Mimi at Sheridan School

ed, stepped on other passengers' toes, jabbed them with her elbows. She for

-head out the window and then pulling it in, t

's house on the hill-only two miles from there-I know, I'v

drop and pick up again, Mimi was not the first to rush down the aisle, but by some miracle of shoving and crowding and complete forgetfulness of manners, Mimi was at the head o

ful,

e faces of the crowd-Sue's mother, Margie's daddy, Miss

're freckled." "Be seein'

appiness in the world was passing around her and leaving her alon

she

p to her-as near as it could come for the tracks, an

pen and Daddy jumped out. Mimi remembered later that he did not even wait to open the door for Mother Dear and Junior but l

ave a doctor for a D

breath from dragging Junior

he Hospital and Da

e. Junior was stretched out on the shelf blocking any view out the back window-an ideal place to pull Mimi's h

wo minutes ago tears were, well, not quite in her eyes, but in

s warm breath against her ear. "S

unior. A booming big laugh from Daddy who received the tail end of Mother's ste

ow. "Were there any stomach aches after the big Sun

ecious-all of it-and Daddy, Mother Dear-I am an honor camper

ething else, too

er his mouth if she could have reached it; wondering frantically if it were hard

om having the responsibilit

t to you Mother, I love her best of ne

in the driveway. At the first sound of the car, Von, abandoning his watch on the porch and forgetting the restra

n pot from its pedestal, for Mimi had jumped on to the porch neither from the porte-cochere nor the front steps. With Von barking boldly at her heels, she had cu

is brought home a good crop of freck

mper, help take your things in. What good is

room-her own room with its ivory furniture and crisp swiss curtains tied back with green taffeta bows-Mammy, Mother and yes, Junior too, had disapp

d on the cedar chest under the double fron

even be probable, honey, that the nose tickling, dele

ught up with her and took her arm, Mothe

off. You and Daddy both fres

ther and walked right into the blue velvet portieres! The dining room was shut off! Before Mimi could solve the puzzle Daddy pulled back the curtain and bowed very low. This

s speec

ilver which caught the candle light, and most of all of the big white cake in the middle of the table with fourteen yellow

beamed Mother very pleased with it al

ssy ducking to the kitchen

ing into his place and adding in the sa

his small family all together again. It had been a long two weeks to Daddy without Mimi. There were not man

on the table, hidden under her napkin. She hadn't taken her napkin up immediately as Daddy finished the blessing the way she usually did. She was watching tiny streams of tallow run down the candles and hoping they would not spoil the c

he plates and all eyes were focused on Mimi w

icking it up and turning it

and

n with scalloped little pinches. When she ran her finger in the envelope, it seemed empty.

felt very grown-up and dignified if a slightly snubbed-nose person w

as made out to Sheridan School for one year'

old enough to go to college and she had heard Mother say she did no

nd said-"taking a leave of absence from his pract

ill we do w

along with me-" Daddy reached over and patted Mother's han

me?" Mimi's voice was ge

are going to S

leave her; then without moving her lips she whispered "Sheridan School." The very words were healing magic. How often with great l

the long looked forward to

r chin firm, and without the least bit of quiver in her voice, she