essly into her assailant's
arms; her straw body, her wooden arms and pumpkin head, decorating the
earth at her feet! Mrs. Todd stared helplessly at the wreck she
had made, not altogether comprehending the ruse that had led to her
discomfiture, but fully conscious that her empire was shaken to its
foundations. She glanced in every direction, and then hurling the
hateful green-and-white livery into the stage, she gathered up all
traces of the shameful fray, and sweeping them into her gingham apron
ran into the house in a storm of tears and baffled rage.

Jerry stayed behind the tree for some minutes, and when the coast was
clear he mounted the seat and drove to the store and the stable. When
he had put up his horses he went into the shed, took off his boots
as usual, but, despite all his philosophy, broke into a cold sweat of
terror as he crossed the kitchen threshold. "I can't stand many more
of these times when I put my foot down," he thought, "they're too
weakening!"

But he need not have feared. There was a good supper under the mosquito
netting on the table, and, most unusual luxury, a pot of hot tea. Mrs.
Todd had gone to bed and left him a pot of tea!

Which was the more eloquent apology!

Jerry never referred to the lady in green, then or afterwards; he was
willing to let well enough alone; but whenever his spouse passed a
certain line, which, being a Stover of Scarboro, she was likely to do
about once in six months, he had only to summon his recreant courage and
glance meaningly behind the kitchen door, where the birch broom hung
on a nail. It was a simple remedy to outward appearances, but made his
declining years more comfortable. I can hardly believe that he ever
took Pel Frost into his confidence, but Pel certainly was never more
interesting to the loafers' bench than when he told the story of the
eventful trip of the Midnight Cry and "the breaking in of the Widder
Bixby."

NOTES:

1. On page 20, reentered is spelled with diaeresis over the second "e".

2. On pages 153 & 154 the verses beginning respectively "Rebel mourner"
and "This gro-o-oanin' world" are accompanied with staves of music in
the treble clef.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Village Watch-Tower, by
(AKA Kate Douglas Riggs) Kate Douglas Wiggin

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE VILLAGE WATCH-TOWER ***

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