Mary Ware in TexasJohnston, Annie F. (Annie Fellows)
General
Mary Ware in Texas
Johnston, Annie F. (Annie Fellows)
Texas -- Juvenile fiction; Young women -- Juvenile fiction
Mary's face glowed as she shook back the hair which the wind kept
blowing into her eyes. "That's perfectly fascinating!" she declared.
"There's something beautiful to me in the thought that the little town
we've come to lies between two such guardians. It's a good omen, and I'm
not sorry now that we had to come."
She stayed perched on the windmill, enjoying the view and eating her
sandwiches until Norman called her that the wash-water was boiling over
on the stove. Then she climbed nimbly down and started towards the
kitchen door. The kitchen was in an ell of the house, and from its front
window she could see the road which ran in front of the house. Just
across it, half hidden by a row of bushy umbrella trees, stood two
little blue cottages. They were within easy calling distance, and the
voices of half a dozen children at play came cheerfully across to her.
Although they spoke in a foreign tongue the chatter gave her a sense of
companionship.
"Norman," she suddenly suggested, "let's stay here to-night, instead of
going to the boarding-house as mamma and Mrs. Barnaby arranged. I'm not
afraid with neighbors so near, and I'm sure mamma wouldn't care if she
could see how quiet and peaceful it is here. We'd be saving
considerable--a night's lodging for two, and we can make this real
comfortable and homey by bedtime."
With the promise of hot biscuit and honey for supper Norman agreed to
her plan. He was to call at the boarding-house and cancel the
arrangements Mrs. Barnaby had made for them, when he went for the milk
which Mr. Metz had promised to sell them. It was from the Metz bee-hives
they were to have the honey, too. She had engaged it as a special treat
for Jack.
Under her direction Norman fell to work making a kitchen cabinet out of
two old boxes, while she scrubbed away at the chairs and tables.
"Isn't it funny the way history repeats itself?" she remarked. "This
makes me think of the time that Joyce and Jack had getting settled in
the Wigwam. I felt so defrauded then because I couldn't have a hand in
it, and this seems a sort of compensation for what I missed then."
The exercise seemed to loosen her tongue, for as she worked she went on,
"I'm truly glad that I can enjoy both the top and bottom crusts of
things. Nobody, I am sure, could have squeezed more pleasure out of this
last week than I did. I fairly revelled in all the luxuries we had as
Mr. Robeson's guests. It comes so easy to be waited on and to be the
fine lady. And on the other hand, it is a real joy to be working this
way, blacking stoves and filling lamps and making things look spick and
span. I can spend like a lord and I can skimp like a scrubwoman, and I
really don't know which I enjoy most."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account