Part 15 (1/2)

”Here's two dollars,” the complacent bride said to Amarilly before departing. ”One is for serving so nicely, and one is for the surplice. I told them in the kitchen to put you up a basket of things to take home to the children.”

Amarilly thanked her profusely and then went home. She deposited her two dollars in the family exchequer, and proceeded to distribute the contents of the basket.

”Now, set around the table here, and take what I give you. Thar ain't enough of one thing to go hull way round, except fer ma. She's agoin' to hev some of each. Yes, you be, ma. This here baskit's mine. Here's a sandwich, some chicken, salid, jell, two kinds of cake, and some ice- cream fer you. Bud can hev first pick now, 'cause he ain't so strong as the rest of you. All right, Bud; take the rest of the ice-cream and some cake.”

”'Tain't fair! I'm a girl, and I'm younger than Bud. I'd orter choose first,” sobbed Cory.

”Shut up, Co! You'll wake Iry, and then he'll hev to hev something, and if he sleeps right through, thar'll be jest so much more fer you.

'Twon't hurt him to miss what he don't know about. All right, Cory, you can hev cake and jell. That's a good boy, Bud, to give her two tastes of the cream, and ma'll give you two more. Bobby? Sandwiches and pickle.

Milt? Chicken and salid. Flammy and Gus, pickle and sandwich is all that's left fer you. The rest of this chicken is agoin' into the Boarder's dinner pail to-morrer.”

CHAPTER XI

Milton came home from the grocery one night with a telephone message from Mr. Vedder requesting Amarilly to bring the surplice to his rooms on the next day.

”How is business?” asked the ticket-seller kindly, when the little girl appeared in answer to his summons.

”Fine! The surplus has brung in nine dollars and seventy-five cents a'ready. It's kept things goin'.”

”The theatre will open in a couple of weeks, and then you will have steady work, though I wish we might get an easier and pleasanter occupation for you.”

”I'm agoin' to hev one, Mr. Vedder,” and she proceeded to tell him of Derry and her engagement at his studio.

”It kinder seems as if I b'longed to the theayter, and you've been so orful kind to me, Mr. Vedder, that it'll seem strange-like not to be here, but Mr. Phillips's work'll be a snap fer me.”

”You've been a good, faithful little girl, Amarilly, and I shall want to keep track of you and see you occasionally, so I am going to give you a pa.s.s to every Sat.u.r.day matinee during the winter.”

”Oh, Mr. Vedder, there's been no one so good as you've been to me! And you never laugh at me like other folks do.”

”No, indeed, child! Why should I? But I never knew before that you had such beautiful hair!”

”It's 'cause it's fixed better,” said Amarilly with a blush. ”But who wants the surplus this time?”

”I do,” he replied smiling. ”I am invited to a sheet and pillow-case party. I thought this surplice would be more comfortable than a sheet.

Here's a dollar for it.”

”No,” declined Amarilly firmly. ”Not arter all you've done fer us. I won't take it.”

”Amarilly,” he said earnestly. ”I have no one in the world to do anything for, and sometimes, when I get to thinking about it, I am very lonely. So if you want to be kind to me, you will give me the pleasure of helping you a little now and then. I shall not enjoy the party unless you will take the money.”

Amarilly cried a little that night, thinking how good he was.

”I hed orter like him best of all,” she thought reproachfully.

Two or three days later Pete Noyes came to the house.

”h.e.l.lo, Amarilly! I ain't seen yer in so long I'd fergit how you looked.