Families -- Fiction; Humorous stories; Man-woman relationships -- Fiction; New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction; Older people -- Fiction
“I reckon you’re right,” said Clover. “I’ve had enough, surely. I can’t
see over my pile of little saucers, and when I can’t see over my pile
of little saucers I’m always positive that I’ve had enough.”
Jack laughed and then ceased laughing and drew down the corners of his
mouth.
“Why do people sit on chairs?” Clover asked just then. “Why don’t
everyone sit on the floor? You never feel as if you might slip off the
floor.”
“Ah,” said Mitchell, “if we were not always trying to rise above Nature
we should all be sitting where Nature intended,—when we weren’t
swinging by our tails and picking cocoanuts.”
“Come on and let’s go somewhere else,” said Burnett. “Every time I look
at somebody it’s someone else and that makes me nervous.”
“Now see what you’ve done!” said the parrot.
“Did you know his long suit when you bought him?” Clover asked Burnett.
“No,” said Burnett; “they told me that he didn’t use slang and that was
all.”
It was well along in the evening—or night—and a brisk discussion arose
as to where to go next.
“I’ll tell you,” said Clover, “we’ll take a ride. Let me see what time
is it?—12.30. Just the time for a drive. We’ll take three cabs and
sally forth and drive up and down and back and forth in the cool night
air.”
“And jews-harps!” cried Burnett. “Oh, I say, there’s a bully idea!
We’ll go to a drug store and buy some jews-harps and play on them as we
drive along. We’ll each sing our own tune, and the effect will be so
novel. Let’s do it.”
“Jews-harps—” said Clover thoughtfully, “jews-harps for three
cabs—that’ll make—let me see—that’ll make—” he hesitated.
“Oh, the driver will make the change,” said Burnett impatiently. “Come
on. If we’re going to have the cabs and jews-harps it’s time to get out
and take the stump in the good cause.”
“Where’s my ear-trumpet?” said Aunt Mary, blankly,—“it’s been left
somewhere.”
“No, it hasn’t,” said Mitchell. “It’s here! I’m holding it for you.
It’s much easier holding it than picking it up. It seems so slippery
to-night.”
“I’m not going out to get the cabs,” said Clover. “I thought of the
idea and someone else must work it out. I’m opposed to working after
time and I call time at midnight.”
Mitchell rose with a depressed air.
“I’ll go,” he said. “I feel the need of a walk. When I feel the need of
anything I always take it and I’ve needed and taken so freely to-night
that I need to take a walk to—”
“I don’t think it funny to talk that way,” said Burnett a little
heatedly. “If you want to get the cabs why get the cabs. I’m going to
get them, too, and I reckon we can get them combined just as easy as
alone.”
“I will go with you,” said his friend solemnly. “I will accompany you
because I feel the need—” He stopped and turned his hat over and over.
“I know there’s a hole to put my head into,” he declared, “but I can’t
just put my hand—I mean my head—on to—I mean, into—it.”
“Do you expect to find a brass hand pointing to it?” said Burnett
testily. “Come on!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account