Mrs. Vanderwiller insisted upon Toby's hitching up an old,
broken-kneed pony he owned, and taking her over the corduroy road
to Pine Camp, where she arrived before dark. To tell the truth,
little Margaret Llewellen was not the only person who thought it
odd that Nan should want to go to see the Vanderwillers in the
heart of the tamarack swamp. Nan's uncle and aunt and cousins
considered their guest a little odd; but they made no open
comment when the girl arrived at home after her visit.
Nan was full of the wonders she had seen, commonplace enough to
her relatives who had lived all their lives in touch with the
beautiful and queer things of Nature as displayed in the Michigan
Peninsula. Perhaps none but Tom appreciated her ecstasy over
crippled Corson Vanderwiller's collection.
Rafe was inclined to poke good-natured fun at his young cousin
for her enthusiasm; but Tom showed an understanding that quite
surprised Nan. Despite his simplicity regarding some of the
commonest things of the great outside world, he showed that he
was very observant of the things about him.
"Oh, Tom was always like that," scoffed Rafe, with ready laughter
at his slow brother. "He'd rather pick up a bug any day and put
it through a cross-examination, than smash it under the sole of
his boot.
Pages:
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185