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  CHAPTER VI

  IN THE ORCHARD

  Until Webb could finish the task that Nancy had assigned to him, Nancycurbing her impatience, had to return to the study of "Joshua, Jacoband John."

  "It was John that was killed in the war of 1812, and now we haveprogressed to the next generation of Samuel and Ezekiel," she wrote toClaire. "But let me tell you that just as soon as Webb finishes the'rig-up' (that is what he calls my perfectly beautiful idea) I'm notgoing to have a minute to spend on any of the old ancestors. Won't itbe wonderful to see Aunt Milly's face when she knows about it? _Think_of it, Claire--how we love to frolic all around this good old earth,and how awful it would be to be tied to a couch all your days--and in_such_ a room!"

  "After to-day my letters will be just scraps and you can picture yourNancy working madly in her tree-top!

  "So far all is safe, and I'm really beginning to feel as though I was areal Leavitt and not walking around in Anne's shoes, especially when Iam with Aunt Milly. But it's terribly hard not to talk about Dad andyou and Anne, and I have to hold my lips together lots of times to keepfrom bursting out with something. I suppose it's good training forme--Miss Sykes used to tell me my impulsiveness would be my ruin someday.

  "I have seen the hired man! Yesterday, when I went out to my nest, Ideliberately walked around the edge of the orchard. I saw a lot oftumble-down sheds and things over on a rise of ground that I supposedwas Judson's, and of course the lot in between was the ten-acre stripthat Webb told me about. I couldn't _see_ that it was any better thanany other part of the country around here. And while I was staring,suddenly something moved, and there was that creature with a hoestanding at the other end of the lot. And he waved his hand! Says I,'Nancy Leavitt, this is your chance,' and I tossed my head so hard thatmy neck truly cracked, and I stalked off back to the orchard. It wasgood enough for him.

  "Oh, oh, oh, Webb has come! He's taken the rig-up around the lilacside (for strategic reasons, I have divided the grounds of Happy House)and out to the carriage barn. Now I shall tackle B'lindy and makeready for the blessed hour of rest.

  "Adieu, dearest Claire, pray for your old pal."

  The winning of B'lindy to her plan was not as easy as Webb had been.It had been a "bad" morning for B'lindy; the fire would not draw well,she had forgotten to "set" her bread, and Judson's cat had gotten intothe cream. Nancy's arguments fell on deaf ears.

  "I guess what's well enough's well enough," at last she threw over hershoulder. "Milly Leavitt's laid on that couch twenty years and itain't likely she'll lay there many more, and there ain't no usemeddlin' with what's what!"

  "But, B'lindy, no one has ever tried this! It's so easy. Wait untilyou see how nice and safe Webb has made the chair. It's wonderful! Itwould be wicked to keep her shut up there when we could take her out!Think of it, B'lindy, all _we_ have and poor little Aunt Milly! Why,it might make her well! I really know of such a case. It was a womanwho had tried every medicine she knew of and it was just happiness sheneeded! If Aunt Milly could get out there in the sunshine and--and seethings, _she_ might get well, too. Anyway, she could laugh!"

  B'lindy laid down her egg-beater. It was a sign of yielding.

  "I guess nobody's _tried_ happiness on Milly Leavitt!"

  "We'll take her together, B'lindy. You may go with me to her room andsee her face when she knows!"

  "I told Miss Sabriny that there was no tellin' _what'd_ happen in HappyHouse if she brought a young thing like you here," was B'lindy's way ofassent. With an uplifted arm she warded off what threatened to be ahug.

  "Go 'way, Anne Leavitt, or there won't be no dinner! And this is_your_ doin's, remember."

  True to her promise, Nancy waited until the last dinner dish was dried;then she and B'lindy, very like culprits, tip-toed to Miss Milly'sroom. Aunt Milly wore a look of expectancy, which changed to wonderwhen she saw B'lindy. And one glance at Nancy's eager face told herthat something very, very different was about to happen!

  In a whisper Nancy commanded her to peep out and "just see what you'llsee." And Miss Milly, in a flutter, _did_ peep out, and saw Jonathanbelow, with a curiously contrived chair on wheels.

  "It's for you--Webb made it," declared Nancy. "And you're not to getexcited, because that might spoil everything. We're going to take youto the orchard!"

  "Oh, _Nancy_!" Something caught in poor Miss Milly's throat.

  "You must do just what I tell you. Take this shawl, though it's warmerout there than it is in here. I'm very strong and I shall carry youright down in my arms, and you must cling tight to my neck."

  Poor Miss Milly commenced to tremble violently. "Nancy--I'm afraid!I--I--It's so long--maybe I'd better--maybe it isn't--_right_!"

