"When will you be able to bring Chick home?" asked Miss Lady, gulping
down the hot tea with a watchful eye on the stable door.
"Jes' as soon as the doctor quits foolin' with his throat every day.
He's been gittin' on fine ever' since I took him back to Phineas'.
Maria's gittin' right stuck on him, now she's got to give him up. Says
she always knowed he was smart, but she never dreamed of the things he
had bottled up in his head."
"I haven't forgotten about your house," said Miss Lady absently. "Dr.
Wyeth knows a nice place down on Chestnut Street, and says you can
make a good living letting the rooms to shop girls. It isn't right for
me to keep you out here any longer."
"Well, I ain't goin' 'til spring." Myrtella rattled the pans with
unnecessary vehemence. "Me an' Chick's goin' to stay right here 'til
we git you settled. Now that Mr. Gooch has got a spell of spendin',
an' is sendin' Miss Hattie to college, I guess she's settled fer a
spell. Like as not Miss Connie'll be marryin' some smart-alecky, good-
fer-nothin' fellow, then she'll be settled. But what's goin' to become
of you and Bertie?"
Miss Lady leaned impulsively over the child's back as he knelt in a
chair beside the table, and kissed the bit of neck that showed between
the collar and the curls: "Bert and I?" she repeated with a little
catch in her voice; "why, we'll have to take care of each other, won't
we, Bert?"
CHAPTER XXIX
The Flathers' family was indulging in a birthday party.
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