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Page 74
"You didn't mean it for mischief," said Molly, consolingly; "I'm
sure _I_ didn't."
"Of course I didn't; but somehow I never seem to know what IS
mischief until I get into it. But, oh, Molly, I can't stand on my
toes any longer. If my feet were a little shorter, or the bucket a
little wider, I could stand down flat."
"I don't seem to mind tiptoeing," said Molly; "can't you take off
your shoes? Then, perhaps, you could stand flat."
"Perhaps I could," said Marjorie, doubtfully, "but I know I'll
upset doing it."
But with Molly's help, and both holding carefully by the chains,
Marjorie managed to get her shoes off, and tied them to the handle
of the bucket by their strings.
"Well, that's a comfort," she exclaimed, as she stood firmly on
the soles of her stockinged feet.
But as the minutes passed away, the girls rapidly became aware of
the discomforts of their position. Their hands became bruised with
the chains, their bodies grew stiff and cramped, and the damp,
cold atmosphere seemed almost to stop the blood in their veins.
The two little white faces looked at each other in the glimmering
twilight of the well, and all the fun faded out of the escapade,
and despair gradually crept over them.
Two big tears rolled down Marjorie's cheeks as she said:
"I'm not going to cry, Molly, because there's no use of it; but,
oh, Molly, what ARE we going to do?"
"I don't know, Mops. There isn't a thing to do but to stay here
until Carter or somebody happens to come to draw water. You won't
faint or anything, will you?"
"I don't know," said Marjorie, almost smiling at Molly's alarmed
expression; "I don't believe I will, because I don't know how to
faint. If I knew how I s'pose I would, for I don't think I can
stay like this much longer."
Marjorie's head began to sway back and forth, and Molly,
thoroughly frightened, seized her by the shoulder and shook her
vigorously.
"Marjorie Maynard!" she exclaimed. "If you faint and tumble out of
this bucket, I'll never speak to you again as long as I live!"
Her excited tones roused Marjorie from the faintness that was
beginning to steal over her.
"I don't want to fall into the water," she said, shuddering.
"Well, then, brace up and behave yourself! Stand up straight in
your bucket and hang on to the chains. Don't look down; that was
what made you feel faint. We're here and we must make the best of
it. We can't get out until somebody comes, so let's be plucky and
do the best we can."
"Pooh! Molly Moss! I guess I can be as brave as you can! I'm not
going to faint, or tumble into the water, or do anything silly!
Now that I don't have to stand on tiptoe, I could stand here all
day,--and Carter's bound to come for water for the cows."
Then what did those two ridiculous girls do but bravely try to
outdo each other in their exhibition of pluck!
Neither complained again of weariness or cramped muscles, and
finally Marjorie proposed that they tell each other stories to
make the time pass, pleasantly. The stories were not very
interesting affairs, for both speaker and listener were really
suffering from pain and chill.
At last Molly said: "Suppose we scream some more. If Carter should
be passing by, you know, he might hear us."
Marjorie was quite willing to adopt this plan, and after that they
screamed at intervals on the chance of being heard.
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