The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-08-02


smiled Mrs. Gordon.
Georgiana shook her head slowly.
Eff you had said that yesterday.
should have answered of course But
today, I've been thinking and i per-
ceive that possibly my time has come
and gone What i want to find out is
just how bad l ought to feel about it,"
Mrs. Gordon laughed helplessly at
this presentation of the case, while
Miss Brant continued-"Wheres Billy?
After all, Billy is the only person l
know who is qualified to enjoy this day
with me. You'll let him come to play,
won't you?"
AT the sound of his name a stocky
young person with hair cut straight
across the neck and forehead appeared
in the doorway.
Here's l." he announced.
Here's you, is it? Well. Billy.
want some one to come out to play
with me in the park. All my little
p,ayfellows are busy. vii you Gomez
Billy considered, looking a trifle puz-
zled.
Spring is in the park. Billy" she
cajoled, land the trees are all waking
up from their winter nap"
''Wha's look like?" demanded the
matter-of-fact Billy.
The spring? Oh. green like lettuce
and gray and misty like the baby S
eyes Seamper now and get your Goa
and hat, because I'm anxious tc get
there"
AT least two persons in New York
who are free from care" she reflected
humorously, as with Biily's plump hand
held firmly in hers she walked through
the mellow sunshine, all sorts of here
sizes springing in her mind.
Son" she said aloud, II want to ask
you question, and 1 want you to think
carefully before you reply, because it's
very important. How many cream
puffs can you eat without acquiring a
stomach-ache?
'Seventy-leveni" dropped from Bill
ly's lips with the promptnsss of con-
viction.
Billy" she demonstrated gently, "I
wanted you to give the matter thought.
An affair of this sort ought not to be
decided in haste. Think it over a bit
From the tail of her eye she watched
him, as with mighty ef~~t he
screwed his plump face into an express
sion of deep meditation.
It's just as l thinked," he observed
at last, allowing his features TO relax
gradually. II can eat seventy leven.
1 feel it in my bones"
well, if that's the case, We'll buy
six at the bakers. 1 never did like the
cakes they have in the park. Their
milk and sandwiches are good enough,
but We'll take our cakes with US"
They had once more resumed their
way. Billy bringing up the rear with
the bag of cream puffS that had been
consigned TO his care. Turning sudden
| ly to make sure that he was there,
Miss Brant was seized by a spasm of
| laughter.
Billy, with all the absorption of an
ineffable bliss, was munching a cream
| puff. much to the dispara cement of his
tchubby countenance. AS their eyes
met he seemed suddenly to come back
from some ecstatic region known only
| to childhood. and hastily examining the
| remainder of the puff into his mouth,
explained thickly: II justed Gated one
to see if they's good; cause, if they
amt we can take IN back"
Miss Brant accepted this explanati ton
with the large faith necessary in deal
ing with childhood. She felt that she
herself had relapsed into the age of
credulity and could therefore meet
Billy on his own ground. But before
| they had proceeded far an excited ex-
clamation brought her once more to a
standstiil and Billy faced her solemnly.
':Peanutsp was what he said.
"Peanuts?" she echoed in beWilder-
ment, trying to collect her dreaming
thoughts.
"Peanuts-for the squir'ls," prompted
the child.
ITO think of my forgetting them,''
she calculated in feigned dismay. II
don't know what / should have done
if you hadn't come along, Billy"
He darted away 10 lay in supply
and Georgiana's eyes followed him with
an enigmatical smile in their depths. To
have a Billy for ones own would be
sweet, but to borrow a Billy for a
few hours now and then was by no
means an experience to be despised. She
suspected that it might even afford
delight. denied to possession. For in
the mind of Billy's mother there would
always be shadowy fear of disaster,
from which the spinster who borrower
him was free. She-Georgiana-eou
enjoy him undaunted by the fear Of
anything, from measles to mad dogs.
When subsequently she thanked Mrs.
Gordon for the loan of Billy, an IN
mistakable drollery lurked in her face.
She turned her steps hOmeward, a
purring sense of cheerfulness and con-
tentment in her heart. The unfulfilled
destiny, she perceived, had its good
points. In lieu of little kingdom of
her own, with the accompanying cares
of state, she had the freedom of the
world. She drew a deep, long breath
and her nostrils quivered. Never had
existence seemed so keen a joy. II
even seemed possible that the scheme
of life demanded a certain number of
detached persons to enjoy other peo-
pies children and "chum" with their
young folk, fathers and mothers being
usually too sobered by responsibility
to make good comrades.
How would you have liked to be an
old maid?' was the question she sud-
denly put to her mother, as they sat
in the freight that evening, still
prompted apparently by laudable
spirit of investigation.
There was a silence, in which it was
evident that Mrs. Brant was searchs
ing her brains for reply that should
be at once honest and diplomatic. But
before she could find il her daughter
gave vent to an involuntary chuckle OF
amusement.
Never mind, Janey DEAR she
scothed. cIasping her hands above her