S to go ahead, and wreck my
life, and generaly ruin everything.
I locked the door behind Hannah, and stood with tradgic feet,
"where the brook and river meet." What was I to do? How hide this
evadence of my (presumed) duplicaty? I was inocent, but I looked
gilty. This, as everyone knows, is worse than gilt.
I unpacked the Suitcase as fast as I could, therfore, and being
just about destracted, I bundled the things up and put them all
together in the toy Closet, where all Sis's dolls and mine are,
mine being mostly pretty badly gone, as I was always hard on dolls.
How far removed were those Inocent Years when I played with dolls!
Well, I knew Hannah pretty well, and therfore was not surprised
when, having hidden the trowsers under a doll buggy, I heard
mother's voice at the door.
"Let me in, Barbara," she said.
I closed the closet door, and said: "What is it, mother?"
"Let me in."
So I let her in, and pretended I expected her to kiss me, which she
had not yet, on account of the whooping cough. But she seemed to
have forgotten that. Also the Kiss.
"Barbara," she said, in the meanest voice, "how long
have you been smoking?"
Now I must pause to explain this. Had mother aproached me in a
sweet and maternal manner, I would have been softened, and would
have told the Whole Story. But she did not. She was, as you might
say, steeming with Rage. And seeing that I was misunderstood, I
hardened. I can be as hard as adamant when necessary.
"Wha.