"I think they look very dear and sweet when they are playing with
Ayleesabet. I was not smiling _at_ them but because I sympathized with
their enjoyment of the baby."
"Well, I made up my mind they needn't think they had to stay upstairs
because I wasn't nice; I'd go upstairs and be nice. So I went upstairs
to Miss Maria's room and walked in."
"Walked right in? Without knocking?"
"I walked right in. She was sitting in front of that low table she has
with the looking glass and all the bottles and boxes on it. Her hair was
down her back--what there was of it--and she was doing up her switch."
Mrs. Smith was so aghast at this intrusion and at the injured tone in
which it was told that she had no farther inclination to smile.
"I said, 'I thought I'd come up and sit with you a while,' and she
said, 'Leave the room at once, Mary,' just like that. She was as mad as
she could be."
"Do you blame her?"
"Why should she be mad, when I went up there to be nice to her? She's an
old cat!"
"Dear child, come and sit on this settee with me and let's talk it
over."
Mrs. Smith put her arm over the shaking shoulders of the angry girl and
drew her toward her. After an instant's stiffening against it Mary
admitted to herself that it was pleasant; she didn't wonder Dorothy was
sweet if her mother did this often.
"Now we're comfortable," said Mrs.
Pages:
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200