Lydia of the Pines

deepest, the fruitage

i

would. Nevertheless, with the feeling that something was owing to the baby, she d

at breakfast, "if baby and I ha

"that cottage of John Levine's is right on the shore." He spok

Amos had a vague sense of discomfort, as if somehow, he were not playing the game quite fairly. He

each of you. Don't be la

cheeks redder than usual, smiled at Lizzie, as she dropped the pennies into the po

est old Daddy!"

hird cup of coffee. "Lydia, that dress of yours is real dir

of anything else t

cept my Su

alatea dresses for when school opens, but land-your poor mother was such a hand with the needle, you used to look a perfect picture. There," warned by the sudden droop of Lydia's mouth

ittle Patience, gulping

t Emily would have had more sense than to send all those grow

always thoughtless about charity. Why I wasn't taught to sew, I d

to untie the baby's bib. "I'm practising on Florence Dombey. Mother had

," repeated th

Lydia to her. "There, dearie! Think about other t

d comfort to me, Lizzie," she said with a sigh. Then after a moment she exclaimed, e

o steal it. But maybe you might dust up t

rged with the dustpan heaped with sweepings and the corners of the room still untouched. She hung the coats and hats in the entry and rubbed off the top of the table with her winter Tam o' Shanter, from which the

n the two presented themselves to Lizzie in the kitchen t

the baby carriage down over the steps for me, Li

bits of cigar box and the knife packed in a pasteboard box were tied to one edge of the carriage. Patience's milk, packed in a tin pail o

cross a marsh, high-grown now with ripening cat-tails. Having safely crossed the marsh, the walk ended in a gra

on the oc

You are getti

n the rol

scattered

ds their re

wish I had

!" came a shout from behind her. A boy in a

Kent!" s

ned Kent. "Wait and I'll

arreled a great deal. He was a handsome boy, two years Lydia's senior; not tall for his years, but already broad and sturdy, with crinkly black hair and clear, black-lashed brown eyes. His face

illows all day," said Lydia

horsy!" screame

he procession was off, the perambulator bounding madly after the bicycle, whil

e shore. The water there lapped quietly on a sand

your cargo!

y," said Lydia. "

hen I won't p

ty. I was going to give yo

Say, I guess I'll go home and get mother to

se to be chief fir

and baby's the stole

t, looting of great ships and burial of treasure, transformed the quiet shore to a theater of high crime. At last, as the August noon waxed hi

re which if you will allow me to go after in my trusty boat, I will get and brin

irate. "How do I kno

ave my word of honor which never

gesture toward the bicycle, "and, say Kent, bring plenty to fil

uilding rose above soft billows of green tree tops. Up the shore, woods crowned the gentle slopes of the hills. Across the lake lay a dim green shore-line of fields. Lydia gave a deep sigh. The beauty of the lake shore always stirred in her a wordless ecstasy. She waded slowly to her waist into

stroke that a man twice her size would have envied. But it must be noted that she did not get out of eye and ear shot of the peramb

nd was giving little Patience her bread an

managed to get some sandwiches and doughnuts.

in the sand by the perambulator was a

id Kent, beginning to

so old and thin that Lydia was horrified. Toothless, her black hair streaked with gray, her calico dress u

mouth, while her sunken black eye

ked up and began to

ou old rip!

the squaw, a certain

in from the reserv

nd for the children's inspection. "No eats, a

ed! Let's give her some of

rned Kent. "Dirty, lazy

, we'd have enough

ugh for yourself. Get out o

her fingers through her damp curls, and sighed. Then she gave little Patience her share of the bread and butter and a cooky. She l

f mine, if you give y

any, pig!" r

at painfully. She said something to Lydia in Indian, and then to the children's surprise, she bundled

t back to some

ing," sa

would be a good thing if they we

ather don't know ever

ho had finished her lunch a

in her wet bathing suit. Her damp curls, clinging to her head and her eyes a little heavy with heat and weariness after her

eat this sandwich. Mother made m

a meekly. "What do you wa

eplied Kent promptly

id

recognized Kent's advantage and

bbreviated bathing su

heading for, ba

reamed Patience, t

ll. Look at the duds on her. S

ience," answered Lydia, "so I

n immaculate white sailor suit, who approached pushing a doll buggy large enough to hold Patie

ardy tum!" ch

se before Lydia and Kent and gazed at them appraisingly out of bright black eyes-beautiful eyes, large and heavily lashed. Kent's face was dirty and sweat streaked. His red bathing

rently, to Margery, "do

her shoulders.

