small mudroom.
The shed had been bright, but the mudroom was lit by a single 40-watt incandescent bulb and Lila blinked to help her eyes adjust to the sudden dimness. She noted a Shaker-style coat rack, draped with several scarves and shawls, and a large dark object in the corner. The room smelled like sweet sawdust.
Miss Hastings pulled a dark cloth from the object in the corner, and a faint chirping could be heard. “Wake up, dahrrrling – we have visitors!” A caged, black and white hen blinked once or twice, and then hopped down from her perch onto the sawdust.
“Oh, she was asleep!” said Rebecca. “You shouldn’t have woken her up on our account!”
“Well, we won’t spend too much time with her because I just know you’re hungry and tired! But I just couldn’t resist introducing you.”
“Hey, Matilda,” said Lila, schootching down on the floor next to the large wire cage. “I’ve seen your picture and heard all about you!” The hen began hopping and clucking in response, sending sawdust flying everywhere. “Omigod, she’s so cute,” Lila added.
Lila stuck her finger into the cage and waggled it in a friendly fashion. Matilda cocked her head sideways and eyed the worm-like digit. She clucked disapprovingly, then darted forward and attempted to grasp Lila’s finger with her yellow beak.
“Hey, she BIT me!” Lila said, withdrawing her finger quickly with a disconcerted laugh.
“She probably thought your finger was a worm,” said Rebecca quickly, excusing the chicken.
“Poor dahrrrling! Did she hurt you? She just wants some treats—I’ve spoiled her. Here, like this,” said Miss Hastings. She mysteriously produced a shiny black seed from her suit pocket and pushed it through the wire bars. Matilda leaped forward, grasped the seed as though it was a bug, and immediately gobbled it down. Miss Hastings cackled with laughter; “Matilda LOVES sunflower seeds!”
Her words reminded Lila of the 50-pound bag of black oil sunflower seeds that the friendly Mike from Gilpin’s General Store had slung effortlessly into the back seat of the car. “I almost forgot – we brought you a hostess gift,” she said.
“You dahrrrlings! You didn’t need to bring me ANYTHING – just your wonderful selves!”
“It’s for Matilda,” Lila said. “A bag of sunflower seeds. Some guy named Mike – Mike Hobart – is going to come by tomorrow and unload them.”
“Mike Hobart—what a dahrrrling boy! He built the most WONDERFUL cabin in the woods on the other side of town. We’re so fortunate that he’s stayed on in Sovereign after he graduated from Unity College!”
“He built his own cabin?” asked Lila, becoming interested, in spite of herself.
“Oh, yes! From pine trees that he cut all from his very own land! He’s so industrious, just like the boys used to be in MY day,” said Miss Hastings. “Now THAT was a VERRRY long time ago!” Once again, she broke into a gale of hearty laughter.
Rebecca nudged Lila, her blue eyes carrying an unmistakable communication: See? Maybe you shouldn’t be so quick to judge him!
“He seemed very nice,” said Rebecca.
“A simply DAHRRRLING boy,” repeated Miss Hastings. “But tell me again, why is Mike stopping by tomorrow?”
“To unload the bag; it’s pretty heavy – 50 pounds,” said Lila.
“OOoo, my goodness, 50 pounds – haaaahaaaa!” Miss Hastings burst into laughter again. “OOoo, I see – well, it’s perfectly understandable!”
“Not to me,” said Lila, confused.
“I’m sorry, I’m not following, either,” added Rebecca.
“Dahrrrling, that 50-pound bag of birdseed will outlast both me AND Matilda!”
Lila felt herself blushing. He had made them buy a 50-pound bag just so he could have an excuse to come over tomorrow!
Embarrassed, Lila leaned forward to hide her blush. She picked up a few black seeds that had somehow escaped onto the mudroom floor and tossed them back into the cage. Matilda immediately jumped
The shed had been bright, but the mudroom was lit by a single 40-watt incandescent bulb and Lila blinked to help her eyes adjust to the sudden dimness. She noted a Shaker-style coat rack, draped with several scarves and shawls, and a large dark object in the corner. The room smelled like sweet sawdust.
Miss Hastings pulled a dark cloth from the object in the corner, and a faint chirping could be heard. “Wake up, dahrrrling – we have visitors!” A caged, black and white hen blinked once or twice, and then hopped down from her perch onto the sawdust.
“Oh, she was asleep!” said Rebecca. “You shouldn’t have woken her up on our account!”
“Well, we won’t spend too much time with her because I just know you’re hungry and tired! But I just couldn’t resist introducing you.”
“Hey, Matilda,” said Lila, schootching down on the floor next to the large wire cage. “I’ve seen your picture and heard all about you!” The hen began hopping and clucking in response, sending sawdust flying everywhere. “Omigod, she’s so cute,” Lila added.
Lila stuck her finger into the cage and waggled it in a friendly fashion. Matilda cocked her head sideways and eyed the worm-like digit. She clucked disapprovingly, then darted forward and attempted to grasp Lila’s finger with her yellow beak.
“Hey, she BIT me!” Lila said, withdrawing her finger quickly with a disconcerted laugh.
“She probably thought your finger was a worm,” said Rebecca quickly, excusing the chicken.
“Poor dahrrrling! Did she hurt you? She just wants some treats—I’ve spoiled her. Here, like this,” said Miss Hastings. She mysteriously produced a shiny black seed from her suit pocket and pushed it through the wire bars. Matilda leaped forward, grasped the seed as though it was a bug, and immediately gobbled it down. Miss Hastings cackled with laughter; “Matilda LOVES sunflower seeds!”
Her words reminded Lila of the 50-pound bag of black oil sunflower seeds that the friendly Mike from Gilpin’s General Store had slung effortlessly into the back seat of the car. “I almost forgot – we brought you a hostess gift,” she said.
“You dahrrrlings! You didn’t need to bring me ANYTHING – just your wonderful selves!”
“It’s for Matilda,” Lila said. “A bag of sunflower seeds. Some guy named Mike – Mike Hobart – is going to come by tomorrow and unload them.”
“Mike Hobart—what a dahrrrling boy! He built the most WONDERFUL cabin in the woods on the other side of town. We’re so fortunate that he’s stayed on in Sovereign after he graduated from Unity College!”
“He built his own cabin?” asked Lila, becoming interested, in spite of herself.
“Oh, yes! From pine trees that he cut all from his very own land! He’s so industrious, just like the boys used to be in MY day,” said Miss Hastings. “Now THAT was a VERRRY long time ago!” Once again, she broke into a gale of hearty laughter.
Rebecca nudged Lila, her blue eyes carrying an unmistakable communication: See? Maybe you shouldn’t be so quick to judge him!
“He seemed very nice,” said Rebecca.
“A simply DAHRRRLING boy,” repeated Miss Hastings. “But tell me again, why is Mike stopping by tomorrow?”
“To unload the bag; it’s pretty heavy – 50 pounds,” said Lila.
“OOoo, my goodness, 50 pounds – haaaahaaaa!” Miss Hastings burst into laughter again. “OOoo, I see – well, it’s perfectly understandable!”
“Not to me,” said Lila, confused.
“I’m sorry, I’m not following, either,” added Rebecca.
“Dahrrrling, that 50-pound bag of birdseed will outlast both me AND Matilda!”
Lila felt herself blushing. He had made them buy a 50-pound bag just so he could have an excuse to come over tomorrow!
Embarrassed, Lila leaned forward to hide her blush. She picked up a few black seeds that had somehow escaped onto the mudroom floor and tossed them back into the cage. Matilda immediately jumped
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