"What could Rose think of worse than that?" demanded Hazel.
"Well, she did. She blindfolded my eyes 'n' took me by the hand, 'n'
turned me round 'n' round till I was most dizzy; 'n' then she gave me a rope, 'n' she took one end of it 'n' made me take the other, 'n' kept leadin' me 'n' leadin' me, 'n' the children all caperin' round me, screamin' 'n' laughin'. Pretty soon--I calculated I 'd walked about a quarter of a mile--the rope grew slack; all of a sudden the laughin' 'n'
screamin' stopped, 'n' I--walked right off the bank into the big pool down under the pines, ker--splash! 'n' the children, after they 'd got me in, was so scairt for fear I 'd lose my breath--I could n't drown coz there was n't more than five feet of water in it--that they hauled on the rope with all their might, 'n' pulled me out; 'n' I let 'em pull,"
said Chi, grimly.
"I hope they were satisfied after that," said Hazel, soberly.
"They appeared to be," said Chi, contentedly, "for they said I should be president, coz I was so brave. But there 's other things harder to do than that."
"What are they, Chi?"
"You 've got to keep the by-laws."
"What are those?"
"Rules of the Society. One of 'em 's, you must n't be afraid to tell the truth. 'N' another is, you must be scairt to tell a lie."
Hazel grew scarlet at her own thoughts.
"Another is, to help other folks all you can; 'n' the fourth 'n' last is, that no boy or girl as lives in this great, free country of ours ought to be a coward."
Hazel drew a long breath.
"Those must be hard to keep."
"Well, they ain't always easy, that's a fact; but they re mighty good to live by," he added, picking up the bean-bag. "I lived with Ben Blossom's father when I was a little chap as chore boy, 'n' he gave me my schoolin' 'n' clothes; 'n' I 've lived with his son ever since he was married, 'n' he's been the best friend a man could have, 'n' I 've always got along with him in peace and lovin'-kindness; 'n' those four by-laws his father wrote on my boyhood; 'n' by those four by-laws I 've kept my manhood; 'n' so I think it 'll do anybody good to join the Society."
"Well," said Hazel, stoutly, "I 'll show them I 'm not afraid of some things, if I did run away from the turkey-gobbler."
"That's right," said Chi, heartily, "'n' more than that--betwixt you 'n'
me--you 've no cause to be scairt _whatever_ they do; now mark my words, _whatever they do_," repeated Chi, emphatically.
"I don't care what they do so long as you 're there, Chi," said Hazel, looking up into his weather-roughened, deeply-lined face with such utter trust in her great eyes that Chi caught up the bag over his shoulder and hurried out to the barn, muttering to himself:--
"George Washin'ton! How she manages to creep into the softest corner of a man's heart, I don't know; I expect it's those great eyes of hers, 'n'
that voice just like a brook winnerin' 'n' gurglin' over its stones in August.--Guess there's luck come to this house with Lady-bird!" And he went about his work.
VII
THE N.B.B.O.O. SOCIETY
"Now, Hazel, we 're ready," said Rose, after the dinner dishes had been washed and the children's time was their own. Hazel submitted meekly to the blindfolding process.
She had tried in vain to find out something of what the children intended to do, but they were too clever for her to gain the smallest hint as to the initiation. March had been busy in the ice-house, and Cherry had been ironing the aprons for the family,--that was her Saturday morning duty. Budd and the St. Bernard puppy were off with Chi in the fields.
Rose led her through the woodshed and out of doors--Hazel knew that by the rush of soft air that met her face--and away, somewhither. At last she was helped to climb a ladder; Chi's hand grasped hers, and she felt the flooring under her feet. Then she was left without support of any kind, not daring to move with Chi's story in her thoughts.
"Guess we 'll have the roll-call first," said Chi, solemnly. There was not a sound to be heard except now and then a rush of wings and the twitter of swallows.
"Molly Stark."
"Here," said Rose.
"Markis de Lafayette."
"Here," from March.
"Marthy Washin'ton."
"Present," said Cherry, forgetting she was not in school. Budd snickered, and the president called him to order.
"Fine of two cents for snickerin' in meetin'." Budd looked sober.
"Ethan Allen."
"Here," said Budd, in a subdued voice.
"Old Put,--Here," said Chi, addressing and answering himself. "Now, Markis, read the by-laws."
"Number One.--We pledge ourselves not to be afraid to tell the truth."
"Number Two.--We pledge ourselves to be afraid to tell a lie.
"Number Three.--We pledge ourselves to try to help others whenever we can, wherever we can, however we can, as long as ever we can.
"Number Four.--We, as American boys and girls, pledge ourselves never to play the coward nor to disgrace our country."
"Molly Stark, unfurl the flag," said Chi.
Hazel heard a rustle as Rose unrolled the banner of soft red, white, and blue cambric.
"Put Old Glory round the candidate's shoulders," commanded the president, and Hazel felt the soft folds being draped about her.
"There now, Lady-bird, you 're dressed as pretty as you 're ever goin'
to be; it don't make a mite of difference whether you 're the Empress of Rooshy, or just plain every-day folks; 'n' now you 've got that rig on, we 're ready to give you the hand of fellowship. Markis, you have the floor."
"What name does the candidate wish to be known by?" asked March, with due gravity; then, forgetting his role, he added, "You must take the name of some woman who has been just as brave as she could be."
Hazel, feeling the folds of the flag about her, suddenly recalled her favorite poem of Whittier's.
"Barbara Frietchie," she said promptly and firmly.
The various members shouted and cheered themselves hoarse before order was restored.