to play it?"

you two while I sit with the baby. Isn

! How's Gwendolyn?" nodding toward the great bisque doll seated

said Kent. "Florence is some old sport

r of "play and pretend" was on her, capable of the most astonishing cruelties. During the game of pirates, Florence Dombey h

and get Smith's flat boat. We'll anchor it out from the shore, and that'll be the wreck. We'll swim

best we've thought of yet. I'll be c

succumbed, and began to grovel in the sand with the other two. She was allowed to come in as Friday's father, and baby Patience, panting at her work of scratching the san

aned Kent, at last. "I'll tell you, let

ed up in a boat," prot

Patience, toddling to the water's e

a love!" si

ll bring the boat in and get you, then we'll anchor it out where it is now, and

n't be such a 'fraid cat. That's why us kids don'

to other children, carefully cultivated by her mother, was the very breath of her nostrils, she had nev

m just as dirty as Lydia is.

boat lengths from the shore and the great stone that served for anchor was dropped over. Kent took a

. Baby turn, t

said Lydia, diving into the water as ca

is awful boat alone

shore, then turned. Margery

Sit down!"

th fear, tossed her arms,

hoking cry as Margery's black br

ke like tiny propellers. Margery came up on the far side of the boat and uttered another choking cry before she went down again. Lydia dived, caught the long black braid and brought the

Turn over on your back. There

a towed her the short distance to th

g to the gunwale, Marg

the boat," panted Lydia

fe. There

rd the call and some note of need in it registered, after a

lled Margery bodily over the gunwale. The child, sic

l right, Ly

, who was beginning t

nute to ground the boat

, the two children look

rg

r her mother

th! She isn't hurt a

ying. You're all

ce's carriage, and carry her home. The water she swa

adventure, with an added sense of

atience's tears were assuaged when she was placed in the doll buggy, with Margery's doll in her arms. Florence Dombey was tied papoose fashion

ill shivering and inclined to sob. Other children followed them and it was quite an imposing group

lf the mothers of the neighborhood into the yard. The doctor was sent for. Margery was put to bed and Kent and Lydia were me

and Kent disappeared after Mrs. Marshall had told him that M

Lizzie, holding Patience on one

upstairs," said a ne

's way,

or saving the child. Come home with your old Liz, deari

o Amos at suppertime.

ver to endanger a child that can't swim.

to the child's eyes. Sh

t I forbid your playing in the water?

y," exclaimed old Lizzie. "I won't

in. He was a short, red-faced man with black hair and eyes. He was too much

dley. These wild y

ought with him from New England. "Margery is all right, so we can go over

nd crowded up against

s holding

e going to play by ourselves under the willows. T

laying with the boys?"

oes play with other boys, but when they aren't round, he and I play pirates. And th

bbed her curly yellow head with her t

l's voice was softening, as Amos had known it would. Ly

all you told me,

ale. But when we got to playing Robinson Crusoe, and were digging the cave she helped and got terrible dirty, just like us, and then she wanted to be Friday's father, and then-well-now-I guess the rest of it was Kent's and my

How'd all the rest of you learn? Don't you

er learned. We've just played in the water ever since we was as big as baby. She'll be swimming by the time she's

Amos, who sat with his arm about Lydia, his thin face a lesser repl

w'd she come to

Kent he'd gone to get another boat. And Margery she jumped up and began to yell and wave her arms and fell overboard. Then I remembered she couldn't swim

Patience. "I'll take her up to bed," sh

y her," sa

er eyes. "No, no

carry you,"

ce rose to a wail. "N

polite," sniffed Lydia, "

her soft cheek against Lydia's and closed her eyes agai

Marshall, and maybe you fee

o bed," said Marshall gra

he room for a moment a

glad to do anythin

y, I knew her when she was my niece's hired girl and you, Dave Marshall, was selling cans of tomatoes over a counter. And she's br

the supper dishes, talking in a whisper to herself. She paused once in fron

d look at her to-night, and mind well what I mean when I say you know as well as I that children like Lyd

s that ably expressed her frame of mind. Above the clatter and down

me no gau

rom simpl

rom the l

e summer

The last of the sunset glow caught her hair, and the fine set of her head on her square

I guess I deserve one and so you'd bet