The Twin Cousins | Page 5

I, 'What's your name?' and says she, 'Patty C. Proudfit.' And I thought you'd want me to go down and play with her, and I did."
This was the first Mrs. Prim had ever heard of "Patty C. Proudfit," and grandma knew nothing about her either; but Preston said the Proudfit family had just moved into town, "a whole army of 'em, and lived in that black house under the hill."
Next day, as Mrs. Prim was looking out of the window, she saw Flaxie and Miss Patty playing dolls under the trees. Patty was two years older than Flaxie, but her red hair had not been combed lately, her dress was torn, and her shoes were out at the toes.
"She is not a nice child; I am sorry to see this," sighed Mrs. Prim, turning away from the window. "But as Mrs. Gray is coming home next week, I shall do nothing about it."
Flaxie's mind was "occupied" now, and she gave very little trouble in the house. Patty was "a dear, sweet, good little girl," she said, "and she loved her next as much as her twin cousin."
But you can't be quite happy in this world; and Patty's baby brother, only nine months old, had cut four whole teeth, and I won't say this wasn't a trial to Flaxie.
"Poh, but they're eeny-teeny things," said she to grandma. "Phil's will be lots and lots bigger--when he gets 'em."
Patty came up to the fence one day, where Flaxie stood smelling a geranium leaf.
"How do you do?" said she.
"I do as I please, 'cause Auntie Prim is gone," replied little Flaxie, with a saucy smile. She was really very bold and naughty sometimes, as you have already found out, I suppose.
"Gone home?"
"No, she's coming back to-night, I s'pect, and bring grammy a cap. No, I don't s'pect she'll ever go home," said Flaxie, shaking her little head sadly.
"Well, she's gone now, ain't she, this whole afternoon? And why can't you come up to my house and see me?"
Flaxie knew why. It was because she ought to help amuse the baby. Dora had been making peach preserves all day, and it was too hard for Grandma Gray to take care of Phil alone. But Flaxie asked all the same, "May I go?" and grandma never could say "no" when little folks teased, so she answered, "Yes, and stay till half-past four; no longer."
Nothing was said about supper; but the children thought there would be time enough for that, and breakfast too, almost--it seemed so very long till half-past four.
"Very well," said Patty's mother, when they went into the smoky kitchen, where she was holding the baby that had four teeth. "Very well, you may both run out to play, and when it is time to call you in, I'll ring the bell."
There wasn't much to play with, except sand right in the middle of the road; but Flaxie had never been allowed as much dirt as she wanted, and this seemed very pleasant for a change. It would have been pleasanter still if her conscience had felt easy. She was only six years old, but she knew perfectly well when her actions were right and when they were wrong.
"I never saw such a splendid visit," said she, when Mr. Proudfit kindly allowed her and Patty to feed the pigs. "But don't they have the awfullest-looking smell?" added she, gazing thoughtfully into the pen, which was dirty, like everything else about the place. Her own nice frock was already soiled, but she tried not to see it, and not to think how Auntie Prim would stare at it through her spectacles.
"Why, what's that?" said she.
It was, oh dear! it was the bell; and there was Mrs. Proudfit at the back door ringing it. Grown people are always thinking what time it is; they never forget.
"I'm sorry you can't stay to tea, Miss Flaxie," said Mrs. Proudfit, politely.
"Oh, I guess I can; I'll go ask grammy," replied the little girl, dashing off up the hill, followed by Patty.
"Oh, grammy, they want me to stay orf'ly," she cried, out of breath, before they got to the house.
"Well, stay another hour, then," said the dear grandma, though baby was very cross and her arms ached, and Flaxie could have been such a help.
So Flaxie went back and stayed another hour, and then it wasn't tea-time. She could see some blue and white dishes spread on a round table covered with an oil-cloth, and she could smell gingerbread baking in the oven, which made her very hungry; and just as Mrs. Proudfit was opening a can of preserves, with at least six children clinging to her skirts, who should come but Preston, to say it was half-past five and Flaxie was wanted at home.
"So you can't stay to tea, after