CHAPTER XI
WHAT HAPPENED TO JINNIE
With a sigh Jinnie allowed Lafe to buckle the shortwood strap to hershoulder. Oh, how many days she had gone through a similar operationwith a similar little sigh!
It was a trying ordeal, that of collecting and selling kindling wood,for the men of Paradise Road took the best of the shortwood to befound in the nearer swamp and marsh lands, and oftentimes it wasnearly noon before the girl would begin her sale.
But the one real happiness of her days lay in dropping the pennies sheearned into Peg's hand.
Now Peggy didn't believe in spoiling men or children, but one morning,as she tied a scarf about Jinnie's neck, she arranged the black curlswith more than usual tenderness.
Pausing at the door and looking back at the woman, Jinnie suddenlythrew up her head in determination.
"I love you, Peggy," she said, drawing in a long breath. "Give me alittle kiss, will you?"
There! The cat was out of the bag. In another instant Jinnie wouldknow her fate. How she dared to ask such a thing the girl could neverafterwards tell.
If Peg kissed her, work would be easy. If she denied her----Peggyglanced at her, then away again, her eyes shifting uneasily.
But after once taking a stand, Jinnie held her ground. Her mouth waspursed up as if she was going to whistle. Would Peg refuse such alittle request? Evidently Peggy would, for she scoffingly ordered.
"Go along with you, kid--go long, you flip little brat!"
"I'd like a kiss awful much," repeated Jinnie, still standing. Hervoice was low-toned and pleading, her blue eyes questioningly on Peg'sface.
Peg shook her head.
"I won't kiss you 'cause I hate you," she sniffed. "I've always hatedyou."
Jinnie's eyes filled with tears.
"I know it," she replied sadly, "I know it, but I'd like a kiss justthe same because--because I _do_ love _you_, Peg."
A bit of the same sentiment that had worried her for over a year nowattacked Mrs. Grandoken. Her common sense told her to dash away to thekitchen, but a tugging in her breast kept her anchored to the spot.Suddenly, without a word, she snatched the girl close to her broadbreast and pressed her lips on Jinnie's with resounding smacks.
"There! There! And _there_!" she cried, between the kisses. "An' if y'ever tell a soul I done it, I'll scrape every inch of skin off'n yourflesh, an' mebbe I'll do something worse, I hate y' that bad."
In less seconds than it takes to tell it, Peg let Jinnie go, and thegirl went out of the door with a smiling sigh.
"Kisses 're sweeter'n roses," she murmured, walking to the track. "Iwish I'd get more of 'em."
She turned back as she heard Peg's voice calling her.
"You might toddle in an' bring home a bit of sausage," said the woman,indifferently, "an' five cents' worth of chopped steak."
Mrs. Grandoken watched Jinnie until she turned the corner. She felt astrangling sensation in her throat.
A little later she flung the kitchen utensils from place to place, andotherwise acted so ugly and out of temper that, had Lafe known thewhole incident, he would have smiled knowingly at the far-off hill andheld his peace.
Late in the afternoon Jinnie counted seventeen pennies, one dime and anickel. It was a fortune for any girl to make, and what was betteryet, buckled to her young shoulders in the shortwood strap was almosther next day's supply. As she replaced the money in her pocket andwalked toward the market, she murmured gravely,
"Mebbe Peg's kisses helped me to get it, but--but I musn't forgetLafe's prayers."
Her smile was radiant and self-possessed. She was one of the world'sworkers and loved Lafe and Peg and the world with her whole honestyoung heart.
"Thirty-two cents," she whispered. "That's a pile of money. I wish Icould buy Lafe a posy. He does love 'em so, and he can't get out likePeg and me to see beautiful things."
She stopped before a window where brilliant blossoms were exhibited.Ever since she began to work, one of the desires of Jinnie's soul hadbeen to purchase a flower. As she scrutinized the scarlet and whitecarnations, the deep red roses, and the twining green vines, shemurmured.
"Peg loves Lafe even if she does bark at him. She won't mind if I buyhim one. I'll make more money to-morrow."
She opened the door of the shop and drew her unwieldy burden carefullyinside. A girl stood back of the counter.
"How much're your roses?" asked Jinnie, nodding toward the window andjingling the pennies in her pocket.
"The white ones're five cents a piece," said the clerk, "and the redones're ten.... Do y' want one?"
"I'll take a white one," replied the purchaser.
"Shall I wrap it in paper?" asked the other.
"No, I'll carry it this way. I'd like to look at it going home."
