Evelyn Raymond

“ Then she turned and there sat Mary Jane, listening, horror-struck and broken-hearted!
Regret was useless. The secret, guarded so jealously for years, was now disclosed. Till then the hunchback had believed her affliction was hers from birth, and had never dreamed that it was the result of a terrible fall, due to her own father’s carelessness. He had always seemed to love her so, with a sort of remorseful tenderness quite different from the attention he gave to his other, healthier children. ”

“ There always is.
The fallow fields of the McClure estate no longer lie idle under the blue sky, a reproach to their owner. The property was not quite of the “miles and miles” in extent which Bonny-Gay had imagined, but it was still sufficient to set apart a goodly number of acres as a home for Mary Jane, who had never known how beautiful the country was until she was driven one day, along a smooth road, under over-hanging trees, and over bridges crossing here and there the prettiest trout stream in the world. ”

“ A coat of paint made it like new and during the cripple’s absence from Dingy street the flitting was accomplished.
Bonny-Gay’s own summer home was near at hand, though she had driven Mary Jane to the cottage by such a roundabout way; and her delight had lain in her knowledge of the happiness that was coming to her friend.
This was a year ago. As yet no cloud has marred the perfect sunshine of Mary Jane’s new life. She now rides to school in a smart little cart, drawn by the sedatest of piebald ponies. She is apt and ambitious and is learning fast. ”

“ I am so tired! If I could only just get up once!” sighed Bonny-Gay.
“Sick folks always have to stay in bed. How’d they look, sitting up, I’d like to know?” answered Mary Jane.
“But I’m not sick. I’m not sick one bit. I’m just as well as—as that parrot, yonder.”
“Tell the truth, tell the truth, tell the truth!” shrieked Polly.
Mary Jane laid down the thirteenth doll and clapped her hands to her sides. “That bird is the absurdest thing. He makes me laugh till I ache.” ”

“ After him trailed an army of young “farmers” and in another moment the visitor had ceased to be a stranger to anybody there.
“Let’s see-saw!” cried Joe Stebbins, seizing her hand and drawing her to the playground. Then somebody swung Mary Jane and the baby upon the beam beside her, some other girls took the opposite end, and they all went tilting up and down, up and down, in the most exciting manner possible. Then there was the Maypole, furnished with ropes instead of ribbons, from the ends of which they hung and swung, around and around, till they dropped off for sheer weariness. ”

“ For the greater ease of handling they rolled the heap of heavy ties over upon the track, as the anxious girl had observed, and two men lifting leisurely placed the weighty, worn out timber upon the wagon. The mule team before the wagon stood half-over the edge of the embankment, heads dropped, themselves enjoying the rest regardless of position.
The men laughed and talked. William Bump joined in the chatter and forgot Mary Jane. The talk grew more interesting, to the speakers, and became a torture to the listening girl, though she paid no attention to the words. ”

“ Mary Jane said nothing, but her face was rapturous with anticipation. Finally, Bonny-Gay announced:
“I guess that’s all settled, then. There’s nothing to do about it only ask our folks. Let’s make believe things. Let’s pretend we had all the money in the world and could do just what we wanted to with it; what would you do, first?”
“Why, I wouldn’t dare think. ’Cause it couldn’t ever come true, you know.”
“Supposing it couldn’t? The things that don’t come true are the sweetest things there are, I think. You begin.”
Mary Jane drew a deep breath. ”

“ I’ve been puzzling it out, and the best thing is for you to go to the nearest car-line you find; then ask the conductor how nigh it will take you to the Place. He’ll be kind to you, I know. They’re always obliging, the conductors are, and when it’s anybody like you, why they just seem to tear themselves to pieces to be nice. You’ll have no trouble, honey, not a mite. And when you get there, don’t forget to make your manners, pretty, like I’ve taught you. Say everything to cheer the lady up, if she seems down-hearted a bit, and good-by, good-by. Bless you, Mary Jane! ”

“ With a glad cry she caught up her crutches and swung herself toward the keeper:
“Oh! sir, I thank you. I was so tired and the coat was lovely soft. And I know you. You’re Mr. Weems, the gardener, and I’ve seen Max. He’s at our house, I mean he was—last night. And he will be again, ’cause he’s with father, who’ll fetch him back. Father just loves dogs and animals. And say, please, which is Bonny-Gay’s house?”
“Bless my soul! You don’t say? Then you must belong around here, though I didn’t think it. You’ve seen Max, and you ask for our Bonny-Gay! ”

