Farm life -- Indiana -- Fiction; Indiana -- Fiction; Sex role -- Fiction
The baby had a good, formal name, but no one ever used it. Adam, on
first lifting the blanket, had fancied the child resembled its mother
and had called her "Little Poll." The name clung to her. Kate could
not call such a tiny morsel either Kate or Katherine; she liked "Little
Poll," better. The baby had three regular visitors. One was her
father. He was not fond of Kate; Little Poll suited him. He expressed
his feeling by bringing gifts of toys, candy, and unsuitable clothes.
Kate kept these things in evidence when she saw him coming and swept
them from sight when he went; for she had the good sense not to
antagonize him. Nancy Ellen came almost every day, proudly driving her
new car, and with the light of a new joy on her face. She never said
anything to Kate, but Kate knew what had happened. Nancy Ellen came to
see the baby. She brought it lovely and delicate little shoes,
embroidered dresses and hoods, cloaks and blankets. One day as she sat
holding it she said to Kate: "Isn't the baby a dreadful bother to you?
You're not getting half your usual work done."
"No, I'm doing UNUSUAL work," said Kate, lightly. "Adam is hiring a
man who does my work very well in the fields; there isn't money that
would hire me to let any one else take my job indoors, right now."
A slow red crept into Nancy Ellen's cheeks. She had meant to be
diplomatic, but diplomacy never worked well with Kate. As Nancy Ellen
often said, Kate understood a sledge-hammer better. Nancy Ellen used
the hammer. Her face flushed, her arms closed tightly. "Give me this
baby," she demanded.
Kate looked at her in helpless amazement.
"Give it to me," repeated Nancy Ellen.
"She's a gift to me," said Kate, slowly. "One the Peters family are
searching heaven and earth to find an excuse to take from me. I hear
they've been to a lawyer twice, already. I wouldn't give her up to
save my soul alive, for myself; for you, if I would let you have her,
they would not leave you in possession a day."
"Are they really trying to get her?" asked Nancy Ellen, slowly
loosening her grip.
"They are," said Kate. "They sent a lawyer to get a copy of the
papers, to see if they could pick a flaw in them."
"Can they?" cried Nancy Ellen.
"God knows!" said Kate, slowly. "I HOPE not. Mr. Thomlins is the best
lawyer in Hartley; he says not. He says Henry put his neck in the
noose when he signed the papers. The only chance I can see for him
would be to plead undue influence. When you look at her, you can't
blame him for wanting her. I've two hopes. One that his mother will
not want the extra work; the other that the next girl he selects will
not want the baby. If I can keep them going a few months more with a
teething scare, I hope they will get over wanting her."
"If they do, then may we have her?" asked Nancy Ellen.
Kate threw out her hands. "Take my eyes, or my hands, or my feet," she
said; "but leave me my heart."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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