, whenhe saw a pollywog making its way from beneath a stone which lay halfin, half out of the water. In an instant he had pounced upon it, andfirmly grasping the wriggling creature, he rushed out of the brook,and running over the grass as fast as his little wet, bare feet couldcarry him, went up to Aunt Patty, and laying the slimy, muddy reptileon her lap, exclaimed, with an air of great triumph and generosity,--
"Dere, Patty! dere's a pollywod, and I will dive him to oo. Oo mayhave him for oo own."
To have the pollywog for her own, or to have him any where near her,was the last thing Aunt Patty desired, for she had a great fear ofsnakes, toads, frogs and such creatures; and now she started back indismay as the sprawling thing was laid upon her handsome black silkdress.
The poor pollywog was as much frightened as she was, and was,moreover, considerably hurt by the tight clasp of the fat, littlehand, and lay kicking and sprawling upon Mrs. Lawrence's lap, tillthe old lady, rising, threw it upon the ground, where Flossy began tobark at it, and turn it over and over with his nose. Mrs. Bradford andJane were taken up with rubbing the mud and water from Aunt Patty'sdress, and did not notice what he was doing; and the pollywog was in abad way, between Frankie who was trying to catch it again, and Flossy,when the Colonel and Mrs. Rush came in from a walk; and the Colonel,seeing
the poor reptile would never be well again, speedily put himout of his pain.
Frankie was much disturbed at the fate of his pollywog; but thechildren buried it with great ceremony, which consoled him a little.He wanted to keep it even after it was dead but mamma told him itwould become disagreeable; and for some days after this, the familywere much amused to see him constantly running to the spot where itwas buried, and putting his nose down to the ground to see if his"pollywod smelt bad yet."
Fred laughed as if he would never stop when he heard of this, andhumored the joke all he could. He also, for some reason best known tohimself, nicknamed his Aunt Annie, "Pollywog;" and once when he wentto the city with his father for a day or two, the rogue actuallywrote a letter to her and addressed it to
"Miss P. Wog, Care Thomas Porter, Chalecoo Lake House."
Mr. Porter, going to the post-office, was given this letter by thepostmaster, and did not wish to take it, as he said no "Miss Wog" wasliving in his house; but the direction was so plainly to the LakeHouse that he carried it to Mr. Stanton, who was in the carriage,and asked if he had ever heard of any one of that name. Mr. Stantonunderstood the joke at once, and directed Mr. Porter to give it to hissister, who was highly amused.
Fred was delighted when he heard of the success of his joke, and thatMr. Porter had been completely puzzled.
There was one place of which Maggie and Bessie never tired, and thiswas of the Ice Glen dairy. To go there each day with Fanny, andsee her churn, or skim the rich cream from the milk, or roll thebeautiful yellow butter into dainty little pats for the table; or, tohave the butter spaddles put into their own hands, and help Fanny inthis last piece of work; or sometimes even to pack the butter downinto the great stone pots,--all these were pleasures which never losttheir charm.
Bessie had a very handsome silver cup which had been given to her whenshe was a baby by her Aunt Bessie, for whom she was named. Of thiscup she was very fond, and before she could speak plain would takeher drink from nothing else; and she had never lost her fancy for it.Mrs. Bradford wished Bessie to drink plenty of milk, for she thoughtit would make her well and strong, and the little girl herself thoughtit a medicine that was not bad to take. So she not only had it everyday for her breakfast and supper, but when she went with Fanny to thedairy, she used to take her silver cup with her, and Fanny would fillit with the rich milk which did her so much good.
One morning the little girls had gone as usual to the dairy withFanny; and first Maggie and Bessie had taken a drink of milk, afterwhich Bessie had washed her cup in the stream which ran through thecentre of the little building. There could be no doubt that it wasquite clean, since the water was poured in and out of it about ahundred times before she was satisfied. When she had washed it to hermind, she asked Fanny if she and Maggie might make some butter pats.Fanny consented; and when she had furnished them with a bowl of butterand a pair of spaddles apiece, Bessie handed her the cup, and Fannyset it upon the shelf that ran around the room. Now, this shelf wasjust on a level with a small window at the back of the dairy. Thewindow stood open and looked out upon three or four great boulders, ormasses of rock which lay piled one on top of another just behind thedairy, and were overhung with fir and pine trees.
