Oh! cried Ruth, startled. I thought your sister June died?
Rosa shook her head and the tears flowed into her soft eyes. Oh, no. She went away. She couldnt stand the toddies no more, she said and her slavin to keep the house nice, and us movin on all the time. June was housekeeper she was a long sight smartern me, Ruth.
But the teachers at school think you are awfully smart, declared the Corner House girl.
June warnt so smart at her books, said Rosa. But she could do anything with her hands. Youd thunk she was two years oldern me, too. She was dark and handsome. She got mad, and run away, and then we started lookin for her; but weve never found her yet, sighed Rosa. And now Ive got so miserable that I cant keep traveling with paw. So we got to stop here, and maybe we wont ever see June again.
Oh! I hope you will, cried Ruth. Now, your fathers dinner is all ready to dish up. And Ill come back after school this afternoon and rid up the house for you; dont you do a thing.
Ruth had time that noon for only a bite at home, and explained to Mrs. MacCall that she would be late in returning from school. She carried a voluminous apron with her to cover her school frock when she set about ridding up the Wildwood domicile.
Ruth wanted to help Rosa; she hoped Rosa would keep up with the class and be promoted at the end of the term, as she was sure to be herself. And she was sorry for sooty, odd-talking Bob Wildwood.
What Rosa had said about her lost twin sister had deeply interested Ruth Kenway. She wanted, too, to ask the Southern girl about June, or Juniper.
We were the last children maw had, said Rosa. She just seemed to give up after we were born. The others were all sickly just drooped and faded. And they all were girls and had flower names. Maw was right fanciful, I reckon.
I wish June had held on. Shed stuck it out, I know, if shed believed paw could stop drinking toddies. But, you see he has . He swigs an awful lot of tea, though, and I expect its tanning him inside just like he was leather!
Ruth really thought this was probable especially with the teapot in the condition she had found it. But she had put some washing soda in the pot, filled it with boiling water, and set it back on the stove to stew some of the tannin out of it.
While the Corner House girl was talking with Rosa in the little bedroom the girl called her own, Bob brought his mules to a halt before the house with an empty wagon, and ran in as usual.
The girls heard him enter the outer room; but Ruth never thought of what the mans object might be until Rosa laughed and said:
Theres paw now, for a swig at the teapot. I hope you left it full fo him, Ruthie, dear.
Oh, goodness mercy me! cried the Corner House girl, and darted out to the kitchen to warn the man.
But she was too late. Already the begrimed Bob Wildwood had the spout of the teapot to his lips and several swallows of the scalding and acrid mixture gurgled down his throat before he discovered that it was not tea!
Woof! woof! woof! he sputtered, and flung pot and all away from him. Who done tryin poison me! Woof! Is scalded with poison!
He coughed and spluttered over the sink, and then tried a draught of cold water from the spigot which probably did him just as much good as anything.
Oh, dear me, Mr. Wildwood! gasped Ruth, standing with clasped hands and looking at the sooty man, half frightened. I I was just boiling the teapot out.
Boilin it out?
Yes, sir. With soda. I I It wont poison you, I guess.
My Lawd! groaned Bob. What wont yo Northerners do nex? Wash out er teapot! and he grumblingly went forth to his team and drove away.
Ruth felt that her good intentions were misunderstood to a degree. But Rosa thanked her very prettily for what she had done, and the next day she was able to come to school again.
It was only a few days later that Carrie Poole invited a number of the high school girls and boys and some of the younger set to the last dance of the season at her home. She lived in a huge old farmhouse, some distance out of town on the Buckshot road, and the Corner House girls and Neale ONeil had spent several pleasant evenings there during
the winter and spring.
The night before this party there was a big wind, and a part of one of the chimneys came down into the side yard during the night with a noise like thunder; so Ruth had to telephone for a mason before breakfast.
Had it not been for this happening, the Corner House girls at least, Ruth and Agnes and Neale ONeil, would have escaped rather an embarrassing incident at the party.
Neale came over to supper the evening of the party, and he brought his pumps in a newspaper under his arm.
Come on, girls, lets have your dancing slippers, he said to the two older Corner House girls, who were going to the dance. Ill put them with mine.
And he did so rolling the girls pretty slippers up in the same parcel with his own. He left the parcel in the kitchen. Later it was discovered that the masons helper had left a similarly wrapped parcel there, too.