Part 7 (1/2)

But his warning came a minute too late. Major Lazelle had caught Dotty, and she had thrown up both hands to clutch at his hair. She meant to give it one desperate pulling; she did not care if she hurt him a little; she even hoped he might cry out and beg her to stop.

But the oddest thing happened. If she had gone to bed at the usual time, and fallen asleep, then this would have been her dream. But no, she _supposed_ she was awake; and what now?

As she seizes two locks of Major Lazelle's hair, one in each hand, and pulled them both as if she meant to draw them out by the roots, out they came! Yes, entirely out! And more than that, all the rest of the man's hair came too! His head was left as smooth as an apple.

_You_ see at once how it was. He wore a wig, and just for play had slyly unfastened it, and allowed Miss Dotty to pull it off.

The perfect despair on her little face amused him vastly; but he did not smile; he looked very severe.

”See what you have done!” said he, rubbing his bald head as if it were just ready to bleed. ”See what you have done to me, you cruel girl!”

Major Lazelle's entire head of hair lay at her feet as brown and wavy as ever it was. Dotty looked at it with horror. The idea of scalping a man!

For a whole minute she lost the power of speech. Then she gasped out,--

”O, dear! dear! dear! I didn't know your hair was so tender!”

The major had been crowding his handkerchief into his mouth; but at this he could no longer restrain himself, nor could Mr. Parlin help joining in the laugh.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE MAJOR'S JOKE. Page 78.]

The little girl was more bewildered than ever. She put her hand to her own head, to make sure it was safe, for it felt as airy as a dandelion top.

Then Major Lazelle explained to her in a few words what a wig is, and how it is fastened to the head. Dotty understood it all in a moment, but was too much chagrined to make any reply.

”I am several years younger than your papa, my dear; so you think it strange to see me bald; but I have had two dreadful fevers, and they have run away with every bit of my hair.”

Dotty would not even look up to see Major Lazelle replace his wig. Her dignity had been wounded.

”Come, sit on my knee, p.u.s.s.y, and let me tell you some more about it.”

”No, I thank you, sir,” replied she, walking the floor with the air of an injured princess. ”No, I thank you, sir.”

”How, now, little one? You don't mean to be angry with me for a little joke?”

”No, I thank you.”

And that was all Dotty would say. She was wise enough to know she was too angry to speak.

”Ah, ha! temper, I see!” thought Major Lazelle; ”I did not suspect it from that quarter.”

If the young gentleman had only known how hard the little girl was struggling just then to control herself, he would have liked her better than ever.

Her father chided her next morning for taking a joke so seriously. Dotty replied with a deep sigh,--

”Papa, that major 'sposes I'm only five years old! That's what Dollyphus s'posed! I don't like it, papa, when I can travel so well; and how'd _I_ know what a wig was, well; you and mamma never had any?”

But Dotty smiled as benevolently as she could when she met the major again. He was a little afraid of her, however. He did not enjoy playing with her as he had enjoyed it before. He now felt obliged to be on his guard, lest she should take offence.

The rest of her journey--though Dotty did not know it--was not quite so delightful as it might have been if she had only laughed with good humor when the lively major let her pull his hair out by the roots.