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Page 56
Shep ran and jumped because Betsy did.
To these two wild creatures, careering through the air like bright-blown
autumn leaves, appeared little Molly in the barn door.
"Oh, I'm going to stay! I'm going to stay!" screamed Betsy.
But as Molly had not had any notion of the contrary, she only said, "Of
course, why not?" and went on to something really important, saying, in
a very much capitalized statement, "My kitten can WALK! It took THREE
STEPS just now."
After Aunt Frances got her wraps off, Betsy took her for a tour of
inspection. They went all over the house first, with special emphasis
laid on the living-room. "Isn't this the loveliest place?" said Betsy,
fervently, looking about her at the white curtains, the bright flowers,
the southern sunshine, the bookcases, and the bright cooking utensils.
It was all full to the brim to her eyes with happiness, and she forgot
entirely that she had thought it a very poor, common kind of room when
she had first seen it. Nor did she notice that Aunt Frances showed no
enthusiasm over it now.
She stopped for a few moments to wash some potatoes and put them into
the oven for dinner. Aunt Frances opened her eyes at this. "I always see
to the potatoes and the apples, the cooking of them, I mean," explained
Betsy proudly. "I've just learned to make apple-pie and brown betty."
Then down into the stone-floored milk-room, where Aunt Abigail was
working over butter, and where Betsy, swelling with pride, showed Aunt
Frances how deftly and smoothly she could manipulate the wooden paddle
and make rolls of butter that weighed within an ounce or two of a pound.
"Mercy, child! Think of your being able to do such things!" said Aunt
Frances, more and more astonished.
They went out of doors now, Shep bounding by their side. Betsy was
amazed to see that Aunt Frances drew back, quite nervously, whenever the
big dog frisked near her. Out in the barn Betsy had a disappointment.
Aunt Frances just balked absolutely at those ladder-like stairs--"Oh, I
COULDN'T! I couldn't, dear. Do YOU go up there? Is it quite safe?"
"Why, AUNT ABIGAIL went up there to see the kittens!" cried Betsy, on
the edge of exasperation. But her heart softened at the sight of Aunt
Frances's evident distress of mind at the very idea of climbing into the
loft, and she brought the kittens down for inspection, Eleanor mewing
anxiously at the top of the stairs.
On the way back to the house they had an adventure, a sort of adventure,
and it brought home to Betsy once for all how much she loved dear, sweet
Aunt Frances, and just what kind of love it was.
As they crossed the barnyard the calf approached them playfully, leaping
stiff-legged into the air, and making a pretense of butting at them with
its hornless young head.
Betsy and Shep often played with the calf in this way by the half-hour,
and she thought nothing of it now; hardly noticed it, in fact.
But Aunt Frances gave a loud, piercing shriek, as though she were being
cut into pieces. "Help! HELP!" she screamed. "Betsy! Oh, Betsy!"
She had turned as white as a sheet and could not take a single step
forward. "It's nothing! It's nothing!" said Betsy, rather impatiently.
"He's just playing. We often play with him, Shep and I."
The calf came a little nearer, with lowered head. "GET away!" said Betsy
indifferently, kicking at him.
At this hint of masterfulness on Betsy's part, Aunt Frances cried out,
"Oh, yes, Betsy, DO make him go away! Do make him go away!"
It came over Betsy that Aunt Frances was really frightened, yes, really;
and all at once her impatience disappeared, never to come back again.
She felt toward Aunt Frances just as she did toward little Molly, and
she acted accordingly. She stepped in front of Aunt Frances, picked up a
stick, and hit the calf a blow on the neck with it. He moved away,
startled and injured, looking at his playfellow with reproachful eyes.
But Betsy was relentless. Aunt Frances must not be frightened!
"Here, Shep! Here, Shep!" she called loudly, and when the big dog came
bounding to her she pointed to the calf and said sternly, "Take him into
the barn! Drive him into the barn, sir!"
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