A young savage

Front matter

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2 Park Srreet, Boston

Contents

. THe ARRIVAL OF LITTLE JOHN . DiveERsE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

. UNEXPECTED Goop ForTUNE

. “WHY SHOULD N’T WE?” .

Chapter I The Arrival Of Little John

THE day was bright and sunny, and the little mother loved sunshine, so Sharley pulled up the window shade. The flood of golden light that streamed in showed a cosy room, the shabbiness of which was partially concealed by many an ingenious device. Then the girl returned to her place and dropped into a chair, facing aunt Angela with apparent calmness, though her heart was beating considerably faster than usual.

** Who is she? And how did you ever come to undertake such a charge?’’ There was more than -a touch of sharpness in Miss Angela Latimer’s voice as she asked the questions.

Mrs. Latimer was a little afraid of her brisk, decided sister-in-law. Raising herself to a sitting position on the lounge, she looked up deprecatingly, the color deepening in her delicate face. “ Well, you know there has n’t been much of an income since” —her voice grew plaintive, and her hand went in search of her handkerchief — “since my dear husband was taken away. And it is very hard — very hard —to live —even barely decently —and make both ends meet. We won't run into debt —and it’s so hard to keep out of it. You don’t know anything about poverty, Gela ”— breaking off with a little tragic gesture, and burying her face in the handkerchief.

Sharley got to her mother’s side, shook up her pillows energetically, and laid her back on them in a trice. ‘There, there, mother dear,” she said soothingly. ‘Don’t fret yourself —I ’ll tell aunt Angela all about it.”

Dropping into her chair again, she went on rapidly, and a little defiantly: “It’s just as mother said, and as you know, aunt Gela: what . father left us isn’t enough to keep mother and us seven children in any kind of comfort — and mother has got to have comforts. She is too delicate to rough it, and go without things as we do.” <A faint sigh from the direction of the sofa gave emphasis to this last remark. “ And it’s a continued, awful struggle to keep out of debt and make a decent appearance. People don’t dream how we have to pinch and skimp! And I am sick and tired of it!” The color flew over Sharley’s face, to the very roots of her smooth brown hair, and she threw out her hands impulsively. “I know French and music—I suppose I could go out and teach—go out and make some money that way,” she said; “but how could I leave mother and the children to Audrey? she is so forgetful! And anyway,” as Miss Latimer made a hasty motion of disapproval, “you would n’t want me to go out to work for a living — none of our rich relations would like that.”

“That is not at all necessary,” asserted Miss Latimer, sitting up very straight. “A little more care and economy at home ” —

“ Heonomy!” tearfully interrupted Mrs. Latimer.

* Hconomy!” echoed Sharley indignantly. “If you only knew how we turn and twist and make over everything we wear! Audrey and I have n’t had a new gown for ages; this is the third winter for Rach’s hat; Jamie’s shoes are a disgrace to decent people; and as for Dorrie!’ — A choke in her voice made her stop abruptly.

“T’m sure I’m very sorry, but I allow your mother all that I can afford ” — began Miss Latimer coldly, but Sharley broke in quickly.

** We are not asking you for any more, aunt Angela,” she said, “ only mentioning these things that you may understand why we are taking this girl into our family. Teddy is working like a beaver, and by and by, perhaps, his position will be a good one, but just now he gets a very small salary, — too small to be of much help, — though the dear fellow gives us nearly every penny of it. So when Mrs. Brydges wrote from Anaconda to ask mother if she would take charge of this girl for a year, or longer, and said that Mr. Kyle would pay liberally for it, we were only too delighted to answer that we would. As Teddy says,” with a short, dry laugh, “ we will welcome her as a friend and brother — sister — anything — for the relief her money ’Il be to us.”

“ And — to repeat my first question — who is she?” asked Miss Latimer. She was a large, fine-looking woman, with no sense of humor whatever, and with a voice that matched her size. “I should also like to know where on the continent that extraordinarily named town is situated.”

