Maida's Little Shop

Table of

he shop. "Good morning, Maida," she said; "you may come ove

e would have added, "I shall be delighted to come." But

in her most superior tone. "I suppose you

want to play," Maida explained, "but I think she w

ura said this with a very grown-up air. Ma

ou to come over to-morrow afternoon and see my place. You've not seen Delia yet and there's a whole lot

always wanted to go over and see you ever since I first knew you. But Granny said to wait until you invited me. A

hty baby she is," Dicky said. He spoke as if that were

this afternoon and I just hate the thought of going-I don't know why. Then Dicky came and invited

e sure to be a noice choild this afterno

eferred to Laur

wed that she was thinking hard. "Laura makes me mad-oh, just hopping mad,"-"hopping mad"

lf at the Lathrop door. "Won't you come in and take your things of

hed in blue-blue paper, blue bureau scarf covered with lace, blue bed-spre

like my ro

very p

the bureau. "Papa's given them to me, one piece at a time. It's all o

er sideways looks at Maida. "She thinks I haven't any toilet-set and

't think that wou

ed elaborately-made frocks, suspended on hangers. And all the time, with little sharp, sideways glances, she was studying the effect on Maida. But Maid

top of the house. Shelves covered with books and toys lined the

a exclaimed, pausing before the minia

e it?" Laura be

articularly becaus

s so very little. It's the biggest doll-hous

embarrassed

e was

-two upstairs and two downstairs and a staircase that you could really walk up. But I don't like it half so well as this one," Maida went on tru

d walk up the stairs? Let's go up in the cupola," she suggested, after an

e windows. On one side was the river with the draw-bridge, the Navy Yard and the monument on Bunker Hill. On the other stre

at Pride's Crossing?" L

how I wi

beamed

things other people h

, which was all shining oak and glittering cut-glass; into the parlor, which was filled with gold furniture, puffily

ne of the pictures; "that's Santa Maria in Cos

rl?" a voice asked back of her. Maida tur

m her chair. "We stayed in

where else

is, Florence

rs. Lathrop asked. "I've been collect

s. The bambino's such a darling little thing with such a sweet look in its face. That's St. Agnes outside the wall-I saw two dear little baby lambs blessed on the altar there on St. Agnes's day. One was all covered with red garlands and the other with green. Oh, they were such sweethearts! Th

a little staggered. She studied Maida for

you travel with?"

d place her in a very uncomfortable position. On the one hand, Maida could not tell a

Jerome Westabrook

who is much impressed. "'Buffalo

es

other, Mrs. Flyn

es

k-simple but of the best materials-over the white "tire" of a delicate plaided nainsook, trimm

little girl, hasn't

ow. But she looked Mrs. Lathrop stra

t you

es

invalid,

aida said wi

ns. She went presently into the back libr

amily, for they traveled abroad a year with the Westabrook family. Evidently, they give her all the little Westabrook girl's clothes-she's dressed quite out of keeping wi

s returned after aw

nce for you?" Laura asked abruptl

ida said deligh

ion. "You wait here while I go downstairs and get into my co

t lay, skirt, bodice and tiny sleeves, in many little pleats-"accordion-pleated," Laura afterwards described it. Laura's neck and arms were bare. She wor

o look!" Maida said, "I thin

dancing on the very tips of her toes. Turning and smiling over her shoulder,

any tinkling coins. Whenever her fingers moved, a little pretty clapping sound came from them-Maida discovered that she carried tiny wooden

he returned dressed like a little sailo

eyes shining with enjoyment. "Oh, Laura how I wish I could dance

"Of course, everybody couldn't learn. And I suppos

a's lameness. Her face shadowed a little. "No, I'm afraid I couldn't," s

ly. "It's a great bother sometimes," she went on in a bored tone of voice. "Everybody is always asking

d last year father gave me a party. He had a May-pole s

arty on our place in Marblehead," Laura said. "I had fif

invitations, I believe. But n

eated. "Goodness, what co

rchery and diabolo and croquet and fishing-ponds and a merry-go-round and Punch a

. "Didn't you have a perfectly

aying in Primrose Court. I wasn't very well and then, somehow, I didn't care

y for a moment. But finally she ad

ere's the clock striking four?" was all she said

y had ever doubted her word before. She could not exactly explain it to herself bu

her a birthday party last year and invited five hundred children to it and they had

it is probably not true. I think you'd better

ida went, as she had p

ittle family. In the size and comfort of its furnishings, the place was the exact op

to keep so clean here?" Ma

s a newly-polished shoe. The rows of pans on the wall fairly twinkled. Delicious smells were fil

r coal in that closet, way across the room. I used to get awful tired filling the coal-hod and lugging it over to the stove.

ry clever boy," Maid

punched the bottom full of holes. I keep it filled up with all the odds and ends of soap. When I wash the dishes, I just let the b

lancing himself against the cradle there, he lifted the baby to th

run to keep up with her. "Oh, the love!" she said, taking Del

if this were the best thing he could say about her. "Have to put

could lift her. Also Delia was as healthy-looking as Dicky was sickly. Her cheeks showed a pink that was

fter your mothe

by' yet. My, but she's a case! If I didn't watch her all the time, every pan in this

er sometime-Granny

covered the little bundle that Maida had placed

Maida said, "I br

wat

ttention to it. Finally her busy fingers pulled off so much

ou, Maida,'"

red her that the baby had obeyed hi

He was getting on beautifully now. At least he could puzzle out by himself some of th

r see a peac

s-a gre

he

Plantes in Paris and then my father ha

he

doz

re they as beautiful as that

about in her mind to find something to comp

lly open their t

he green and blue eyes and on all the little gold feathers, it's so beautiful. Well, it makes you ache. I cried the first time I saw one. And when their fa

! I never heard

e not c

claimed. "Jiminy crickets! Why, Maida, your life must

e like a fair

t this differe

that Rosie steals out of her window at night

ys Rosie isn't as bad as she seems. My mother says Rosie's mother has never learned how to manage her. She whips Rosie an awful lot. And the more she whip

never heard of such a thing. Think of having a mother and then not

ve got the best mother that ever was. I wish she didn't have to work so hard. But y

m. Maida came in so quietly that they took no notice of her. Granny was talkin

her. But ut was too late. At last, in me old age, Oi came over to America, hoping Oi cud foind her. But, glory be, Oi had no idea

it was not with laughter. "Did you ev

ertisements and detayktives, but wid all his money, he cudn't foind out a t'

about-Granny had often told her

d did you live in, G

u get discouraged, Granny," Billy said,

'm something of a detective myself, and you'll see

," Maida burst in. "It w

pier already. She

are, Misther Billy,"

'm," sa