[Frontispiece: "MILK, AN' SUGAR IF YOU HAVE IT"] CECILIA OF THE PINK ROSES BY KATHARINE HAVILAND TAYLOR ILLUSTRATED BY MAY WILSON PRESTON NEW YORK GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY THE CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY. PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO MY DEAR MOTHER SOURCE OF MY INNER PINK ROSES CONTENTS CHAPTER I Where Is Gawd? II The Vision of a Promised Land III The First Step into Canaan IV Learning V Disgrace VI A Hint of Pink VII Santa Claus VIII A Little Touch of the Man with the Hour Glass IX Home X My Best Friend XI Acceptance XII Pain XIII A Request XIV Pink XV Firelight XVI The Mystery XVII A Relapse XVIII Forgiveness XIX Spring XX Pulling Off the Thorns XXI Pink Roses CECILIA OF THE PINK ROSES CHAPTER I WHERE IS GAWD? The Madden flat was hot and the smell of frying potatoes filled it. Two or three flies buzzed tirelessly here and there, now and again landing with sticky clingingness on a small boy of four who screamed with their advent. When this happened a girl of seven stepped from the stove and shooed them away, saying: "Aw now, Johnny!" and Johnny would quiet. The perspiration stood out on her upper lip and there were shadows, deeper than even Irish ones should be, beneath her eyes. The sun beat in cruelly at one window which was minus a shade. At another the shade was torn and run up crookedly. In the hall there was the sound of a scuffle, then a smart slap, and a child's whimpering wail. "What's--that?" came in a feeble voice from the bedroom off the kitchen. "It's the new gent in the flat across whackin' his kid," answered the small girl. "Oh," was the weak answer, and again there was quiet, broken by the sizzle of hot fat, the tireless buzz of the flies, and now and then the little boy's cry. "Here, Johnny," commanded the small maiden, "come have your face washed off." Johnny objected. She picked him up with decision, and set him on the table with resounding emphasis, where he screamed loudly during the rite. The door opened. A man in overalls came in. "Hello, Paw," said Cecilia Evangeline Agnes Madden. He answered her with a grunt and kicked off his heavy shoes. "Gawd, it's hot!" he said with his first contribution to the conversation. "Two Dagos got sunstruck. One of 'em he just went like a goldfish outa water, keeled over, then flop,--flop. The Boss he up an'--" "Supper, Paw," said Cecilia. She pushed a chair up to the oil-clothed table, and the man settled, beginning to eat loudly. He stopped and pointed with his knife to the bedroom door. "How's she?" he asked in a grating whisper. "She ain't so good," answered the small girl. Her eyes filled with tears and she turned away her face. "Maw--Maw--Maw!" cried Johnny. "Aw now!" said his sister while she picked up his hot little person to comfort him.