Little Folks Astray | Page 4

do."
"Well, I like 'em," said Flyaway, nothing daunted. "You knew it byfore;
'n if you didn't want Flipperty, you'd ought to not come!"
Horace laughed, as he always did when his little sister tried her power
over him. The conductor was an old acquaintance, and he told him how
it stood with Flipperty, how she was needed at New York, and all that;
whereupon Mr. Van Dusen gave Fly a little green card, and told her to
keep it to show to all the conductors on the road; for it was a free pass,
and would take Flipperty all over the United States.

"Yes, sir, if you please," said Fly, with a blush and a smile, and put the
"free pass" in Miss Flop's cloak pocket.
After this, she never once failed to show it, whenever Mr. Van Dusen,
or any other conductor, came near, but always had to hunt for it, and
once brought up a cookie instead, which fearful mistake mortified her
to the depths of her soul.
Horace was sure all eyes were fixed on his charming little charge, and
was proud of the honor of showing her off; but he paid for it dearly; it
cost him more than his Latin, with all the irregular verbs. There was no
such thing as her being comfortable. She was full of care about him,
herself, and the baggage. Flipperty lost off a rubber boot, which
bounced over into the next seat. Horace had to ask a gentleman and his
sick daughter to move, and, after all, it was in an old lady's lap.
Then Fly's feet were cold, and Horace took her to the stove; but that
made her eyes too hot, and she danced back, to lie with her head on his
breast and her feet against the window, till she suddenly whirled
straight about, and planted her tiny boots under his chin.
"O, Topknot, Topknot, I pity that woman with the baby, if she feels as
lame all over as I do!"
"Where's the baby, Hollis? O, I see."
"What's the matter, now? Why upon earth can't you sit still, child?" said
Horace, next minute, catching her as she was darting into the aisle,
dragging Miss Flop by the hair of the head.
"O, Hollis, don't you see there's a dolly over there, with two girls and a
lady with red clo'es on? 'Haps they'd be willing for her to get 'quainted
with Flipperty?"
"Well, Topknot, 'haps they would, but 'haps I wouldn't. I can't have you
dancing all over the car, in this style."
Flyaways's lip quivered, and a tear started. Horace was moved. One of

Fly's tears weighed a pound with him, even when it only wet her
eyelashes, and wasn't heavy enough to drop.
"Well, there, darling, you just sit still,--not still enough, though, to give
you a pain (Fly always said it gave her a pain to sit still),--and I'll bring
the girls and dollie over here to you. Will that do?"
Fly thought it would.
A dreadful fit of bashfulness came over Horace, when he stood face to
face with the black-eyed lady and her daughters, and tried to speak.
"I've got a little girl travelling with me, ma'am; she's so--so uneasy, that
I don't know what to do with her. Will you let me take--I mean, are you
willing--"
"Bring her over here, and we will try to amuse her," said the black-eyed
lady, pleasantly; but Horace was sure he saw the oldest girl laughing at
him.
"It's no fun to go and make a fool of yourself," thought he, leading Fly
to the new acquaintances, and standing by as she settled herself shyly
in the seat.
"How do you do, little one? What is your name?--Flyaway?--Well, you
look like it. We saw you were a darling, clear across the aisle. And you
have a kind brother, I know."
At these words Fly, for want of some answer to make, sprang forward
and kissed Horace on the bridge of the nose.
"There, you've knocked off my cap."
In stooping to pick it up, he awkwardly hit his head against the older
girl, who already looked so mischievous that he was rather afraid of
her.
"Wish I could get out of the way. She expects me to speak, but I shan't.

"'Needles and pins, needles and pins, When a man travels his trouble
begins.'"
Horace was obliged to stand, very ill at ease, till the black-eyed lady
had found out where he lived, who his father was, and what was his
mother's name before she was married.
"Tell your father, when you go home, you have seen Mrs. Bonnycastle,
formerly Ann Jones, and give him my regards. I knew he married a
lady from Maine."
"I know sumpin," struck in Fly; "if ever