I can't see anything about you children to hurt ours; and I
notice a number of ways where it is beneficial to have you here. It's
surely good for all of us. You're the nicest little folks!"
Peaches sat up suddenly and smiled on Peter.
"Mickey is nice an' fine," she told him. "Not even you, or anybody, is
nice as Mickey. An' I'm _going_ to be. I'd _like_ to be! But you see, I
laid alone all day in a dark corner so long, an' I got so wild like, 'at
when granny did come, I done an' said jus' like she did, but Mickey
doesn't like it. He's scairt 'most stiff fear I'll forget an' say bad
swearin's, an' you'll send me back to the hotness, so's I won't get
better. Would you send me back if I forget _just once_, Peter?"
"Why pshaw now!" said Peter. "Pshaw Little Soul, don't you worry about
that. You try _hard_ to remember, and be like Mickey wants you to, and if
you make a slip, I'll speak to Ma about it, and we'll just turn a deaf
ear, and away out here, you'll soon forget it."
Just then, Mickey, trailing a rope, passed before the window; there was a
crunching sound; a lumbering cow stopped, lifted a mouth half filled with
grass, and bawled her loudest protest at being separated from her calf.
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