An' y' all could get the doctor to
fetch you a little baby so he wouldn't hafter play with no doll.
I sho' wisht we had him here," ended a selfish Billy, "he could
save me a lot of steps. An' I sho' would like to hear 'bout all
them Injuns an' Yankees what he's killed."
Billy's aunt was visibly embarrassed.
The persistent admiration of this, her one lover, had been
pleasing to her, yet she had never been willing to sacrifice her
independence for the cares and trials of matrimony. The existing
state of affairs between the two was known to every one in the
small town, but such was Miss Minerva's dignified aloofness that
Billy was the first person who had ever dared to broach the
subject to her.
"Sit down here, William," she commanded, "and I will read to
you."
"Tell me a tale," he said, looking up at her with his bright,
sweet smile. The doll lay neglected on a chair near by and Billy
wanted her to forget it.
"Tell me 'bout Piljerk Peter."
"Piljerk Peter?" there was an interrogation in her voice.
Pages:
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51