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Page 5
"Where do you live now?"
"O, there was a man let us have another house. It isn't so handsome as
our house was; for the man can't make things so nice as my father can.
We live in it now. Can you play the piano?"
"No, not at all."
"Don't you, honestly; Why, I do. Susy's given me five lessons. You have
to sit up as straight as a pin, and count your fingers, one, two, three,
four. X is your thumb."
Dotty believed she was imparting valuable information. She felt great
pleasure in having found a travelling companion to whom she could make
herself useful.
"I'm going to tell you something. Did you ever go to Indiana?"
"No."
"Didn't you? They call it Out West. I'm going there. Yes, I started
to-day. The people are called Hoojers. They don't spect me, but I'm
going. Did you ever hear of a girl that travelled out West?"
"O, yes; ever so many."
"I mean a girl as little as me, 'thout anybody but my papa; and he don't
know how to part my hair in the middle. I have to take all the care of
myself."
Dotty had been trying all the while to call forth some exclamation of
awe, or at least surprise. She was sure Adolphus would be impressed now.
"All the whole care of myself," repeated she. "My papa has one of the
_highest_ 'pinions of me; and he says I'm as good as a lady when I try.
Were you ever in the cars before, Dollyphus?"
"O, yes," was the demure reply, "a great many times. I've been round the
world."
Dotty started suddenly, dropping her porte-monnaie on the floor.
"Round the world! The whole round world?" gasped she, feeling as
insignificant as a "Catharine wheel," which, having "gone up like a
rocket," has come down "like a stick."
"You didn't say round the _whole_ world?" repeated she, looking very
flat indeed.
"O, yes, in my father's ship."
His "father's ship." Dotty's look of superiority was quenched entirely.
Even her jaunty hat seemed to humble itself, and her haughty head sink
with it.
Adolphus stooped and restored the porte-monnaie, which, in her surprise,
she had quite forgotten.
"Does your father keep a ship?" asked she, reverently.
"Yes; and mother often makes voyages with him. Once they took me; and
that was the time I went round the world. We were gone two years."
"Weren't you afraid?"
"No, I'm never afraid where my father is."
"Just a little afraid, I mean, when you found the ship was going
tip-side up?"
"Tip-side up?" said Adolphus. "I don't understand you."
"Why, when you got to the other side of the world, then of course the
ship turned right over, you know. Didn't you want to catch hold of
something, for fear you'd fall into the sky?"
Adolphus laughed; he could not very well help it; but, observing the
mortification expressed in his companion's face, he sobered himself
instantly, and replied,--
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