“ Anaconda? Yes, isn’t it aqueer name? It’s away out west— Montana, I think. I never heard of it until the Brydges went there to live. There ’s an enormous hotel out there” (Sharley was so relieved her news was told that she grew quite communicative), “crowded with the oddest mixture of people, -— broken-down gentlemen and graduates of colleges, who work on the ranches , almost like common laborers, and in the mines for a living; men worth millions — silver kings and railroad owners, who can scarcely write their own names ; their wives — just about as wise — wearing diamonds and Paris gowns to breakfast ; and their children growing up like so many Hottentots or Zulus — just running wild! That is what Mrs. Brydges writes. Of course, I don’t know, I’ve never been there. This Mr. Kyle —John Kyle — owns a silver mine or a big ranch or something that makes him very rich; and this girl that’s coming to us is his only child — Juanita Kyle.”

“ Juanita? — What a name!” exclaimed Miss Latimer. |

“Why I think it’s rather pretty,” remarked Mrs. Latimer from the lounge. ‘“ You know the J is pronounced like an h. It is so uncommon, and,” pensively, “James used to be fond of whistling it —I mean the song of that name — when he was calling on me long ago.” She sighed.

Now that the ice was broken, Sharley deemed it best to give all particulars. “ This Huanita or Juanita, or whatever she calls herself,” she said, taking up her story again, “is about Audrey’s age — she’s between sixteen and seventeen. And from what we hear I fancy we ’ll earn every cent of the money her father will pay us. Hear what Mrs. Brydges writes.” She lifted an open letter from Mrs. Latimer’s table and read aloud: ‘“* Mr. Kyle is very much pleased with the new arrangement, and, I can see, is hoping for great results from the training and influence which his daughter will get while with you. He is an honest, kindhearted Irishman, utterly unpolished, who began life out here by working as a day laborer in the mine which he now owns. My husband says he has a good deal of what men call “ horse sense ”— whatever that may mean. He married a Spanish girl, who, if the child’s face counts for anything, must have come of gentle blood. She died some ten or eleven years ago, and since then Miss Juanita has had everything her own sweet way. Mr. Kyle’s great ambition is to have his daughter become what he terms “‘a furs’-class lady.” You may be able to work wonders, but, to be perfectly frank, I don’t envy you and Sharley your task. While her father has made long business trips away from home, your future charge has lived at this hotel or on a large “stock” ranch with only an old Irish nurse to look after her, and the consensus of opinion, even in this extremely unconventional community, seems to be that the young lady is what your Teddy would term “a pretty big handful.” She is spoiled to the last degree, and as for manners— she absolutely has none at all. She is a young savage! I hope you will not ‘become discouraged over this account ; but I thought you should know what you were undertaking.’ ”

“Good gracious! And you are going to take such a girl into your home!” exclaimed Miss Latimer incredulously. ‘“ You, Harriet, with your ill health — and expose your family to such an | influence? You'll regret it!”

“No, we won’t, aunt Angela,” declared Sharley stoutly, before her mother could reply. It was easy to see that capable, energetic Sharley was the actual head of the family; though Mrs. Latimer would have been very much surprised to hear it. ‘“ We won’t regret having enough money to provide a competent governess for Audrey and Rach, and the two little ones. The girls are to study with Miss Kyle—I must practice that Juanita, or I’ll never be able to say it properly. We won’t regret being able to make mother more comfortable, nor will we regret paying our debts without first worrying ourselves almost sick over them; nor having some new clothes. Indeed, we will not! Teddy said last night that if she wore war paint and a feather head-dress, and incidentally flourished a tomahawk, he would still extend the right hand of friendship to her. And I shall certainly do likewise.”

‘I do wish you would not always be quoting your brother’s frivolous remarks,” Miss Latimer said irritably.

But with an exclamation of surprise Sharley had rushed to the window. ‘Goodness me! there ’s a carriage at the door—TI do believe she has come!” she declared, starting to leave the room.

“Oh!” said Mrs. Latimer nervously, sitting up, and patting her soft, pretty brown hair. “Am I all right to see strangers? Sharley, hand me that little white shawl before you go—it will cover up some of the shabbiness of this old gown.”

Miss Latimer threw her fur collar around her neck, and half rose, as if to go, then, to her niece’s regret, changed her mind and settled back in her chair.

Before Sharley could reach the door it flew open, with a violence that made Mrs. Latimer wince, and two young people almost fell into the room. One was a tall, fair girl of sixteen, with a heavy braid of brown hair hanging down her back; this was Audrey. The boy, whose merry face appeared over her shoulder, his cap on the back of his head, an expansive smile on his lips, was her younger brother Kittredge, commonly known in the family as Kit, or, occasionally, to his disgust, as Kitty. Both looked highly excited, and delivered their news without preamble.

