Bonnie May

“ He returned to his dinner, smiling somewhat maliciously.
“Victor!” exclaimed Mrs. Baron. She flushed angrily. “You know very well I won’t go to such a place.”
Bonnie May’s voice trailed away to a whisper—almost to a whimper. “Nice people can go anywhere they want to go,” she said. “It’s only silly people who need to be afraid, because they don’t know how to think for themselves.” ”

“ Mrs. Baron was provoked by the child’s intense earnestness. “Oh—impossible!” she said. She noted the look of despair in Bonnie May’s eyes. “There wouldn’t be enough tickets, anyway,” she added weakly.
Baron leaned back in his chair as if he had lost his appetite. What was the matter with them all, anyway, that they were afraid to get down into the crowd once in a while? Plenty of really nice people went to all manner of places—in search of novelty, for diversion, in order to get into touch with mankind. He had spoken of mad persons out at Fairyland. ”

“ Bonnie May ran down the steps, calling to them. “Clifton!” was the word that penetrated the chaos of street noises, and “Oh, Jack!”
The two gentlemen turned about, and at the sight of the child they became far less correct in their general deportment. Happiness made them quite unconscious of self.
Very shortly afterward a little girl was sitting between two altogether presentable gentlemen on the top step in front of the Baron mansion.
“Of course we shouldn’t,” admitted Bonnie May. “We never sit on the front steps. I mean, the Family. But nobody will know. ”

“ Baron did not stop to take in any of the others. At first she was speechless, as the saying is, though she was trying to shape certain comments which she meant to direct at Bonnie May.
She opened her mouth once and again quite helplessly. Then she found her voice.
“You little—limb of Satan!” The words came with difficulty. In that instant her features looked quite unlovely. Bonnie May might have told her that elderly people ought never, under any circumstances, to become violently angry. But Bonnie May was in no condition to utter elemental truths. ”

“ Shepard didn’t know, this time. Bonnie May went to the door and let him in. She called me down-stairs without telling me who it was.” Flora surveyed her mother yearningly, yet with a kind of gentle courage. “I don’t believe in hiding things from you, mother. But I was glad to see him.”
[64] Mrs. Baron looked grimly toward her own door. “She let him in! Very well. Put her to bed!”
She descended the stairs with dignity. She must have been thinking of future victories rather than of past defeats.
When Flora entered the sitting-room she found Bonnie May standing in uneasy contemplation. ”

“ Take it off!”
“What in the world is the matter?” demanded Flora.
“She asks me what is the matter! Oh, heavens!” Bonnie May jumped down from the chair and turned her back to the mirror. She was wringing her hands.
“I don’t understand at all!” exclaimed Miss Baron hopelessly.
“You might!” was the emphatic rejoinder. “Do you suppose I want to play that kind of a part—here? It might do for the little sister of a sewing-machine girl, or a mountain-pink with her hair in knobs. But it wouldn’t do for anything else. If you was only one of the populace, a costume like that would cause a scream! ”

“ Baron led the way into the sitting-room, Bonnie May following. He pretended not to see or to apprehend anything unusual. “Well, what do you think of Sunday-school?” he began gayly.
“I think it’s fierce!” This took the form of an explosion. “It wouldn’t do even for one-night stands!”
Baron felt the need of an admonitory attitude. “Bonnie May,” he said, “you should have discovered that it wasn’t a play. It was something real. It’s a place where people go to help each other.” ”

“ Rolled canvas, which might be let down in case of [226] rain, rattled slightly in the breeze, and one or two disturbed sparrows darted into the place and rested, chirping, on a girder overhead.
Then Baron had eyes only for Bonnie May, who had undergone some strange sort of transformation the moment she had entered the theatre.
Her eyes were enough to thrill an ordinary world-weary person. Her color became brilliant. Then her body began to respond to some overmastering influence. One might have thought of her as a little palfrey about to enter a great parade with many bands in it. ”

