Dogtown: Being Some Chapters from the Annals of the Waddles Family Set Down in the Language of HousepeopleWright, Mabel Osgood
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Dogtown: Being Some Chapters from the Annals of the Waddles Family Set Down in the Language of Housepeople
Wright, Mabel Osgood
Dogs -- Juvenile fiction
“I could manage the clothes, I think,” said Miss Letty, shyly. “I’ve
got plenty of pocket money, for there is nothing to buy about here; the
bonbons are atrocious--all made of glue. I could ask her to make me jam
in exchange. You see she makes four kinds from wild fruit, and I adore
jam.” In some things Letty was younger than Anne.
“But when you have finished your visit and gone back to France, what
about her clothes then?” persisted Mr. Hugh, not realizing that he was
teasing her.
“I forgot,” was all she said, but her head drooped, for Miss Letty was
warm-hearted, but not altogether practical; but few people are at
eighteen.
In a moment, however, she redeemed herself by saying suddenly, looking
ahead as if speaking of something she saw, “I have it, Miss Elsa said
that you were going to build a small house somewhere on the new land,
where you and your friends could build a fire in cold weather, and cook
supper or have afternoon tea, and that you would keep a man in it to
protect the game.”
“Yes, I’m going to build at once, for every bird and flower will be
killed or carried away if I do not take care; but if the land is
protected, I am more than willing to have the villagers use it for
their outings, say two days a week in summer time.”
“The very thing,” continued Letty, growing more earnest, “cut through
the lane from road to road, and make a new street in Dogtown, then put
a gate in the middle; that will be by the Herb Witch’s old house. Make
the house warm and snug, clear out the old garden paths, and then use
it for a gate-house. Let the game protector man live there as company
for Mrs. Carr, and make her the gate-keeper. In France the gate-keepers
at many estates are the old women. Then such pay as you may give her
can be eked out by allowing her to sell tea and bread, jam and cookies
to the picnickers, and she can always cook your supper when you wish.
That kitchen with the wide chimney would make a charming room. I can
see it now with blue and white paper and dark furniture. She would be
independent too, poor soul. You know what Anne said about the dead tree
and Robin Hood’s barn? Bien--let us call the house _Robin Hood’s Inn_,
because it sheltered us when we were on the way to nowhere.”
“Good work,” cried Mr. Hugh, clapping his hands so enthusiastically
that he nearly dropped the reins, and Artful took another skirmish.
“If all is satisfactory when I go up there to-morrow I will begin work
next Monday. Do you know, I’m awfully obliged to you, Miss Letty. I’m a
slow fellow for thinking out things, and two heads are better than one,
though this idea came from only one, and that’s yours. Hullo, where are
we going?” For in their eagerness they had passed the Hill Farm and
were spinning down hill.
When they had turned back, Miss Jule met them at the gate, saying,
“All’s well that ends well; but I was afraid just now that Artful was
running away.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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