Part 11 (2/2)

And then, suddenly, she came in sight of the back garden of Miss True Pettis!

It was with that kind-hearted but peculiar spinster lady that Ruth had lived previous to being sent to the Red Mill. Miss Pettis was the neighborhood seamstress and, as she often had told Ruth, she worked hard ”with both tongue and needle” for every dollar she earned.

For Miss True Pettis had something more than dressmaking to do when she went out ”by the day” to cut and fit and run the sewing machine.

Darrowtown folk expected that the seamstress should have all the latest gossip at her tongue's end when she came to sew!

Now, Miss True Pettis often laid down the law. ”There's two kinds of gossip. One the Bible calls the seventh abomination, an' I guess that's right. But for shut-in folks like most housekeepers in Darrowtown, a dish of harmless gossip is more inspiritin' than a bowl of boneset tea!

”Lemme have somethin' new to tell folks about folks-that's all. But it must be somethin' kind,” Miss Pettis declared. ”No backbitin', or church scandal, or neighborhood rows. If Si Lumpkin's cat has scratched Amoskeag Lanfell's dog, let the cat and the dog fight it out, I say; no need for Si and Amoskeag, who have been friends and neighbors for years an' years, gettin' into a ruction over it.

”I never take sides in any controversy-no, ma'am! If ye can't say a good word for a neighbor, don't say nothin' to _me_. That's what I tell 'em.

But if ye know anythin' good about 'em, or they've had any streak o'

good luck, or the like, tell me. For the folks in this town-'specially the wimmen folks that don't git out much-is just a-honin' for news, and True Pettis, when she goes out by the day, has gotter have a full and plenty supply of it.”

Ruth, smiling quietly to herself, remembered how the thin, sallow, quick spoken lady looked when she said all this. Miss Pettis's eyes were black and snapping; her nose was a beak; she bit off threads as though her temper was biting, too. But Ruth knew better. A kinder-hearted mortal never lived than the little old seamstress.

Now the visitor ran across the garden-neatly bedded and with graveled paths in which the tiniest weed dared not show its head-and reached the kitchen porch. Miss Pettis was always an early riser, and the smoke of her chimney was now only a faint blue column rising into the clear air.

Yes! there was a rattle of dishes in the kitchen. Ruth tiptoed up the steps. Then she-to her amazement-heard somebody groan. The sound was repeated, and then the seamstress's voice murmured:

”Oh, dear, oh, dear! Oh, dear, oh, dear! whatever shall I do--”

Ruth, who had intended opening the door softly and announcing that she had come to breakfast, forgot all about the little surprise she was bent on giving Miss Pettis. Now she peered fearfully in at the nearest window.

Miss Pettis was just sitting down in her rocker, and she rocked to and fro, holding one hand with the other, continuing to groan.

”Oh, dear, me!” cried Ruth, bursting in at the door. ”What in the world is the matter, my dear?”

”It's that dratted felon-- Why, Ruthie Fielding! Did you drop from the sky, or pop up out o' the ground? I never!”

The dressmaker got up quickly, but struck her hand against the chair-arm. Instantly she fell back with a scream, and Ruth feared she had fainted. A felon is a terribly painful thing!

Ruth ran for a gla.s.s of water, but before she could sprinkle any of it on Miss Pettis' pale face the lady's eyes opened and she exclaimed:

”Don't drop any of that on my dress, child-it'll spot. I'm all right now. My mercy! how that hurt.”

”A felon, Miss Pettis? How very dreadful,” cried Ruth, setting down the gla.s.s of water.

”And I ain't been able to use my needle for a week, and the dishwas.h.i.+n'-well, it jest about kills me to put my hands in water. You can see-the sight this kitchen is.”

”Now, isn't it lucky that I came this morning-and came so early, too?”

cried Ruth. ”I was going to take breakfast with you. Now I'll get the breakfast myself and fix up the house-- Oh, yes, I shall! I'll send word down to the hotel to my friends-they'll take breakfast there-and we can have a nice visit, Miss True,” and Ruth very carefully hugged the thin shoulders of the seamstress, so as not to even jar the felon on her right fore-finger.

CHAPTER IX-THE SUNRISE COACH

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