Maida's Little Shop

Table of

. The little girl's name was Maida Westabrook. The three men were "Buffalo" Westabrook, her father,

e reds and greens and yellows of the autumn trees melted into one variegated band. A moment later they came out on the ocean. And now on the water side were two other

she asked suddenly in a thin little

the chauffeur he said, "Stop here, Henri."

Westabrook's pet

Maida to the ground. The three me

d tendrilly. And yet I think you would have known that she was a sick little girl at the first glance. When she moved, it was with a great slowness as if everything tired her. She was so thin that

g his voice, "and you've got to be quick about it. Just what Greinschmidt feared has come-t

on. Maida thought that he looked like a very old but a very jolly and lovable baby. When he laughed-and he was always laughing with Maida-he shook all over like jelly t

o make Maida well. Before the operation Maida could not walk. Now she could walk easily. Ever since she could remember she had always added to her prayers at night a special request that she might some day be like other little girls. Now she was like other little girls,

for her to do?" "Buff

d not look it. But he looked his name. You would know at once why the cartoonists always represented him with the head of a b

which it was set on his tremendous shoulders that gave him his nickname. When he spoke to you, he looked as if he w

that people stood in awe of her father. It h

uilt for her at Pride's. She has her own carriage, her own automobile, her own railroad car. She can have her own flying-machine if she wants it. I've taken her off on trips. I've taken her to the theater and the circus. I've had all kinds of nurses and governesses and companions, but they've been mostly failures. Granny Flynn's the best of the hired people, but of course Granny's old.

," Dr. Pierce said impatiently; "yo

't you tell us what's the matter?" "Buffalo" West

t everything she's had has been 'prize.' Not that it's spoiled he

Billy Potter's pe

she's lived in a world of bottles and splints and bandages. She's never

's ever used an ounce of imaginati

stabrook growled. "What has

y gr

ide whether he was a boy or a man. His chubby, dimply face was the pinkest she had ever seen. From it twinkled a pair of blue eyes the me

ook if this happened-Billy Potter would have a talk with Maida's father. Then he wrote up what Mr. Westabrook said and it was printed somewhere. Men who wrote for the newspapers wer

aight as I give it to him," Maida had once heard her father say. Maida knew

n to do with it?" Mr

, I fancy," Billy Potter answered, "if so

ok snarled. "Imagination seems to be the

Your spirits went up and his eyes seemed to disappear. Maida said that Billy's eyes "

; "I'll put the greatest creative mi

Pierce said. "The thing I'm trying to impress

wn in his thick brows until all you could see were two shining points. He watched Mai

Is there anything you want, Posie?" he was sure to ask every morning, or, "What would you like me to get you to-day, lit

Jerome?" Dr. Pier

ed about him. "Gett

u like to see the house where I was born, Maida-that old place on Warrin

Dr. Pierce's pe

thrill of pleasure sparkled in Maid

some directions

d her head on the cushions and stared fixedly at the passing streets. But her little face wore a dreamy, withdrawn look as if she were seeing somethi

then to the left," Dr.

rbstones were hitching-posts of iron, most of them supporting the head of a horse with a ring in his nose. One, the statue of a negro boy with his arms lifted above his

please-that's where I was brought up. The old swing used to hang from that tree an

s the garret window where the squirr

u? My goodness me! How small the house looks and how narrow the s

d to her. And she thought the street quite wid

the school,

two, Henri," Dr

a low, rambling wooden bui

red the ceiling with s

remembrance. It seemed to Maida that she had ne

," he explained to the two men. "It can't last many years now.

vines. Pigeons were flying about, alighting now and then to peck at the ground or to preen their green and purple necks. Boys were spinning tops. Girls were jumping rope. The dust they kicked up had a sweet, earthy sme

r. Pierce exclaimed

ida repeated. "Do pr

it was named after a man called Primrose who

ing little shop!" she exclaimed. "There, opposite

eckless penny I've squandered there, my dear. Connors was the

led old lady came to the window to take

ow things in that gl

rce responded promptly.

d. "I never had one in my life and I've been craz

said. "Let's come in and tre

nally brought the old lady from the room at the back. She looked in surpri

dark to Maida. After a while she saw that its two windows gave

y ate-three of them with enjoyment, Billy with many w

ted for Boston. "What a funny little place that was! O

d at Maida, falling gradually into a brown study. From time to time he came out of it long enough to

ety as they neared the big house on Beacon

aimed as they swept past the State

t w

ver the beautifully fluted columns that held up the porch hung a brilliant red vine. Lavender

Westabrook repea

go," Billy answered mysteriously. "In a moment," he added with a signi

assist Maida. On the threshold stood an old silver-haired woman in a black-si

" she asked ten

a sudden flare of enthusiasm, "I saw the cunningest little shop.

k face. He followed Mr. Westabrook a

pstairs with

er but she had never found her. She had helped to nurse Maida's mother in the illness of which she died and she had always taken such care of Maida herself that Ma

had cracked into a hundred wrinkles and her long sharp nose and her short sharp chin almost met. But the wrinkles surrounded a pair of eyes

that night, she was surprise

"did you really mean it to-day when you s

nce I came home from our ride this afternoon. A litt

re. I've got to be in New York pretty steadily for the next three months and I've decided that I'll send you and Granny to live in the roo

great delight. She laughed. It was the first time in months that a happy note had pealed in her laughter. "Oh,

ng into the papers, you know. To prevent that, you're to play a game while you're working in the shop-jus

her, I un

won't have to tell any lies about it. When the children in the neighborhood hear y

Granny's lost daughter's li

to call on him, Posie, if you get into any snarl. But I hope you'll try to sett

, dear, I'm so happy

es

"I'm afraid I shan't get to sle

tomers were all little boy and girl angels with floating, golden curls and shining rainbow-colored wings. She dreamed that she sold nothing but cake. She used to cut generous slices from an angel-cak

reet twice a day, had to go to Main Street for their candy and lead pencils. For a long time all the curtains were kept down. Something was going on inside, but what, could not be guessed from the outside. Wagons deposited all kinds of things at t

ign had taken the place over the door of the dingy old black and whi

S LITT