malicious
grin. As he drew near, and saw Vinnie embarrassed with the windlass,
which seemed determined to let the bucket down too fast (as if animated
with a genuine Peakslow spite toward her), the grin predominated; but
when she turned upon him a troubled, smiling face, the grin subsided,
and the blush became a general conflagration, extending to the tips of
his ears.

"How does 't go?"

"It's inclined to go altogether too fast," said Vinnie, stopping the
windlass; "and it hurts my hands."

"Le' me show ye."

And Dud, taking her place by the curb, let the windlass revolve with
moderated velocity under the pressure of his rough palms, until the
bucket struck the water. Then, drawing it up, he filled her pail.

The grin had by this time faded quite out of his countenance; and when
she thanked him sweetly and sincerely for helping her, the blush became
a blush of pleasure.

"It is more than I can carry," she said. "I shall have to pour out
some."

Thereupon Dud Peakslow astonished himself by an extraordinary act of
gallantry.

"I'll carry it for ye as fur as the road; I'd carry it all the way, if
't was anywhere else." And he actually took up the pail.

"You seem to have a very bad opinion of my relations," Vinnie said.

"Good reason! They hate us, too!"

"And think _they_ have good reason. But I'm sure you are not so bad as
they believe; and _you_ may possibly be mistaken about _them_. Let me
take the pail now. You are very kind."

Dud gave up the pail with reluctance, and gazed after her up the road,
his stupid mouth ajar with an expression of wistful wonder and pleasure.

"Hurry now and git up the team, Dud!" his father called from the door.
"What ye stan'in' there for? Didn't ye never see a gal afore?"

When Vinnie reached home with her pail of water, all gathered around,
eager to hear her adventure.

"The lions were not very savage, after all," she said, laughing.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

AN "EXTRAORDINARY" GIRL.

After breakfast Vinnie left Lill to "do the dishes," and went with her
box of salve to fulfil her promise to Mrs. Peakslow. Dud and Zeph were
off at work with their father; and she was glad to find the mother alone
with the younger children.

"Oh! you ag'in?" said Mrs. Peakslow, by the chimney, looking up from a
skillet she was stooping over and scraping. "Ye need n't 'a' took the
trouble. Guess Bubby's burns 'll git along."

But Vinnie was not to be rebuffed.

"I have brought