“ A gentleman stood there; a man who was very substantial-looking and by no means formidable in appearance. The hall-light fell on him. It seemed to Bonnie May that he was quite middle-aged. He was well-dressed in a rather informal way. A short-cropped black mustache had the effect of retreating slightly between two ruddy cheeks. His eyes expressed some degree of merriment—of [51] mischief, and this fact gave him standing with Bonnie May immediately.
“Good evening,” said Bonnie May in her most friendly manner. She waited, looking inquiringly up into the twinkling eyes.
“I came to see Miss Baron. ”

“ Suppose you make a complete confession.”
He shot a dubious glance at her; then he smiled. Bonnie May thought his teeth were quite wonderful. “I’m the head of the Addis Stores Company.”
Bonnie May looked slightly dismayed.
“A business man,” added Mr. Addis firmly. [158] “I’ve admired Miss Flora a very long time. I had chances just to be nice and polite to her. I haven’t taken any pains to hide from her, for a year or so——”
“I understand,” Bonnie May finished for him.
“Well, then. But the trouble is that Mrs. Baron——”
“She can only see you with a pencil behind your ear,” supplemented Bonnie May. ”

“ Bonnie May was now sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to make the toes of one foot come in contact with the floor. Miss Baron sat on a low chair in the middle of the room, the new dress spread across her knees.
“But you’re glad, aren’t you?” she asked.
“I’m glad in a way. I’m glad that anybody so [70] disagreeable could really try to do you a good turn.” Clearly, each day was a new day, with Bonnie May. ”

“ Such a young man may possess many high virtues, certainly; but he can scarcely hope to escape occasional contact with what is called the world’s cold shoulder. He is clearly not the sort of person who knows what magic there is in the matter of percentages and other such progressive and acquisitive sciences.
We now encounter this peculiar young man in his attic room, on an afternoon when the rain was falling steadily.
Days had passed since Mrs. Baron had driven the manager, Thornburg, from her front door. Something like a fixed status in the case of Bonnie May had been brought about. ”

“ Her attitude became that of one who is tenderly maternal and pathetically old. She bent [247] over and took the child’s hands in hers. “My dear,” she said, “are you quite sure you are willing to go?”
Bonnie May looked into her eyes and smiled. She was grateful for this proof of kindness. They were the nicest people, truly! They weren’t going to permit her to feel offended. “Oh, yes!” she said brightly.
Mrs. Baron released her hands and turned away.
“I think it will be very nice to go,” added Bonnie May. “You know, when people see too much of one another, they—they get tired of one another!” ”

“ And above everything else there was to be considered Bonnie May’s right. If it seemed best for her to remain in the mansion, there, Baron resolved, she should remain, until he was forced to release her. “That’s plain,” he repeated. “I think it makes the case simple enough. At least it makes it simpler. Why not communicate with these people who are advertising? If they have any claim on her you can come to terms with them. They ought to be glad to see her placed in a good home. If they haven’t any claims, the sooner we know it the better.” ”

“ You can be the audience, if you will.”
Mrs. Harrod began to laugh almost helplessly. Then she checked herself, because she perceived that Bonnie May was deeply in earnest.
“Of course!” she responded. “I make a very good audience. I’ll be delighted to help.”
She took a chair and became, immediately, a highly inspiring audience. Still, she was amazed. She had never been told by any of the Barons that Bonnie May had formerly been “of the profession.”
“We’ll do only the third act,” decided Bonnie May, addressing the two actors, “where the ship sinks, and the raft is seen at sea.” ”

“ Baron hit upon another possible grievance. “And she’s going to Sunday-school to-day,” she affirmed in a tone which seemed to take account of difficulties. “We’ve done our best to dress her decently. And I don’t intend to humor a little pagan as long as she’s in a Christian household.”
“But in that—that peculiar dress?” faltered Flora. She had a vision of Bonnie May in her fantastic old frock associating with the prim children [79] of poverty who were now the mainstay of the Sunday-school.
“She may walk with Mrs. Shepard. People may believe she belongs to her, if they want to.” ”

