Books with title Betty Gordon at Bramble Farm

"I do wish you'd wear a sunbonnet, Betty," said Mrs. Arnold, glancing up from her ironing board as Betty Gordon came into the kitchen. "You're getting old enough now to think a little about your complexion."Betty's brown eyes laughed over the rim of the glass of water she had drawn at the sink."I can't stand a sunbonnet," she declared vehemently, returning the glass to the nickel holder under the shelf. "I know just how a horse feels with blinders on. You know you wouldn't like it, Mrs. Arnold, if I pulled up half your onion sets in mistake for weeds because I couldn't see what I was doing."Mrs. Arnold shook her head over the white ruffle she was fluting with nervous, skillful fingers.....

CHAPTER I:WAITING FOR WORD"I do wish you'd wear a sunbonnet, Betty," said Mrs. Arnold, glancing up from her ironing board as Betty Gordon came into the kitchen. "You're getting old enough now to think a little about your complexion."Betty's brown eyes laughed over the rim of the glass of water she had drawn at the sink."I can't stand a sunbonnet," she declared vehemently, returning the glass to the nickel holder under the shelf. "I know just how a horse feels with blinders on. You know you wouldn't like it, Mrs. Arnold, if I pulled up half your onion sets in mistake for weeds because I couldn't see what I was doing."Mrs. Arnold shook her head over the white ruffle she was fluting with nervous, skillful fingers. "There's no call for you to go grubbing in that onion bed," she said. "I'd like you to have nice hands and not be burnt black as an Indian when your uncle comes. But then, nobody pays any attention to what I say."There was more truth in this statement than Mrs. Arnold herself suspected. She was one of these patient, anxious women who unconsciously nag every one about them and whose stream of complaint never rises above a constant murmur. Her family were so used to Mrs. Arnold's monotonous fault-finding that they rarely if ever knew what she was complaining about. They did not mean to be disrespectful, but they had fallen into the habit of not listening."Uncle' Dick won't mind if I'm as black as an Indian," said Betty confidently, spreading out her strong, little brown right hand and eyeing it critically. "With all the traveling he's done, I guess he's seen people more tanned than I am, You're sure there wasn't a letter this morning?""The young ones said there wasn't," returned Mrs. Arnold, changing her cool iron for a hot one, and testing it by holding it close to her flushed face. "But I don't know that Ted and George would know a letter if they saw it, their heads are so full of fishing.""I thought' Uncle Dick would write again," observed Betty wistfully. "But perhaps there wasn't time. He said he might come any day." "I don't know what he'll say," worried Mrs.Arnold, her eyes surveying the slender figure leaning against the sink. "Your not being in mourning will certainly seem queer to him. I hope you'll tell him Sally Pettit and I offered to make you black frocks."Betty smiled, her peculiarly vivid, rich smile. "Dear Mrs. Arnold!" she said, affection warm in her voice. "Of course I'll tell him. He will understand, and not blame you. And now I'm going to tackle those weeds."

Betty Gordon, a recently-orphaned girl, becomes the ward of her uncle, Dick Gordon. Betty loves Uncle Dick from the moment that she meets him, but he must travel on business. Uncle Dick arranges for Betty to spend the summer at Bramble Farm, where his old school friend, Agatha Peabody, lives with her husband. While Betty hates to be separated from her uncle, she fantasizes about the good times she will have at Bramble Farm. Betty finds that Bramble Farm is a very miserable place. Mr. Peabody is a mean old miser, and Mrs. Peabody is crushed in spirit and unable to speak up for herself. Mr. Peabody forces his wife and employees to eat skimpy meals. He refuses to allow his wife to make any decisions, and Mrs. Peabody is treated almost like a slave. The one bright spot is Betty's new friend, Bob Henderson, who is a poorhouse boy who lives on the farm. "Take your old butter!" she stormed at the astonished Mr. Peabody. Both Betty and Bob wish they could escape from Bramble Farm. Betty writes to her uncle and explains how miserable life at Bramble Farm is. While Betty awaits a response, she becomes acquainted with Dr. Guerin and his family. Betty considers running away, but the Guerin family convinces her that it would be best to wait for her uncle to reply to her letter.

Betty Gordon, a recently-orphaned girl, becomes the ward of her uncle, Dick Gordon. Betty loves Uncle Dick from the moment that she meets him, but he must travel on business. Uncle Dick arranges for Betty to spend the summer at Bramble Farm, where his old school friend, Agatha Peabody, lives with her husband. While Betty hates to be separated from her uncle, she fantasizes about the good times she will have at Bramble Farm. Betty finds that Bramble Farm is a very miserable place. Mr. Peabody is a mean old miser, and Mrs. Peabody is crushed in spirit and unable to speak up for herself. Mr. Peabody forces his wife and employees to eat skimpy meals. He refuses to allow his wife to make any decisions, and Mrs. Peabody is treated almost like a slave. The one bright spot is Betty's new friend, Bob Henderson, who is a poorhouse boy who lives on the farm. "Take your old butter!" she stormed at the astonished Mr. Peabody. Both Betty and Bob wish they could escape from Bramble Farm. Betty writes to her uncle and explains how miserable life at Bramble Farm is. While Betty awaits a response, she becomes acquainted with Dr. Guerin and his family. Betty considers running away, but the Guerin family convinces her that it would be best to wait for her uncle to reply to her letter.

Betty Gordon, a recently-orphaned girl, becomes the ward of her uncle, Dick Gordon. Betty loves Uncle Dick from the moment that she meets him, but he must travel on business. Uncle Dick arranges for Betty to spend the summer at Bramble Farm, where his old school friend, Agatha Peabody, lives with her husband. While Betty hates to be separated from her uncle, she fantasizes about the good times she will have at Bramble Farm.Betty finds that Bramble Farm is a very miserable place. Mr. Peabody is a mean old miser, and Mrs. Peabody is crushed in spirit and unable to speak up for herself. Mr. Peabody forces his wife and employees to eat skimpy meals. He refuses to allow his wife to make any decisions, and Mrs. Peabody is treated almost like a slave. The one bright spot is Betty's new friend, Bob Henderson, who is a poorhouse boy who lives on the farm.