CHAPTER XIII
WHAT JINNIE FOUND ON THE HILL
The days rolled on and on, and the first warm impulses of springbrought Jinnie, pale and thin, back to Lafe's side.
She was growing so strong that days when the weather permitted, Pegput a wrap on her, telling her to breathe some color into her cheeks.
For a long time Jinnie was willing to remain quietly on the hut stepswhere she could see the cobbler whacking away on the torn footwear.She knew that if she looked long enough, he would glance up and smilethe smile which always warmed the cockles of her loving heart.
As she grew better, and therefore restless, she walked with Happy Petealong the cinder path beside the tracks. Each day she went a littlefurther than the day before, the spirit of adventure beginning to liveagain within her. The confines of her narrow world were no longer kepttaut by the necessity of selling wood, and to-day it seemed to broadento the far-away hill from whence the numberless fingers of shadow andsunshine beckoned to the sentimental girl.
She wandered through Paradise Road with the little dog as a companion,and finding her way to the board walk, strolled slowly along.
Wandering up above the city, she discovered a lonely spot snuggled inthe hills, and gathering Happy Pete into her arms, she lay down. Overher head countless birds sang in the sunshine, and just below, in thehollow, were squirrels, chattering out their happy existence.Dreamily, through the leaves of the trees, Jinnie watched the whiteclouds float across the sky like flocks of sheep, and soon the peaceof the surrounding world lulled her to rest.
When Happy Pete touched her with his slender tongue, Jinnie sat up,staring sleepily around. At a sound, she turned her head and caughtsight of a little boy, whose tangled hair lay in yellow curls on hishead.
The sight of tears and boyish distress made Jinnie start quicklytoward him, but he seemed so timid and afraid she did not speak.
Suddenly, two slight, twig-scratched arms fluttered toward her, andstill without a word Jinnie took the trembling hands into hers. HappyPete crawled cautiously to the girl's side; then, realizing somethingunusual, he threw up his black-tipped nose and whined. At the fainthowl, the boy's hands quivered violently in Jinnie's. He caught hisbreath painfully.
"Oh, who're you? Are you a boy or a girl?"
His eyes were touched with an indefinable expression. Jinnie flushedas she scanned for a moment her calico skirt and overhanging blouse.Then with a tragic expression she released her hands, and ran herfingers through her hair. With such long curls did she look like aboy?
"I'm a girl," she said. "Can't you see I'm a girl?"
"I'm blind," said the boy, "so--so I had to ask you."
Jinnie leaned forward and scrutinized him intently.
"You mean," she demanded brokenly, "that you can't see me, nor HappyPete, nor the trees, nor the birds, nor the squirrels, skippingaround?"
The boy bowed his head in assent, but brightened almost instantly.
"No, I can't see those things, but I've got lots of stars inside myhead. They're as bright as anything, only sometimes my tears put 'emout."
Then, as if he feared he would lose his new friend, he felt for herhand once more.
Jinnie returned the clinging pressure. For the second time in her lifeher heart beat with that strange emotion--the protective instinct shehad felt for her father. She knew at that moment she loved this littlelad, with his wide-staring, unseeing eyes.
"I'm lost," said the boy, sighing deeply, "and I cried ever so long,but nobody would come, and my stars all went out."
"Tell me about your stars," she said eagerly. "Are they sky stars?"
"I dunno what sky stars are. My stars shine in my head lovely and Iget warm. I'm cold all over and my heart hurts when they go out."
"Oh!" murmured Jinnie. "I wish they'd always shine."
"So do I." Then lifting an eager, sparkling face, he continued,"They're shinin' now, 'cause I found you."
"Where're your folks?" asked Jinnie, swallowing hard.
"I dunno. I lost 'em a long time ago, and went to live with Mag. Shelicked me every day, so--I just runned away--I've been here a awfullong time."
Jinnie considered a moment before explaining an idea that had slippedinto her mind as if it belonged there. She would take him home withher.
"You're going to Lafe's house," she announced presently. "Happy Peteand me and Peg live at Lafe Grandoken's home. Peggy makes bullysoup."
"And I'm so hungry," sighed the boy. "Where's the dog I heardbarking?"
He withdrew his hands, moving them outward, searching for something.The girl tried to push Pete forward, but the dog only snuggled closerto her.
"Petey, dear, I'm ashamed of you!" she chided lovingly. "Can't you seethe little fellow's trying to feel you?"
Then Happy Pete, as if he also were ashamed, came within reach of thewavering hands, and crouched low, to be looked over with ten slenderfinger tips.
"He's awful beautiful!" exclaimed the boy. "His hair's softer'n silk,and his body's as warm as warm can be."
Jinnie contemplated Happy Pete's points of beauty. Never before hadshe thought him anything more than a homely, lovable dog, with squatlittle legs, and a pointed nose. In lightninglike comparison shebrought to her mind the things she always considered beautiful--thespring violets, the summer roses, that belt of wonderful colorskirting the afternoon horizon, and all the wonders of nature of whichher romantic world consisted. The contrast between these and theshaking black dog, with his smudge of tangled hair hanging over hiseyes, shocked Jinnie's artistic sense.
