Prudy Keeping House | Page 6

"When you do get started, Dotty--Will you, or will you not, put up those things? If you don't, it's my duty to call Horace, and--"
"'Fore I'd be a tell-tale!" said Dotty, slipping off half a dozen rings in haste. "There, I won't wear but just two--one on each thumb. Who wants the old watch? Tick's all out of it. You don't know, Prudy, how tight those rings fit. I could wear 'em on my forefinger, but I shan't, you make such a fuss."
Prudy answered by a look of unutterable contempt.
"I suppose," said she, speaking with a vehemence quite unusual to her--"I suppose you know auntie's jewels are worth more money than father has in the world! If you lose one of them, I don't know who's going to pay for it; that's all."
Dotty looked amazed, but answered coolly,--
"Of course I always knew that! Auntie has about as nice things as the governor's wife."
She was sure she was very humble, since swallowing her pride like a pill; but somehow she was determined not to take off those rings.
"Prudy needn't speak so sharp to me! I didn't care about wearing 'em in the first place; but now I'll do it to show her what's the use to preach!"
Prudy, having done her duty, said no more, but proceeded to look over her auntie's wardrobe in search of a dress.
"I s'pose she thinks I'm the awfulest girl," mused Dotty, fluttering in and out of the closet. "I s'pose she's thinking about that rag-bag last summer--how Jennie Vance no business to take those three dollars out of the saddle-bag pockets! Grandma said, 'You're welcome to all you can find.' Well, but that didn't mean for Jennie to steal! Prudy needn't go to thinking this is the same kind of a thing, for it isn't. I guess stealing is pretty different from borrowing."
Dotty viewed herself in the glass with secret satisfaction. She really looked like a Fourth of July fantastic; but we do not see ourselves as others see us.
"She won't be the least help to me about the house," thought Prudy, with a feeling of envy. "I shall have every single thing to do; and I declare I don't know what to get for dinner."
She chose the worst looking wrapper her aunt's wardrobe afforded, and a gingham apron with pockets. Quite good enough for a woman keeping house without a servant. And as she had decided to call herself Mother Hubbard, she made an ample cap, by folding a "pillow-sham," and putting two of its ruffled edges around her face for a double border. Then, with green spectacles at her nose, a bunch of keys at her waist, and a pair of high-heeled slippers on her feet, she went to the door, and called for Fly.
"Fly! Why, isn't she in there?" responded Horace, appearing on the landing, "You didn't think I had her with me--did you?"
As Prudy wisely remarked, "How many ways there are for people to do wrong if they want to!"
Seeing her betters disagree, little Fly had taken her turn at pouting.
"They don't say nuffin' 'bout fixin' me up. Goin' to let me go to the party in my old clo'es? Wisht auntie'd tookened me with her. Might just's well not! Might a' worn soft slippers, and not 'sturbed Uncle 'Gustus!" Fly wafted herself to the top of the bureau, and gazed down on the girls in stern displeasure. But she might as well have scowled at empty air, for no notice was taken of her. Dotty was giving an extra touch to her chignon, and Prudy trying on her cap. "Hark! What's that?"
It was the street-cry away off in the backyard--"Fine fresh oranges."
"Guess I'll go see what's the matter with that man," thought Miss Fly. "Guess he's got hurted."
She slid down from the bureau, and stole softly out of the room backward; but her feet made no more sound on the carpet than the fall of a rose-leaf, and neither of the girls looked up.
"For course I shan't go ou'doors, 'cause I solomon promised I wouldn't," said she, pattering down the basement stairs.
The fact was, she had no idea any one would let her go. But it so happened that thoughtless Rachel was the one who unlocked the basement door, and it was an easy thing to slip out behind her.
"'Cause I spect she'll send me ri' back."
But when Rachel looked around, and saw the pretty child with her fair hair blowing wild, she only laughed and went on gossiping with the orange boy. She saw no harm in letting Fly hop about the pavement on one foot sucking oranges, till she herself felt chilled by the keen wind; then she drew the little girl into the house, and shut the door against the snow-storm, saying,--
"Why, how happened you out here, little