The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-06-23


to me, though, with her long yellow braid
and her soft voice and her slow steady
glanse.
You see if she should devellup into some
thing dreadful later on, Mother began
and then she stopped as if she was wondring
just how to finish it.
Oh, nonsensel Mrs. Cannot answered.
That was her real name, Mrs. Cannot. Oh,
nonsense, bosh and nonsense, she said.
should have no more fear of her developing
into anything of that sort than should of
your own rightfull children doing it, she said.
The other ladys name was Mrs. Bemis
and she gave glanse at me then and
Mother did TOO.
Well, / suppose there are dangers even in
that line, Mother said and laughed.
1t looks full of dangers and horryble
possibilities, this particular little person
behind the coffee pot, doesn't it Mrs.
Bemis said, and they all laughed again.
knew they were talking about me now,
but didn't know exackly what they meant,
either. knew one thing though, and that
was that Mrs. Cannot thought she would
adopt the little girl with the sussiety rib
bun on her dress. The one that wheeled
the baby by the house and lived next to
Harry Paines. / wonder if she knew about
it herself-the little girl I mean7 Or if it
was going to be surprise to her2
They didn't say much more about it
then, but after supper when they had all
gone home, I went into the ibary where
Mother was reading by the big lamp.
Mother, what is the name of the little
girl with the blue ribbun2 asked her.
What is it, Felix2 she said.
What is the name of the little girl Mrs
Cannot is going to adopt? asked, and
Mother looked up as if she hadn't intirely
heard the first time.
Her name? Why, really don't know,
she answered. Was her name mensioned1
Because if it was, don't believe heard it.
She didn't say anything more, and by the
next day guess had forgotten about the
little girl. Perhaps would have forgotten
her intirely If it hadn't been for what hap
pened after school. But just as was COM
ing home ] happened to glanse off down the
walk as I turned to go in the gait, and there
she was coming along, wheeling tho baby
just the same as usuyal. It wasn't crying
any now, and she was looking around as If
she didn't have to pay much attention. But
it was funny, just as she got to that same
place by the lilac bush where was waiting,
it began to cry again
She stopped and took it out Of the car
ridge and began to rock it on her showider
the same way she did the other time. His
head dropped back so that his hair touched
hers the same way, too. But was looking
at the blue ribbun on her dress. It was
pinned on just the way it was before, with
the letters printed on it like badge.
I didn't know just what to say to her,
but pretty soon asked her if he always
cried like that. ssss%ss~
She didn't answer at first, but when she
did I remembered what Mrs. Bemis said
about her soft voice and her yellow-brown
eyes All she said was No, but couldn't
help wishing she would stop and talk some
more
Is that q sussiety you belong 10? asked
her, kind of pointing to the badge with the
letters on it, and her face was always pail
before, but noticed that all of a sudden it
grew red. She didn't answer this time
either, but looked at me quite steady until
her face grew pail again, and then she
turned of to 90 away.
followed her too, the same way / did the
other time, and she looked back and saw
me coming.
Do you live next to Harry Paines1
asked her. a-
She nodded at me for an answer.
Do you know who Mrs. Cannot is7
said.
She looked as If she was wondring why I
should say that, and then she swallowed
in her throte.
don't know her very well, she said real
softly, but know she's luvfy.
Would you like to live with herr said.
guess I ought not to have said it, either,
because she looked something the way she
did when I spoke about the badge, real red,
and she swallowed in her throte again.
guess she wouldn't like to have me do
that, she answered.
I could see Harry Paine on his sidewalk
now, and the little girl just glansed at him
a minute and then she turned and wheeled
the carridge in her yard. noticed she was
real pail though, and l guess / stood look
ing after her, when Harry rode up on his
lossipede.
What's that little girls name? I said.
But just then Harrtrs Mother came out
on the poarch and he turned round and