But she often sat behind the drawn shades nursing the big doll
and crooning softly to it as she swung back and forth in the
spring rocking-chair. Tom had oiled the springs for her so that
it no longer creaked.
She did not confide even in Aunt Kate about the big doll. They
were all very kind to her; but Nan had a feeling that she ought
to be grown up here among her backwoods relatives. How could she
ever face roguish Rafe if he knew she liked to "play dolls?"
Fearing that even Margaret would tell, Nan had never shown the
woods girl Beautiful Beulah. Once she was afraid Margaret had
come to the window to peep in when Nan had the doll out of her
hiding place; but she was not sure, and Nan hoped her secret was
still inviolate. At least, Margaret never said a word about it.
Margaret's sisters had dolls made of corncobs, and rag babies
with painted faces like the one Margaret had thrown into the
river and drowned; but Margaret turned up her nose at them all.
She never seemed to want to "play house" as do most girls of her
age. She preferred to run wild, like a colt, with Bob in the
woods and swamp.
Margaret did not wish to go into the swamp with Nan, however, on
her first visit to Toby Vanderwiller's little farm.
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