Kitty looked up at him with gratitude. “It must be nice to have a father,” she said, and the good man turned away to hide his feelings.
“Poor little tots,” he said to his wife, as the children went out the gate, “it’s pretty tough when a man has to leave children like those unprovided for.”
“Then don’t you do it, Thad,” said his wife, with a twinkle in her eye.
Mr. Welch laughed and started out to follow the children.
The little picker took his way back to Mr. Bentley’s early the next morning, feeling that, with Kitty so near, and the happy memory of that delightful visit, he could get through the week quite happily, especially since he was now delivered of the disagreeable presence of Ivan, and no longer was compelled to sleep in the pickers’ quarters.
“If Mrs. Bentley wants your help you just do what she tells you,” Mr. Bentley said to him, “and it will be the same as if you worked in the field. I’ll make it all right.” In consequence there were many times when Benny was bidden to go for the mail, which gave the happiness of a few words with Kitty; again, he was sent to get vegetables from the garden, to bring milk from the dairy, to help Mrs. Bentley with her chickens, until he learned many things of which he had hitherto been ignorant. He particularly liked to work in the garden, and Mrs. Bentley was well pleased to have some one to carry flowerpots, to make a border, or to help her transplant the growing flowers.
“I shall have a fine garden this year,” she said to her husband, “that little Ben is so quick and willing, and is so interested in what he does. I should really like to keep him here all the time.”
“I reckon his mother will want him home again,” replied Mr. Bentley, “but we’ll have him down early next year. Thad Welch says he is an uncommonly nice little fellow.”
“I’ll take him to the picnic with me,” said Mrs. Bentley, “he makes himself so useful, and will be such a help with the children; besides, he will enjoy a holiday.”
And so, to Benny’s great delight, he was told that he was invited to a Sunday-school picnic. He had heard great tales of it from the Welches, and Kitty was in a high state of excitement over it.