Little Miss By-The-Day

ng in her eyes. She rubbed them drowsily and sat up in the middle of the narrow humpy bed. At the foot of the bed Bab

r clothes lay in a limp heap beside the window. But the clear spring air, deliciously s

hty child I used to be!" She had a naive pride in this evidence of her early wick

all send them away at once! Just as soon as that

able housekeeper, pac

er the edge of the bed, and grimacing as she swung her pavement-sore feet to the floor, she wrapped the lovely old dressing-gown about her and opened the door into the hall. She could not thi

sewing machines, the splintering clatter of Tony, who was chopping his wares by the basement do

of persons. There were not really so many of them, merely a slovenly woman who was pedaling the sewing machine with a baby tumbling at her feet, an eight

otly. She grew furiously angry. Her breast was heaving, her bare foot tapped impa

o the hall, she whistled a

e ans

to the kitchen and speak at once to the servant. The bathroom door was slightly open but the skylight was so dusty that she

her a voice

a mine fire

emoiselle's old room that she was breathless as she shut

all a dream! It's too

in a pitcher on the t

the bed thinking hard a

ficult as my garden in the woods. I shall not have to wait to find the pattern, I know exactly how it all belongs. And I know that about this whole house. I shall"-she grew more determined, "make it all as it was before. Fi

us journey downward, she found herself very much afraid of the

she had planned from her attempt

s purse; the woman's awe of the night before had departed, she moaned strange things about her children's starving, she re

ffed, "Mr. Grady, he is goin' to buy thi

. If he was the rent collector and it was her house, certainly she could go and collect from him. Sh

ady. He wasn't a bad sort at all, though it was quite evident that he, like the tailor's missus, hadn't the slightes

'im if you like-he's up in th' Temple Bar buildin'." He was so good as to jot down the number of the room for

hout parley. There was a calm determination about her that reminded him somehow

ouse. I can't make anybody believe me, not the tailor's missus, nor the rent collector nor the 'rec

p, have you?" he flung the door o

aid! "I haven't found the Portia Person-" a note of gravity crept into her voice again, "but I'm going to do without him-I have a plan"-she leaned forward excitedly, "I thought it out-it

nod

antly, "it's quite simple.

to judgment!" he

rally no one to vouch for Felicia Day. He found it difficult to explain to her that while he did not in

ature would help, (he called a stenographer and wrote for a letter from the country doctor,) he explained regretfully t

r taxes, until you prove that I'm the person who owes them-"

d her indomitable courage were such futile weapons against the armor of the law that they seemed pathetic, but her droll faith in herse

me, tucking Babiche under her arm

Miss Day," he c

ut she made up for it. She dropped him the most amusing curtsy with an upward

laughed silently, his head thrown back on his shoulders. How could he know

one minute she puts a lump in your throat-you're so sorry for her you could curse, and the next-Lordy! th

eh?" suggeste

. A manner," said

with Babiche. They were both ravenously hungry. Felicia turned the few coins out of Louisa's old purse and contemp

ask Margot, and the "receiver for the estate" would giv

ought, "Do pers

sses smiled b

there was to eat the wee dog settled h

've been! The Wheezy got money, Mademoiselle used to give it to her from Maman's purse, two d

she caught up the ugly bonnet, she could hardly hurry fast enough to find The Wo

have whistled. So down the stairs they went again, the little dog and mistress, and straight around the c

ET SUITABLE FOR GARAGE OR MOVIN

patiently for impudent children to move out of her way

e-I can't see how it was unles

dingier than it had in the old days. She opened the iron-grilled door, her eager heart anticipating the tinkling jangle of the spring bell at the rear, and when the

imp, blinking more uncertainly than she had used to blink. Her rasping voice came th

at's your

ning no fancy at all had crept; the cracked show counters filled with pasty china daubed with violets and cross-eyed cupids,-propped up ra

e lasted!" bre

greeable Walnut, blushing

son made of string-" m

e came for The Wheezy-

.

