A Sweet Little Maid

  CHAPTER VIII

  Adrift

  During this time Mr. Atkinson was not forgotten, and the two littlegirls spent many a happy morning in his beautiful garden, for even thesmall house which Mr. Dallas had built for Dimple, was not proof againstthe attractions Mr. Atkinson's place had to offer. They were careful notto venture beyond bounds, and kept in the walks and on the porches, butone hot day they wandered down to where a fence marked the limits of theplace in that direction. Then came a steep bank sloping down to Big Runwhich, a little further on, emptied into the river.

  It was a wild, romantic spot and full of charm for the two little girlswhose fancies pictured all sorts of possible things. The hollows, in thescraggy willows bending over the stream, might be the hiding-places ofnymphs or fairies; yonder soft sward dotted with buttercups and daisies,might be the favorite spot for a midnight revel; among those rocksqueer little gnomes might live. Florence was especially struck with itall. She had never been quite so near to such a picturesque spot, andnow nothing would do but that they should climb the fence and explorefurther.

  "There isn't a soul anywhere to be seen," said Florence, "and it will beperfectly safe."

  "Suppose we should meet a fierce dog," Dimple, a little more cautious,suggested.

  "Oh, no, we're not likely to at all. Dogs are not going to such a placeas that, at least, I don't think so. It would be perfectly fine to goout on one of those willow trees, and hang our feet over the water."

  "Suppose we should slip and fall in."

  "Oh, we'll be careful; besides the branches of the trees hang so farover the stream that we couldn't fall very far, anyhow, and it is veryshallow there. We'll only get a wetting and it's such a hot day Ishouldn't mind if we did. If we should sit there very quietly we mightsee fairies."

  "Do you believe there are fairies, really?"

  "Why, yes,--I'm not sure. There may be, you know. Wouldn't it be funnyto see a tiny little being, in a red cloak or a spun-silver robe, comeout from the hollow of a tree and say, 'Maiden, your wish shall begranted'?"

  "What wish?"

  "Any wish we happen to be making at the time. Come on, Dimple, I am justcrazy to go." And Florence put her foot on the fence and was soon over,Dimple following.

  It was not so easy as it seemed, to get out on the trees, and theydecided not to attempt it, but thought they would wander along the brinkof the stream, and in doing this they discovered all sorts of wonderfulthings in what Florence called the Fairy Dell: moss-grown rocks fromwhich sprung tiny bell-shaped flowers; a circle of wee pink toadstools,which indeed seemed fit for the elfin folk; a wild grapevine with a mostdelightfully arranged swing on which the two girls "teetered" away ingreat joy; shining pebbles, bits of rose-colored quartz, a forest ofplumy ferns, and all such like things, over which the city childexclaimed and marveled.

  At last they were obliged to cross a little bridge, for the bank becamehigher and higher on that side, and a little further walking showedthem the river.

  "Oh!" Florence exclaimed. "Isn't this fine? I wish we could go outrowing. See those girls over there by that funny flat sort of boat. Theyare going to get on it. Come, let us go down and watch them."

  They clambered down and were soon on the brink of the river. Two orthree girls, much older than Dimple and Florence, were pulling a smallflat barge up on the sands. One of the girls recognized Dimple. "Hallo,Eleanor," she cried. "Where did you come from? Don't you want to get onwith us?"

  "Oh, do let us," whispered Florence.

  "Are you going out on the river?" asked Dimple.

  "No, we are only going to get on this flat boat, and sit here where wecan get the breeze, and maybe we will fish. We brought some tackle alongwith us. Come, give me your hand. There, you are landed. Come, littlegirl, there is plenty of room." She held out her hand to Florence, whoeagerly accepted the invitation, and was soon by her cousin's side.

  "Isn't it nice?" said Dimple.

  "Fine," Florence responded, heartily, as she sat down in the bottom ofthe boat.

  "It's rather sunny, though," Dimple remarked.

  "Oh, you mustn't mind that. We're going to fish. Don't you want to tryyour luck?"

  Dimple looked rather disgustedly at the can of angle-worms and decidedthat she would look on.

  "What are you going to do, Libbie?" Dimple's acquaintance inquired ofone of the other girls.

  "I'm going to try to get the boat out where it will float. It's such funto have it bob up and down," replied the girl addressed. She had a longpole and was pushing the boat off from the shore. It was fastened to astake, so it could only career around a little, and Dimple's friendCallie Spear assured the little girls that it was perfectly secure, andso they gave themselves up to their enjoyment.

