Part 22 (1/2)
”Sho!” said she. ”Why, you're a child yourself!”
”I'm fifteen,” returned Ben, with dignity.
”You don't mean to say you have the care of the little gal?”
”At present I have.”
”Ain't n.o.body else travelin' with you?”
”No, ma'am.”
”Where are you goin?”
”To Milltown.”
”Where's that?”
”In Ma.s.sachusetts.”
”Is she goin' to board with your folks?”
”Yes, ma'am.”
”I'd like to have charge of her for a month. I'd make a different gal of her.”
”I wouldn't go with you,” said Emma.
”If you was bad, I'd whip you so you couldn't stand,” said the old lady, her eyes snapping. ”I've got a granddarter about as big as you; but she wouldn't dare to sa.s.s me the way you have.”
”I'm glad you ain't my grandmother,” said Emma. ”I don't want a dirty grandmother like you.”
”You mustn't talk so, Emma,” said Ben, thinking it time to interfere.
”Talkin' won't do no good. She ought to be whipped,” said the old lady, shaking her head and scowling at Emma.
”Don't you want to go on deck and see the steamer start?”
asked Ben, as the only means of putting a stop to the irrepressible conflict between the old lady and his charge.
”Oh, yes; let us go up.”
So they went on deck, where Emma was not a little interested at the varied sights that met her eye.
”Did you ever see such an ugly old woman, Ben?” asked Emma, when they had reached the top of the stairs.
”Hush, Emma! You must be more particular about what you say. You shouldn't have said anything about her taking snuff.”
”But she does take it,” insisted the little girl. ”I saw her put it up her nose.”
”That is nothing to us. She has a right to take it if she wants to.”
”But she wanted me to kiss her. You wouldn't want to kiss her, Ben, would you?”