The violet-blue eyes of the younger girl were shining. It was a great treat to her to be allowed to open the big old-fashioned cupboard that held the set of china that had been their mother’s. When Ophelia had first come to the log cabin, there had been only the thickest and most serviceable kind of ware, but when Pine Tree Martin found what a hardship it was for his wife to use it, he had sent to Reno and had ordered the choicest set they could procure. This was kept carefully locked in the great old cupboard, and used only on rare occasions.
Jimmy-Boy had been placed in his crib, which was in the lean-to room, where also was the big four-posted bed in which Ken slept. The two little girls chatted happily as they prepared for the great event.
“What if teacher can’t come?” Carol paused every now and then to say, and dozens of trips she took to the open door to look up the trail toward the cañon road. At last she gave a triumphant squeal.
“Here comes Ken, and teacher is with him. Oh, goodie, goodie, good!” Carol was pirouetting like a top. “Won’t I brag it over Jessica, though!”
Then, as the two drew nearer, the small girl called excitedly, “Dixie Martin, whatever is that thing that Ken’s carrying? It’s wriggling so he can hardly hold it. Whatever can it be?”
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE BLESSING UNDISGUISED
The two girls ran out to meet their most welcome guest, the new teacher. Ken, who for the moment had stepped behind the massive trunk of one of the great old pine trees to hide, then appeared, and Carol gave a shout as she said: “Why, Ken Martin, if you haven’t got a little pig! Oh-o, don’t let it get away. I’m terribly scared of pigs.”
No one, looking at the shining, freckled face of the boy, would have dreamed that only an hour before that same face had been the picture of misery.
“It’s that blessing in disguise, Dix,” Ken said, as he triumphantly held up a rather skinny and very young member of the porcine family.
“Why, Kentucky Martin, wherever did you get that pig?” the older sister inquired. “I didn’t know you had one penny left after you’d bought your high-topped boots.”