The girl passed the rose to Jinnie.
"It smells nice, too," she commented.
"Yes," assented Jinnie, delightedly, taking a whiff.
Then she went on to the meat market to buy the small amount of meatrequired for the three of them.
One of the men grinned at her from the back of the store, calling,"Hello, kid!" and Maudlin Bates, swinging idly on a stool, shouted,"What's wanted now, Jinnie?" and still another man came forward withthe question, "Where'd you get the flower, lass?"
"Bought it," replied Jinnie, leaning against the counter. "I got itnext door for the cobbler. He's lame and can't get out."
The market man turned to wait upon her.
"Five cents' worth of chopped meat," ordered Jinnie, "and foursausages."
"Ain't you afraid you'll overload your stomachs over there at thecobbler's shop?" laughed one of the men. "I'll tell you what I'll do,Jinnie ... Do you see that ring of sausage hangin' on that hook?"
The girl nodded wonderingly, looking sidewise at Maudlin.
"Well, if you'll give us a dance, a good one, mind you, still keepin'the wood on your back, I'll buy you the hull string. It'll last a weekthe way you folks eat meat."
Jinnie's face reddened painfully, but the words appealed to hermoney-earning spirit, and with a curious sensation she glanced around.Could she dance, with the wondering, laughing, admiring gaze of themen upon her? And Maudlin, too! How she detested his lustful, doltisheyes!
She straightened her shoulders, considering. The wood was heavy, andthe strap, bound tightly about her chest and arms, made her terriblytired. But a whole string of sausage was a temptation she could notwithstand. In her fertile imagination she could see Lafe nod hisapprobation, and Peggy joyously frying her earnings in the pan. Shemight even get three more kisses when no one was looking.
"I don't know what to dance," she said presently, studying the rose inher confusion.
"Oh, just anything," encouraged the man on the stool. "I'll whistle atune."
"Hand her the sausage, butcher;" sniggered Maudlin, "then she'll besure of it. The feel of it'll make her dance better."
The speaker grinned as the butcher took the string from the hook.Jinnie slipped the stem of the cobbler's rose between her white teeth,grasped the sausage in one hand and gripped the shortwood strap withthe other. Then the man started a rollicking whistle, and Jinnie tooka step or two.
Every one in the place drew nearer. Here was a sight they never hadseen--a lovely, shy-eyed, rosy, embarrassed girl, with a load ofkindling wood on the strong young shoulders, turning and turning inthe center of the market. In one hand she held a ring of sausage, andbetween her lips a white rose.
"If you'll give us a grand fine dance, lass," encouraged the butcher,"you c'n have the chopped meat, too."
The man's offer sifted through Jinnie's tired brain and stimulated herto quicker action. She turned again, shifting the weight more squarelyon her shoulders, her feet keeping perfect time with the shrill,whistling tune.
"Faster! Faster!" taunted Maudlin. "Earn your meat, girl! Don't be apiker!"
Faster and faster whirled Jinnie, the heft of the shortwood carryingher about in great circles. Her cap had fallen from her head,
loosingthe glorious curls, and her breath whistled past the stem of Lafe'swhite flower like night wind past a taut wire.
Jinnie forgot everything but the delight of earning something for herloved ones--something that would bring a caress from Lafe. She wassure of Lafe, very sure!
As voices called "Faster!" and still "Faster!" Jinnie let go theshortwood strap to fling aside her curls. Just at that moment shewhirled nearer Maudlin Bates, who thrust forth his great foot andtripped her. As she staggered, not one of those watching had senseenough to catch her as she fell. At that moment the door swung openand Peg Grandoken's face appeared. She looked questioningly at themarket man.
"I thought I saw Jinnie come in," she hesitated----
Then realizing something was wrong, her eyes fell upon the strickengirl.
"She was just earnin' a little sausage by dancin'," the butcherexcused.
Peggy stared and stared, stunned for the moment. The hangdogexpression on Maudlin's face expressed his crime better than wordswould have done. Jinnie's little form was huddled against the counter,the shortwood scattered around her, and from her forehead blood wasoozing. On the slender arm was the ring of sausage and between her setteeth was Lafe's pale rose. With her outraged soul shining in hereyes, Peggy gathered the unconscious girl in her two strong arms.
"I bet _you_ done it, you damn Maudlin!" she gritted, and withoutanother word, left the market.
Within a few minutes she had laid Jinnie on her bed, and was tellingLafe the pathetic story.