“She’s come! That girl’s come /” announced

Audrey, her dreamy blue eyes wide open and alert. ‘“‘She’s coming up the front steps now. There ’s a big, fat” —

— ‘Trishwoman with her,” broke in Kit, eager for an audience, “and a ‘p-u-r-p’—a_bandylegged, hercules-chested black and white bull terrier, with the most beautiful triangular ears! Looks as if somebody ’d given him a bat on one side the head and knocked him into a Dick Deadeye. Andsuchaswagger — Whe-ew!” throwing a hasty glance over his shoulder, “if she is n’t here right now!” Covered with embarrassment, he made a sudden dive under his sister’s arm and into the room, swinging his big strap of schoolbooks roughly against his aunt’s chair, and almost upsetting Sharley as he sped wildly over to the window. Here, established behind the heavy curtains, he quieted down and awaited developments.

“Kit Latimer! Don’t you know better than to make such a noise in mother’s room?” began the elder sister sharply; then an exclamation from her mother made her wheel quickly round, to find a newcomer close to her elbow. The “young savage’ had arrived.

“Well, thank goodness! whatever she may be, she doesn’t look common!” was Sharley’s first thought, with relief ; the next, — ‘“‘ Why, she’s Re. like a picture!”

And so she was—like one of Velasienee pictures, with her aristocratic little nose, small, grave, red-lipped mouth, pointed chin, and soft, sombre, heavily lashed black eyes. Very soon they learned that those eyes could sparkle and flash! She was as tall as Audrey, slender, and erect as a lance, and with the face of a child of thirteen ; her hair, worn in a straight fringe across her forehead and eut short, curling under and around and over her ears, added to this youthful appearance. Her hair was very dark, soft, and fine, and possessed of a silky sheen which was beautiful, though regarded as a great trial by its owner. The tailor-made cloth frock, reaching to the tops of her boots, with its well-fitting coat, would have been eminently satisfactory to the critical eyes of Mrs. and Miss Latimer but for its color —it was a brilliant red. And the hat, also red, they instantly decided was entirely too large and heavily weighted with feathers for a girl of her age. Nor did they approve of the number of massive gold and silver bangles which clinked noisily against one another every time she moved her hands. In a leash she held the dog that Kit had described in such graphic terms —a large-sized, thoroughbred bull terrier.

Sitting down directly in front of his young mistress, the terrier cocked his slender, alert-looking ears, and gazed about him with an air of such kindly, well-meant, if important, interest that, as Kit remarked afterward, “no one could possibly have taken offense at it.”

Behind the girl and the dog stood a woman whose Hibernian nationality was written in every line of her round, rosy, good-natured face. She wore a rather long, handsome sealskin coat, which fastened snugly across her capacious chest, and gaped wide open below the waist line. Coarse blue woolen gloves covered her large hands; her hair hung in a heavy rough knob, barely held together by one or two large hairpins, worn white by long service, and on her crown, fallen rakishly to one side, was perched an airy French bonnet, several sizes too small for the wearer’s head. The effect was so funny as to send Kit into a spasm of laughter behind the curtains. But quite unconscious of this, the object of his scrutiny stood with her thick woolen-gloved fingers slightly interlaced before her, — rotundity of figure would allow of no more, —a pleasant light in her small, half-closed eyes, and a complacent smile on her lips.

There was an instant’s awkward pause after Ann had ushered in the unexpected visitors, then Sharley put out her hand with a friendly smile. “You are Juanita Kyle,” she said cordially, “and IT am Sharley Latimer. We are very glad to see you. This is my mother ” —

But the newcomer hastily interrupted her. A sparkle had come into the soft eyes; the serious lips curved mutinously. “I’m not going to be called by that horrid Spanish name any longer,” she informed her audience, in a clear, positive voice.

“Now, now, Miss Wannie darlint!” remonstrated the stout person in the French hat.

“You just shut up!” politely retorted the “ darlint,’ with an impatient wave of her hand.