  Both Florence and Dimple felt very proud of being invited to join thiscompany of older girls; and, while the latter amused themselves byfishing, the two little ones set afloat small chips, freighted with thedaisies they had gathered, and wondered how far they could go beforethey should upset.

  "Wouldn't it be funny if they sailed all the way to the ocean and wereseen by the people on one of the big steamers. They would wonder how inthe world the daisy people got out so far." Florence said this as shewas watching a chip rapidly drifting down stream. Suddenly she becameaware that the shore was further away than she supposed, and she cried,"Oh, how wide the water is! See how far it is to the shore."

  The other girls looked up, startled, and to their dismay discovered thattheir boat had slipped its moorings and was fast drifting down theriver, nearer and nearer to the current of midstream. They looked ateach other with scared faces, but they did not want to alarm the littlegirls, and so Callie said, with a forced laugh: "Oh, that's all right.We'll get in easily enough. Some one will see us from the shore, or aboat will come along that can tow us in. It's rather fun to have alittle adventure." However, she eagerly scanned the shore and thewater; but no help seemed to be near, and the boat was drifting on andon.

  Dimple realized that they were moving further and further away fromhome, as she saw the objects on the shore grow smaller and smaller. Thebig tears began to gather in her eyes.

  "Don't cry, dear," said Callie, soothingly. "We'll get home all right."

  "But suppose we shouldn't. Suppose we should drift on and on down towhere the steamboats come up, and we should keep going till it got dark,and nobody should see us, and we should get run into and drowned. Ohdear! I want my mamma, and my papa."

  Florence took alarm at this, and, putting her head in Dimple's lap,began to cry too.

  The older girls were scarcely less frightened, for they knew there was adanger in their reaching the rapids, and in being whirled around betweenthe rocks, when they would be very likely to upset, even in a boat likethe one in which they were. They managed, however, to show less fear, intheir endeavor to calm the younger children.

  "Why, we'll get home long before we reach the steamboats," said EmmaBradford, cheerfully. "Haven't you seen the river in a freshet? anddon't you know how it carries all sorts of things along? haystacks, andsheds, and even houses with people in them, I've seen, and they arealways rescued."

  Libbie Jackson was looking over the side of the boat. "It is veryshallow here. We could almost walk ashore," she said.

  "We are right over the old ford," said Callie. Suddenly she sprang toher feet and began to tear off the skirt of her frock. As soon as shewas freed from it she began to wave it frantically. "I see some one onshore," she exclaimed, excitedly. "All shout as loud as you can, girls;"and across the water rang the shrill cry of "Help! Help! Help!"

  The man riding along the shore caught sight of the flapping skirt, ofhats waving frantically, and the cry of "help" came faintly to his ears.He stopped his horse and looked around. "Them gals is adrift," he saidto himself. "Whatever possessed 'em I don't know, but I reckon I'll haveto see if I can't stop 'em."

  He rode to the water's edge and looked across. "We're right at theford," he remarked, as if his horse could understand
what he said. "Itwon't hurt you to go out," he continued. "It's a hot day, and you canget cooled off good." And the girls in the boat were rejoiced to see thehorse headed toward them.

  "Oh, how lucky that we're at the ford," said Callie, "otherwise the manmight not venture. See, Eleanor! See, Florence, he can tow us in. Haulup that bit of rope, girls, while I put on my skirt."

  The man was not long in coming alongside. "What happened ye?" he asked."A lot o' gals like you ain't no business gittin' into such a fix. Whardid ye start from, anyhow? How long ye been driftin'?"

  They told him how the trouble had occurred, and he replied with, "Humph!I reckon ye'd better not try that agin. You're a matter o' five milefrom home, and the boat don't belong to ye, ye say. How do ye expect togit back? And how are ye going to manage about the boat? Do ye knowwhose it is?"

  "No, but we can find out," said Callie. "What do you think would be thebest way to get it home again? Isn't it a dreadful fix to be in? Can yousuggest any way to help us?"

  "I might take it up for ye to-morrow, maybe, but ye'll have to pay forit."

  "How much would you charge us?"

  "Lemme see; a couple of dollars."

