Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 19, 1924 — page 70: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

540 Ahead of her trudged two ridiculous round gray figures, topped with red tams. They must be the Paddy and Binny about whom they all talked at the hospital—the small daughters of that nice Dr. Peck, the new resident physician. She was fast gaining on them. It had been so long since she had been with children that she had for- gotten how to talk to them, and they em- barrassed her. The ones in the neighbor- hood, she knew, thought her cross-grained and queer. She had heard the boys yell out, ‘‘ here come the Black Maria!” But Paddy and Binny were used to queer people. “Have you seen the bunny?” Paddy demanded, her round hard little face red under the permanent freckles. They both had freckles like their father. Odd for two midgets to look so like a great grown man! “What bunny? Does your mother know you're ‘way up here alone?” Their house was just below the last curve. ‘No, but we got to find the bunny—” “And tell him we want him to hide us mostly pink eggs to-morrow!” piped in Binny. 3 “Course I shall find more ’*n Binny, cause I’m bigger!” Binny looked crestfallen and apologetic for her lack of two inches—an unfair race, in which she was beaten at the start. ‘¢ And I can skin the cat, too,”’ announced the aggressive Paddy. ‘“‘ She’s too little. My daddy taught me.” They walked along by her side. “If you'll let me look in that box, Ill skin the cat for you!” Maria al- ways brought a box of goodies for Amos. Somehow she felt powerless before this determined five-year-old. Miss Nixon said the patients felt that way before her father. “Well, go on, child. Dll watch you.” “Oh, you'll have to put down the box. Now! Give me your hands. Hold tight!” To Maria’s dismay, the child planted one brown sandal on her black serge skirt by the knee, the next one against her abdomen. She hung suspended horizontally—up— over—plopped the brown sandals and the fat, bare legs—up came the under side of the gray bloomers—and last of all a magenta Paddy, the scarlet tam still on her head. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, “ There!” she shouted triumphantly. ““ Good gracious, child, don’t ever do that to me again! I’m shaking all over. I was sure I’d drop you!” Binny, stingy with applause, but willing to share in the reward, hovered over the box. Before two pairs of greedy, round eyes, getting rounder than ever, Maria opened it. “You can each have a jumble, and Bin- ny can choose first, because she’s the lit tlest.” Binny chose the biggest, her dimple giv- ing thanks the while. “T like you!” She gave a complacent, cooky-filled smile. ‘“‘ Would you give me one of those pretty buttercups, too?” “Oh, I can’t. They don’t come off, child.” . “Can I whisker you a secret?” Maria bent her head. ‘‘ Will you stand me on the wall, and put the buttercups under my chin, and Paddy can watch and see if I like butter.” Absurd how she did everything they sug- gested! She lifted the smaller round gray ball onto the wall, and stood so that the yellow of the flowers on her hat cast their brilliant hue on the under side of Binny’s “She does, she does,” squealed Paddy. “Now me!” “No, Uve got to be hurryin’ on. I’m late now.” She lifted Binny down, one hand holding her under the knee, where the flesh was soft and satiny. The touch intoxicated her, ‘Now run back,” she said a little bro- kenly and turned quickly toward the hos- pital. Her fingers ached with longing— old time longing—to touch that baby skin again, What agony it was, this thawing out a frozen heart! Once, long ago, she had had a little girl, soft and smooth like a peach, a little girl, whom she had held close—close—and covered her with kisses— especially in the neck, where babies smell so sweet. The footprints of Paddy’s square sandals were still clean cut on the rusty serge. She brushed them off with lingering fingers, as she reached the hospital steps. Smells came from the kitchen wing— COmicdooks (S@)