“I'm no more scared 'n nothing,” and indignant Frances hurled at his back, “you're just scared yourself.”
Jimmy giggled happily. “What'd I tell you all,” he cried, gleefully. “Lina and Frances got to all time set little 'fraid cats 'tween 'em,” he snorted. “It's just like I tell you, he's the sissyest boy they is; and he don't care who kiss him neither; he'll let any woman kiss him what wants to. Can't no woman at all 'cepting my mama and Miss Cecilia kiss me. But Leon is 'bout the kissingest kid they is; why, he'd just as soon's not let Frances and Lina kiss him; he ain't got no better sense. 'Course I gotta let Miss Cecilia kiss me 'cause she's 'bout the plumpest Sunday-School teacher they is and the Bible say 'If your Sunday-School teacher kiss you on one cheek turn the other cheek and let her kiss you on that, too,' and I all time bound to do what the Bible say. You 'd better call him back, Frances, and kiss him, you and Lina 're so stuck on him.”
“I wouldn't kiss him to save his life,” declared Frances; “he's got the spindliest legs I ever saw.”
The painter had just finished putting a bright green coat of paint upon the low, flat roof of Miss Minerva's long back-porch. And he left his ladder leaning against the house while he went inside to confer with her in regard to some other work.
Billy, Jimmy, Frances, and Lina had been playing “Fox and Geese.” Running around the house they spied the ladder and saw no owner to deny them.
“Le's clam' up and get on top the porch,” suggested Jimmy.
“Aunt Minerva'll put me to bed if I do,” said Billy.
“Mother'll make me learn a whole page of the catechism if I climb a ladder,” said Lina.
“My mama'll shut me up in the closet, but our mamas aren't bound to know 'bout it,”--this from Frances. “Come on, let's climb up.”
“I ain't neverpromise not to clam' no ladder but--” Billy hesitated.
“You-all 'bout the skeeriest folks they is,” sneered Jimmy. “Mama'll whip me going and coming if she finds out 'bout it, but I ain't skeered. I dare anybody to dare me to clam' up.”
“I dare you to climb this ladder,” responded an accommodating Frances.
“I ain't never tooken a dare yet,” boasted the little boy proudly, his foot on the bottom rung. “Who's going to foller me?”