Part 2 (1/2)
Wasn't she a nice little thing! Never got mad or anything, but just gave me back as good as I sent. I declare, I fell right smack in love with her that minute, and I don't care a fig now for the girl I met in dancing school, upon my word I don't; so I rushed back into the kitchen, coaxed the cook to give me two more hunks of gingerbread, and called out, ”Won't you have some cake?”
They came running up on the piazza like lamplighters; and while they were eating the gingerbread, _I_ was eating something I got especially for myself at the same time. Did you ever try it? You have a great big sour apple, as cold as it can be, and a tremendous pickled pepper, as hot as it can be; then you take first a bite of the pepper, and nearly burn all the skin off your throat, and then a bite of the apple to cool it again; and so on. It's gorgeous, I tell you!
Presently the little boy (whose name, as I said, was Jimmy), stopped his eating to ask me, ”Do you live in New York?”
”No, I live at White Plains. I go to the Military Academy there; don't you want me to show you some drill?”
”Oh, Cousin Charley is going to teach us some time. He belongs to the Seventh Regiment. We love to be soldiers, though, and we know a boy, Freddy Jourdain his name is, who got up a whole regiment, and has parades, and went into camp, and everything.”
”We have a camp at White Plains,” I told them. ”Do you ever go there in summer, Miss----” here I stopped, rather awkwardly, not knowing what her name was.
”Oh, I'm not 'Miss' anybody;” she said; ”I'm Nelly; but we go to the seash.o.r.e in summer 'most always.”
”Can't you dress up in your uniform, and show us how you look at school?” said Jimmy.
”Yes, if you like;” here I remembered that the key of my room was in Aunt Elsie's pocket, and had to say, ”but I can't get into my room now; I was locked in, and Aunt Elsie has the key.”
”How do you come to be here, then?” said Nelly; ”why, dear me, just look at the counterpane hanging out of the window; how funny!”
”Why, that's the way I got out!” I said; and so I told them all about ”The Castle Spectre,” and ”Lord Alonzo Algernon” Spooneyman, and we got into such a perfect _gig_ of laughter, that we nearly rode off in it!
(Now, don't say that's not a good joke, or I'll not tell another word of my story.)
Just then out came Poddles, looking as surprised as ever; and Nelly exclaimed, ”Oh, there's that funny old dog! what do you call him?”
”His name is Poddles!” said I; ”_I_ christened him.”
”What a queer name!” said Jimmy; ”let's take him into our house and see what Gipsey and he will do!”
”Good!” said I. So, without remembering that plaguey white spread, I cut over the piazza railings with Poddles under one arm, and we all three rushed up stairs together.
They had such a famous play room, with a splendid swing, and a teetertorter, and ten-pins, and I don't know what beside; and there was the nattiest little dog! but you know him, that ”toy-terrier” of theirs.
Poddles looked a greater fright than ever beside him; so, to pay him off, we put that wretched Pod into a basket, tied it fast to the swing, and swung him up to the ceiling. It frightened him half to death, and serve him right, for being so ugly! after which he and Gipsey went to sleep in a big rocking chair, as friendly as possible. Then I gave Nelly a splendid swing, ”ran under,” and cracked my cocoanut three times, beside making my arms ache like everything; but I didn't care, she was such a dear little thing.
Afterward Jimmy went and got a great plateful of rosy apples; and just as we were eating them, and having such fun, up came one of our girls, and said that ”Miss Brandlaw wanted Master Tom right home!” Wasn't it hateful? But, of course, I had to go; so I bundled Poddles under my arm again, bid them good-by, and walked off with Mary; but I poked her ribs and set Poddles at her all the way, which was some comfort.
I expected a scolding when I came home, and I didn't have one--oh no!
Aunt Elsie wanted to know where I thought I should die when I went to--(no, I believe it was the other way, but never mind)--if I hung best bed spreads out of the window, and left my room without permission?
besides informing me that she should write to ma', and have me sent for.
Finally, she marched me up stairs again; and when I said I _must_ have something to do to keep me out of mischief, she gave me a Sunday school book to read, and took herself off.
Of course you will say I was dreadfully wicked not to like the Sunday school book, but I couldn't. It was so full of hard names and long words, and was all about sanctification and justification and regeneration, and how was I to understand a word of it? I love Bible stories, but I don't think there is a boy or girl who _understands hard doctrines_. Do you, Neighbor Oldbird?
I pretty soon gave up that employment, and amused myself instead with pelting the cats on the fence with a few marbles, and trying on my uniform, to see how I looked in it; until Aunt Elsie relented, I suppose, for she came up and asked me through the keyhole if I was sorry, and wouldn't do any more. You can fancy what my answer was, and after dinner I got permission to go out and play on the sidewalk.
Neighbor Nelly and Jimmy joined me there pretty soon, and we had such fun playing ”tag” and driving hoop. It wasn't hoop _time_, to be sure, but that was no matter. Then, when we were tired of that, we all sat down together on the upper step of No. 9, and began talking about their school and mine, and what we learned.
”Do you ever learn pieces of poetry?” asked Nelly. ”My teacher, Miss Backboard, always gives the girls each a piece of poetry every Friday; so we call that poetry day.”
”I used to learn pieces too,” I said; ”but I don't care much for poetry unless it's funny.”
”Tell us a funny piece,” said Jimmy.
”Ah yes, do!” added Nelly; and, of course, when a _lady_ asked me I had to, though I felt pretty bashful; so I began.
A DAY OF MISHAPS.
(AS TOLD BY BOBBY BREAKWINDOW, A SCHOOLBOY.)
[Ill.u.s.tration]