Part 10 (1/2)
”How d'ye do?” said the man.
Kate stood up, with the plants, which she had just succeeded in getting out of the ground, in her ap.r.o.n.
”Good morning, sir,” said she.
The man looked at her from head to foot, and then he said, ”Shake hands!” holding out his big red hand.
But Kate did not offer to take it.
”Didn't you hear me?” said he. ”I said, 'Shake hands.'”
”I heard you,” said Kate.
”Well, why don't you do it, then?”
Kate did not answer, and the man repeated his question.
”Well, then, if I must tell you,” said she; ”in the first place, I don't know you; and, then, I'd rather not shake hands with you, anyway, because your hands are so dirty.”
This might not have been very polite in Kate, but she was a straightforward girl, and the man's hands were very dirty indeed, although water was to be had in such abundance.
”What's your name?” said the man, with his face considerably redder than before.
”Kate Loudon,” said the girl.
”Oh, ho! Loudon, is it? Well, Kate Loudon, if my hand's too dirty to shake, you'll find it isn't too dirty to box your ears.”
Kate turned pale and shrank back against a tree. She gave a hurried glance into the woods, and then she called out, as loudly as she could: ”_Harry_!”
The man, who had made a step toward her, now stopped and looked around, as if he would like to know who Harry was, before going any further.
Just then, Harry, who had heard Kate's call, came running up.
When the man saw him he seemed relieved, and a curious smile stretched itself beneath his bristling red moustache.
”What's the matter?” cried Harry.
”Oh, Harry!” Kate exclaimed, as she ran to him.
”Matter?” said the man. ”The matter's this: I'm going to box her ears.”
”Whose ears?”
”That girl's,” replied the red-faced man, moving toward Kate.
”My sister! Not much!”
And Harry stepped between Kate and the man.
The man stood and looked at him, and he looked very angrily, too.