Audrey giggled nervously; Kit stuck his head - between the curtains and whistled softly, ‘“‘ That’s where the laugh comes in;” and putting up her lorgnette, with a snort of disapproval, Miss Latimer gazed steadily at the stranger.

But not a whit cared that young person. “I am named for my father, Mr. John Kyle, of Anaconda,” she went on to say, with great pride in her tone, and a comprehensive glance at the assembled company. “ Juanita simply means little John —and that is what I want to be called — John Kyle. I’m just sick of ‘Juanita’!’’ She pulled down the corners of her mouth over it. “And you might as well know — first as last — that I don’t intend to answer to any such name.” Then in a slightly friendlier tone, “This is my dog, Gag — Agagio Kyle,” waving her hand toward the terrier ; the introduction was acknowledged by a short bark of suppressed excitement, and a heavy thumping of a tail on the floor. ‘“ And this,” another wave of her hand, this time in the direction of the stout person in the sealskin coat, who curtsied, smiling broadly, “is Katy Karney. She ’s known me ever since I was born — she takes care of my clothes and things—and she’s to be here with me. Dad forgot to tell Mrs. Brydges to tell you bout Katy — but I guess that does n’t matter,” carelessly. ‘I’ve got to have her, anyhow—and daddy ’ll pay for her. Who’s that girl?” with a rapid change of subject, pointing to Audrey. ‘ And what is the matter with that boy ? Is he playing a magician’s trick? Has n’t he any body?” turning her sharp eyes on Kit’s head, which still protruded from between the curtains, though at her words he suddenly dropped from view.

By this time Sharley had recovered from her first astonishment, and she proceeded to introduce Miss Kyle to the different members of the family that were present — though Kit refused to emerge from his concealment, and Miss Latimer’s cool stare, her frigid bow might have been disconcerting to any one but the newcomer, on whom they were wasted.

— “And here,” finished Sharley, drawing Juanita toward the lounge, “is our mother — the dearest, sweetest, best little mother in all the wide world! ”

She certainly was a pretty little mother, blushing rosily over Sharley’s compliment, and bending forward to meet the new member of her family with outstretched hand and a most winning smile. “ You may be Little John to the rest of the household, but you must let me call you Juanita. I think it is such a pretty name — I have an especial liking for it,” she said, with a graceful tact which her eldest daughter admired but could never imitate. ‘ We are sincerely glad to have you here ”’ (“* How glad you “ll never know!” thought Sharley); “and I hope you will be happy with us. We shall certainly try to make you so. On account of my ill health,’ she sighed, “I am not always able to be with the family; but my boys and girls come to me here, and tell me all their joys and trials”’ (here Miss Latimer smiled and gave her eldest niece a glance which not for worlds would loyal Sharley have returned) ; “and I want you to do the same,” continued the unconscious Mrs. Latimer; “I want you to come in here to see me very often. You will always find a welcome.” She drew the tall, half-reluctant girl down to her level and kissed her. ' Immediately Agagio Kyle stood upon his hindlegs, his fore-paws on the lounge, his tail swinging furiously from side to side, and bestowed a liberal and unexpected caress, which included the whole of Mrs. Latimer’s cheek and ear. Friendliness was in his eyes and mien, but the object of his attentions was nervous and afraid of dogs, so she shrank away, crying out in alarm. Miss Latimer echoed this cry and made a movement to stand upon her chair. “The animal may be mad!” she suggested loudly ; which sent Sharley and Audrey flying to their mother’s side, brought a shout of laughter from Kittredge, and called a note of contempt into Juanita’s voice as she sharply bade her dog, “ Down sir! Down this minute, Gag!” emphasizing the command with a stamp of her foot. But unmindful of his mistress’s voice, or of the excitement he was creating, Gag bumped his black and white head against Mrs. Latimer’s face and again gave her the benefit of his tongue.

Catching the big dog by his collar, Juanita, between coaxing and scolding, got him to the door.

“ Sharley — show — take —room!” gasped Mrs. Latimer ; holding her handkerchief to her ear.

“Find place — for —eh” — she waved her hand feebly toward the maid.

“It’s Ka-r-ty Karney’s me name, mum — from the Lakes o’ Killarney,’ supplied that personage complacently.

