“Wowkle, close the winder! Close the winder!”
The Sidney Duck glowered at her. He had expected her intercession on his behalf and could not understand this new attitude of hers toward him.
“Public ’ouse jide!” he retorted furiously, and slammed the window.
“Ugh!” snarled Wowkle, resentfully, her eyes full of fire.
Now at any other time, The Sidney Duck would have been made to pay dearly for his words, but either the Girl did not hear him, or if she did she was too engrossed to heed them; at any rate, the remark passed unnoticed.
“I got it on!” presently exclaimed the Girl in great joy. Nevertheless, it was not without several ouches and moans that, finally, she stood upon her feet. “Say, Wowkle, how do you think he’ll like ’em? How do they look? They feel awful!” she rattled on with a pained look on her face.
But whatever would have been the Indian woman’s observation on the subject of tight shoes in general and those of her mistress in particular, she was not permitted to make it, for the Girl, now hobbling over towards the bureau, went on to announce with sudden determination:
“Say, Wowkle, I’m a-goin’ the whole hog! Yes, I’m a-goin’ the whole hog,” she repeated a moment later, as she drew forth various bits of finery from a chest of drawers, with which she proceeded to adorn herself before the mirror. Taking out first a lace shawl of bold design, she drew it over her shoulders with the grace and ease of one who makes it an everyday affair rather than an occasional undertaking; then she took from a sweetgrass basket a vividly-embroidered handkerchief and saturated it with cologne, impregnating the whole room with its strong odour; finally she brought forth a pair of long, white gloves and began to stretch them on. “Does it look like an effort, Wowkle?” she asked, trying to get her hands into them.
“Ugh!” was the Indian woman’s comment at the very moment that a knock came upon the door. “Two plates,” she added with a groan, and started for the cupboard.
Meanwhile the Girl continued with her primping and preening, her hands flying back and forth like an automaton from her waist-line to her stockings. Suddenly another knock, this time more vigorous, more insistent, came upon the rough boards of the cabin door, which, finally, was answered by the Girl herself.