Part 29 (1/2)
”He's your father,” said Suzanna. ”He sits down on a velvet chair, and he shouts, and he gets red in the face, and he bangs his fist on the chair when a little man doesn't hurry up, though I thought he went very fast. He did all that the day the Sunday School pupils came to your party.”
”Oh, yes,” said Miss Ma.s.sey, a smile lighting her face at the vivid description, ”I did not know that you had met my father, but I'm afraid you can't see him today, dear. He's not well.”
”Yes, I know; that's why I came to see him and to bring him these flowers.”
Miss Ma.s.sey was a little puzzled. How did Suzanna know John Ma.s.sey was ill?
”Suppose you bring the baby in here,” suggested the man who was sitting next to Miss Ma.s.sey, and who up to this time had been silent. ”And after awhile Miss Ma.s.sey can find out if her father is able to see you.”
”All right,” said Suzanna with alacrity. She started to lift the baby from his carriage when the man sprang up and took the child from her.
The baby smiled and won his way at once to the stranger's heart.
”He's sweet, isn't he?” began Suzanna, as she entered the arbor, Maizie with her. Miss Ma.s.sey drew Maizie within the circle of her own arm.
”He is that,” said the man earnestly, ”although I don't know very much about babies. Does he cry much?”
”Well, he's very sinful when he's hungry. He's getting better now because he's growing older, but he used to shriek till his face got red.
Once in awhile now he wants what he wants right away. I was trying once to learn a piece of poetry, and he suddenly shrieked and I had to stop everything and warm his milk. I'm only hoping he'll live to grow up, because if he should die now I'm afraid G.o.d wouldn't want him in Heaven.”
”Are there ladies in Heaven that take care of babies?” asked Maizie interestedly, a new train of thoughts started.
”You know there are, Maizie,” said Suzanna, allowing no one else a chance to answer. ”There are lots of little babies that go away, and do you s'pose they'd be called if they were going to be left hungry and cold? G.o.d has it all arranged. First, he calls a baby and then pretty soon he calls a mother and she takes care of the baby.”
”Any mother?” Maizie asked.
”Yes, any mother; they're all good.”
”But why doesn't he leave them on earth with their own mothers?”
”Because sometimes he takes a liking to somebody down here,” Suzanna said gravely. ”But anyway, you needn't ask me such questions, because here's Miss Ma.s.sey who knows everything,” Suzanna finished magnanimously.
”She does that,” said the man gravely who was holding the baby.
”Are you related to Miss Ma.s.sey?” asked Suzanna. Now Miss Ma.s.sey's rather faded cheeks grew pink.
”Is it a long time before the baby needs his bottle again, Suzanna?” she asked.
”Oh, not for hours,” said Suzanna. ”You see, now he eats crackers and bread and b.u.t.ter and an egg sometimes, and we gave him some before we started.” She returned relentlessly to the question again, appealing to the man. ”Are you related to Miss Ma.s.sey?”
”No,” the stranger said after a time, ”we're just friends.”
Miss Ma.s.sey put in hastily: ”Shall we go into the house, children, and I'll show you some interesting things?”
The man rose quickly, the baby still in his arms. In this manner they all entered the big house and went into the beautiful room that Suzanna remembered so well.
”Do you live here?” asked Suzanna of the man. He shook his head.
”You mean in this little town?” he asked. ”I once did years ago, but I moved away to the city. I'm paying a short visit to my sister now.”