"I do wish you would be more careful, Bab," he said with a sort of sigh.
"Careful!" I said. "Then it's not doing Things, but being found out,
that matters!"
"Careful in your conduct, Bab."
"He was a beautiful young man, father," I observed, sliping my arm
through his.
"Barbara, Barbara! Your poor mother----"
"Now look here, father" I said. "If it was mother who was interested in
him it might be troublesome. But it is only me. And I warn you, here and
now, that I expect to be thrilled at the sight of a Nice Young Man right
along. It goes up my back and out the roots of my hair."
Well, my father is a real Person, so he told me to talk sense, and gave
me twenty dollars, and agreed to say nothing about the young man to
mother, if I would root for Canada against the Adirondacks for the
summer, because of the Fishing.
Mother was waiting in the hall for me, but she held me off with both
hands.
"Not until you have bathed and changed your clothing, Barbara," she
said. "I have never had it."
She meant the whooping cough. The school will recall the epademic which
ravaged us last June, and changed us from a peaceful institution to what
sounded like a dog show.
Well, I got the same old room, not much fixed up, but they had put up
diferent curtains anyhow, thank goodness. I had been hinting all spring
for new Furnature, but my Familey does not take a hint unless it is
cloroformed first, and I found the same old stuff there.
They beleive in waiting until a girl makes her Debut before giving her
anything but the necessarys of life.
Sis was off for a week-end, but Hannah was there, and I kissed her. Not
that I'm so fond of her, but I had to kiss sombody.
"Well, Miss Barbara!" she said. "How you've grown!"
That made me rather sore, because I am not a child any longer, but they
all talk to me as if I were but six years old, and small for my age.
"I've stopped growing, Hannah," I said, with dignaty. "At least, almost.
But I see I still draw the nursery."
Hannah was opening my suitcase, and she looked up and said: "I tried to
get you the Blue room, Miss Bab. But Miss Leila said she needed it for
house Parties."