"Peggy says, 'Every hand should do its share'," he quoted.
Jinnie winced miserably. She picked up several nails from the floor. It was a pretext for an activity to cover her embarrassment.
The cobbler allowed her to busy herself a while in this way. Then he said: "Sit in the chair an' wrap up in the blankets, Jinnie. I want to talk with you."
She did as she was bidden, sitting quietly until the man chose to speak.
"I guess you're beginnin' to believe," said he, at length, "an' if you do, a world full of uncles couldn't hurt you. Peg says as how you got to work if you stay, an' if you have the faith----"
Jinnie rose tremblingly.
"I know I'll be all right," she cried. "I just know you and me believing would keep me safe."
Her eagerness caused Lafe to draw the girl to him.
"Can you holler good an' loud?" he asked.
The girl shot him a curious glance.
"Sure I can."
"Can you walk on icy walks----"
"Oh, I'm as strong as anything," Jinnie cut in, glancing downward at herself.
"I know a lot of kids who earn money," said Lafe meditatively.
"What do they do?"
"Get wood out of the marsh behind the huts there. Some of 'em keeps families on it."
"Sell wood! And there's lots of it, Lafe?"
"Lots," replied Lafe.
Sell wood! The very words, new, wonderful, and full of action, rang through Jinnie's soul like sweet sounding bells. Waves of unknown sensations beat delightfully upon her girlish heart. If she brought in a little money every day, Peggy would be kinder. She could; she was sure she could. She was drawn from her whirling thoughts by the cobbler's voice.
"Could you do it, kid? People could think your name was Jinnie Grandoken."
Jinnie choked out a reply.
"And mebbe I could make ten cents a day."
"I think you could, Jinnie, an' here's Lafe right ready to help you."
Virginia Singleton felt quite faint. She sat down, her heart beating under her knit jacket twice as fast as a girl's heart ought to beat. Lafe had suddenly opened up a path to usefulness and glory which even in her youthful dreams had never appeared to her.
"Call Peggy," said Lafe.
Soon Peg stood before them, with a questioning face.
"The kid's goin' to work," announced Lafe, "We've got a way of keepin' her uncle off'n her trail."
Mrs. Grandoken looked from her husband to Virginia.
"I want to work like other folks," the girl burst forth, looking pleadingly at the shoemaker's wife.
Peggy wiped her arms violently upon her apron, and there flashed across her face an inscrutable expression that Lafe had learned to read, but which frightened the newcomer.