第22章

ThenIroared；betIsoundedlikeBashan’sbull。

“DearLord！“saidLaddiedroppingthesheepandtakingmeinhiswetarms。“Tellme，Biddy！Tellmehowitis。“

ThenIforgotIwasaCrusader，andtoldhimallaboutitaswellasIcouldforchoking，andwhenIfinishedhebathedmyhotface，andhelpedmefromtheroots。ThenhewentandlookeddowntheholeIshowedhimandhecriedoutquicklike，andthrewhimselfonthegrass，andinasecondupcamethefish。Someonehadrolledabigstoneinthehole，sothefishwasallright，notevendeadyet，andLaddiesaiditwasthebiggestoneheeverhadseentakenfromthecreek。ThenhesaidifI’dforgivehimandallourfamily，forspoilingthekindofalifeIhadaperfectrighttolead，andifI’druntothehouseandgetabigbottlefromthemedicinecasequick，hewouldseetoitthatsomeplacewasfixedforthatsheepwhereitwouldneverbothermeagain。SoItookthefishandranasfastasIcould，butIsentMaybackwiththebottle，anddidthescalingmyself。Nooneatourhousecoulddoitbetter，forLaddietaughtmetherightwaylongago，whenIwassmall，andI’ddoneithundredsoftimes。

ThenIwenttoCandaceandsheputalittlebitofbutterandaspeckoflardinaskillet，andcookedthefishbrown。Shemadeasliceoftoastandboiledacupofwaterandcarriedittothedoor；thenshewentinandsetthetablebesidethebed，andI

tookinthetray，anddidn’tspilladrop。Motherneversaidaword；shejustreachedoutandbrokeoffatinyspeckandnibbledit，anditstayed；shetriedalittlebiggerpiece，andanother，andshesaid：“Takeoutthebones，Candace！“Sheateeveryscrapofthatfishlikethehungriesttravellerwhoevercametoourdoor，andthetoast，anddrankthehotwater。Thenshewentintoalongsleepandallofuswalkedtiptoe，andwhenshewakedupshewasbetter，andinafewdaysshecouldsitinherchairagain，andshebegangettingShelleyreadytogotomusicschool。

Ihavetotellyoutherest，too。Laddiemadetheramcomealive，andfathersolditthenextdayformorethanhepaidforit。HesaidhehopedI’dforgivehimfornothavingseenhowithadbeenbotheringme，andthatheneverwouldhavehaditontheplaceadayifhe’dknown。Thenexttimehewenttotownheboughtmeatrulylittlecanerod，arealfishingline，severalhooks，andaredbobbertoolovelytoputintothewater。I

thoughtIwasagreatpersonfromthefussallofthemmadeoverme，untilInoticedLaddieshrughisshoulders，andreachbackandrubone，andthenIremembered。

Iwentflying，andthankgoodness！heheldouthisarms。

“OhLaddie！Ineverdidit！“Icried。“Inever，neverdid！I

couldn’t！Laddie，Iloveyoubestofanyone；youknowIdo！“

“Ofcourseyoudidn’t！“saidLaddie。“MyLittleSisterwasn’tanywherearoundwhenthathappened。ThatwasapoorlittlegirlIneversawbefore，andshewasinsuchtroubleshedidn’tknowWHATshewasdoing。AndIhopeI’llneverseeheragain，“heended，twistinghisshoulder。Buthekissedmeandmadeitallright，andreallyIdidn’tdothat；Ijustsimplycouldn’thavestruckLaddie。

MarryingoffSallywaslittleworsethangettingShelleyreadyforschool。Shehadtohavethreesuitsofeverything，andanewdressofeachkind，andthreehats；hertrunkwouldn’tholdalltherewastoputinit；andfathersaidhenevercouldpaythebills。Hehadpromisedhertogo，andhedidn’tknowwhatinthisworldtodo；becauseheneverhadborrowedmoneyinhislife，andhecouldn’tbegin；forifhediedsuddenly，thatwouldleavemotherindebt，andtheymighttakethelandfromher。

Thatmeanthe’dspentwhathehadinthebankonSally’swedding，andallthatwasintheUndergroundStation，ormaybetheStationmoneywasn’this。

Justwhenhewasawfullybothered，mothersaidtonevermind，shebelievedshecouldfixit。Shesentallofusintotheorchardtopickthefineapplesthatdidn’tkeepwell，andfathermadethreetripstotowntosellthem。Shehadbigjarsoflardshewouldn’tneedbeforebutcheringtimecameagain，andshesolddriedapples，peaches，andraspberriesfromlastyear。Shegotlotsofmoneyforbarrelsoffeathersshe’dsavedtoimproveherfeatherbedsandpillows；shesaidshewouldseetothatlater。

Fatherwassotickledtogetthemoneytohelphimoutthathesaidhe’dgetherapairofthosewonderfulnewbluegeeselikePryorshad，thateveryonestoppedtolookat。Whentherewasnotquiteenoughyet，fromsomewheremotherbroughtoutmoneythatshe’dsavedforalongtime，frombutterandeggs，andchickens，andturkeys，andfruitandlard，andthingsthatbelongedtoher。Fatherhatedtouseittheworstway，butshesaidshe’dsaveditforanemergency，andnowseemedtobethetime。

Shesaidifthechildreallyhadtalent，sheshouldbeaboutdevelopingit，andwhiletherewouldbemanywhowouldhavefarfinerthingsthanShelley，stillshemeanthertohaveenoughthatshewouldn’tbetheworstlookingone，andsoashamedshecouldn’tkeephermindonherwork。Fathersaid，withherfaceitdidn’tmakeanydifferencewhatshewore，andmothersaidthatwasjustlikeaman；itmadeallthedifferenceintheworldwhatagir

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