"
There was a short silence, broken by Billy, who remarked, apropos
of nothing:
"I sho' is glad I don't hafter be a 'oman when I puts on long
pants, mens is heap mo' account."
"I wouldn't be a woman for nothing at all," Jimmy fully agreed
with him; "they have the pokiest time they is."
"I'm glad I am going to be a young lady when I grow up," Lina
declared, "I wouldn't be a gentleman for anything. I'm going to
wear pretty clothes and be beautiful and be a belle like mother
was, and have lots of lovers kneel at my feet on one knee and
play the guitar with the other."
"How they goin' to play the guitar with they other knee?" asked
the practical Billy.
"And sing `Call Me Thine Own,'" she continued, ignoring his
interruption. "Father got on his knees to mother
thirty-seven-and-a-half times before she'd say, `I will."'
"Look like he'd 'a' wore his breeches out," said Billy.
"I don't want to be a lady," declared Frances; "they can't
ever ride straddle nor climb a tree, and they got to squinch
up their waists and toes.
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