eeable Wal

ng, purple-veined hands fumbling with the silk that was wound around the bows to pro

demanded Felicia s

s like I did too-you hain't bee

demoiselle D'Ormy stayed-she brought me in here when I

ble Walnut sh

w anybody na

rs like the Wheezy. She cleared her throat and panted and let her breath come sighingly through her pur

odded her recogni

eyes went back on her-a nice sewer, as nice a sewer as we ever had-dear, dear! I don't know when anybody asked me about Sophia Pease-she made them dol

mber me?" reiterate

ble Walnut sh

say a

came with Mademoiselle D'Ormy to ge

g laugh of denial made F

rdonically, "Was a young limb, she was, I used to hear her whistling at them choir boys next door-a young limb-all the girls in that family was man- chasers-the mother run off with the rector's

elicia. "Oh, did you

se money and she got him-some say as she told him if he'd marry her she'd live on what he earned-but I guess he couldn't have earned the matter of her shoe strings-not the way she dressed-she was stylish and tasty in her dress-and then she eloped-

breath, "Did you see Octavia-wasn't she sweet? Wasn

oman, "Whole lot of 'em was too high-s

yed in her bed and stayed in her bed-how dare you say you-oh! oh!"

anyhow. And pore Sophia Pease might jes' as well be-mewed up in that Baptist home where her friends, if she's got any, can't s

licia broke in upon t

ld go to see

g you-the B

ghtfully. "I do think she would." She moved towar

s old, was quite capable of handling her job. Sh

ng in for-anything

ia tu

was Friday, you know, I wanted to have some

pulled a dusty l

registere

m new, I'm no

d her, the shop keeper reached fre

day or h

" said Felic

a trembling finger

one had signed it yet.

B APPLIED FOR D

ast of all, she wrote just after the printed Miss, in

lips, she couldn't really see anyth

risk old person, much

e looked agreeable,

r, "How'd you make out, Susan?" She eyed Felicia as she bega

moment before. "I dunno where the work book is. I declare I can't keep track o

ook around glancing at it ca

he way you were going to work"-her finger rested on the place Felicia had written.

iled back, "I think it will have

or M

is

kind of wo

wo dollars a day and lunch"-s

Avenue-Mrs. Alden's, perhaps you c

what they are," Mis

k person

ve an address, wh

er chin lifted proud

were severe, "we can't possibly give you work. You see, our work is for pers

s lips q

s and fines and-it's so fearfully dirty and I haven't any money"-she

lked quietly, murmuring things about some one who looked thoroughly responsible. Presently she wrote down an addres

e I'd like you to writ

ease l

er except Sundays," Mi

're s

woman straightened things about

haven't we seen that woman somewheres? She

uit Mis' Freddie Alden and you know she can't-nobody can please young Mi

confusing blur of their outlines. Perhaps it was because each day was like a bit of glass in a child's kaleidoscope, an episode in itself, ugly, irregular and meaningless,

ring it until they could endure no more, the proud ones hurrying angrily away; competent or incompetent, not one of them had ever been able to please her exacting employer, yet Felici

had been committed. At her first glance as the pert and frilly maid opened the door it seemed as though the whole house were filled with innumerable elaborate draperies and fat-framed paintings and much stuffed furniture. While she waited for the maid to announce

ut and it doesn't leave any one to stay with him. Fred is so unreasonable about our leaving Uncle Peter alone. Of course if the Exchange did send the sewing person to do the mending I could go-only you never c

k it would be perfectly horrid if you had to play a three table-if I can't get there

her new seamstress. It wasn't until she had ushered Felicia into the draughty

obje

uddled he

d sweetly. "She'll just stay right be

use surged on. The half-grown children departed tempestuously for the pageant, their mother bustled out leaving a trai

ng or other up to the sewing woma

hear soothing murmurs of a voice reading. A carefully modulated voice that evidently cared nothing at all about what it was reading. An irascible

putting new rows of lace on a torn petticoat, and so intent was she in joining the pattern of the lace that she forgot to watch Babiche. That inqui

ay animals about the house,"