  The girls looked at each other, and held a whispered consultation whichresulted in Callie's agreeing to the amount, each girl promising to putin her share.

  The boat was easily towed to the shore; but here it was wet andslippery, and it required considerable agility to get ashore withoutslipping in the soft mud. Every one accomplished it safely but Dimple,whose foot slipped, and over she went, full length into the mire. Asorry sight she was indeed, when she was picked up; plastered from headto foot; face, hands and hair full of the soft ooze. But after she hadbeen scraped off, Callie concluded that it would be better to let thesun dry her well, before attempting to get rid of the rest.

  "About this job," said the man, "it's worth somethin', ain't it? It'sconsiderable out of my way, travelin' to the middle of the river;besides I've got to look out for that boat, that nobody don't steal it."

  "How much do you expect?" asked Callie, meekly. This was getting moreand more serious.

  "A couple of dollars ain't much when ye consider there's five of ye, andif I hadn't stopped ye, ye'd be goin' yet. My name's Bill Hart, and anyone'll tell you I'm safe. Ye needn't be afraid but what I'll bring backthe boat."

  "Well, if you will come to my house, you shall have your money," saidCallie. "Do you know where Mr. Harley Spear lives?"

  "Big white house, left side the main street. Yes, I know. You his gal?"

  "I'm his daughter."

  "All right. I reckon ye can git home now, can't ye? It's a straight roadalong the river. I must be gettin' on. I'll fetch the boat backto-morrow."

  The girls saw him disappear, and stood, a most subdued little group.Dimple felt herself to be in a very unhappy plight, and dreaded meetingany one. How should she get home through the town without being seen?She looked very miserable and woe-begone as she thought of all this.

  "Well, girls, we'll have to be up and doing," said Callie. "We've a fivemile walk before us, and it's a pretty hot day, so we'll have to take itslowly. You'll have plenty of time to get dried off, before we getthere, Eleanor, so don't look so unhappy, you poor little midget. Thinkhow dreadful it is for me who got you into this scrape. I can neverforgive myself for it."

  "I'll tell you what let's do," said Libbie. "Let Eleanor take off herfrock, and we'll wash it out in the river, and dry it as we go along.We're not likely to meet any one, and it's so hot she'll not take coldgoing without it. We can hold it out between us as we walk along, so itwill dry before we get home, and it will be clean at least."

  Dimple was so grateful for this suggestion that she could have huggedLibbie; but she did not know her very well, and only expressed herthanks very fervently. At the first opportunity the frock was washedout, and really looked much better. "I wish I could do my stockings,too," said Dimple, "but I couldn't go barefoot. Mamma wouldn't like meto, although I'd like to." So this part of her dress had to remain as itwas, and the girls took up their line of march again.

  "I am so thirsty I don't know what to do," said Callie. "If I don't havea drink I'll drop by the way. I hate to think of drinking that warmriver water; besides, it isn't so easy to get it."

  "There's a spring somewhere further along," said Emma Bradford. "If wecan manage to exist till we reach it, we can rest there. We shall behalf starved, too, by the time we get home."

  "If we only had something to eat we could sit down by the spring till itgrew cooler, and we'd have a sort of a picnic. Oh, girls, we left allour fishing tackle in the boat! I never once thought of it."

  "Nor I."

  "Nor I."

  "Perhaps Bill What's-his-name will bring it back when he comes with theboat. We've made a pretty expensive trip of it, as it is, withoutlosing our fishing tackle. Think what that four dollars would buy: sucha lot of ice cream and soda water," said Callie.

  "Don't mention such things when we are consumed with thirst, and are sowarm," said Emma.

  "We may have to pay for the use of the boat, too," said Libbie. "Isuppose we are out at least a dollar apiece, and maybe more. It willtake all my pin money for a month. No more soda water for a while,unless some one treats me."

  "I suppose we ought to be thankful to get home at all," Dimple spoke up.

  "Yes, when you consider it in that light, we're let off cheaply enough,"Callie replied. "Oh, dear, where is that spring?"

  "Just beyond that turn," Emma told her. And they toiled on till theyreached the spot where the cold water bubbled out from a pebbly hollowunder an old tree.

  "We must cool off before we drink," Libbie warned them. "We'll bathe ourfaces and hands, and sit here for a while. We are so overheated we oughtnot to drink right away."

  "It's very hard not to," said Callie, "but I suppose you are right."

