Candace had crossed the creek and was coming back,and May had started,when she saw a tiny little one and chased it.We didn't know then that it was a good thing to have snakes to eat moles,field mice,and other pests that bother your crops;the Bible had no mercy on them at all,so we were not saving our snakes;and anyway we had more than we needed,while some of them were too big to be safe to keep,and a few poison as could be.May began to bruise the serpent,when out of the driftwood where they hadn't found anything came its mammy,a great big blacksnake,maddest you ever saw,with its pappy right after her,mad as ever too.Candace screamed at May to look behind her,but May was busy with the snake and didn't look quick enough,so the old mammy struck right in her back.She just caught in the hem of May's skirt,and her teeth stuck in the goods--you know how a snake's teeth turn back--so she couldn't let go.May took one look and raced down the bank to the crossing,through the water,and toward us,with the snake dragging and twisting,and trying her best to get away.May was screaming at every jump for Candace,and Mehitabel was flying up and down crying:"Oh there's snakes in my shoes!There's snakes in my shoes!"That was a fair sample of how much sense a Heasty ever had.It took all Mehitabel's shoes could do to hold her feet,for after one went barefoot all week,and never put on shoes except on Sunday or for a visit,the feet became so spread out,shoes had all they could do to manage them,and then mostly they pinched until they made one squirm.But she jumped and said that,while May ran and screamed,and Candace gripped her big hickory stick and told May to stand still.Then she bruised that serpent with her whole foot,for she stood on it,and swatted it until she broke its neck.Then she turned ready for the other one,but when it saw what happened to its mate,it decided to go back.
Even snakes,it doesn't seem right to break up families like that;so by the time Candace got the mammy killed,loose from May's hem,and stretched out with the back up,so she wouldn't make it rain,when Candace wasn't sure that father wanted rain,Ihad enough.I went down the creek until I was below the orchard,then I crossed,passed the cowslip bed,climbed the hill and fence,and stopped to think what I would do first;and there only a few feet away was Shelley.She was sitting in the shade,her knees drawn up,her hands clasped around them,staring straight before her across the meadow at nothing in particular,that I could see.She jumped as if I had been a snake when she saw me,then she said,"Oh,is it you?"like she was half glad of it.My chance had come.
I went to her,sat close beside her and tried snuggling up a little.It worked.She put her arm around me,drew me tight,rubbed her cheek against my head and we sat there.I was wondering how in the world I could ask her,and not get slapped.
I was growing most too big for that slapping business,anyway.
We sat there;I was looking across the meadow as she did,only I was watching everything that went on,so when I saw a grosbeak fly from the wild grape where Shelley had put the crock for sap,it made me think of her hair.She used to like to have me play with it so well,she'd give me pennies if I did.I got up,and began pulling out her pins carefully.I knew I was getting a start because right away she put up her hand to help me.
"I can get them,"I said just as flannel-mouthed as ever I could,like all of us talked to her now,so I got every one and never pulled a mite.When I reached over her shoulder to drop them in her lap,being so close I kissed her cheek.Then I shook down her hair,spread it out,lifted it,parted it,and held up strands to let the air on her scalp.She shivered and said:
"Mercy child,how good that does feel!My head has ached lately until it's a wonder there's a hair left on it."So I was pleasing her.I never did handle hair so carefully.I tried every single thing it feels good to you to have done with your hair,rubbed her head gently,and to cheer her up I told her about May and the snake,and what fool Mehitabel had said,and she couldn't help laughing;so I had her feeling about as good as she could,for the way she actually felt,but still I didn't really get ahead.Come right to the place to do it,that was no very easy question to ask a person,when you wouldn't hurt their feelings for anything;I was beginning to wonder if I would lose my chance,when all at once a way I could manage popped into my mind.
"Shelley,"I said,"they told you about Laddie and the Princess,didn't they?"I knew they had,but I had to make a beginning some way.
"Yes,"she said."I'm glad of it!I think she's pretty as a picture,and nice as she looks.Laddie may have to hump himself to support her,but if he can't get her as fine clothes as she has,her folks can help him.They seem to have plenty,and she's their only child.""They're going to.I heard Mr.Pryor ask Laddie if he'd be so unkind as to object to them having the pleasure of giving her things.""Well,the greenhorn didn't say he would!"
"No.He didn't want to put his nose to the grindstone quite that close.He said it was between them.""I should think so!"
"Shelley,there's a question I've been wanting to ask some one for quite a while.""What?"
"Why,this!You know,Laddie was in love with the Princess,like you are when you want to marry folks,for a long,long time,before he could be sure whether she loved him back.""Yes."