Flossy had been lying with his nose on his paws, sleepily watchinghis little mistresses at their play; but soon he suddenly started upwith an angry bark, and was about to rush out of the dairy as if hewere going to give chase to something, when Maggie caught him up.
"No, no, Flossy," she said, "you are not going after those poor littlerabbits again. No, no, sir; be quiet; I shall not let you go, so youneed not struggle so, or be so angry. There, that's a good Flossy."
But Flossy was not good, or at least, would not be quiet, and for amoment continued to struggle to free himself from Maggie's hold, andto give short, sharp barks as if he were displeased.
"It's not the rabbits he's after when he barks that way," said Fannie."He thinks he has seen or heard somebody about;" and, going to thedoor, she looked around, up the glen and down the path leading to thehouse. "There's no one here," she said. "What ails you, little doggie?Did you think you heard some one who had no right to be here?"
At last Flossy was persuaded to be quiet, with the exception of a lowgrumbling "woof" now and then, as if he still thought his wrongs toogreat to be borne; and the children returned to their butter.
"Oh, Fannie," said Bessie, "you forgot to give us anything to put ourbutter rolls in when they are made."
"So I did," said Fanny; "and here are my hands in this cream cheese,and I cannot reach a bowl for you. See, take this milk pan that standson the floor, Maggie. It is rather large, to be sure, but it will dofor this time; and there is a dipper to pour the water in it."
"Bring the dipper for yourself, and give me my cup for myself," saidBessie, "and then we can both dip the water."
Maggie brought the pan and the dipper, and then went for the silvercup, but it was not where she expected to find it.
"Why Fanny," she said, "where's Bessie's cup? I thought you put itright here."
"So I did," said Fanny. "I stood it just there by the window."
"It's not there now," said Maggie, standing on tip-toe that she mightsee over the shelf.
"It must be, child; no one has been here to touch it," said Fanny,leaving her cream cheese and coming to see for herself. "Why, wherecan it be? I certainly put it just here, opposite the window, but notso near that it need have fallen out. But we'll go round and look."
And out all three went, going round to the back of the dairy, andhunting among the stones and bushes there.
"No, it is not here," said Fannie; "and I didn't see how it could havefallen out without hands to help it. Oh!" as her quick eye, trained tonotice the smallest sign, or change which took place in this mountaincountry, saw where the moss upon the grey rocks had been torn off asthough some one had slid over it. "Oh, some one _has_ been here. Oh,Flossy did not bark for nothing. Some one has been here behind therocks, and when my back was turned, has climbed over, and snatched thecup. What shall I do?"
And Fanny turned first red, then white, fearing that she might beblamed for the loss of the cup; then scrambled upon the rocks to seeif she could find any trace of the thief. Two figures were in sight;the one that of a man with a pack on his back, who was trudging alongthe road between the mountain and the lake, going as if he were in ahurry too; the other that of a boy who was climbing up the steep andrugged path which led to the "Chief's Head."
Fanny took little notice of the former, though he was the nearer ofthe two; but shading her eyes with her hand, gazed up the mountainside after the boy.
"It's Lem Owen," she exclaimed in an excited tone. "I might have knownit. He has taken it. There's nobody else hereabouts who would do sucha thing."
Distressed at the loss of her beloved cup, startled at the thoughtthat Lem had been so near them, and still more frightened by Fanny'sexcitement, Bessie burst into a loud passionate cry.
"Oh! make him give it back," she said. "It's mine; it's my very owncup that Aunt Bessie gave me. I _will_ have it; the bad, bad boy. Oh!make him give it back, Fanny."
Maggie threw her arms about her, and she, too, burst into tears.
"Come, we'll send some one after him," said Fanny, springing down fromthe rocks and forgetting her open dairy; leaving butter, cream cheese,all, just as it stood, she seized a hand of each frightened child, andthey ran towards the house as fast as Bessie's small feet could go.
Mrs. Bradford was not a little startled when they rushed in upon her,all three excited and out of breath; and Bessie sprang into her armswith another outbreak of cries and exclamations.
As soon as they discovered the cause of the trouble, Mr. Bradford,Mr. Stanton, and Mr. Porter's oldest son started for the "Chief'sHead" to see if they could find the supposed thief and recover thelost cup.