New York (N.Y.) -- History -- 1775-1865 -- Fiction
Lily did not seem to get along very rapidly with her intimacy. Hanny was
too young, and now that she had the Deans on one side and little Nora
Whitney on the other, was quite out of Lily's reach. And she did enjoy
Delia immensely, though she was past thirteen and such a tall girl. So
Lily tried all her arts on Jim, and succeeded very well, it must be
confessed.
It was Saturday, and the world had not come to an end yet. Benny had
gone down-town with Steve in the morning, but he would not have both
boys together, for Jim was so full of "capers." So he had done errands
for his mother, blackened the boots and shoes--the bootblack brigade had
not then come in fashion, and you hardly ever saw an Italian boy. He had
cleared up the yard and earned his five cents. He was wondering a
little what he would do all the afternoon.
Dele came flying in, eager and impetuous.
"Oh, Mrs. Underhill!" she cried, "can't Hanny go to the Museum this
afternoon? The"--it seemed so odd, Hanny thought, to call grave-looking
Mr. Whitney that, but she said Steve to her big brother. "The brought
home four tickets. My cousin, Walter Hay, is here, and he will go with
us and then go down home. And Nora does so want Hanny to go. Oh, won't
you please let her? I'll take the best of care of her. I've taken Nora
and my little Cousin Julia ever so many times. Oh, Jim, what a pity! If
I had one more ticket!"
"Sho!" and Jim straightened himself up. "I have twenty-eight cents, and
I wouldn't want to go sponging on a girl anyhow! Oh, mother, do let us
go? Hanny, come quick! Oh, do you want to go to the Museum?"
"To the Museum?" Hanny drew a breath of remembered delight and thrilling
anticipation.
Dele and Jim talked together. They were so earnest, so full of entreaty.
Jim might have gone in welcome, but Hanny----
"Why, we shall just take the stage and ride to the door, and we'll be so
careful getting out. They drive clear up to the sidewalk, you know.
Walter is fourteen and he takes his little sisters out, and knows how
to care for girls. And there's such a pretty play; just the thing for
children, The. said."
"Oh, mother, please do," and the little girl's voice was so persuasive,
so pleading.
"Oh, please, mother! I'll see that nothing happens to Hanny."
"Oh, Mrs. Underhill, Nora would be so disappointed. And we all want
Hanny."
Mrs. Underhill had told her husband if he would come up about three she
would take the drive to Harlem with him. Of course she meant to take the
little girl. Which would Hanny rather do?
The fascinations of the Museum outweighed the drive. Margaret was up to
the Beekmans' spending the day, their last week on the farm. Of course
Jim could go--and when she looked at all the eager faces she gave in,
and Hanny danced with delight.
It was almost three before they could get off, and the play began at
that hour. However they caught a stage out on the Bowery and were soon
whirled down to the corner of Broadway and Ann Street.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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