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Page 23
"We will be home Saturday afternoon," said Beany. "And I do
think we had better go pretty soon. I think we'd better take
that paper over to Colonel Bright. Don't you think so, Porky?"
Porky put the paper in his breast pocket and buttoned the flap.
"We'll be home for good now, before you know it," said Beany.
"Mr. Leffingwell says we are to return to his apartments to stay
the rest of the nights. He has a swell place in town. So we are
to go as far as Mr. Leffingwell's in the Colonel's car when he
goes home. Some class to us, don't you say so, mom? Guess we'd
better hike, folkses," he said. "Bye!"
The boys started for the door, then turned and gave Pop Potter
another bear hug, and kissed their mother with a tenderness that
seemed to deepen with every caress.
"Seems like it does 'em good to go off," said pop huskily.
"I won't say that," said mom loyally. "They was always the
nicest boys I ever did see if they was mine; but they do seem
sort of different. Sort of lovin'er, like they was when they was
little. I can't say, Ben, that I ain't missed it. Seems real
pleasant to have 'em let on how much they think. It makes me
feel reel good. Dear me suz!" said Mrs. Potter simply. She took
up her sewing and sat busily working. Once in awhile she hummed
a little tune.
Pop Potter watched her slyly over his paper, but said nothing.
The canary bird, however, hanging in Mrs. Potter's bedroom window
where he was supposed to bask in the afternoon sun, could have
told that Pop Potter awkwardly kissed Mom Potter good-night,
something he had not done for years. And in the darkness Mom
Potter was far too happy to sleep, and in the fullness of her joy
lay there inventing cakes of such size and creaminess and
lightness that the like was never seen.
Asa too had had his lesson. The barking collie had foretold his
arrival, and when his mother and three sisters, each as pale and
thin as himself, appeared in the door, he managed to kiss them
all. It was such an amazing thing to have happen that a silence
immediately fell, while two of the girls hastily wiped off their
cheeks. A look of happiness dawned through the surprise on
however, his mother's face, and she shyly kept her hand on Asa's
knobby shoulder as he entered the house. Asa was the center of
attraction at the supper table where he ran the Potter twins a
close second in the amount he ate. The girls, perfectly silent,
sat staring at him round-eyed; and his father, it larger edition
of himself, listened or asked short questions.
When the Potter twins whistled outside, Asa shook hands solemnly
with his father, and resolutely kissed the sisters and his mother
good-night. When he was out of hearing, and the barking collie
had returned to the doorstep, Mrs. Downe burst into sudden tears.
"What's up; what's up?" her husband demanded.
"Asy," she sobbed, "did you mind how he acted? It must be he's
had a call. They's been a hoot owl outside three nights now. I
do believe that's it! Asy's got a call from beyond!"
The three sisters began to cry.
"Puffickly ridiklus!" said Asa's father. "Purfickly ridiklus.
That hoot owl ain't got no grudge 'gainst Asa. He's got some new
Scout bee in his bunnit, I'll bet. Don't know but I like to see
a boy make of his wimmin folks, at that. It never looks soft to
me. Don't hurt no man."
He lifted the smallest girl to his knee. She looked frightened
but after a moment cuddled up to her father, and tucked a warm
little hand around his neck.
"Don't hurt no man," repeated Asa's father and held the little
girl so closely that she fell happily asleep; while Asa's mother,
working like a whirlwind, thought the night's work strangely
light, with the warmth of her only son's kiss on her check.
Asa went cantering down the hill to meet the Potters, and
together they strolled over to Wugs' house, that house of
unhappiness where the brightest, happiest member of the household
lay gazing at the sky or for hours playing with the kitten. He
did not know the boys, but when Wugs told him who they were, he
greeted them pleasantly enough.
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