Part 21 (2/2)

”Dear me!” said Clover, ”what does all this mean? It must be day after to-morrow, at least.”

Dorry stared with open mouth at the clock, which was still striking as though it would split its sides. Elsie, screaming with laughter, kept count.

”Thirty, Thirty-one--Oh, Dorry! Thirty-two! Thirty-three! Thirty-four!”

”You've bewitched it, Dorry!” said Katy, as much entertained as the rest.

Then they all began counting. Dorry seized the clock--shook it, slapped it, turned it upside-down. But still the sharp, vibrating sounds continued, as if the clock, having got its own way for once, meant to go on till it was tired out. At last, at the one-hundred-and-thirtieth stroke, it suddenly ceased; and Dorry, with a red, amazed countenance, faced the laughing company.

”It's very queer,” he said, ”but I'm sure it's not because of anything I did. I can fix it, though, if you'll let me try again. May I, Katy? I'll promise not to hurt it.”

For a moment Katy hesitated. Clover pulled her sleeve, and whispered, ”Don't!” Then seeing the mortification on Dorry's face, she made up her mind.

”Yes! take it, Dorry. I'm sure you'll be careful. But if I were you, I'd carry it down to Wetherell's first of all, and talk it over with them.

Together you could hit on just the right thing. Don't you think so?”

”Perhaps,” said Dorry; ”yes, I think I will.” Then he departed with the clock under his arm, while Clover called after him teasingly, ”Lunch at 132 o'clock; don't forget!”

”No, I won't!” said Dorry. Two years before he would not have borne to be laughed at so good-naturedly.

”How could you let him take your clock again?” said Clover, as soon as the door was shut. ”He'll spoil it. And you think so much of it.”

”I thought he would feel mortified if I didn't let him try,” replied Katy, quietly, ”I don't believe he'll hurt it. Wetherell's man likes Dorry, and he'll show him what to do.”

”You were real good to do it,” responded Clover; ”but if it had been mine I don't think I could.”

Just then the door flew open, and Johnnie rushed in, two years taller, but otherwise looking exactly as she used to do.

”Oh, Katy!” she gasped, ”won't you please tell Philly not to wash the chickens in the rain-water tub? He's put in every one of Speckle's, and is just beginning on Dame Durden's. I'm afraid one little yellow one is dead already--”

”Why, he mustn't--of course he mustn't!” said Katy; ”what made him think of such a thing?”

”He says they're dirty, because they've just come out of egg-sh.e.l.ls! And he insists that the yellow on them is yolk-of-egg. I told him it wasn't, but he wouldn't listen to me.” And Johnnie wrung her hands.

”Clover!” cried Katy, ”won't you run down and ask Philly to come up to me? Speak pleasantly, you know!”

”I spoke pleasantly--real pleasantly, but it wasn't any use,” said Johnnie, on whom the wrongs of the chicks had evidently made a deep impression.

”What a mischief Phil is getting to be!” said Elsie. ”Papa says his name ought to be Pickle.”

”Pickles turn out very nice sometimes, you know,” replied Katy, laughing.

Pretty soon Philly came up, escorted by Clover. He looked a little defiant, but Katy understood how to manage him. She lifted him into her lap, which, big boy as he was, he liked extremely; and talked to him so affectionately about the poor little s.h.i.+vering chicks, that his heart was quite melted.

”I didn't mean to hurt 'em, really and truly,” he said, ”but they were all dirty and yellow--with egg, you know, and I thought you'd like me to clean 'em up.”

”But that wasn't egg, Philly--it was dear little clean feathers, like a canary-bird's wings.”

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