CHAPTER VIII.
THE WATER-KELPIE.
It was nearly time for vacation. As the children were to start on thenext Monday for Willow-brook, their mother allowed them to spend theirlast Wednesday afternoon with their cousin Florence. It fell to Prudy'slot to dress her little sister.
"I'm ever so glad," said Dotty, "that the barber snipped off my_kyurls_. Don't you think I do look like a boy, now, Prudy? You may callme Tommy, if you want to; I'm willin'."
"There, now," she exclaimed, when her toilet was made, "say me mylesson; please to, Prudy."
"O, I forgot all about that" replied the little teacher, uneasily. "Susy'll be done practising in half an hour, and I thought I'd just have timeto make my doll's boots,--finish them, I mean. Can't you wait tillSaturday, Dotty?"
"O, my suz, Prudy Parlin! When I get to be a great sister to you, Iwon't treat you so. I want to get my letters all smooth doneto-day,--don't want to wait till Sat'day."
At any other time Prudy would have been gratified to see Dotty show somuch eagerness.
"Be kind to thy sister," hummed the gentle little teacher. "Yes, Iwill. I'm always glad after I've been kind. Nothing makes me love Dottyso well as to try to please her!"
"Now," said she, calling her school to order, "you've learned as far asS, which I think is doing finely, all alone, with nobody to help us.This next letter stands, you see, for a _top_. What is it we drink outof cups?"
"I don't get anything but milk, and that's in a mug," replied Dotty inan injured tone.
"But what does mother drink? Now think."
Dotty eyed the letter sharply. "Why, mamma drinks coffee sometimes, andit has grounds; but they don't look like that thing, the grounds don't!Why, that thing looks like a spade, with the teeth out, wrong side up."
"You mean a _rake_" laughed Prudy. "Well, dear, this is T."
When Dotty came to X, she declared it stood "for your thumb. Susy saidso, and it was in the music-book."
Now came an hour of triumph for the little pupil. Her mother was bothsurprised and delighted to hear that her youngest daughter knew all herletters.
"She can say them skipping about," said Prudy, "and can spell a fewlittle words, too."
"C, a, t, cat, d, o, g, Zip," laughed Dotty, showing her deepestdimples, and frisking about the room.
"My dear little ones," said Mrs. Parlin, kissing both the children, "Iam really very much gratified. Both teacher and pupil have shown a greatdeal of patience and perseverance."
These words from her beloved mother were most precious to Prudy. Dotty,though she did not know what was meant by patience and perseverance,presumed it was something fine, and laughed and danced in great glee.
Nothing remarkable happened during the visit to Florence Eastman, exceptthat Miss Dimple and Johnny were found running off the track of theupper railroad just one second after the engine started. Everybody wasvery much frightened when it was all safely over. But Dotty said,--
"O, my suz! Me an' Johnny has done that a hundred and a milliontimes--hasn't we, Johnny? We wait till the injin w'istles, then we runon to the platform--don't we, Johnny?"
It came out after a while, that these reckless children had also been inthe habit of crossing pins on the track, to make "scissors," the weightof the cars pressing the two pins into a solid _x_.
"I still tremble," said Mrs. Eastman, with white lips. "This AliceParlin is the most daring little creature I ever saw, more harum-scarumthan ever Susy was."
Prudy was Mrs. Eastman's pet. "Prudy," she said, "was a natural lady:the other two were romps."
The next Monday Mrs. Parlin and the three children started forWillow-brook. Dotty wished to take her sweet Pusheen and her darlingZip; but it was decided that Pusheen must stay at home, and help keephouse.
"Be a good kitty," said her little mistress, embracing her, "and eat allthe mice in the mouse-chamber, 'fore they grow up _rats_!"
But Zip was allowed to go to Willow-brook; and Dotty watched him all theway, scarcely allowing him to stir from the seat beside her.
"No," said she, holding him firmly by both ears; "Dotty'd be glad to letyou get down, but she doesn't think it's best. You is only a doggie, andyou'd get runned over and die. So now, Zippy, you'll have to give up,and it's no use to bark."
But Zip, having the spirit of a dog, _would_ bark.
The whole party reached Willow-brook in safety, and had a joyfulwelcome.
"Prudy, my aunt Louise is the handsomest lady there is in this world,"said Dotty, privately.
"O, Dotty, how can you think so," exclaimed Prudy, "when there's onlyone woman can be THAT!"
"Who's _she_?"
"Mother, _of course_!"
When Dotty was called to supper, she was found beside Pincher's greengrave, telling her "brother Zip" the story of that dog's death, andtrying to impress upon his mind the importance of keeping his paws outof fox-traps.
It was delightful to be at grandma Parlin's once more. The summer-house,the seat in the tree, and the swing, were all in their old places, andhad been waiting a whole year for the children. A few things had beenadded: a hennery,--called by Dotty "a henpeckery"--and a graceful whiteboat, named the Water-Kelpie. This boat was kept chained to a stake onthe bank, and no one could have a sail in it without first obtaining thekey, which hung over the bird-cage, in the back parlor.
Susy was charmed with the boat. It was lighter and nicer than the oldcanoe, which had so long been used by the family. She and Lonnie Adams,her aunt Martha's nephew, took daily lessons in rowing; but Susy, whohad for years been accustomed to the water, knew how to manage a boatfar better than did Master Lonnie. The boy strained every nerve, to verylittle purpose, while Susy would lightly dip in the paddle, and turn itwith perfect ease.
"I don't care," said Lonnie; "guess you can't drive a nail any betterthan I can, Susy Parlin, and I can row her some, anyhow. Now, Abner,can't I row her?"