“ Yes — yes — come right to your room,” cried Sharley, starting forward. “ Ah, there go your trunks ; Ann knows where to have them put. You come, too,” turning to the stout person in the sealskin coat, who promptly responded to the summons; and the party passed out into the hall.

“¢Oh, I think she is ever so pretty!” exclaimed Audrey, the moment the door closed behind them. “ Don’t you, mother ? — so quaint looking. And I’m glad she’s dark — I love dark girls!”

“H’m! If she is Little John, then I suppose Robin Hood and Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, and the whole gang ’ll be showing up pretty soon,” remarked Kittredge, emerging from his place of concealment, minus his cap and with wildly disheveled hair. ‘* What a fuss over that canine! Why, mums, he was only making friends with you. He’s no more mad than I am. Guess we'll have some fun out of ‘him. Wonder if he knows any tricks?”

Mrs. Latimer sank back on her pillows with a little groan, and her sister-in-law rose to her feet.

“ T should never have advised taking such a girl into your family — no matter what she paid,” declared Miss Latimer, tying the ribbons of her fur collar with decision. ‘‘ But, of course, my advice was not asked. I only hope, Harriet,” but her tone belied her words, “that you will never rue this whole business. What with the girl, and the maid, and that dog —I’m thankful I live in Philadelphia and not in this house.” And Mrs. Latimer had sufficient self-control to refrain from saying that she, too, was glad of that fact.

After which Miss Latimer took her departure.

“WELL, so she has arrived! How about the feather head-dress and the tomahawk — are they in evidence?” asked Teddy, lounging up against the dining-room door, and watching Sharley put finishing touches to the table, before Ann announced dinner.

Sharley wheeled round to look at her favorite brother. ‘My dear!” she said, in a low but most expressive voice, “ she is acase! I am afraid we shall fully earn every cent of that money that we get. What do you think? She’s brought a dog and a maid with her —a great, big, fat thing — without a word to us first to know if it would be convenient or otherwise. And she has insisted on having her occupy the next room — which was Audrey’s and Rachie’s—insisted/ We’ve had such trouble moving the girls up into the garret — there was no other place, you know. It’s pretty bare, but ” —

“‘ Now just hold up a bit,” interrupted Teddy, ‘and let’s get this matter clear. Who is big and fat —the maid or the dog? And who insisted on having Audrey’s room — the dog, the maid, or the young female from Anaconda?”

“ Oh, you know very well! ” exclaimed Sharley, shaking a fork at him. “ Why, the Anaconda, of course. The dog’s name is Agagio — Kit says. he is a thoroughbred; but I feel a little afraid of him. And the maid is Katy Karney. Oh, Ted, she is the funniest looking person! You'll laugh when you see her get-up — French bonnets and sealskin coats galore—the maid, mind you! Well, as I was saying when you so impolitely interrupted, Miss Juanita — John she would like to be called —so silly! —insisted that this maid should have the room next to hers. So we had to bundle Audrey and Rach off to the garret, and let her have it. I don’t think ’t was a bit nice of her to put us to all that trouble when the maid could have gone upstairs just as well as not. But she would have her way, —it’s very evident that she is a dreadfully spoiled child, — and I was afraid she would go bother mamma with the story. So I gave in. Nowrush upstairs and help mother down; dinner is ready. I’ve coached Audrey, and fairly implored Kittredge to behave decently, so I hope everything will go off well. The first meal together will be the hardest. After that — why, somehow people and things will sort of adjust themselves, eh? Ann has gone to announce dinner — go for mother, do!, I hear the children tearing down the steps—and there’s that dog barking. Goodness! I hope she isn’t bringing the creature into the dining-room.”’

“Sure as you live, she is!” declared Ted, — he rather enjoyed teasing Sharley, — adding over his shoulder, as he turned to go upstairs: “ Put his dogship alongside of me—TI’ll treat him so well he ’ll never forget it!”

