Martin Rattler
MARTIN RATTLER CHAPTER I THE HERO AND HIS ONLY RELATIVE Martin Rattler was a very bad boy. At least his aunt, Mrs. Dorothy Grumbit, said so; and certainly she ought to have known, if anybody should, for Martin lived with her, and was, as she herself expressed it, "the bane of her existence,--the very torment of her life." No doubt of it whatever, according to Aunt Dorothy Grumbit's showing, Martin Rattler was "a remarkably bad boy." It is a curious fact, however, that, although most of the people in the village of Ashford seemed to agree with Mrs. Grumbit in her opinion of Martin, there were very few of them who did not smile cheerfully on the child when they met him, and say, "Good day, lad!" as heartily as if they
"I'm glad to find you here, Irene," she said, "and I don't know yet
whether I'm to stay or not. That will depend on Mrs. Conant's decision."
"Then you're to stay," promptly decided the hospitable lady, who by
turning her mechanical ear toward the speaker seemed able to hear her
words clearly.
"But you don't know all the complications yet," confessed the girl.
"I've run away from school and--and there are other things you must know
before you decide. Mr. Conant wasn't at all enthusiastic over my coming
here, I assure you, so I must tell you frankly the whole story of my
adventures."
"Very good," returned Mrs. Conant. "I think I can guess at most of the
story, but you shall tell it in your own way. Presently Irene is going
out to inspect the roses; she does that every morning; so when she is
out of the way we'll have a nice talk together."
"I'm going now," said Irene, with a bright laugh at her dismissal. "Mary
Louise won't be happy till everything is properly settled; nor will I,
for I'm anxious to get acquainted with my new friend. So here I go and
when you've had your talk out just whistle for me, Mary Louise."
She could propel the chair by means of rims attached to the wheels and,
even as she spoke, began to roll herself out of the room. Mary Louise
MARTIN RATTLER CHAPTER I THE HERO AND HIS ONLY RELATIVE Martin Rattler was a very bad boy. At least his aunt, Mrs. Dorothy Grumbit, said so; and certainly she ought to have known, if anybody should, for Martin lived with her, and was, as she herself expressed it, "the bane of her existence,--the very torment of her life." No doubt of it whatever, according to Aunt Dorothy Grumbit's showing, Martin Rattler was "a remarkably bad boy." It is a curious fact, however, that, although most of the people in the village of Ashford seemed to agree with Mrs. Grumbit in her opinion of Martin, there were very few of them who did not smile cheerfully on the child when they met him, and say, "Good day, lad!" as heartily as if they