Page:Georgie by Dorothea Deakin, 1906.djvu/161

"Georgie" Careful! With fascinated eyes I stared at the white door. He seemed to be gone hours, but at last it crashed open and he plunged defiantly into the midst of us, to an accompanying murmur of astonishment and the light laughter of girls. On his shoulder enthroned sat Taffy.

"Georgie!"

"I've brought him," said Georgie quietly. He put the child down on the rug and faced his amazed mother with pale and desperate courage. I hid behind the Goddess Girl and laughed. Poor Taffy wore some strange and wonderful garment of striped flannellette with many frills of pink embroidery in his neck and sleeves. I found out afterward that Georgie had abandoned his own pyjamas in despair and boldly borrowed a nightgown from a deeply-interested parlor-maid. The child's black hair was ruffled, his cheeks rose pink from his sudden awakening, and his beautiful eyes wide open, bewildered. The girls in their pretty bright gowns crowded around us, and their brothers 145