Part 30 (1/2)
”Thank you, dear child. I wish you the same; but I want you to give Polly a cracker as quickly as you can to stop her screaming; for I fear she will wake both guests and babies.”
”Yes, sir; I will. I was just going to,” replied the little girl. ”Then shall I stay up?”
”I think you may as well go back to bed and try to take another nap,” he answered. ”It is very early yet.”
Lulu hurried into the sitting-room where Polly's cage was hanging, and struck a light.
”What you 'bout? Where you been?” demanded the parrot.
”Sleeping in my bed as I have a right to, Miss Saucebox,” returned Lulu, laughing as she opened a cupboard door and brought out a paper of crackers. ”There, take that and see if you can hold your tongue till folks are ready to get up.”
The bird took the offered cracker and began eating it, standing on one foot, on its perch, and holding the food in the claws of the other, while it bit off a little at a time, Lulu looking on with interest.
”You'll have to behave better than this, or you'll get banished to the attic, or the kitchen, or some other far-off place,” she said, shaking her finger threateningly at Poll.
Then, after turning down the light, she ran back to bed.
”Are you asleep, Eva?” she asked in a whisper.
”No dear; wide awake.”
”Then let's talk; for I'm as wide awake as I can be.”
”But didn't your father say you were to try for another nap?”
”I understood him to mean only that I might if I chose, not that I must; but perhaps he meant that he wanted me to; so I'll keep quiet and try.”
She did so, saying to herself, ”I just know it's no use, for I was never wider awake in my life,” but to her great astonishment the next thing she knew it was broad daylight and Eva up and brus.h.i.+ng out her hair before the mirror over the bureau.
”Why, I've been asleep and I hadn't the least idea of such a thing!”
cried Lulu springing out upon the floor and beginning to dress in all haste.
”Oh, you've had a nice nap and will feel the better for it all day, I'm sure,” returned Eva laughing in a kindly way; ”and that is your reward for trying to do as your papa probably wished you to. But need you hurry so? isn't it a good while to breakfast time?”
”Yes, but I have to dress and say my prayers; and I always like so much to have a little time to chat with papa before the bell rings.”
”Lu! Lu!” screamed the parrot, ”time for breakfast! Polly wants her coffee.”
”Just hear Polly,” exclaimed Lulu; ”it does seem as if she must have sense. I suppose she does think it's time for breakfast.”
”Does she drink coffee?” asked Eva.
”Yes; she is very fond of it. She gets a cup every morning.”
”She's a very amusing pet, I think,” remarked Evelyn. ”What fun it will be to teach her to say all sorts of cute things!”
”Yes,” sighed Lulu, ”but papa says if she should hear angry, pa.s.sionate, or willful words from my lips she may learn and repeat them to my shame and sorrow. But oh I hope I never shall let her hear such!”
”I don't believe you ever will say such words any more, dear Lu,” Eva said with an affectionate look into her friend's face. ”I don't believe you have ever been in a pa.s.sion since--since the time that little Elsie had that sad fall.”