“Well, then, if you won’t let me help you, I am going home, and I’ll come before five o’clock, and stay till you get back, too.”
With these words Kate went skipping through the hall and out at the front door. Once outside, her happiness burst into a positive run. It was too far around by the highway to Hallock Point, besides Kate felt just as every healthy young thing feels at some time on the way through the child-years, that everybody’s highways were not the ways to go in that day, so she would make her own path across the fields.
Pumpkin Delight Lane ran down to the sea, and Hallock Point extended into the sea beyond the coast line. Between the two lay grassy meadows—a depression in the level, up which the old ocean crept twice in the year, and also in great storms; a bit of a wood, beyond which came salt meadow again; and then the uplands, rising to the Point. It seemed a very short cut home to Kate. The bewitching greens that lay rolled in long and wide breadths for her feet to tread had all been prepared by Madame June, the best carpet-maker in the zone. Kate climbed the stone wall opposite Mrs. Dobson’s house, and not a soul saw her disappear into the grass behind it, save Josh, if indeed Josh has a soul.
Kate danced all over. She was so full of the sap of June that she could no more keep quiet than could the buzzing, whirring, nodding, flying things about her. She clapped her hands and cried, “O, my!” as a mad bobolink, on his way to the Wood Asylum, filled her ears with crazy melody.
Kate grew practical as the great, round, purple clover-heads nodded to her out of the tall grass. “Yes, I’ll get you, my beauties,” she cried. “Mother is so fond of dried grasses and things when the fall comes, and it’s just the time and chance to get some.” Presently her small hands were filled to their utmost capacity, and yet she had not half enough. Her apron proved too small before she had crossed a single field, and the first fence surprised her with her gathered-up dress skirt running over with bobbing grasses.
Next came a field of rye. “Rye is real pretty on the walls with fern and oak leaves,” she said, and she took a few heads in advance of the reapers.
Kate trudged on, past and through lot after lot, until she came to the bit of woodland. She went into it. So intent was she in watching to see where a bluebird carried its mouthful of worm, that she stumbled over a dead branch, and fell at the foot of a huge hickory tree.
Gathering up first herself and then her own hat and grasses, she proceeded to arrange them into portable form, while she rested at the foot of the tree.
Now, Josh, having seen Kate go over the wall, watched for her to reappear, but seeing no signs of such an event, after suitable time, the wise dog crossed the street and mounted the wall, looking as knowing and discreet as only Josh can look. He surveyed the scene to his own satisfaction, and then taking Kate’s trail, followed it and came up to her just as she seated herself to rest and fix the grasses under the walnut tree.
“Did him think I was lost?” cried Kate. “Good fellow, good fellow, Josh!” patting him, and very glad of his companionship. When all was ready Kate started for home, laughing at herself as she went, and not in the least surprised at Josh because he barked at her, for, truly, she was a surprising figure to bird or beast, as she emerged from the wood and stood looking at the bewitching green of the salt meadow through which she must pass. Her white apron was small, but she had made the most of it by tying a huge bunch of grasses with the end of either string, thus making a very full and bunched over-skirt at the back, while the bib of apron was made to do duty as grass-holder to its fullest extent. She had taken pains to put the stems all down, and as her bib was wide and stretched across to her shoulders, the grassy fringe stood up to her ears and nearly blinded her. Her hat was also alive with oats, rye, and clover. No wonder that Josh barked when she started, but she did wonder why he kept on barking harder than ever, until she reached the edge of the very bright green grass.