Page:Emma Speed Sampson--The shorn lamb.djvu/186

182 "But is you done nothin' ter 'suade 'em ter stop a hatin' of you."

"I don't know what to do. I don't have to do anything to Grandfather. He just naturally likes me. I believe he liked me because I sassed him and because he can't tease me. I tease him back every time and then he and I laugh and laugh and Aunt Evelyn and Aunt M yra look like somebody had talked out loud in church or something and Uncle Spot gets up and leaves the room. It seems to tease them when Grandfather and I have a joke that they can't see. Sometimes we just pretend to have a joke. That's the best joke we have. Grandfather always starts that joke when the family get kind of stuffy and stupid and dignified. We made Aunt Evelyn cry the other day. She thought the joke was on her and there wasn't any joke at all!"

Aunt Pearly Gates looked sad, put down her needles and gazed attentively into the dimpling little brown face.

"Honey baby, don't you know the good Gawd is sent you here ter make happiness instid er misery? Jokes is fine and lots er happiness comes through jokes but not jokes what makes other folks cry. S'pose the joke had been on you. Would you had er liked that much?"