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Updated: May 8, 2025
"What, in God's name, were you trying to do?" Maudlin, raging with anger, scrambled from the ground. "Get out o' here," he hissed, "an' mind your own business." "When I keep a bully away from a nice little girl, I'm minding my business all right.... What was he trying to do, Jinnie?" Maudlin walked backward until he was almost in the brush. "I'm goin' to marry her," he said, surlily.
For an instant she was impelled to speak of Jinnie, but realizing what a tremendous influence Theodore had over his mother, she dared not. Like her handsome son, Mrs. King worshipped genius, and Molly reluctantly admitted to herself that the girl possessed it. "He's young yet," sighed the mother, "and he's always so sweet to you, Molly. Some day he'll wake up.... There, there, dearie, don't cry!"
At first, the woman saw only Jinnie, with Happy Pete by her side. Then her gaze fell upon the other child, whose blind, entreating eyes were turned upward in supplication. "This is Bobbie," announced Jinnie, "and he's come to live with us, Peggy." Poor Peggy stared, surprised to silence. She could find no words to fit the occasion. "He hasn't any home!" Jinnie gasped for breath in her excitement.
"That you must just tell God about it " Jinnie lifted a white, lovely face. "He's everywhere not away off," she proceeded. "Talk to Him just like you would to Lafe or me." Mrs. Grandoken sunk lower in her chair. "I wisht I'd learnt when Lafe was here. Now I dunno how." "But will you try?" Jinnie pleaded after a little. "You know 'em better'n I do, Jinnie," Peg muttered, dejectedly.
Peggy's eyes drew down at the corners, and her lip quivered. "Keep him if you want to, imp of Satan, but some day here, see if the beast'll eat this bit of meat." Jinnie placed the shivering dog on the floor, and Peg put a piece of meat under his nose. In her excitement, Jinnie rushed away to Lafe. Peg's mumble followed her even through the closed door.
A louder cry of derision rose up from many throats as the small beast scuttled between the legs of a farmer's horse, which gave him a moment's respite from his tormentors. An instant later they were clamoring again for his unhappy little life. Suddenly he ran headlong into a tree, striking his shaggy head with terrific force. Then he curled up in a limp little heap, just as Jinnie reached him.
"Then why're you afraid for him to see me?" she demanded. Molly got to her feet. She saw her flimsily constructed love world shattered by the girl before her. She knew Theodore still loved her, and that if he knew all her own wickedness, his devotion would increase a hundredfold. He must not see Jinnie! Jinnie must not see him!
There had come over him a desire that this winsome girl, winsome in spite of her crudity, would say she did. Wonder, love, sympathy, were alive in her eyes. Jinnie nodded her head. "Oh, yes, sir!" she murmured. "Of course I love you! I couldn't tell you how much.... I love why, I even love Mose. Mose's Matty's man. He stole and et up all our chickens but I love him just the same.
I reckon this is Miss Jinnie she's a right hearty girl, ain't she? Mrs. Pratt, I'm heartily glad to see ye. This yer little man must be the tit-man. What's your name, sonny?" "Dan. H. Pratt," piped the boy. "Ah hah! Wal, sir, I reckon you'll make a right smart of a cowboy yet. What's this?" he said, turning to Mose. "This ain't no son-in-law, I reckon!"
"Now you're a member of the 'Happy in Spite', Bob," said he smiling. "This club is what I call a growin' affair. Four members " "Everybody's in," burst forth Jinnie. "Except Peggy," sighed Lafe. "Some day something'll bring her in, too." Bobbie had been at the Grandoken home scarcely a week before Jinnie again got into difficulty.
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