"You are going to keep him for supper?"she asked "Sure!"said Wesley."That's what I brought him for.
It's likely he never had a good square meal of decent food in his life.He's starved to the bone."Margaret arose deliberately,removed the white cloth from the supper table and substituted an old red one she used to wrap the bread.She put away the pretty dishes they commonly used and set the table with old plates for pies and kitchen utensils.But she fried the chicken,and was generous with milk and honey,snowy bread,gravy,potatoes,and fruit.
Wesley repainted the scratched wheel.He mended the fence,with Billy holding the nails and handing the pickets.
Then he filled the old hole,digged a new one and set the hitching post.
Billy hopped on one foot at his task of holding the post steady as the earth was packed around it.There was not the shadow of a trouble on his little freckled face.
Sinton threw in stones and pounded the earth solid around the post.The sound of a gulping sob attracted him to Billy.
The tears were rolling down his cheeks."If I'd a knowed you'd have to get down in a hole,and work so hard Iwouldn't 'a'hit the horses,"he said.
"Never you mind,Billy,"said Wesley."You will know next time,so you can think over it,and make up your mind whether you really want to before you strike."Wesley went to the barn to put away the tools.He thought Billy was at his heels,but the boy lagged on the way.A big snowy turkey gobbler resented the small intruder in his especial preserves,and with spread tail and dragging wings came toward him threateningly.If that turkey gobbler had known the sort of things with which Billy was accustomed to holding his own,he never would have issued the challenge.Billy accepted instantly.
He danced around with stiff arms at his sides and imitated the gobbler.Then came his opportunity,and he jumped on the big turkey's back.Wesley heard Margaret's scream in time to see the flying leap and admire its dexterity.
The turkey tucked its tail and scampered.Billy slid from its back and as he fell he clutched wildly,caught the folded tail,and instinctively clung to it.The turkey gave one scream and relaxed its muscles.Then it fled in disfigured defeat to the haystack.Billy scrambled to his feet holding the tail,while his eyes were bulging.
"Why,the blasted old thing came off!"he said to Wesley,holding out the tail in amazed wonder.
The man,caught suddenly,forgot everything and roared.
Seeing which,Billy thought a turkey tail of no account and flung that one high above him shouting in wild childish laughter,when the feathers scattered and fell.
Margaret,watching,began to cry.Wesley had gone mad.
For the first time in her married life she wanted to tell her mother.When Wesley had waited until he was so hungry he could wait no longer he invaded the kitchen to find a cooked supper baking on the back of the stove,while Margaret with red eyes nursed a pair of demoralized white kittens.
"Is supper ready?"he asked.
"It has been for an hour,"answered Margaret.
"Why didn't you call us?"
That "us"had too much comradeship in it.It irritated Margaret.
"I supposed it would take you even longer than this to fix things decent again.As for my turkey,and my poor little kittens,they don't matter.""I am mighty sorry about them,Margaret,you know that.
Billy is very bright,and he will soon learn----""Soon learn!"cried Margaret."Wesley Sinton,you don't mean to say that you think of keeping that creature here for some time?""No,I think of keeping a well-behaved little boy."Margaret set the supper on the table.Seeing the old red cloth Wesley stared in amazement.Then he understood.
Billy capered around in delight.
"Ain't that pretty?"he exulted."I wish Jimmy and Belle could see.We,why we ist eat out of our hands or off a old dry goods box,and when we fix up a lot,we have newspaper.We ain't ever had a nice red cloth like this."Wesley looked straight at Margaret,so intently that she turned away,her face flushing.He stacked the dictionary and the geography of the world on a chair,and lifted Billy beside him.He heaped a plate generously,cut the food,put a fork into Billy's little fist,and made him eat slowly and properly.Billy did his best.Occasionally greed overcame him,and he used his left hand to pop a bite into his mouth with his fingers.These lapses Wesley patiently overlooked,and went on with his general instructions.
Luckily Billy did not spill anything on his clothing or the cloth.After supper Wesley took him to the barn while he finished the night work.Then he went and sat beside Margaret on the front porch.Billy appropriated the hammock,and swung by pulling a rope tied around a tree.
The very energy with which he went at the work of swinging himself appealed to Wesley.
"Mercy,but he's an active little body,"he said.
"There isn't a lazy bone in him.See how he works to pay for his fun.""There goes his foot through it!"cried Margaret.
"Wesley,he shall not ruin my hammock."
"Of course he shan't!"said Wesley."Wait,Billy,let me show you."Thereupon he explained to Billy that ladies wearing beautiful white dresses sat in hammocks,so little boys must not put their dusty feet in them.Billy immediately sat,and allowed his feet to swing.
"Margaret,"said Wesley after a long silence on the porch,"isn't it true that if Billy had been a half-starved sore cat,dog,or animal of any sort,that you would have pitied,and helped care for it,and been glad to see me get any pleasure out of it I could?""Yes,"said Margaret coldly.
"But because I brought a child with an immortal soul,there is no welcome.""That isn't a child,it's an animal."
"You just said you would have welcomed an animal.""Not a wild one.I meant a tame beast."
"Billy is not a beast!"said Wesley hotly."He is a very dear little boy.Margaret,you've always done the church-going and Bible reading for this family.How do you reconcile that `Suffer little children to come unto Me'with the way you are treating Billy?"