“ Oh! poor, poor Mary Jane! It hurts me just to make believe and she has it all the time. But here she comes back and I mustn’t let her see I notice her looks. I mustn’t, for anything. It’s bad enough to have her body hurt, I mustn’t hurt her feelings, too.”
However, there was no sign of suffering about the little cripple as she returned to the side of her guest, dragging the soap-box wagon behind her and recklessly rolling the baby about in it, so eager was her advance. ”

“ An instant regret for the repugnance she had first felt shot through Mrs. McClure’s mind and leaning from the carriage window she dropped the hat upon Mary Jane’s dark head.
“Keep it, little girl, as a gift from Bonny-Gay. It will delight her that you should have it. Quick now, coachman. Swift and careful!”
Then they were all gone and Mary Jane, bedecked in her unusual finery, stood leaning upon [50] her crutches, crying as if her heart would break. Her mother glanced at her hastily but thought it best to let “her have her cry out. She cries so seldom it ought to do her good,” she reflected. ”

“ The little girl hesitated an instant, then frankly answered:
“Why, just the ‘Gray Gentleman.’ ’Cause you are all gray, you see. Your hair, and your moustache, and your eyes, and your clothes, and your hat, and your gloves, and—and—things.”
“Exactly. Trust a child to find an appropriate nickname. But I like it, little one. Go on, about Max and the best thing yet.”
“That splendid dog has—saved—his—master’s [8] life! As true as true!” cried Bonny-Gay, impressively. ”

“ And here Bonny-Gay was proud to see that Mary Jane could beat the whole company. Her arms were so long and so strong, they could cling and outswing all the others; and when she had held to her rope until she was the very last one left her laughter rang out in a way that was good to hear.
“Seems to me I never heard so much laughing [39] in all my life!” exclaimed Bonny-Gay to the Gray Gentleman when, tired out with fun, she nestled beside him as he rested on a bench.
“Yes, it’s a fine thing, a fine thing. And you see that it doesn’t take big houses or rich clothes to make happiness. ”

“ She never forgot the first part of that day’s ride. There were few passengers in the car and these were all men, quite able to look out for themselves; so the conductor remained near her and talked of the places they passed, pointing out this building and that, for Mary Jane’s enlightenment. She bestowed upon each an attention that was quite flattering to her entertainer, till the car turned another corner and he had to move away. People came more frequently now and at every block of their advance, the men and women seemed to Mary Jane to crowd and hurry more and more. ”

“ Father doesn’t like to go wrong any better than we like to have him. He trusts you to watch out for him, honey. So, if I were you, instead of taking the baby and going along the street to the gate I’d go to the park by the railroad. You can climb up the embankment at an easy place, and stay near father. Then you’d be able to see everything. The children in the ‘Playgrounds,’ and the Gray Gentleman if he goes to them, and Bonny-Gay’s train when it comes, and all. Only—only, Mary Jane—take care to give the cars plenty of room. ”

“ However, they were promptly picked up again by the other gentleman, who was also gray—as to hair and beard—and who made almost as much noise as the crutches, because he kept blowing his nose so vigorously. Then she heard him softly slap her own Gray Gentleman’s free shoulder and exclaim, in a husky voice:
“It’s all right, neighbor! The Lord has been good to us. Bonny-Gay is almost herself again and was laughing—actually laughing—to see me, her dignified daddy, run out of her room to try a race with Miss Mary Jane here. Oh! it’s too good to be true!” ”

“ The man has sense, hasn’t he? Even dumb creatures know enough to go in when it rains. But tell me fast, darling, all that’s happened to you since you went away. My heart! this has been the longest [109] day I ever knew! have you had anything to eat? What made you so late? How came you to be riding home in such grand style? and where got you this basket?”
“It’s the baby’s, mother. Bonny-Gay sent it to him;” cried the happy girl, running to seize that crowing infant from his trundle-bed and to cover his face with kisses. ”