  "Oh, Aunt Milly, darling, how could it be wrong to be happy! Just_try_ it! Think of the sunshine and the birds and the nice smells andall Jonathan's growing things! And B'lindy is going along, too, tohelp. _Try_ it, Aunt Milly!"

  Aunt Milly's eyes filled with tears, then she commenced to laughsoftly. "Maybe it'll be the only time! I'd love--once more----" Shelet Nancy lift her slowly. "I'm too heavy, dear," she protested.

  "_Heavy_----" thought Nancy. The pitifully frail form was as nothingin her clasp. "I haven't played forward on our basket-ball team forfour years for nothing, Aunt Milly! March on, B'lindy. Now--verystill."

  It was a strange procession that moved off through the garden towardthe orchard. Jonathan led the way, B'lindy wheeled the chair and Nancyfrisked along, first one side, then the other, picking posies here andthere until Aunt Milly's lap was quite full. And Miss Milly sat verystill with her hands clasped tight together and a look of ecstasy inher eyes, as though she was beholding a new and beautiful world! Everystep forward brought an added wonder. She had forgotten the world waslike this.

  "_Oh-h!_" she whispered rapturously when a robin trilled from a nearbytree. "_Oh-h!_" she cried again when she caught a glimpse of the lake.

  But when they reached the cliff it was Nancy's turn to exclaim. Forthere in her tree had been built the cosiest of rustic seats.

  "_How lovely!_" she cried, springing into it. "It just fits." Sheshook her finger at old Jonathan. "_You_ made this for me, you dearold thing!"

  But Jonathan, wishing mightily that he had, had to admit that he"didn't know a blame thing 'bout it!"

  "Then it was Webb. He wanted to surprise me, too, as well as AuntMilly. Only--how did he know about my tree? Isn't it _nice_? It's ascomfy as can be."

  When Nancy joyously declared that everybody and everything was lovely,somehow B'lindy and Jonathan and Aunt Milly felt so, too! B'lindy, atNancy's bidding, sat down upon the grass close to the chair, andJonathan, too rheumatic to follow her example, leaned against the treetrunk and stared at Nancy with adoring eyes.

  "At first I was going to keep my nest a secret, just between Jonathanand me. But it'll be much nicer to have all of us know about it. Wecan have such nice times here. We can do so many things. B'lindy, canyou knit?"

  B'lindy said she could not, though she could crochet.

  "Then I'm going to teach you and Aunt Milly both. You can knit socksfor the children in Europe, though you must begin on washcloths.Jonathan--I don't suppose there's any use trying to teach you--you mustkeep us supplied with flowers because Aunt Milly can't have enough--yousee there are so many years she has to make up. And sometimes I'llread to you and sometimes I'll work. We'll come here everyafternoon--shall we?"

  B'lindy and Jonathan and Aunt Milly nodded their heads. B'lindy,watching Miss Milly's face, was beginning to think that there might besome sense in Nancy's prescription of happiness.

  And if in her heart Nancy smothered any wistful longing as she glancedat the locked treasure-box, she forgot it when she, too, watched AuntMilly.

  It was Jonathan who suddenly noticed that the sun was creeping overtoward the west and that he'd "better be at the lettuce."

  "Goodness to gracious," cried B'lindy, scrambling to her feet with aconsiderable creaking of joints. "Anne Leavitt, my day's work ain'thalf done!"

  On the way back through the orchard Miss Milly kept tight hold ofNancy's hand, giving it an occasional squeeze.

  "I could die happy--now," she whispered.

  At the turn of the path beyond the raspberry patch the culprits wereconfronted by Miss Sabrina. It was a very angry Aunt Sabrina, whoseone glance shadowed every bit of sunshine. Even Nancy, the ringleaderof the plot, felt her knees give way in fright.

  "What are you all about?" Miss Sabrina demanded in a voice cold withanger. "Go about your work, Jonathan Allen. B'lindy, you wheel thatridiculous chair back to wherever you got it from! And you, MillyLeavitt, how _dare_ you meddle with the ways of God?"

  Everyone seemed to obey Miss Sabrina without a word of protest.Jonathan faded out of sight, B'lindy disappeared toward the kitchenwith the chair and Nancy, followed by Miss Sabrina, carried thetrembling Miss Milly back to her couch.

  "Anne, you go out now!" Miss Sabrina jerked her head toward the door.

  "I'll have a thing or two to say to Milly. She made her bed--it's thewill of our Lord she should lie in it!"

  Nancy hesitated one moment, but something in Aunt Milly's frightenedglance seemed to say, "Go away!" So she went out and closed the doorupon the two sisters.

  Alone in her own room a storm of anger shook her. "I _hate_ her!" shecried out to the ugly walls. "I _hate_ her! She's--just--_stone_!"

  "I'm _glad_ I'm not a real Leavitt! We were _so_ happy!"

  Then, really frightened, Nancy listened intently to catch some wordfrom the other room.