Ruth wanted to help Rosa; she hoped Rosa would keep up with the class and be promoted at the end of the term, as she was sure to be herself. And she was sorry for sooty, odd-talking Bob Wildwood.
What Rosa had said about her lost twin sister had deeply interested Ruth Kenway. She wanted, too, to ask the Southern girl about "June," or Juniper.
"We were the last children maw had," said Rosa. "She just seemed to give up after we were born. The others were all sickly--just drooped and faded. And they all were girls and had flower names. Maw was right fanciful, I reckon.
"I wish June had held on. She'd stuck it out, I know, if she'd believed paw could stop drinking toddies. But, you see he _has_. He 'swigs' an awful lot of tea, though, and I expect it's tanning him inside just like he was leather!"
Ruth really thought this was probable--especially with the teapot in the condition she had found it. But she had put some washing soda in the pot, filled it with boiling water, and set it back on the stove to stew some of the "tannin" out of it.
While the Corner House girl was talking with Rosa in the little bedroom the girl called her own, Bob brought his mules to a halt before the house with an empty wagon, and ran in as usual.
The girls heard him enter the outer room; but Ruth never thought of what the man's object might be until Rosa laughed and said:
"There's paw now, for a swig at the teapot. I hope you left it full fo' him, Ruthie, dear."
"Oh, goodness mercy me!" cried the Corner House girl, and darted out to the kitchen to warn the man.
But she was too late. Already the begrimed Bob Wildwood had the spout of the teapot to his lips and several swallows of the scalding and acrid mixture gurgled down his throat before he discovered that it was not tea!
"Woof! woof! woof!" he sputtered, and flung pot and all away from him. "Who done tryin' poison me! Woof! I's scalded with poison!"
He coughed and spluttered over the sink, and then tried a draught of cold water from the spigot--which probably did him just as much good as anything.
"Oh, dear me, Mr. Wildwood!" gasped Ruth, standing with clasped hands and looking at the sooty man, half frightened. "I--I was just boiling the teapot out."