"Yes, my boy, I think I've heard you _roar_," replied Abner, with aprovoking smile.
"Well, can't I row her this way?"
"Middlin' well," returned Abner, cautiously; "but little Sue, here, isthe water-man for me."
Susy's cheeks glowed, and there was a proud flash in her eyes as theymet Lonnie's. At that moment she felt equal to the task of steering aship across the Atlantic Ocean.
Not long after this praise from Abner, aunt Martha said that she andMaster Lonnie were going over the river, after some wild-flower roots,and would be glad to have the boat sent for them at five o'clock.
"Mayn't I be the one to go?" asked Susy.
"If you like," replied the grandmother; "that is, if Abner is willing."
Susy knew perfectly well that her grandmother had no idea of allowingher to go alone; but it so happened, when she reached the river-bankwith the boat-key, that Abner was nowhere to be seen.
"Seems to me," thought Susy, "Abner is generally somewhere else."
"Where you goin', all alone, 'thout me?" cried Dotty Dimple, from thetop of the bank.
"You here? What did you come for?" said Susy.
For answer, Dotty took a pair of rubber overshoes out of Zip's mouth.
"Grandma says to put 'em right on, or you'll catch the hookin' cough;the boat's wet."
"There, now," said Susy, putting on the rubbers, "I've forgot the basketfor those Jack-in-the-pulpit roots. Didn't grandma send it up?"
"No, she sended up _me_," replied Dotty; adding, quickly, "and I'm goin'where you go, you know; and if you don't go anywhere, I'm goin' there,too."
"That's just the way it is with you, Dotty Dimple; always coming when Idon't expect you."
"Prudy coaxed me to," said Dotty, with one of her sweetest smiles anddeepest dimples.
"Coaxed you?"
"Well," faltered Dotty, "she wanted to come her own self. She said shewished I'd stay to home,--so, _of course_ I camed!"
"I'll tell you how it is," said Susy, thoughtfully. "That queer oldAbner's nowhere to be seen. I suppose he's in the cornfield, or themeadow,
or the barn. It's after five; and what will aunt Martha think? Icould row across the river well enough by myself, if you'd only runhome; you're _such_ a bother!"
"O, my darlin' sister Susy! I won't do nothin' but just sit still. Who'syour precious comfort?"
"Well, I don't know but I'll take you, then. Come, little Miss Trouble,jump into the boat."
So Dotty Dimple, being what Mr. Allen had called a "child-queen," hadher own way, as usual.
"Why, where's the paddles?" said Susy. "The men must have hid them.Dear me, I can't stop to hunt; and here it is five o'clock long ago! O,I'll take this good smooth shingle, I declare! I guess it washed ashoreon purpose; it's almost equal to a paddle.--Now we'll go, all so nice,"continued Susy, fearlessly dipping the chance-found shingle into thewater.
"O, my suz," said Dotty, clapping her hands, which had any amount ofdimples on the backs; "we're goin'!"
"Of course we're going!" said Susy, proudly. "What did you expect? I cando five times as well with a shingle as Lonnie can with a paddle. Whatdo you suppose aunt Martha'll say? 'Bravo! those are smart children, tobe rowing all alone, by themselves'!"
"O, Susy, what a hubble-bubble we make in the water! Look at the bubbleswinkin' their eyes! See those pretty wrinkles, all puckered up in thewater!"
"I see them," said Susy, steadily plying her shingle; "but why don't yousit still? You'll tip us both over, as sure as this world; and if we getdrowned I guess grandma'll scold! I shall be the one to have all theblame."
"O, dear," said Dotty, reeling about from side to side, "the boat'sdizzy! My head's goin' to tip into the water. But don't you cry, Susy;you catch hold of me, and I shan't go!"
Susy was suddenly seized with mortal terror.
"Dotty Parlin, I'll never take you anywhere again, as long as I live!You sit as still as ever you can, and fold your hands; fold them both!"
Dotty obeyed at once, and sat up quite straight, looking very sweet, andat the same time slightly acid, like a stick of lemon-candy. The WaterKelpie, now that Dotty was quiet, floated on, safely and surely, towardsthe opposite shore.
It was a pretty picture--the white boat, the graceful children, and thestill, blue water. Susy's fair arms were bared to the elbows, and herface was deeply flushed. Dotty's beautiful eyes danced, but she herselfwas motionless and demure.
When they landed, Susy called aloud for her aunt Martha to come andsecure the boat. Her voice echoed from afar, waking "the sleep of thehills," but no aunt Martha appeared. The children clambered out at last,and Susy chained the boat to a stick, which she drove into the sand. Butthe sand was light, and the boat was heavy, and the current strong; sobefore the children had walked a dozen rods, the Water-Kelpie wasfloating down stream of its own free will.
Thus it happened that although aunt Martha was certainly surprised, shedid not seem very much pleased. She did not say, "Bravo! my two niecesare smart children, to be rowing all alone by themselves." Nothing ofthe sort. She reproved Susy for her rash conduct, and sent her andLonnie around two miles, by the bridge, to ask Abner to come for themwith the canoe.
Lonnie was very much comforted when he saw that Susy received no praise.
"I can row her myself," said he; "but I wouldn't put Dotty in, and mostdrown her, and dab along with that shingle."
The runaway Water-Kelpie was caught a little way below the bridge, andAbner slyly laid by the dripping shingle, and afterwards showed it toeverybody, as a proof that "our Sue was an amazin' smart little waterman."
This famous boat-ride only had the effect to make Dotty Dimple morefearless than ever; but her next adventure on the water proved somewhatserious.