"
"There's a much better sort of girl next door," Tristram continued,
unheeding.
"What do you know about her?" sharply inquired his guardian.
"Oh, I see her often at the top window, and sometimes out walking.
Nurse says we're not to speak, so we put out our tongues at each
other."
"Tristram, come over here and look--"
"She's got funny curls, and puts her doll to bed in the window-seat
every night. I like that sort of girl. When I grow up," the young
bashaw proceeded, "I shall have lots of that sort of girl all over
the garden, instead of these wooden things."
Captain Barker treated this Oriental day-dream with silence.
"Dad--why am I worth more than all the girls in the world?"
"Who said you were?"
"Nurse. She says you think so. She says the big man next door would
give his eyes to have a boy like me; but he can't make nothing of a
girl, and don't try. Narcissus--"
"Hallo!" replied the heavy voice of Mr. Swiggs.
"Have you got a boy?"
"No, sir: 'nmarried."
"What did you give your eye for, then?"
"Losh!" ejaculated Narcissus, as Captain Barker pounced on the
youngster and haled him off to the tulip-bed. The interrogatory was
stayed for a while.
Captain Runacles, who had caught every word, strode half a dozen
times up and down his grass-plot: then summoned Simeon.
Pages:
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60