Part 13 (1/2)
”She's in there, too She didn't stop eating”
At that A hysterically ”She can't eat the snakes, can she?” she shrieked at last ”But maybe they'll eat her How many snakes are there, Jess?”
”Do you suppose I stopped to count the out of that dark stairway----”
”Where _is_ the child?” demanded A in through the doorway
The sounds fro of a flail, continued Amy craned her head around the door jamb to see
”Goodness, !
You will get bitten!”
The noise of the thrashi+ng stopped At least, the larger part of the noise Henrietta came to the door with the stick that Jessie had dropped in her hand
”I fixed 'em,” she said calmly ”I just hate snakes I always kill theot no poison And I shut the door so if there's any more upstairs they won't come down You can coasped Jessie
Her chuhter shook her She could just put out her hands and irl
”She--she--she----”
”For pity's sake, A”
”She--she didn't even--stop--chewing!” Aot out at last
”Bless her heart! She's the bravest little thing!” Jessie declared, shakingly ”We two great, big girls should be ashauess you ain't soonto the bench again ”But I certainly alad it wasn't Carter's ha'nt”
”But,” cried Ahost Of course, those snakes had a home upstairs there Probably in the chimney And every tiot warhost stories about the Carter house”
”Your explanation is ingenious, at any rate,” ad Are you sure they are dead, Henrietta?”
”That's the trouble with snakes,” said the child ”They don't know enough to keep still when they're dead-ed I sood for 'eain until she had taken the stick and poked the dead but still writhing snakes out of the house The rain was di had receded into the distance The two older girls ate very little of the luncheon they had brought It ith much amazes, and fruit She did a thorough job
”Isn't she the bravest little thing?” Jessie whispered to her chuirlrun aith, was her cousin all right,”
said Aht!”