Part 9 (1/2)

The old gentleman was very fond of little girls, and as he had a whole host of grandchildren, he knew just what little girls and boys liked.

He told Ruby some funny stories about the way people had to travel before steam cars were in use, and then he told her about the first school he ever went to, and how he had to go all alone, and had a pretty hard time with the older boys, who were very fond of teasing younger ones.

Ruby was very much interested, and told him in return that she, too, was going to school for the first time.

By and by a boy came through the cars with a basket on his arm.

”Oranges, apples, bananas, pears,” he called out, and the old gentleman beckoned to him.

”Come here, and let this little lady choose what she would like to have,” he said; and the boy brought the basket to Ruby, and rested it upon the arm of the seat, while she looked into it.

The old gentleman was very, very nice, she thought, for he not only knew how to be so entertaining, but he called Ruby ”a little lady,” and if there was one thing in all the world that Ruby liked better than another it was to be considered grown-up, and to be spoken of as a little lady.

The old gypsy woman had called her a little lady, though Ruby did not like to remember her, but it was quite proper that a little girl who was going to boarding-school should be considered grown-up, even if she did not have long dresses on.

”What will you have, my dear?” asked the old gentleman. ”Will you have an orange or a banana, or is there something else you would prefer?”

A large yellow Bartlett pear attracted Ruby's eyes.

”I think I would like this,” she answered.

”Very well, my dear,” he said. ”Now as my eyes are not very good, would you be kind enough to take some money out of my pocketbook and pay the boy?”

This was even still more delightful, and Ruby felt as if long dresses could not make her feel one inch more grown-up than she felt when she opened the big purse with its bra.s.s clasps, took out some money, and paid the boy, receiving some pennies in change which she dropped back into the purse again.

”I see you are quite used to making purchases,” said the old gentleman, with a funny little twinkle in his eye, as he watched the happy little face beside him.

”I don't very often buy anything and pay the money for it,” Ruby said truthfully. ”That is, except at the store, and that don't seem to count because mamma always gives me just the right money, all wrapped up so I won't lose it. But I think it is very nice to buy things.

Didn't you want a pear, too, sir?”

”No, thank you,” answered the old gentleman. ”Now would you like to have me fix the pear so you can eat it without getting any juice upon your pretty dress?”

”Yes, please,” Ruby answered, so he spread a newspaper upon his lap, and taking out his knife, cut the pear into quarters, and proceeded to peel it, and cut it into nice little pieces, just the right size to eat.

Ruby watched him with a great deal of interest. She liked him more and more all the time, and she was quite sure that it would be very nice to be one of his grandchildren, of whom he had told her.

It had been some time now since Ruby and Aunt Emma had started upon their journey, and when Aunt Emma saw what the old gentleman was doing she leaned forward and offered Ruby the lunch-basket.

”It would be very nice for you to eat your lunch now, if you are hungry,” she said. ”Suppose you eat a sandwich first, and then the pear, and some cake afterwards. You can offer the basket to your friend, and perhaps he would like a sandwich, too.”

Ruby was very much pleased to find that the old gentleman thought that this would be a very good plan, and that he was glad of a sandwich, so the party had quite a little picnic together. Aunt Emma ate her lunch too, and Ruby spread the white napkin that was in the top of the lunch-box over her lap, and laid the sandwiches out upon it, so that the old gentleman might help himself.

The pear was such a big one that Ruby could divide it both with the old gentleman and with Aunt Emma and still have plenty for herself, and some time pa.s.sed very pleasantly in eating the lunch, and putting what was left carefully back into the box again.

By this time Ruby had begun to be very tired of riding in the cars.

She did not want to look out of the window any more, and she began to feel a little homesick. She grew very quiet, as she began to wonder what Ruthy was doing just now. The old gentleman had told her that it was eleven o'clock, so she knew that Ruthy was probably having a nice game at recess with the other children. This was the first day of school at home, and Ruby remembered how she had always enjoyed that first day. It was so pleasant to put everything to rights in her desk just as she meant to have it all the year, to have her old seat by Ruthy where she had sat ever since she first began to go to school, and to look at the new scholars, and wonder whether she would have much trouble in keeping at the head of the cla.s.s.

The old gentleman wondered what made his little companion so quiet, and looking down at her, he saw the tears beginning to gather in her eyes.