"Oh I... I think I can walk it on my own feet if... if you take my arm..." she said coyly.
"Um, sure." Using his thumb and forefinger, Weedy gingerly took Jane's wrist, standing a couple paces away from her, not really sure what he was supposed to be doing or why. Seemed like that she could either walk or not, but if she needed help, maybe she was sicker than he thought?
"Are you sure you're all right? I can fetch Dr. Danforth when we get to the house." The last thing he wanted was for her to faint again, he wasn't sure what to do when she did that, and he was afraid anything he did might make her do it again, and that was no fun!
Gathering Milan's lead rope, he started for the house, moving slowly so Jane could keep up.
Oh dear, we're all of a flutter!
Jane was seriously underwhelmed by Weedy's half-hearted holding of her wrist like it was some sort of unpleasant biological specimen. But as they set off he asked "Are you sure you're all right? I can fetch Dr. Danforth when we get to the house."
It was embarrassing to have fainted but, well, when life handed you lemons...
"I do still feel a little..." she stumbled and fell into him a little so he had to grab her to stop her falling. She wrapped a hand around his waist. "I think I'll be all right if you keep on holding me up like this" she said softly.
Milan, for his part, was impressed and amazed at the girl's audacity and quick thinking: he was a little more streetwise and experienced with females than Weedy. If only he had been able to warn his young human pet of the terrible danger he was in.
"I do still feel a little..." she stumbled and fell into him a little so he had to grab her to stop her falling. She wrapped a hand around his waist. "I think I'll be all right if you keep on holding me up like this" she said softly.
Weedy 'OOF-ed' as Jane fell into him, mostly from surprise, it wasn't as if she weighed more than a bent whisker on a baby cricket, he just hadn't expected her to be so...frail.
"Well, all right." Taking her around the waist, he headed for the little house that Addy had bought for them, and that they now shared with her brother and his son, only they were back east for a while. "Maybe you'll feel better when you can sit down. And there's a pump right there in the kitchen, so I won't need to get water from outside."
Hopefully, that would make her feel better and they could do something more fun?
"There it is..."
Oh dear, we're all of a flutter!
"Well, all right." Taking her around the waist, he headed for the little house that Addy had bought for them, and that they now shared with her brother and his son, only they were back east for a while.
On the way, they were noticed by a couple of the girls from school, who didn't know which to do first: giggle, goggle, point, or put their heads together in whispered conclave: this would be all over the school-yard come Monday: Weedy Chappel and Froggy-Four-Eyes sitting in a tree: K.I.S.S.I.N.G. Well, they hadn't been seen actually kissing, but promenading the streets arm in arm was as good as. Jane pretended not to notice them staring, but felt a certain pleasure at it all the same, she couldn't wait to be teased about it by the other girls.
"Maybe you'll feel better when you can sit down. And there's a pump right there in the kitchen, so I won't need to get water from outside."
"Oh that would be perfect, Porter, thank you" she answered sweetly. She hoped that this Addy would be there. Some people said that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach, Arabella had told her that a surer way was through his Mother. "Get her on your side and you're home free" had been her advice.
When they got to Weedy's house, Jane let go of him long enough to clap her hands together and declare "Oh, what a wonderful little home!"
She stared about in wonder as they walked through the little creaking front gate, under the delicate corrugated iron awning and through the front door that Addy's old boyfriend had once half-painted.
Weedy ignored the looks they got, he didn't really even notice, that wasn't the sort of things boys cared about. In fact, what he noticed most was that she kept calling him 'Porter', and he was too polite to correct her!
"Yeah, it's pretty nice. Addy and Uncle Isiah are going to build on another room, but it's better than the room at the back of the barn Addy was using." Unless it was really cold, Weedy had mostly slept in the hay loft, and he didn't mind that, it was soft and comfortable, and was better than on the streets.
"Here, now, sit at the table and I'll get you some water. And I think there's still some shortbread cookies from the Lickskillet if you want one?"
Oh dear, we're all of a flutter!
"Yeah, it's pretty nice. Addy and Uncle Isiah are going to build on another room, but it's better than the room at the back of the barn Addy was using."
