Page:St. Nicholas (serial) (IA stnicholasserial321dodg).pdf/481

1905.] married, And she’s goin’ to the heathen some day and take me with her. Please don’t be mad at me, Miss Simpkins. Rowena says we must never let people stay mad at us. We must n’t let the little mad grow into a big mad, but we must take it right at the beginning and tell any one we ’re sorry, and ask them to forgive us. [Clings to, who shows signs of leaving] Please don’t be mad, Miss Simpkins.

Well, I won’t, then. But you may as well know, Amelia, that Rowena ’s changed her mind and decided to get married.

[Runs to ] Oh, ma, it isn’t true, is it? [Receives confirmation from ] Oh, is n’t it dreadful? [Weeps]

Roweny’s husband has lots of money, and she will give you whatever you want.

[Between sobs] Does it say so in the telegrapht?

Not in so many words, but it means that. You prob’ly won’t know your sister in all her fine fixin’s when she drives up with all her horses and servants.

[Stoutly] I don’t want sister Rowena that way. I want her just as she always is. I can’t touch her if she ’s that way, and I want to put my arms around her as I always do.

[Whimper in chorus] We want sister Roweny as she always is. We don’t want her the new way. We want her the old way. We don’t want her married to a naughty mobile, [Sobbing and howling of the children]

’Sh! ’Sh! Land sakes! If ever I hear such goin’s-on! Well, it ’s good the whole thing is decided, for Roweny is just one of those home bodies that she ’d change her mind if she knew they all felt this way. The telegraph don’t say “May marry” or “Goin’ to marry”; it just says “Married.”

[Emphatically] We don’t want her married!

Well, when I see such performances as these I must say I don’t envy Roweny, startin’ in with them three children.

[Loftily] Those children are all provided for. Every one of them will have more money than any of us ever dreamed of. Amelia, go to the board and divide a millionaire into three parts. [To ] It’s nice, havin’ a board right here for figgerin’, Mrs. Tubbs.

Roweny got it for the children to do their sums on, [ goes to blackboard, and after more or less erasing, exhibits the figures 1,000,000.00]

[Disappointedly] Is that a millionaire? Well, it ’s the poorest lot o’ lookin’ figgers I ever see for a rich man. It ’s all naughts and ciphers. Can’t you get in some 8’s and 9’s and rich-lookin’ figgers?

[Pertly] That is the way teacher told us to write a million.

[To ] Should n’t she put one of those big S’s with two lines runnin’ through it?

[Quckly, with importance] You mean a dollar-mark. Yes, you ought to put a dollar-mark, Amelia.

I don’t know how. Teacher has n’t got us to that yet.

My hand’s a little lame or I ’d do it. Could you do it, Mrs. Donnell?

I ain’t niver made one.

I’ve seen Roweny make ’em. I think I can make one. [ is escorted to board, and after the figures 1,000,000.00 makes a dollar-mark turned wrongly|

Oh, is that what you mean? I can make that. But it ought to go to the front. [Makes proper sign at beginning and starts to rub out Mrs. Tubbs’s at the end]

What you doin’, Amelia?

I’m goin’ to rub this one out. It ’s turned wrong and don’t belong at this end.

[Severely] Don’t you think o’ rubbin’ it out! It gives a prosperous look to have one at each end. Now, you divide it by three children, Amelia. [ puts division-sign, which she erases twice, and then a figure three before it, which she also erases until suited, then begins operations]

[Singsong] Three into ten, three times and one over; three into ten, three times and one over; three into ten, three times and one over; three into ten, three tines and one over,