Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-04-15

a : the grown-up neighbor descend
II ed the stairs something futtered
n across the floor Of the living
room. there was a smothered ripple Of
laughter. then a scrambling, scratching
sound followed by silence.
"Wen,' soliloquized the grown-up
neighbor audibly. ~ thought l heard
somebody down here, but there doesn't
seem to be any one, so 1 must have been
mistaken"
She shook out the buster she held in
her hand and began busting the chair
nearest her There was suppressed
giggle from behind the sofa. The grown
up neighbor turned her back elaborate
ly toward the place from which the
sound emanated and continued her work.
There was a slight scuffle, another sup
pressed gggle. then somebody shouted
"Boo,"
The grown-up neighbor gave a dra-
matically realistic start, which brought
forth a yell of JOY from behind the
sofa. In another moment the small
neighbor came rolling from under the
piece Of furniture. head first She
cIasped her hands delightedy as she
scrambled to her feet.
You didn't know I was here. did
you?" she questioned. capering joyously
about the room. Il fooled you! I fooled
you good"
The grown-up neighbor sank into a
chair. overcome apparently, by sheer
Amusement
well. l should think YOU did" she
responded. Il don't know that was
ever so fooled before in my life. In
fact, ! was the most fooled person you
ever saw. How long have you been
here"
Hours and hours and hours said
the small neighbor. 81 waited and
waited, and all the time you were JUST
sitting upstairs and didn't know l was
here" She gigRled again. after which
70 gradually wriggled herself into the
largest chair in the room until the soles
of her small shoes were presented to her
friends vision She eyed the grown-up
neighbor expectautly for a moment.
81 don't suppose" she remarked,
smoothing out her little petticoat care
fully and noting the effect with side
long holdings Of her head that you
noticed that / have on my old dress
II used to be my best dress when Il was
new. but it isn't any more Again she
/ paused and eyed the grown-up neigh
Dor Then she lifted one small foot
and carefully examined the sole Of the
shoot. 1.-THE dress" she repeated, with
faint emphasis on the word, us quite
old"
TITS such a pretty dress, though, -
said the grown-up neighbor. Didn't
you wear it once before when you were
over here?'
Pooh" CALCULATED the small neigh
bnr rather impatiently, Il weared il
hundreds and hundreds of times. It's
+ just as old as it can be" She polished
+ the other shoe tenderly with the palm
+ Of her hand. u have some mother shoes
/ that belong ,o this Dress" she said.
"but they're old ones. These shoes have
shiny buttons
so / noticed" responded the grown
/ up neighbor
The small neighbor 1sighed a little.
81 have on my old stockings" she re-
marked
but they're pretty stockings said
4 the grown-up neighbor II should think
/ you'd like TO wear them"
I They're awful old rejoined the
small neighbor. Years and years old.
I My petticoat is old. too"
They don't show their age" the
grown-up neighbor assured her -
think they look quite young
The small neighbor with some diff
Guilty crossed one fat leg over the other
knee
81 have some white Shoes" she
unused. but they're old. too. Some
times they get black-black as your pi-
ano Then my mother puts some white
stuff on them and makes them white
again. I had them long time ago.
And once" she went on. 81 had some
pink shoes and I wore them and wore
them for years and years. until they
were very old and then 1 gave them
TO my little cousin I've had lots and
lots Of pairs OF shoes. Dozens and hum
dreds. like new shoes better than old
ones, don't yoUg''
81 don't know that I do" said the