"Oh, it's a lovely home!" Jane cooed "And so peaceful. You can imagine what our house is like with three brothers, two sisters, Mommy, Daddy, Uncle Pat and Uncle Frank. Course, Uncle Frank isn't really my uncle, but he comes round to see Mommy so much, he might as well be. I don't think he likes it at home cause his wife's a Red Indian." she chatted on.
"Here, now, sit at the table and I'll get you some water. And I think there's still some shortbread cookies from the Lickskillet if you want one?"
"Oh yes please, that would be love-ur-ly." Somehow she managed to make that word have three syllables. "I love going to the Lickskillet, don't you? But my Mommy says it's a waste of money when you can make pies and cakes at home at a fraction of the cost. But I think it always tastes better when someone else bakes it, don't you? Does Addy bake much? Where is Addy?"
Now she was over her initial shyness, she was all questions.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"Lickskillet's the best! But we don't go there too often, even though Addy doesn't like to cook." Weedy's nose wrinkled up as he filled a tin mug with water and took it to Jane. "I don't like her to cook much either! I think she went to Oakdale today, but I don't know if she'll be home tonight."
It wasn't unusual for Addy to be gone overnight, and sometimes even two or three nights, but Weedy was never without a good meal or someone to look after him. He was used to it by now.
The cookies were next to be set out, several perfectly round shortbreads, plain but so buttery. "Help yourself." He grabbed a cookie from the plate and munched on it, then had an idea. "Hey! These are great with huckleberries! We got a bush out back, give me a minute!"
Before she could say anything, Weedy rushed out the back door, his shoes stomping down the back stairs, although there seemed to be something wrong with the cadence...like, he was taking double steps?
And in an instant, Addy burst into the kitchen, wearing britches, boots and a man's linen shirt. She was covered from head to heel in mud, most of her auburn hair had come free of its braid and was flying around her head.
Without looking at who was sitting at the table, she thrust an equally muddy puppy at who she assumed was Weedy and grumbled, "Take this thing out an' warsh it before I throw it in th' stew!"
Oh dear, we're all of a flutter!
Jane was strangely relieved when Weedy disappeared to fetch some huckleberries, it was actually an awful strain trying to be beguiling non-stop. Take eating the cookie for example: she found herself snapping off a tiny piece and nibbling on it demurely, scared in case she had to speak with her mouth full and spat crumbs all over him or something. At home she would have just shoved the whole thing in her mouth in one go.
At Addy's whirlwind entrance, she jumped up: half in fright and half in deference to an adult entering the room. She was a bit amazed to have a pup thrust into her hands by the unseeing women, but, brought up by a rather terrifying mother, obeyed the command to wash the cute little rascal with alacrity and a willing "Yes Ma'am!!" and she ran out the back after Weedy to report on their new - well, task or chore didn't really describe it - more like treat.
She only stopped at the door to turn and say "Oh... Ma'am? I'm Jane, what's his name?" meaning the scamp that was even now turning her best Sunday pinny into a mudbath.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
It was only as the girl was rushing out the back that Addy registered that she wasn't Weedy, nor anyone she knew, or that Weedy had a GIRL here!
"Yer..?" Jane? Who was that? "Mongrel ain't gotta a name," she called as Jane disappeared out the back. She started to follow, intent on finding out more about the girl, and where Weedy was, and just what was going on, even though she wanted to get cleaned up.
And, just as Jane was exiting the steps from the back door, Weedy, alarmed by the ruckus inside, dropped the berried he had gathered and was headed up those same steps...
Oh dear, we're all of a flutter!
And, just as Jane was exiting the steps from the back door, Weedy, alarmed by the ruckus inside, dropped the berried he had gathered and was headed up those same steps...
"Look, Porter, Look! We've got a puppy!" Jane yelped at him an enormous smile on her face. There was already more mud on her than there was on the animal. "We've got to clean him up, and then we get to name him... er... or her. Oh dear, I wonder how we can tell if he's a little boy or a little girl?!" she wondered aloud.
She turned as Addy came bolting out of the house after her.
"Oh! Excuse me, Mrs Chappel, me and Porter were trying to find out what the difference is between boys and girls. I don't suppose you know?"
She meant boy and girl puppies of course, not in the more general sense.
