Didactic fiction; Dogs -- Juvenile fiction; Girls -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Orphans -- Juvenile fiction
Miss Carew gazed at her, frankly puzzled. Who was Dick? and who was
this funny little maid with the brown skin, brown hair, golden brown
eyes, the shabby brown frock, and battered old hat?
"Are you a young relative of Mrs. Perry?" she asked, gently.
Huldah blushed again, and the laughter died out of her eyes.
"No, miss; I aint nobody's relative, I haven't got nobody but Dick."
"Is Dick your brother?"
"No, miss, he's only a dog; but he's ever such a good dog," eagerly.
"He's so clever, there's nothing he can't do. He's at home with Mrs.
Perry now, to keep her company while I'm gone, 'cause she's nervous
after last night."
"I see," said Miss Carew, thoughtfully. "I am very glad she has Dick
to take care of her. Tell her I will come to see her this morning,
will you? and wait a moment, I must give you something for Dick, as a
reward for his care last night."
Miss Rose opened the door near which they had been standing, and
disclosed a large wide, slate-paved passage, with large, cool-looking
slate slabs on each side. After the glare and heat outside, the
slates looked cool and restful to the eye. At the other end of the
passage a door stood open, and through it Huldah could see a big
bright kitchen, with a snowy table standing in the middle of the blue
slate floor, and a window beyond, festooned with green creepers and
roses.
"Dinah, I want something nice for a brave dog," said Miss Rose.
"Have you got a bone with something on it?"
Dinah produced a leg of mutton bone and some cold pudding.
Huldah's eyes gleamed, as she thought of Dick's delight.
Two bones in two days! He had never before known such a wonderful
time. Miss Rose added two large dog biscuits. "Those will come in
for his supper," she said.
Huldah took the parcel with a joy she did not attempt to conceal.
In her pleasure she lost her shyness. "Oh, miss!" she exclaimed,
"I wish you could be there to see Dick when he knows the bone is for
him!"
"I wish I could, but don't keep him waiting, poor doggie!"
It was not until she put out her hand to take the parcel for Dick
that Huldah remembered the basket which she had brought with her to
sell, and which she had been holding all this time. Now, though,
when she did remember it, she could not bring herself to offer it for
sale. Indeed, she longed to give it to pretty, kind Miss Rose.
Miss Rose, though, settled the matter for her. "What a sweetly
pretty basket!" she exclaimed. She had noticed it in Huldah's hands,
and been attracted by its prettiness. "It is too dainty to put that
clumsy parcel into. Isn't it a new one?"
"Yes, miss; I--I made it," stammered Huldah, shyly.
"Did you really? What a clever little girl! Do you make them to
sell?" She had begun to understand the situation.
"Yes, miss; but I--I--"
"Will you make one for me? I should very much like to have one; I am
always needing baskets. What do they cost?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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