Bertha B. Cobb

“ Don’t you know you might have fallen and killed yourself?”
Clematis wiped her eyes on her sleeve.
“Oh, that’s nothing,” she said, “I had hold of the blind all the time. I couldn’t fall.”
“Now, Clematis, no child ever did such a thing before, and you must never, never, do it again. Do you understand?”
“Yes’m.”
“Do you promise?”
“Yes’m.” ”

“ Blueberry pie and cheese, hot biscuit and fresh milk, and golden butter, all she wanted; surely, Sally never had any supper better than this.
The shadows were falling, and the August crickets were beginning their evening concert, when Clematis had eaten the last bit of pie on her plate.
“The Sand Man is coming, I do believe,” said Mr. Alder, as he reached over to pinch her cheek.
“Well, I don’t wonder, the trip was a long one for a little girl. You shall go right to bed, Clematis.” ”

“ I have wondered about that name, Clematis. Her mother loved flowers. She loved the clematis vine about the door most of all.”
“I suppose she named Clematis in memory of her dear old home,” said Miss Rose.
Then Mr. Brooks told Miss 242 Rose about the white house on the hill.
“I suppose we ought to move back there, now,” he said. “Then Clematis can go to the Union School, and grow up like other children.”
“It is wonderful. It is a fairy story, I am sure,” she replied, “for the fairies must have led Clematis to your door. She will be the happiest child alive, when we tell her.” ”

“ So if you ever go to Tilton, you must look about for a strong, happy girl, with big brown eyes, who studies her lessons, and works in the garden, and has the happiest time any girl ever had, with her grandfather, in the big white house on the hill. ”

“ When she got up she had to sit on the bed, she felt so dizzy.
Miss Rose found her sitting there.
“Why, Clematis,” she said. “Are you sick?”
“Yes’m, I guess so,” whispered the poor little girl.
“Lie right down again, dear, and perhaps you will feel better.”
They brought her a cup of 110 cocoa, and some toast, for breakfast, but she could not eat.
All day she lay there, pale and sick.
In the afternoon old Doctor Field came in to see her. He sat down by the bed and asked her some questions.
He looked at her tongue, and felt her pulse. Then he took out some little pills and gave them to Miss Rose. ”

“ I don’t know. You wouldn’t be very much help I am afraid. You quarrel with the other children, and you are very slow to learn.” 104
“Yes’m,” said Clematis, and hung her head.
“Still,” said Miss Rose, “you might have a chance later. If you try hard I will not forget you.”
Clematis tried to feel happier then, but there were so many things to learn, and so few days to learn them in, that she hardly dared to hope very much.
She found it very hard to learn to play happily with the other children, and liked it much better just to get Deborah all by herself and play with her. ”

“ There she was, curled up like a little ball under the stove.
She looked with sleepy eyes at Clematis, and crawled down into her lap.
Then Clematis smoothed her and patted her, till she purred her very sweetest purr.
“Ah,” said Katie. “It’s a fine cat. It caught a big rat in the night, and brought it in, as proud as pie.”
“Do you think they will let me keep her?” asked Clematis.
“Oh, I guess so. If she catches the rats, she will be welcome here. You can be sure of that. I hate rats.” 49
While Clematis and Deborah were having such a good time in the kitchen, Mrs. Snow took Miss Rose to her room. ”

“ So Clematis wandered round by the fence till she came to a sunny spot, near the big maple tree with the red buds.
Here she picked up a dead twig and sat down, turning over the dried leaves with the twig, and throwing them in the air.
As she picked up the leaves, she saw some blades of grass beneath them.
Then she picked up more leaves, and found many blades of grass growing beneath their warm shelter. 75
Clematis got up and walked near the fence, where the leaves were thicker. There she poked them away, and found longer blades of grass, and new leaves, green and shiny. ”

“ Jane kept her promise, and while the lilacs lasted, they used to go often to their secret place and smell the fragrance of the blossoms.
The first of July, some of the girls began to start for their vacations in the country.
Now it was harder than ever for Clematis to stick to her work. She kept thinking of the beautiful fields, when she should have been thinking of numbers. 103
“I don’t know what we are going to do with you, Clematis,” said Miss Rose one day.
“You do try hard sometimes. You have learned to make beds well. You are a good girl about your clothes, morning and night. ”

