“Hey, H’lena Bissel—come on over and sit by me—it’s lots of fun rockin’ t’ boat!” called he.
“Mister Uncle Ben told us not to an’ I won’t!” called back Helena.
“Don’t then! Sugar-lump!—sugar-lump, too good to melt!” taunted Jakey, making a grimace at the little girl.
“I ain’t ‘sugar ner spice’ but you’re nuttin’ but ‘snails an’ puppy-dog tails,’ so!” jeered Helena, who had heard the Mother Goose line and wanted to repeat it at the first occasion.
“Mamma’s pet! Mamma’s pet—what can’t do what she wants cuz she’s too goody-good!” replied Jakey, turning his back upon the angry little girl.
Helena marched away from his company, and soon Jakey saw Maggie’s little sister Prunel with nothing to do.
“Come and play wid me, Prunel,” coaxed he, not mentioning the boat this time as it seemed to inspire his hearers with doubt and fear.
Prunel (where Maggie had found the name is hard to say) was really named Polly, but such harsh sounds could not be tolerated by Mother Maggie, and when she took control of the six younger sisters and brothers, she saw to it that each one had a beautiful name, thus Polly became Prunel.
Prunel was about seven and very energetic for her age. It took much of Maggie’s time and thought to keep Prunel out of mischief at Happy Hills. In the city, Prunel had to attend school and look after a short route of newspaper deliveries after school.
“What’che playin’, Jakey?” asked Prunel, coming over to the lake-side.