“That old goose, with daughters twice your age.”
“He’s no older than our friend Manypenny.”
“Yes, but Jabez has no family.”
“Can’t you imagine Sally Jones calling me mamma?” Louisa joined in the burst of laughter, for old Billy Jones had sought a wife in the family of nearly every newcomer who chanced to have marriageable daughters. His own daughter, Sally, was a perfect virago and ruled her father with a rod of iron, but Billy was soft-hearted, and had a special fancy for the very young girls, whom he courted in turn, being nothing discouraged when one after another refused him.
“We’re not getting on at all with your story,” said Alison, when the laugh had subsided.
“Wait till I look at my cake and then I’ll tell you more.” The cake being in a satisfactory state Louisa returned and began: “Well, you see dad says he wants to see me settled, says he has only a fatherly interest in seeing me in a home of my own, that he ain’t so young as he might be and it’s my duty to be obedient to my only parent and all that.”
“But though good men may be scarce, surely there are enough of them who would be glad to marry you without his settling on Jabez and Pike. Now there is Ira, Lou. When he comes back——”
Louisa turned her head away and began to braid three long blades of grass together. “Yes, I know,” she said in a low tone, “and I promised if I ever needed a friend I’d send him word. Dad has been pushing me closter and closter agen the wall. I do need a friend. I can’t tell you all, Alison, but there’s things going on that it needs a man to settle. Dad doesn’t mean me to think so, but he really keeps me a prisoner, watches me so I don’t go off the place without him or Pike follerin’ me, and I ain’t a-going to stand it.”
“And what will you do? Oh, Louisa, I am sorry you ever left us.”
“So am I, to tell you the truth, but there’s no help for it now. Here I am. I’m his flesh and blood and I don’t mean to be disobedient out and out, though I’ll find a way to outwit him if he tries any underhanded game on me. He is as sly as a fox and he’ll find I can be sly, too.”