"If----if you say he's beautiful, then he is," she stammered almostinaudibly.
"Of course he is! What's your name?"
"Jinnie. Jinnie Grandoken... What's yours?"
"Blind Bobbie, or sometimes just Bobbie."
"Well, I'll call you Bobbie, if you want me to.... I like you awfulwell. I feel it right in here."
She pressed the boy's fingers to her side.
"Oh, that's your heart!" he exclaimed. "I got one too! Feel it jump!"
Jinnie's fingers pressed the spot indicated by the little boy.
"My goodness," she exclaimed, "it'll jump out of your mouth, won'tit?"
"Nope! It always beats like that!"
"Where's your mother?" asked Jinnie after a space.
"I suppose she's dead, or Mag wouldn't a had me. I don't know verymuch, but I 'member how my mother's hands feel. They were soft andwarm. She used to come to see me at the woman's house who died--theone who give me to Mag."
"She must have been a lovely mother," commented Jinnie.
"She were! Mag tried to find her 'cause she said she was rich, andwhen she couldn't, she beat me. I thought mebbe I'd find mother out inthe street. That's why I run away."
Jinnie thought of her own dead father, and the child's halting talebrought back that one night of agony when Thomas Singleton died, aloneand unloved, save for herself. She wanted to cry, but instead shemurmured, "Happy in Spite," as Lafe had bidden her, and the meltingmood vanished. The cobbler and his club were always wonderfullyhelpful to Jinnie.
"My mother told me onct," Bobbie went on, "she didn't have nothin' tolive for. I was blind, you see, and wasn't any good--was I?"
The question, pathetically put, prompted Virginia to fling back aready answer.
"You're good 'nough for me and Happy Pete," she asserted, "and Lafe'lllet you be his little boy too."
The blind child gasped, and the girl continued assuringly, "Peg'lllove you, too. She couldn't help it."
"Peg?" queried Bobbie.
"Oh, she's Lafe's wife. Happy Pete and me stay in her house."
The blind eyes flashed with sudden hope.
"Mebbe she'll love me a little! Will she?"
"I hope so. Anyway, Lafe will. He loves everybody, even dogs. He'lllove you; _sure_ he will!"
The boy shook his head doubtfully.
"Nobody but mothers are nice to blind kids. Well--well--'cept you. I'dlike to go to Lafe's house, though,
but mebbe the woman wouldn't wantme."
Jinnie had her own ideas about this, but because the child's tearsfell hot upon her hands, the mother within her grew to greaterproportions. Three times she repeated softly, "Happy in Spite."
"Happy in Spite," she whispered again. Then she sat up with abrilliant smile.
"Of course I'm going to take you to Lafe's. Here at Lafe's my heart'sawful busy loving everybody. Now I've got you I'm going to take careof you, 'cause I love you just like the rest. Stand up and let me wipeyour nose."
"Let me see how you look, first," faltered the boy. "Where's yourface?... I want to touch it!"
His little hands reached and found Jinnie's shoulders. Then slowly thefingers moved upwards, pressing here and there upon the girl's skin,as they traveled in rhythmic motion over her cheeks.
"Your hair's awful curly and long," said he. "What color is it?"
"Color? Well, it's black with purple running through it, I guess.People say so anyway!"
"Oh, yes, I know what black is. And your eyes're blue, ain't they?"
"Yes, blue," assented Jinnie. "I see 'em when I slick my hair in thekitchen glass ... I don't think they're much like yours."
Bobbie paid no heed to the allusion to himself.
"Your forehead's smooth, too," he mused. "Your eyes are big, and thelashes round 'em 're long. You're much prettier'n your dog, but thengirls 're always pretty."
A flush of pleased vanity reddened Jinnie's skin to the tips of herears, and she scrambled to her feet. Then she paused, a solemnexpression shadowing her eyes.
"Bobbie," she spoke soberly, "now I found you, you belong to me, don'tyou?"
Bobbie thrust forth his hands.
"Yes, yes," he breathed.
"Then from now on, from this minute, I'm going to work for you."
Jinnie's thoughts were on the shortwood strap, but she didn't mentionit. Oh, how she would work for money to give Peg with which to buyfood! How happy she would be in the absolute ownership of the boy shehad discovered in the hills! Tenderly she drew him to her. He seemedso pitifully helpless.
"How old 're you?" she demanded.
"Nine years old."
"You don't look over five," said Jinnie, surprised.
"That's because I'm always sick," explained the boy.
Jinnie threw up her head.
"Well, a girl sixteen ought to be able to help an awful little boy,oughtn't she?... Here, I'll put my arm round you, right like this."
But the boy made a backward step, so that Jinnie, thinking he wasabout to fall, caught him sharply by the arm.
"I'll walk if you'll _lead_ me," Bobbie explained proudly.
Thus rebuffed, Jinnie turned the blind face toward the east, andtogether they made their way slowly to the plank walk.
Rose O'Paradise Page 15