“ There was a childish expression in Thomason’s eyes, and it occurred to Bonnie May that possibly he was afraid of people.
It seemed to her quite shocking that the little man should remain by himself always, because he was afraid of mingling with people.
Thomason’s eyes were very bright as he looked at her. Then he winked slowly, to facilitate thought. He was thinking: “She’s the one who does whatever she pleases.” Despite his habits of seclusion, Thomason was by no means oblivious to the life that went on in the mansion.
“May I come in?” asked Bonnie May. ”

“ There are people I simply must call on.”
Bonnie May did not know why her heart should have jumped at this announcement. Still, there seemed to be no end to the possibilities for enjoyment in a big house when there wasn’t anybody to be saying continuously: “You must,” or “You mustn’t.”
She wandered up-stairs as soon as luncheon was over, and in Baron’s room she was overcome by an irresistible impulse.
She heard the houseman moving about in the next room, and the thought occurred to her that she had never seen the houseman’s room. She had never even spoken to the houseman. ”

“ I don’t understand how women feel, mother, but I can’t help remembering that every little girl is going to be a woman some day. And I’ve no doubt that the kind of woman she is going to be will be governed a good deal by seemingly trivial events. I don’t see why it isn’t likely that Bonnie May’s whole future may depend upon the way things fall out for her now, when she’s really helpless and alone for the first time in her life. ”

“ You don’t mean to say you’ve let her go?”
“Oh, Bonnie May! No, she hasn’t gone. She’s quite one of us now. Where is she, Victor?”
Baron fidgeted. “She went up into the attic, I believe.”
Mrs. Harrod made for the hall immediately. “I’m sure you don’t mind,” she said, without turning around. They heard her climbing the second flight of stairs. “You young people won’t miss me,” she called back.
The younger Miss McKelvey suddenly sat up very straight. “What’s the matter with you, Flora Baron?” she demanded. ”

“ A square piano, pearl inlaid and venerable, caught Bonnie May’s eyes.
“Oh, how lovely!” she exclaimed. She stood a moment, pressing her hands to her cheeks. “Yes,” she added musingly, “I can actually see them.”
“See whom?” Baron demanded, slightly impatient.
“The nice, sweet girls, wearing crinoline, and dancing with their arms around one another’s waists, and one of them sitting at the piano playing, and looking over her shoulder at the others. There are tender smiles on their lips, and their [33] eyes are shining like anything. They are so dear and happy!” ”

“ He could understand that she might have been the only child in the troupe with which she travelled, and that her older companions, weary of mimicry and make-believe when their work was done, might have employed very frank, mature speech toward each other and their young companion.
He turned away from the window with a sigh. “Won’t you take my word for it, Bonnie May, that these people mean well, and that one should speak of them with respect, even if one cannot speak of them with affection?”
“But they don’t mean well. What’s the good of stalling?” ”

“ I had to get back at that one. ‘Don’t cry, little one,’ I said. ‘Wait until it’s a pretty day and I’ll come around and take you out in my automobile.’”
“But you haven’t any automobile!”
“That,” with great emphasis, “doesn’t make any difference. There’s no harm in stringing people of a certain kind.”
“Oh, Bonnie May!” cried Baron reproachfully, [102] and with quickly restored calm he added: “Surely one should tell the truth!”
“Yes, one should, if two would. But you can’t afford to show your hand to every Bedelia that gets into your troupe. ”

“ You haven’t had sense enough to realize that merely being Baron wasn’t being anything at all. You’ve got to realize that all men must be measured by just one standard. You’ve got to quit thinking it’s right for you to do just the pleasant things—the things you like to do. You have got to go to work, and take orders like any other man.”
Lying in his room, he obtained a new impression of Bonnie May, too. ”

“ Baron appeared in the doorway, but neither Baron nor the child saw her. Again Bonnie May crossed the room. This time she assumed a slightly careless air, and looked airily at imaginary objects to right and left. Her movement was slightly undulating. She turned to Baron suddenly: “What you have to do is to be really proud, without thinking about it. I know how it ought to be done, but it’s hard to get the hang of it. If you don’t get it just right you’re likely to look like a saleslady.” She discovered Mrs. Baron, who stood rather scornfully in the doorway. ”