Cheery and the Chum/Chapter 7
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UNT BETH had been out in the field gathering blue corn-flowers, and she came in through the shed-kitchen with a big bunch of them in her hands. As she opened the shed door, she thought that she heard a sound of skurrying, and stopped to peer about; but there was nothing in sight excepting a big tub of soap-suds and a big tub of bluing-water. Mrs. Cann was in the yard hanging out the clothes. "She splashes a good deal of water when she washes," thought Aunt Beth, as she paused at the kitchen table to arrange the flowers in a tall glass. Then she passed into the dining-room.
As she opened the door, she heard a sudden movement, and a faint meow from Tiddledewinks. Tiddledewinks was the white, half-grown kitten which had strayed to the farm, and which Cheery and The Chum had pleaded to be allowed to keep. I said that she was white,—I meant that she ought to have been white; but she had not been trained to the art of cleanliness, and as a consequence, she, was just about the dirtiest pussy that ever you saw.
Today, as Aunt Beth heard her faint meow, she turned quickly; for Tiddledewinks was not allowed in the dining-room.
But instead of Tidd, her glance fell upon Cheery standing almost behind the door, her eyes very big and her lips pressed tightly together and both hands behind her. If ever anybody looked guilty, Cheery did.
Seeing Cheery, Aunt Beth looked about for The Chum; for where Cheery was, there must always be The Chum, also. He stood on the other side of the table, only his head and shoulders showing above it. His eyes were big, too; but he wasn't looking at Aunt Beth,—only at Cheery.
"What is the matter?" said Aunt Beth, looking from one to the other.
There was no answer.
Again she asked, more soberly, "What is the matter?"
Cheery's lips remained tightly closed; but The Chum began to open and shut his mouth quite rapidly. "There—there," he commenced, hurriedly, "—there isn't anything the matter wiv us;—but jus' you look at poor Tiddledewinks!"
Aunt Beth turned her eyes in the direction that his plump fore-finger pointed, and then her mouth opened and her chin dropped, and her eyes grew as big as the children's.
"Tiddledewinks," she gasped. "Children, what—"
Cheery turned her eyes in the direction of the kitten, but her lips stayed pressed tightly together.
"Cheery," said Aunt Beth, "what have you been doing?"
No answer.
"Chum, tell me about it."
The Chum shook his head. "Cheery has to tell," he said. "I can't, 'cause it was Cheery—" he suddenly stopped and bit his lip.
"Cheery?"
No answer.
"Cheery, are you willing The Chum should tell?"
Still no answer.
"Cheery, one of you must tell, and it would be better for you to."
No answer.
Aunt Beth came closer. "Cheery, are you willing The Chum should tell me?"
Cheery pressed her lips a little tighter for a moment, then she nodded her head solemnly, blinking her eyes very fast.
"Now, Chum?" said Aunt Beth.
The Chum had come from behind the table, and his big eyes were turned awesomely toward the chair where lay Tiddledewinks. "Well," he said, swallowing hard, "you see,—she—she suds-ed her in
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the suds-water, an' she blued her in the blue-water, an'—an' she wringed her an' she wringed her, an' she wanted to hang her up on the clothes-bars an'—an' the cothes-pins wouldn't stick!"
Aunt Beth looked at the cat and looked at the culprits, and pressed her lips more tightly together than even Cheery's.
"How did she wring her?" she asked, presently, her voice not very steady. Tiddle was always a remarkably thin cat, and she looked particularly thin just now.
"She—she wanted me to turn the wringer for her," said The Chum; "but I wouldn't, 'cause it looked so tight, an' she couldn't get only the tip of Tiddle's tail in, her own self; an' so she had to jus'—jus' wring her."
"But how did she do it?"
"Why, jus' this way," said The Chum, going through the motions of wringing a wet towel; "but she wouldn't hold still, an'—"
But Aunt Beth gave one look at Tidd, and then turned and went out of the room very suddenly.
The two culprits stood and stared at each other for a moment, and then Cheery threw herself on the floor and burst into tears. "Oh, dear!" she sobbed, "I don't care if it makes me only four again, my next birthday, I've got to cry,—I've just got to! I've gone and spoiled poor Tidd, and Aunt Beth is angry, and—and you think I'm dreadful—"
But The Chum was down on his knees beside her in a moment. "I don't,—I don't, any such thing!" he cried. "You didn't know it was going to spoil her! You jus' wanted to make her clean, 'cause she got the things in the bureau-drawer dirty yesterday, when you put her in there, an'—"
But just then Mamma came into the dining-room. She looked very sober, and her eyes seemed a little red, almost as if she, herself, had been crying. She only glanced at Tidd, and then turned her eyes quickly away, and came and sat down beside Cheery and drew her into her arms, where the little girl lay sobbing for several minutes. By and by Mamma brushed the hair back from the damp little face, and looked lovingly into the wet eyes. "Come, come, be Cheery," she said.
Cheery smiled a very moist smile, and Mamma patted her shoulder, softly. "Do you want to tell Mamma about it?" she asked.
"Ye—yes," said Cheery, chokily; and then she told the whole story, while The Chum stood by, a sympathetic listener.
When she had finished, Mamma said, gently; "You meant all right, dearie; but don't you see, now, that there must have been something wrong about it, somewhere?"
"Yes, Mamma."
"Do you know where?"
"No, Mamma."
"Didn't you feel the least bit guilty any time while you were doing it?"
"Yes, when I saw how dreadful Tidd looked."
"But before that, didn't you feel a little afraid that you might not be doing quite right?"
Cheery thought for a moment. "Yes, Mamma," she said, at last; "I was afraid Mrs. Cann would come in before I got through, and make me stop; so I guess I knew it was wrong to use her tubs and her wringer and things, without asking.
"That was it, dearie," said Mamma. "It wasn't a love-thought that made you keep on, after you thought of that, was it?"
"No, Mamma."
"Well, now what do you think we would better do about it?"
"Why, I must be sure that I won't forget the love-thought again."
"And then?"
"I—I must tell Mrs. Cann I'm sorry, and—"
But just then Mrs. Cann and Aunt Beth came into the room, and Cheery sat up and brushed away her tears.
"Mrs. Cann," she said, in a very shaky voice; "I'm sorry that I—that I la—laundered Tidd in your tubs and—and—"
But here The Chum broke in, eagerly, noticing that the usual smile was absent from Mrs. Cann's good natured face, and fearing that she was going to be cross to Cheery. "We—we're awful sorry, Mrs. Cann, if we mussed your tubs, honest, we are; but—but—" pointing at the little cat; "—but Tidd didn't like it a lot worse than you didn't—an—' she isn't saying a word!"