“ McClure and why, in anticipation of her father’s possible return, she must, she must go home every night. “And how can I? I mustn’t put them out—they are so good to me. I mustn’t stay away, if Bonny-Gay needs me. There’s all the dolls to be dressed, you see; and the canaries must be fed, or they’d die; and Polly is about as much care as the baby. She’s always dropping things and squawking till she gets them picked up for her—though she throws them right straight down again. I don’t see how Bonny-Gay can be so patient with that bird, do you?” ”

“ McClure, as she kissed her little girl and went away. But she was considerably annoyed. She felt that she did not exactly “know how to deal with that class of people,” to which Mary Jane belonged. She wished that Bonny-Gay had not taken this absurd fancy of hers. She wished that the Gray Gentleman had never done that unwise thing of carrying her daughter into the region [118] and knowledge of Dingy street. It was all very well for him to devote his time still, as he had all his life and fortune, toward making the lives of poor children brighter. ”

“ Even Mary Jane, my sister?”
“Even in an humbler. Dingy street is just what its name implies. But we’ll drive that way back and what do you say to giving Mary Jane a ride thus far?”
“Oh! I’d love it! She’s so jolly and friendly and seems never to think of her—her poor back and—things.”
“You’ll like her better and better—if you should ever meet again. She won my heart the first time I saw her, over a month ago. I met her dragging home a basket of her mother’s laundry work, in that same soap-box wagon she utilizes for the baby. The family chariot it seems to be. ”

“ Finally, this assembly resolved itself into an advancing army, and with Tom and Bonny-Gay as leaders—each tightly holding to one of the dog’s soft ears, as they marched him between them—they returned to the spot where the lion calmly awaited them, and Tom announced their decision:
“We won’t ever let him go. There’s no need for you nor the law-men nor nobody to interfere. This dog belongs to this park; and this park belongs to us children; and if anybody tries to—tries to—to—do—things—he won’t never be let! ”

“ Listen, Mary Jane. You know I’m going to the country, don’t you? We all are, just as soon as I get well.”
“Yes. I think it will be just lovely for you.”
“For you, too, you go with me and—find him!” almost shouted Bonny-Gay.
“Oh! you darling! Might I?”
“Course. Why shouldn’t you? My father owns a lot of country. Ever and ever so much. He has so much he says it’s a sin and shame it isn’t doing anybody any good. But he’s too busy to tend to it himself and he can’t trust many folks. They would waste his money, dreadful. There’s our big house and park, and all the gardens and things ”

“ Past him, while he was talking to another, slipped Mary Jane, her crutches making no sound upon the thick carpet. One thought possessed her, one only; and made her almost unconscious of the novel scenes about her. Bonny-Gay was ill. Bonny-Gay might die. Well, she would have one more glimpse of that beloved face, no matter who tried to stop her.
Her brain worked fast. Sick people were generally up-stairs; up-stairs she sped. Sick folks had to be quiet. ”

“ Though he’ll grow, won’t he, mother’s lamb? He’ll grow just as fast as he can and get a playground garden, good’s the next one, so he will, the precious!” chirruped Mrs. Bump, to the year-old heir of the house.
“Gah, gah!” cooed the baby; and emphasized [17] his reply by losing his balance against the wall and rolling over on his face. He was too fat and too phlegmatic to right himself, so Mary Jane hopped back across the narrow room and set him up again, laughing as if this were the funniest thing she had ever seen. ”

“ He never lets a tramp come near. He never steps on a flower bed or lets us. If we forget and go on the grass he barks us off. He gets his first dinner at our house. When the clocks strike twelve he goes to the gardener and gets his basket. Then he walks to our back entrance, puts the basket down, stands up on his hind feet and pushes his nose against the ’lectric bell. That rings up the cook and—she’s a [6] man just now—he—she takes the basket and puts in some food. Then Max walks down that side street, about a square, and sits on the curb to eat it. ”

“ So Mary Jane industriously hopped around and transported the thirteen dolls, the bird [114] cages, and the parrot stand to a new position, and leaning on her crutches gently helped the sick child to turn about as far as she was permitted to do. A trained nurse was still always in the room, and Mrs. McClure herself passed in and out very frequently; but it was Mary Jane who did most for her friend; Bonny-Gay declaring that, “Next to Mamma” there was nobody who understood her whims and desires without being told them, as the little cripple did.
“That’s because we’re just an age, I guess. ”