Part 30 (1/2)

As for the twins, Sadie took them in hand with a reformatory spirit that amazed Willie and d.i.c.kie. Those two youngsters were kept at Sunrise Farm and put in special charge of Sadie. Thus Mr. Steele had the three Raby orphans under his own eye until he could hear from Canada, and from the orphanage, and learn all the particulars of the fortune that might be in store for them.

After a bit Willie and d.i.c.kie found the watchfulness of their sister somewhat irksome.

”Say!” the talkative twin observed, ”you ain't got no reason to be so sharp on us, Sadie Raby. _You_ run away your ownself-didn't she, d.i.c.kie?”

”Yep,” agreed the oracular one.

”An' we don't want no gal follerin' us around and tellin' us to 'stop'

all the time-do we, d.i.c.kie?”

”Nope.”

”We're big boys now,” declared Willie, strutting like the young bantam he was. ”There ain't nothin' goin' to hurt us. We're too big--”

”What's that on your finger-- No! the other one?” snapped Sadie, eyeing Willie sharply.

”Scratch,” announced the boy.

”Where'd you get it?”

”I-I cut it on the cat,” admitted Willie, with less bombast.

”Humph! you're a big boy-ain't you? Don't even know enough to let the cat alone-and I hope her claw done you some good. Come here an' let me borrer Miss Ruth's peroxide bottle and put some on it. Cat's claws is poison,” said Sadie. ”You ain't so fit to get along without somebody watchin' you as ye think, kid. Remember that, now.”

”We don't want no gal trailin' after us all the time!” cried Willie, angrily. ”An' we ain't goin' to stand it,” and he kicked his bare toe into the sand to express the emphasis that his voice would not vent.

”Humph!” said Sadie, eyeing him sideways, meanwhile tr.i.m.m.i.n.g carefully a stout branch she had broken from the lilac bush. ”So you want to be your own boss, do you, Willie Raby?”

”We _be_ our own boss-ain't we, d.i.c.kie?”

For the first time, the echo of d.i.c.kie's agreement failed to materialize. d.i.c.kie was eyeing that lilac sprout-and looked from that to his sister's determined face. He backed away several feet and put his hands behind him.

”And so you ain't goin' to mind me-nor Miss Ruth-nor Mr. Steele-nor Mr.

Caslon-nor n.o.body?” proceeded Sadie, more earnestness apparent in each section of her query.

Her hand reached out suddenly and gripped Willie by the shoulder of his s.h.i.+rt. He tried to writhe out of her grasp, but his sister's muscles were hardened, and she was twice as strong as Willie had believed. The lilac sprout was raised.

”So you're too big to mind anybody, heh?” she queried.

”Yes, we be!” snarled the writhing Willie. ”Ain't we, d.i.c.kie?”

”No, we're not!” screamed his twin, suddenly, refusing to echo Willie's declaration. ”Don't hit him, Sade! Oh, don't!” and he cast himself upon his sister and held her tight about the waist. ”We-we'll be good,” he sobbed.

”How about it, Willie Raby?” demanded the stern sister, without lowering the stick. ”Are you goin' to mind and be good?”

Willie stared, tried to writhe away, saw it was no use, and capitulated.

”Aw-yes-if _he's_ goin' to cry about it,” he grumbled. He said it with an air intimating that d.i.c.kie was, after all, quite a millstone about his neck and would always be holding him back from deeds of valor which Willie, himself, knew he could perform.