But he did not mean this, and on returning to the dining-room with his mother his surprise was great to find the bull terrier occupying a seat at the table. Teddy was fond of dogs, and Agagio’s air of gentlemanly’ restraint, the alert cock of his ears, and the benign glances which he cast at every one amused him highly. This was more than they did Sharley ; for after Ted had been introduced to the tall girl in the yellow silk frock, and the slight stir incidental to the various members of the family taking their places was over, it was discovered that there was no room for little Dorothy, the youngest and the darling of the household. Dorothy and Jamie — who was seven — took their dinner at five o’clock, but not for worlds would they have given up the privilege of sitting at table with their elders — one on each side of Sharley ; and if a surreptitious, delicious mouthful from the big sister’s plate reached them occasionally no one else appeared to know anything of the matter. And now Agagio was seated in Dorrie’s own particular chair, beside his mistress; filling it with such an air of ownership as brought quick tears to the little girl’s eyes, and a quiver to her lips.

“That dog’s got my chair!” she called out loudly ; and throwing her plump little body against Sharley, with a wail of disappointment she buried her face on her sister’s shoulder.

Sharley’s arms went around the small figure.

“ There, there, sweetheart!” she said soothingly ; “don’t ery; Lally (Dorrie’s name for her) will find another chair for you. Sh!”

A wave of indignation went round the table, which Little John quietly ignored. Leaning forward she helped herself liberally from a small dish of jelly, and, spreading some thickly on a slice of bread, — holding the bread on the palm of her hand, — she proceeded to break it into large pieces and to feed them to Gag.

Little Jamie jumped from his chair. ‘“ Here, Dorrie, you take my place,” he said, his childish voice full of indignation. Audrey gave vent to an astonished ‘“* Well! —I declare!” and half rose from the table. Kit remarked, in a loud stage whisper, ‘That ’s what you might call dogged impudence,” at which Rach giggled uncertainly. Mrs. Latimer leaned forward, a look of distressed annoyance in her eyes at sight of Agagio, the color deepening in her thin cheeks. ‘“ My dear — I — eh — I— cannot allow that dog at the table,” she said. There was a slight quiver in her voice, and Teddy noticed that the fingers of the frail little hand lying on the tablecloth were fluttering nervously. It was always an effort for Mrs. Latimer to assert herself, — how great an effort only two of her children — Sharley and Ted — as yet understood.

“Oh, I always have Gag dine with me at the hotel,” replied Juanita calmly, and proceeded to spread another slice of bread, which Agagio awaited with glistening eyes and a mouth that was watering.

But he was not to receive the choice morsel, for just then Teddy arose, to the full height of his six feet one, and, filled with a wrath that was barely held within bounds, marched around the table, and seizing Gag under the shoulders, whisked him out of the chair, out of the room, before either the big dog or his mistress had time to realize what was happening.

The whole thing was over in a very few minutes ; but when Ted returned to his place Dorrie was in possession of her chair, and everybody, save “ the young person from Anaconda,” as Kit had already nicknamed the stranger, was laughing — the younger children uproariously. Gag’s astonished - face and the frantic, futile waving of his fore-legs in the air as he made his hurried exit had set them laughing.

“Oh, if you had seen his face! It was too funny !” laughed Audrey, as Ted sat down.

“A case of rapid transit,” chuckled Kit; and Dorrie’s merry shouts rose above all the laughter, as she bounced joyously up and down in her chair. Even Mrs. Latimer was smiling. The only sober face was that of Juanita —vuntil she looked up and caught Ted’s eyes as he took his seat again.

Audrey had once described her elder brother to a girl friend who had never seenhim. ‘“ He is a tall, long-legged fellow,” she said, “with a way of standing that always reminds me of a restive horse, — you know, lounging first on one foot, then on the other. And he’s got the nicest face! He looks enough like David Copperfield to be David’s own brother ; we often call him Copperfield for fun, —I mean like Cruikshank’s illustrations, — only of course Teddy does n’t wear those old-fashioned clothes. But he has the same nice, innocent, dear sort of face that Davy had —that made the barmaid kiss him instead of taking his money for the glass of ale— when he was a little chap with Murdstone and Grinby. Don’t you remember? Ted isn’t what you might call handsome, but we think,” nodding at Sharley, who was present, “ that when he smiles he comes pretty near it. And he has such honest eyes!” And now, as Little John glanced across the table and met the frank, steady gaze of her opposite neighbor’s blue-gray eyes, she suddenly changed her mind about being disagreeable, and instead laughed. It was a merry laugh, that not only sent her little pointed chin up in the air, and brought two rows of small, white, shining teeth into evidence, but as well flashed a sparkle into the soft, sombre eyes, making her very pleasant to look at.