Part 18 (2/2)
There were exactly six cents left in the bottom of Louisa's reticule, --it was when Felicia was pa.s.sing a bake shop and saw a child buying currant buns that she knew what to do with them. She went in and bought buns. She walked slowly up her own stairs, pausing outside Maman's door to push the bag of buns back into the niche by the stairway. And stood a moment getting her breath and then reached out her hand.
”Let's pretend--” she murmured under the turmoil of noises--the house was perturbed at suppertime,--”Let's pretend you put them there, Maman--”
Safe in Mademoiselle's room she addressed Bab.i.+.c.he firmly.
”That woman, that Mrs. Alden is just a WEED! A weed like the tailor's missus and the rest. Some one ought to pull her right out of Uncle Peter's house! She is worse than a weed! She ought to have to be a by- the-day! And sit in a windy hall and sew and sew. And then some one ought to bring her a tray, with messy napkins and just two pieces of dry lamb and a sad tomato--and all the while that she was eating it somebody ought to put Uncle Peter's tray on the table beside her! With chicken and custard and celery and all! Yes, that's what some one should do, Bab.i.+.c.he!”
Bab.i.+.c.he begged gracefully for her part of the buns. They had a delightful time together.
”But I do wish,” she murmured, after they'd settled themselves on the narrow bed for the night, ”I could remember whether Mademoiselle ever let the Wheezy have such a dreadful luncheon--I shall ask her tomorrow--”
She did ask her, for she did find the Wheezy, just as she found anything she set out to find, by sheer dint of persistence.
It was late afternoon when she found her. The visiting hours were almost over. The Wheezy never had visitors, she was sitting listlessly looking at nothing at all when the attendant ushered Felicia through the corridor. She was just the same old Wheezy, but more crotchety, smaller and thinner, wheezing still and she turned her dim eyes toward the doorway and called,
”If you want to speak to Mrs. Sperry why under the s.h.i.+ning canopy don't you come in? She'll be back in a second.”
For several minutes she stubbornly would not recognize Felicia. She grudgingly admitted that she did remember Mademoiselle D'Ormy and that she did recall there had been a little girl, but she was as incredulous as the Disagreeable Walnut had been that this frumpy, drab looking person was that sprightly child. Felicia strove mightily to rea.s.sure her.
”Can't you remember when you used to sew for us at Montrose Place, how I called you the Wheezy and it made you cross?”
Miss Pease admitted that the child had called her that.
”And can't you remember anything else I did? I mean that the little girl did? For if you could I would do it and then you'd know--”
”She used to whistle--” the admission came slowly after deep thought, ”She used to whistle real good, when the old man wasn't about.”
Felicia sat down on the edge of the Wheezy's bed. Her eyes were s.h.i.+ning. Mrs. Sperry had come back and was sitting by the Wheezy's window. It seemed that they shared the room. She was staring animatedly at her room-mate's visitor. From the opened door into the corridor Felicia could glimpse other old ladies, peeping in curiously, hovering about like gray moths at twilight.
She smiled at them wistfully, as she was wont to smile at Grandy, with her heart in her eyes.
”We're going to pretend something,” she called to them softly, ”Would you like to pretend? We're going to pretend I'm a little girl in a back yard who has been hearing Marthy sing--Marthy sings a song called Billy Boy about a boy who had been courting. She used to say, in the song, 'Where have you been, Billy Boy, Billy Boy--Where have you been, charming Billy?' I can't sing but you shall hear me whistle it--”
The little gray moths of women crept closer, some of them fluttered into the Wheezy's room. The twilight grew deeper and deeper, and on the edge of the Wheezy's bed sat little Miss By-the-day and whistled the songs that Marthy used to sing. ”Churry Ripe--Churry Ripe--” and ”Ever of thee I am fondly dreaming--”
She whistled until some one came down the corridor to light the lights. The Wheezy's bony hand was on hers, the Wheezy's tears were falling.
”Why under the s.h.i.+ning canopy I didn't know who you was--” she muttered apologetically, ”My soul, I guess it's because I can't half see!”
”No, it's because--” Felicia sighed, ”I'm not really that little girl any more. Only the Happy Part of her is here--” she put her hand on her breast. ”I'm really old--like Grandy--like Piqueur. I can see vairee well. I saw myself--” she paused, ”in a mirror, you know, I was that surprised--” she managed to laugh a little. ”But Wheezy dear, there's a man who has to know that I am Felicia Day. Will you tell him that you know I am?”
The Wheezy promised eagerly. And then Felicia whistled a while longer, because one little gray moth, more daring than the rest wanted to hear,
”I remember, I remember in the years long pa.s.sed away, A little maid and I would meet beside the stream to play-”
Her quavering voice recited the verses, while Felicia whistled, oh, so softly!
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