Of
course, she sent Winnie down for the food, in order to get a chance to
put on Baby's things, and depart unseen."
"But she told the nurse _you_ ordered the food prepared."
"Yes. I may as well own up, Elise, that Azalea is not strictly
truthful."
"Why do you have her around? I think she's horrid!"
"Well, you see, _I_ got her here. To be sure, she is Little Billee's
cousin,--that is, second or third cousin,--once or twice removed--"
"I wish she was removed from here,--once, twice and all the time!"
declared Elise. "Bill had no business to inflict her on you!"
"He didn't. He fairly begged me not to invite her here. But I insisted
on it. You see, we neither of us had any idea of what she was like. Bill
hadn't seen her since she was a baby, and she was different then!"
"I s'pose so! Well, having found out how 'different' she is now, why
don't you send her home?"
"Oh, I can't. And, to tell you the truth, Elise, I want to help the
girl. She's ignorant and inexperienced, but she has a sort of native
quickness and wit, and I feel sure if I could teach her for a while,
she could learn to be one of us,--and in time become a fine woman."
"Oh, you philanthropist! And meantime she has run off with your baby!"
"The baby carriage is gone, Mrs. Farnsworth," said Winnie, appearing
suddenly. "So I expect Miss Thorpe took baby in that."
"Yes, probably," said Patty, despairingly.
Pages:
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96