“ Every one is gone.”
There was the little hen, sitting on the ground, near the barn door. 175
Just then Mr. Alder came out with a pail of milk.
“Oh, Mr. Alder, where have all the chickens gone?” cried Clematis.
He laughed. “Dear me,” he said. “I don’t see them anywhere, do you?”
“No, but they were all here last night.”
“I wonder if the rats caught them.” Mr. Alder looked very sad.
“Oh, dear, if they did, I’ll tell Deborah.”
Clematis looked as if she were ready to cry.
“Don’t cry. I’ll get a fairy to bring them back. You turn around and shut your eyes.” ”

“ Clematis looked up in surprise. She never thought that grown 142 people wanted to go away. She did not notice how pale and tired Miss Rose was. It had been hard work for her.
“You will try to help all you can, won’t you, dear? Think every minute of what you can do to help. Then people will love you, even if you make mistakes.”
“Yes’m, I will promise.”
“You can wear the blue blouse, and you can put the white one in the box I gave you, if you are afraid of crushing it in the little bag.” ”

“ Clematis laughed and danced about, while the red hen clucked to her chicks and walked off very angry indeed.
Mr. Alder laughed also, and picked up the pail.
“Do you see that patch of raspberries down there, just beyond the hen house?” he asked.
Clematis nodded.
“I think there are some big, late raspberries down there. Would you like to pick a few? You’ll find them good.” ”

“ There, beside the bed, was a pile of clothes. There were the stockings, just as she had pulled them off. 35
The boots were thrown down on the clean gingham dress, and the fresh apron was sadly crushed.
“I am sorry, little girl,” said Miss Rose, “but you will have to get right up.”
“Why?” asked Clematis.
“No little girl can go to bed without washing her face and hands. No little girl can leave her clothes like this.”
“Isn’t this my room?” said Clematis, slowly getting out of bed.
“It is for tonight. We always let a new child sleep alone the first night.” ”

“ There was a tiny kitchen, with a tiny stove and tiny kettles, all just like your own house. It was enough to make any girl happy.
It was so much fun that Clematis forgot to be sad, and was not ready to leave the doll house 32 when the bell rang once more. It was bedtime.
“That is the sleepy bell,” said Jane, closing the door to the doll house, and running toward the stairs.
Clematis was at the end of the row, as the girls went out of the playroom, and Miss Rose spoke as she passed through the door. ”

“ Nobody wants me, except you.
“I can make my bed, and wash dishes, and I don’t say slang words any more, and I can weed everything in your garden.”
In Grandfather’s house
225
Poor Clematis, she had never said so much at one time in her life.
Then she burst into tears. She was tired, and worn, and faint.
Mr. Brooks took her into his lap. He hardly knew what to say to comfort her.
“Have you no father or mother?” he asked.
“No,” she sobbed, “I haven’t anybody at all.”
“You see I am all alone here. I haven’t any good place to keep a little girl.” ”

“ It was the bell. Recess was over, and all the children were going in.
Clematis put her hand into her apron pocket quickly, and followed the other children back to school.
“How has the new girl done today?” asked Mrs. Snow, just before they sat down to dinner.
“She seems to feel more at home,” replied Miss Rose. “She doesn’t know her letters yet. I guess she has grown up all by herself.”
“That is too bad. I will give her a test this afternoon, about three. If she would like to play with her kitten in the playroom for an 77 hour, after dinner, she may do so.” ”

“ Clematis said nothing, but turned very red. She almost cried, she was so ashamed.
“Well, don’t worry too much about it,” said Mrs. Alder. “You can help me with the beds. I’m 181 sure you can make your bed without doing any harm.”
“Oh, yes’m, I’ve made it already.”
“Made it already? When?”
“Why, when I got up, before breakfast.”
“Mercy! Go right up and pull the clothes back. It must always air for an hour.”
Poor Clematis went up and pulled the clothes back to air.
“How can I help, if every single thing I do is wrong?” Clematis spoke crossly out the window at the robin on the edge of the roof. ”

“ Her dear Deborah was rubbing a cold nose against her cheek, and 138 purring how glad she was to see her.
Clematis smoothed and patted her a long time, as she lay purring close by her side.
After that, Deborah came up often, and lay there on the bed, while Miss Rose sewed by the window.
“What are you sewing?” asked Clematis one day, when she was well enough to sit up.
“What do you suppose?”
“It looks like a dress.”
“That’s just what it is. It’s a new dress for a little girl to wear to the country.” ”

“ Oh, apple pie even for breakfast, and doughnuts between meals. I had doughnuts every day.”
“Crickety!” said Clematis.
“You’d better not let Miss Rose hear you say that, and you needn’t worry. You won’t go to any 71 country, when you can’t even make beds.”
Clematis gave Jane a frightened look, and started to work the best she knew how.
But the best Clematis knew how was very poor work, and by the time the bell rang for school, one bed still had to be done.
“Let it alone,” said Jane. “I can make it up faster myself.” ”