  "I am as hungry as I am thirsty," Libbie remarked. "If we only had onebiscuit apiece, it would be something."

  They had refreshed themselves with the cool spring water, and were idlysitting under a tree, when Dimple sprang up, crying, "I see something!"And she scrambled up the bank to a ledge beyond. "Girls! girls! here arelots of huckleberries," she called.

  "Are you sure?"

  "Certain sure. I wish you'd see. Come up." And they clambered up to thespot to find that she spoke truly: there was a patch of huckleberrybushes full of fruit. They set to work with a will and bore their feastdown to the spring, near which they seated themselves on a fallen log.

  "Did you ever taste anything so good?" said Emma. "I never care much forhuckleberries at home, but I shall never despise them again."

  Being refreshed they took up their journey again. Weary and warm they atlength reached home, glad indeed to see the familiar streets, shady andquiet.

  "I am going to see you safely in your mother's hands," Callie assuredDimple; "for it was my fault that you got into trouble. I had nobusiness to tempt you."

  "But you only meant it out of kindness," replied Dimple, appreciatively."I think you were very good to want us; and it would have been all rightif the boat had not floated off that way."

  "But we did float off, and I want to explain matters to your mother."

  "I'll give you the dollar I have in my bank," said Dimple.

  "No, wait till we find out about the other man; the one who owns theboat. When he understands that we didn't mean any harm, and that it wasan accident, perhaps he won't charge for the boat, and then we'll onlyhave to pay eighty cents apiece. I don't want to take any money of yoursif I can help it."

  "Oh, but you must. I'm sure mamma will say so."

  "Well, we'll see. Just look how nicely your frock has dried. It doesn'tlook bad at all. A little limp maybe, but it's better that than muddy.I hope your mamma isn't very much worried. I don't believe it is so lateafter all." And although it seemed to Dimple that she had been days awayfrom home, she was surprised to find that it was only about fouro'clock, when hot and hungry they arrived at hom
e.

  Callie made her excuses and apologies as contritely as possible, andMrs. Dallas was so relieved to find that nothing worse had happened,that she said very little in the way of reproof to the two runaways.

  "You must never go down to the river again, my children," she said;"that is, unless papa or I, or some trustworthy person is with you. Ishould have forbidden you to go this time, but you have never venturedthere before."

  "I know, mamma," replied Dimple, "but it was so easy getting there fromMr. Atkinson's place, that we were there before we knew it. Was it'Didn't think,' mamma?"

  "Not exactly. I suppose you hardly realized that you were doing wrongsince there were older girls with you, and it was more of an accidentthan actual wrongdoing. I think we shall have to keep you at homehereafter, for it seems very easy for little folks to get into troublewhen they are away from their mothers. You have your own garden and yourown little house to play in, so I think we must set the bounds there,and only allow you to go outside our premises by special invitation."

  "Not even to Mr. Atkinson's?"

  "No, I think not, dear. It is safer for you at home. Mamma has beengreatly worried and distressed, and I am sure you do not want her topass through such an anxious time again. It is for mamma's sake, dear,as well as your own, that she keeps you close to her. Suppose you hadfallen overboard." She drew the child nearer to her, while her eyes grewmoist at the thought.

  "Dear, dear mamma, I'll never go away again without your leave. I don'twant to make you unhappy, mamma. I do love you."

  "I know you do, darling; but little girls sometimes forget that it ismore by the doing than by the saying that their mothers are made awareof their love. You know papa always tells you that if you really loveyour parents, you will do the things that please them, otherwise, nomatter how much you say 'I love you,' it doesn't mean anything."

  Dimple looked very sober, and Florence, too, listened to all this with avery grave face. It had really been a very trying day for the two littlecousins, and now that they were safe, they realized how uncomfortable ithad been. Therefore, from that time there never was a question of theirgoing outside the gate without permission, and Mr. Atkinson's place wasno longer visited unless by his express invitation on Saturdayafternoons.

  "I feel as if I had been sort of ungrateful," said Dimple, the next dayafter their rescue. "I just love my home, Florence, and somehow I don'tfeel a bit bad about not going to Mr. Atkinson's. I believe I knowexactly how the little birdies feel when they get back to the nest,after they have been trying to fly. I hope I shall never go so far awayagain, until I am much older." And the two returned contentedly to theirold playground, only too glad to feel the security of familiar sightsand sounds.