The older girls were rather curious to see the extent of "Henrietta's domain," as Amy called it. The pastures included in the Hackle Island Golf Club grounds covered all the middle of the island, and consisted of hills and dells, all "up-and-down-dilly," Amy observed, and from a distance, at least, seemed very attractive.
Of course, they could not go fast with the two smaller girls along, although Henrietta seemed tireless.
"But Sally ain't a tough one, like me," declared the little girl who thought she was going to own an island. She approved of Sally Stanley very much because the minister's little girl was dainty, and kept her dresses clean, and was soft-spoken. "I got to run and holler once in a while or I thinks I'm choking," confessed Henrietta. "But your mamma, Miss Jessie, says I'll get over that after a while. She says I'll go to school and learn a lot and that _maybe_ I'll be as nice as Sally some day."
"I hope you will," said Jessie warmly. "That's hardly to be expected,"
Henrietta rejoined in her old-fashioned way. "Sally was born that way.
But I always was a tough one."
"There is a good deal in that," sighed Jessie to the other Roselawn girls. "The poor little thing! She never did have a chance. But Momsy is already talking about sending her away to school to have her toned down and----" "Suppose the Blairs won't hear to it?" suggested Amy. "Leave it to Momsy to work things out her way," said Jessie, more gaily.
They soon left the sand dunes behind them and marched up over what the natives of the island called "the downs" to a scrubby pasture at the edge of the golf links. Crossing the links watchfully they only had to dodge a couple of times when the players called "Fore!" and so got safely past the various greens and reached the patch of wood between the club premises and the hotel grounds.
There was a spring here which they had been told about, and it was near enough noon for lunch to occupy an important place in their minds. They spent an hour here; but after that, much as she had eaten, Henrietta began to run around again. She could not keep still.
Her voice was suddenly stilled and she halted in the path and stood like a pointer flushing a covey of birds. The older girls were surprised. Amy drawled:
"What's the matter, Hen? You don't feel sick, do you?"
"I hear something," declared Henrietta, her freckled face clouding. "I hear somebody talk that I don't like."
"Who is that?" asked Nell.
"She makes me feel sick, all right," grumbled the little girl. "Oh, yes!
It's her. And if she says again that she owns my island, I'll--I'll----"
"Belle Ringold!" exclaimed Amy, much amused. "Can't we go anywhere without Belle and Sally showing up?"
The two girls whom they all considered so unpleasant appeared at the top of the small hill and came down the path. They were rather absurdly dressed for an outing. Certainly their frocks would have looked better at dinner or at a dance than in the woods. And they strutted along as though they quite well knew they had on their very best furbelows.
"Oh, dear me! there's that awful child again," drawled Belle, before she saw the older girls sitting at the spring.
"She must be lost away up here," said Sally Moon, idly. "Say, kid, run get this folding cup filled at the spring."
"What for?" demanded Henrietta.
"Why, so I can drink from it, foolish!"
"You bring me a drink first," said the freckle-faced girl stoutly.
"Nobody didn't make me your servant to run your errands--so now!"
"Listen to her!" laughed Belle. "She waits on Jess Norwood and Amy Drew hand and foot. Of course she is a servant."
"You ain't a servant when you wait on folks for _love_," declared Henrietta, quickly.
Amy clapped her hands together softly at this bit of philosophy. Jessie stood up so that the girls from the hotel could see her.
"Oh! Here's Jess Norwood now," cried Sally. "You might know!"
Little Henrietta was backing away from the two newcomers, but eyeing them with great disfavor. She suddenly demanded of Jessie:
"Is this spring on a part of my land, Miss Jessie?"
"It may be," said Amy, quickly answering before Jessie could do so.
"Like enough all this grove is yours, Hen."
"Why," gasped Belle Ringold, "my father is just about to take possession of this place. He is going to have surveyors come on the island and survey it."
"This is my woods!" cried Henrietta. "It's my spring! You sha'n't even have a drink out of it--neither of you girls!"
"What nonsense!" drawled Belle. "Who will stop us, please?" and she came on down the path toward the spring.
The other girls had now got up. Jessie tried to reach out and seize Henrietta; but the latter was so angry that she jerked away. She stood before Belle and Sally with flashing eyes and her hands clenched tight.
"You go away! This is my woods and my spring! You sha'n't have a drink!"
"The child is crazy," said Belle, harshly. "Let me pass, you mean little thing!"
At that Henrietta stooped and caught up dirt in each grubby hand. It was a little damp where she stood, and the muck stuck to her palms. She shrieked hatred and defiance at Belle and, running forward, smeared the dirt all up and down the front of the rich girl's fine dress.
Belle shrieked quite as loudly as the angry Henrietta and threatened all manner of punishment. But she could not catch the freckled girl, who was as wriggly as an eel.
"I'll--I'll have you whipped! You ought to be spanked hard!" panted Belle Ringold. "And it is your fault, Jess Norwood. You egged her on."
"I did not," said Jessie, angrily.
But she was vexed with Henrietta, too. She ran after and caught the panting, sobbing little thing. She really was tempted to shake her.
"What do you mean, Henrietta Haney, by acting this way and talking so?
Do you want to disgrace us all? For shame!"
"I don't talk no worse than the Ringold one," declared Henrietta.
Jessie tried a new tack. She said more quietly: "But _you_ know better, Henrietta."
"Yes, ma'am."
"And perhaps she doesn't," ventured Jessie.
"Well--er--she's got money," pouted Henrietta. "Why doesn't she hire somebody to teach her better? You know I never did have any chance, Miss Jessie."
She felt she was in disgrace, however, and the older girls let her feel this without compunction. Belle was frightfully angry about her frock.
She sputtered and threatened and called names that were not polite.
Finally Jessie said:
"If you feel that way about it, Belle, send the dress to the cleaner's and then send the bill to my mother. That is all I can say about it. But I think you brought it on yourself by teasing Henrietta."
In spite of this speech to Belle, Henrietta felt that she was in disgrace as Jessie marched her away from the spring. Little Sally Stanley came to her other side and squeezed Henrietta's dirty hand in sympathy.