“ The sun was bright, the breeze was cool, and Clematis was as happy as the sparrows that hopped about in the maple tree.
All the morning she ran here and there, getting her things ready.
She had a small, black bag, and the box Miss Rose left for her extra blouse. Her things were put into these.
Mrs. Snow had an early lunch for Clematis, because she was going on the one o’clock train. 146
“I would rather eat it down in the kitchen with Katie,” she said, when they started to put a bowl on the big table.
Katie was willing, so Clematis had some bread and soup on the corner of the kitchen table. ”

“ They make maple syrup, and maple sugar.”
There were the big pans, turned upside down, and the pails that caught the sap.
Her mouth watered as she thought of all the maple sugar they had made in that little cabin. She wanted to stay longer, but Mr. Alder started on.
“We must get along, I want to see Mr. Brooks before we go home.”
“Who is Mr. Brooks?”
“Mr. Brooks is a good man who lives over here on the side of Bean Hill. He lives all alone by himself.”
“Oh,” replied Clematis, “is he the man who owns the white 191 house with the vines, and has had so much sadness?” ”

“ Soon she must go back to the brick walls, and the yard with the high fence around it.
When Mr. Alder came to call Clematis for supper, her eyes were red, and her cheeks pale.
“Never mind, dear little girl,” he said. “We’ll keep Deborah shut up. I guess we can spare the chickens. We have plenty more.” ”

“ People who have bad dreams are often frightened by the dark.”
“Shall I give her the medicine as directed?”
“No, don’t give her any more medicine at present. Give her all she wants of the orange and egg. I’ll be back in the morning.”
And Dr. Wyatt was gone.
“He’s a good doctor,” said Clematis, licking her dry lips. “I want a drink.”
Miss Rose smiled, and put the glass to her lips.
Off for Tilton
121 CHAPTER XI A LONG, ANXIOUS NIGHT
“Well,” said Doctor Wyatt, the next morning, “how is Clematis today?”
“She seems a little more comfortable,” said Miss Rose. ”

“ Alder came back. He looked puzzled.
“Well, where is Clematis?” asked Mrs. Alder.
“I don’t know.”
“Don’t know? Isn’t she in the loft?”
“No.”
“Well, perhaps she went to say goodby to the pigs.”
“She isn’t there.”
“She must be around here somewhere. She has no wings; she can’t fly.”
“I’m not so sure of that.” 214 Mr. Alder smiled in a puzzled way at Mr. Ladd.
“That’s just like you men.”
Mrs. Alder went to the door and called as loudly as she could. Then she went to the barn and called again.
She looked all about. Mr. Alder looked all about. Mr. Ladd looked all about. ”

“ I hope you will come again.”
“That little girl looks just like another little girl I used to know,” he said to Mr. Alder.
“She is here for a week or two. Doctor Wyatt sent her up.” Mr. Alder whispered to him a minute, before they went away.
“How would you like to take a long walk this afternoon, Clematis?” said Mr. Alder, while she was eating her ice cream and cake.
“Oh, yes, let’s.” Clematis was glad enough. She never liked Sundays very well.
“Good, we can walk up Bean Hill, if you think you can go that far.” ”

“ There were so many things to eat it almost took her breath away.
“Well, what do you say, little girl? Don’t you see anything you like?”
“May I choose anything I want?”
“Yes, miss. Just pick out what you like best.” 11
The lady behind the counter smiled, as the policeman lifted Clematis a little, so she could see better. There were cakes, and cookies, and buns, and doughnuts.
“May I have a cream cake?” asked Clematis.
“Of course you may. What else?” He lifted her a bit higher.
“Miew!” said Deborah, from under her coat.
“Oh, excuse me, cat,” he said, as he set Clematis down. ”

“ At that, the little girl looked up at Miss Rose and said: “My 24 name is Clematis, and my kitty’s name is Deborah.”
Just as she said this, a very strange noise was heard. Every child stopped eating. Miss Rose turned red, and Mrs. Snow looked up in surprise.
“Miew, miew, miew,” came from under the table. In another minute a little head peeped over the edge of the table where Clematis sat. It was a kitten, with a black spot over one eye.
“Miew, miew,” Deborah continued, and stuck her little red tongue right into the yellow bowl. She was very hungry, and could wait no longer. ”