Part 11 (1/2)

The Major Ralph Connor 24030K 2022-07-22

”Is she, dear, then I apologise, but indeed I meant nothing derogatory to her. I greatly like her, she is so s.p.u.n.ky.”

”Yes, there's Nora, and Kathleen, Nora's sister.”

”Oh, Kathleen, the tall beautiful girl with the wonderful hair?”

The little girl sighed. ”Oh, such lovely long yellow hair.” The little maid's hair was none of these. ”And she is not a bit proud--just nice, you know--just as if she were not so lovely, but like--only like me.”

”Like you, indeed!” exclaimed the doctor indignantly. ”Like my little girl? I don't see any one quite like my little girl. There is not one of them with all their yellow hair and things that is to be compared with my own little girl.”

”Oh, Papa. I know you think so, and I wish it was so. And I am awfully glad you think so, but of course you are prejuist, you know.”

”Prejudiced? Not a bit, not a bit.”

”Well, that's Kathleen and Nora, and--and perhaps Hazel--you know Hazel, Papa, Hazel Sleighter?”

”The western girl--not at all wild and woolly though. A very modern and very advanced young lady, isn't she?”

”Oh, I don't know what you mean, Papa. She says she may go down, but I don't think she likes going with a lot of kids. You know she has her hair up. She has to have it up in the store. She says the man would not have her behind the counter if she had not her hair up.”

”Oh, that's it. I thought perhaps the maturity of her age made it necessary.”

”I don't know what maturevy means, but she is awfully old. She is going on sixteen.”

”Dear me, as old as that?” inquired her father.

”Yes, but she said she wanted to see that circus car. That's what she calls Mr. Gwynne's car. And she says she wants to see the elephunts perform. There are not any elephunts. There's only Rosie and Rover. But she may get off. She can get off if she can fool her boss, she says. So we're all going down and we may bring Larry home with us, Mrs. Sleighter says. Though Mrs. Gwynne says there's not any room, they're so filled up now. And I said Larry could come here and Joe, too. But I am not so sure about Sam. I think he must be awfully queer. Mr. Gwynne thinks he's queer.”

”It is quite possible, indeed probable, my dear,” a.s.sented her father.

”Yes, Mr. Gwynne said he looked like a third-rate how-do-you-feel performer.”

”A what, exactly?”

”A how-do-you-feel performer.”

”Oh, a vaudeville performer.”

”Yes, a fodefeel performer. I don't know what that means, but he must be queer. But I think Larry would be all right, and Joe. You see, we know THEM.”

”Oh, do we?”

”Yes, certainly, Papa. Larry is Nora's brother. He's awfully clever.

He's only fifteen and he pa.s.sed the Entrance in Ontario and that's ever so much harder than here. He pa.s.sed it before he was fourteen.”

”Before he was fourteen!” replied her father. ”Amazing!”

”Yes, and he plays the mouth organ and the tin whistle and the fiddle, and Mr. Gwynne says he has learned some stunts from Sam. I think he must be awfully nice. So I said he could come here. And Mrs. Gwynne thanked me so nicely, and she's just lovely, Papa.”

”I have not seen her,” said her father, ”but I have heard her voice, and I quite agree with you. The voice always tells. Have you noticed that?

The voice gives the keynote of the soul.”