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Updated: May 10, 2025
Big girl as she considered herself, she had a very tender spot in her heart for doll-babies. Margaret Llewellen only liked people with fair faces and smooth complexions; she could not possibly be interested in old Toby Vanderwiller, who seemed always to need a shave, and whose face, like that of Margaret's grandfather, was "wizzled." Nan ran down to him and asked: "Can't I help you, Mr.
Nasty mess. The original line was run years and years ago, and they're not many alive today in the Big woods that know the rights of it. "I expect," added Uncle Henry, shaking his bushy head, "that old Toby Vanderwiller knows the rights of that line business; but he won't tell. Gedney Raffer's got a strangle hold on Toby and his little swamp farm, and Toby doesn't dare say his soul's his own.
A big bird had suddenly come into sight, evidently from some nearby water-hole. It did not fly high and seemed very clumsy, like a duck or goose. "Oh! Are they good to eat, Mr. Vanderwiller?" cried Nan. "Rafe brought in a brace of summer ducks the other day, and they were awfully good, the way Aunt Kate cooked them."
"Hop on and we'll go to the island as quickly as possible." They found Mrs. Vanderwiller and the crippled boy anxiously watching the flames in the tree top from the porch of the little house on the island. Nan ran to them to relate their adventures, while Toby got out the plow and Tom hitched his big horses to it. The farm was not fenced, for the road and forest bounded it completely.
"Not a word," replied Nan, honestly. "I'm afraid of him and I hid in the bushes till he had gone by." "Huh!" sighed Toby, as though relieved. "Jest as well. Though Ged wouldn't ha' dared touch ye, Sissy." "Never mind. I'm here now," said Nan, brightly. "And I want you to show me your house and introduce me to Mrs. Vanderwiller." "Sure. My ol' woman will be glad to see ye," said the man, briskly.
Only my self-respect, I s'pose," grunted the old lumberman, and Nan approved very much of him just then. "Bah!" exclaimed Raffer. "Bah, yourself!" Toby Vanderwiller returned with some heat. "I got some decency left, I hope. I ain't goin' to lie for you, nor no other man, Ged Raffer!" "Say! Would it be lyin' ef you witnessed on my side?" demanded the eager Raffer.
There was one moth in particular, with spread wings, on the upper side of the thorax of which was traced in white the semblance of a human skull. Nan was almost sure that this must be the famous death's-head moth she had read about in school; but she was not confident enough to say anything to old Toby Vanderwiller.
"Sho!" said Toby, slowly; "I wouldn't wanter sell the boy's pretties. I brung most on 'em home to him; but he mounted 'em himself." Nan suspected that old Mrs. Vanderwiller had much to do with the neat appearance of the cabinet. She was a quiet, almost a speechless, old lady. But she was very kind and she set out her best for Nan's luncheon before the girl from Tillbury returned home.
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