` I 'm dreadfully scared of ladders since I broke my arm off this very one . It 's so high , it makes me dizzy jest to think of . ' '' ` Well , then , I 'll do the best I can ; but I wish them boys was to Jericho ! ' says the old lady , with a groan , for she was fat and hot , had her gown pinned up , and was in a fluster generally . She was goin ' off rather huffy , when Kitty called out , -- '' ` Stop , ma ! I 'll come down and help you , only ketch me if I tumble . ' `` She looked scared but stiddy , and I 'll bet it took as much grit for her to do it as for one of us to face a battery . It do n't seem much to tell of , but I wish I may be hit if it was n't a right down dutiful and clever thing to see done . When the old lady took her off at the bottom , with a good motherly hug , ` Good , ' thinks I ; ` what more do you want ? ' '' `` A snug little property would n't a ben bad , I reckon , '' said Flint . `` Well , she had it , old skin-flint , though I did n't know or care about it then . What a jolly row she 'd make if she knew I was tellin ' the ladder part of the story ! She always does when I get to it , and makes believe cry , with her head in my breast-pocket , or any such handy place , till I take it out and swear I 'll never do so ag ` in . Poor little Kit , I wonder what she 's doin ' now . Thinkin ' of me , I 'll bet . '' Dick paused , pulled his cap lower over his eyes , and smoked a minute with more energy than enjoyment , for his cigar was out and he did not perceive it . `` That 's not all , is it ? '' asked Thorn , taking a fatherly interest in the younger man 's love passages . `` Not quite . ` Fore long , Joe whistled , and as I always take short cuts everywhar , I put in at the back-door , jest as Kitty come trottin ' out of the pantry with a big berry-pie in her hand .
I startled her , she tripped over the sill and down she come ; the dish flew one way , the pie flopped into her lap , the juice spatterin ' my boots and her clean XXXXX .
Fore Poor arm ben boys cap cuts gown row thing