Marjorie laid her cheek on the cool sheet and thought. It was a rather
pleasant position. It gave her a comfortable compressed sensation below
the waist. She liked it but she could not afford to be idle. She raised
her head and peered around, as a tortoise peers, lengthening her neck. A
foot beyond her reach she saw her rattle. She stretched her hands for
it and only succeeded in bringing her pudgy little nose flat against the
sheet. She kicked with her feet, but even that did not bring the rattle
within reach; it only served to rock her gently to and fro on her
stomach. Marjorie needed the rattle. She had still several hundred
shakes to give it before her day's work would be complete. And the
rattle needed Marjorie; it looked forlorn and lonely. Even as she
considered the matter Marjorie found that she was raising her body on
her plump little arms. They were acting like little posts to elevate
her shoulders and head. Then, in a most phenomenal way, one knee doubled
itself and drew up under her body, and the other followed it, and she
was on her hands and knees.
From this frightfully elevated position the rattle appeared quite near,
so near that it seemed as if she could touch it. She put out a hand, and
lo! the whole fabric of herself that she had reared, collapsed, and she
was sprawled flat on the sheet.
But the rattle certainly seemed nearer. She tried it again, and this
time she put her hand forward only a little way, and followed it with
the other, but she was firmly anchored at the rear, and there was no
elasticity in her body. It would not stretch another inch. She thought
of her legs reproachfully. But for them she might even now have the
rattle. Her legs felt the reproach and wiggled with shame. They knew
they were in disgrace and they longed to come closer and nestle lovingly
against Marjorie. One of them moved forward slowly and paused. Its
fellow, fearing it was being deserted, moved up beside it, but cruel
Marjorie moved her hands forward again.
She could almost touch the rattle! One more forward movement of her legs
and--
Chiswick, turning, saw it just in time. She was beside the crib in one
bound, and her right hand pressed down upon Marjorie and squeezed her
deep into the softness of the crib, and held her there kicking and
squealing.
“Land sakes!” cried Chiswick. “You're breaking the schedule! You can't
creep now. The idea! What will that there committee say! What will
they say of you to that federation of clubs! You and me won't have no
reputation left. Don't you ever creep till I say so. Never!”
She picked up the offended Marjorie and set her upright in the end of
the crib. Marjorie rolled over upon her hands and knees. She wanted the
rattle. She scoffed at schedules. Chiswick held her down with one hand
and reached for the rattle with the other.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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