Page:Leah Reed--Brenda's summer at Rockley.djvu/91

Rh shoulders. “What’s good enough for me ought to be good enough for her. I have to stay in the house, even if it is close and hot. I can’t go wandering around in the woods, and I don’t see why any one with a grown  daughter should think that she has the right to waste  time that way.”

Again Amy gave a sigh. But the sigh was followed by a smile.

“Let me pull down the blinds at this window,” she said pleasantly. “The sun is moving around, and if I open the other window you ’ll have a current of fresh air. That will be a great improvement.”

As she spoke, she stepped forward, and shook up the pillows. “I ’ll run out to the well and get you a glass of water,” she added; “and perhaps you’d like a little  luncheon—a biscuit and some apple sauce.”

“You can bring me the biscuit,” said the invalid, “but I don’t care for the apple sauce; it’s made of dried  apples. I’d like some fresh fruit. Strawberries are pretty plenty now.”

“There was a man through this back road with some on a cart this morning,” said Amy; “but they were so  poor that we thought that you wouldbn’t care for them. Mother thought she might be able to get some better later in the day. But we ’re going to have fresh peas for dinner,” she concluded; “I’m just going to shell them.”

“Very well,” said the complainer, “you need n’t wait here then. I suppose you begrudge the time you spend with me. But it’s no matter; I can sit, and sit, and