s-chair to serve as a table. There were some microscopic scraps of the cold lamb, a cup of cocoa on which the surface had long since grown thick and oily, a rather limp looking lettuce leaf with a stuffed tomato palpably left from some former meal. Felicia sipped the cocoa, she dipped bits of the dry bread in it and fed Babiche. She herself ate the lamb and struggle

e will just doze, he usually sleeps while I'm gone. But he didn't like his

tched so decorously. It was an alluring looking lunch-crisp curled hearts of celery, a glowing bit of currant jelly in a glass compote, half of a delectably browned chicken surrounded by cress, and set in a silver frame was a custard cup filled with the creamiest looking custard that inspired hands had ever snatched from the oven at the psychological moment. It was quarter of one when the sedate nurs

f three a throaty voice

p. It's in this glass I'm lifting to you-" A moist red hand was thrust through the open space at the bend of the stai

save the black ones. The silk for mending them was on the edge of

che stood on her absurd head, a trick she'd not

iche gave two hungry yelps that sounded painfully loud in that silent house. Felicia struck her again with the thimble and began resolutely putting a new dress braid on a bedraggled serge skirt. At

rust the sort of persons one gets from the Exc

ungry human lips and after that "they" might deliberately and delicately eat the rest of it and give the bone to the doggie

d tomato Felicia Day and Babiche, her dog, had had no other food save that f

uddenly aware of the

into her hands and

che! Aren't we del

dashed straight into the sick room, scurried about under the bed and back to her mistress. The snoring

ng that confounded tray i

e empty tray, her lips mov

ant-I sa

his orange juice, but when she looked up she felt suddenly very sorry. For he was not a beautiful old man lik

her mirth died as suddenl

iree hungry?" she

able old man who lived in a family of shrill voices it sounded like an angel's. Her smoothly coiffed head

is pillow and

ry! I'm never hungry-b

are you d

t?-I don't know what we would do." She advanced to the bedside. He made her want to shudder, he was so ugly in his long green dressing gown. With his ba

e remembered petulantl

mouthing it as Mademoiselle D'Ormy had done, was refreshingly different. "B

hinking of Maman lying so lovely in her bed and she was thinking how Maman had talked about amusing people when they

ed another pillow feeb

ared

da-you-call-it," he wa

to find somet

with the glass of orange juice. He was too surprised to do anything save

or, "I shall have to pay a forfeit-I always did when

rned, a drab figure with a pleasant voice who treated him as though he were a human being instead of a sick ogre. In

nued, "meant I had to play ches

His beady eyes glea

desk-open the bottom drawer-there's chessmen and a board. I've been l

bout her. Felicia moved easily, she got the chess men, went a

e old man impatiently indicated the light. The little dog curled contently on the foot of the bed, Felicia's sleek head bent

Mr. A

ed her

ousehold puffed up the stairway. She pau

seamstress?"

se show

d over a knight, she loo

overpowering enough, but her voice, stride

st impudent thing that I have ever had any one do

woman was addressing her. And when she knew, she rose s

dea of being impertinent. She was merely literal. The only thing that saved her fr

yes, "she had to steal the lunch, by the Jumping Jehosophat, she had

m sure I instructed the c

e contradicted her. He dearly loved a

ackled, "I heard

g her pointed patent leather toe impatiently, "w

fully, his bravado ceased abrup

don't go. It's my house, isn't it?" he fretfully interrogated the nurse, "I guess

r him professionally

" he demanded of Feli

ten minutes, twenty minutes-outside the echoes of the indignant woman's strident voice came across the hallway. She was venting her ill humor on the children noisi

one won't-" She reprimanded a grocer over the telephone, she sent a child snivelling to her bedroom. But the invalid, his eyes intent on the chess boa

ust as the angry voice was subsiding, the old

called buoya

cia

lly ra-ther glad I stole your luncheon for here comes

s old bonnet under her chin, buttoning the old coat about her; ev

oney," said th

shook

you didn't work full time. Of cour

ed with a curious

ence the invalid's voi

wish you'd come around sometimes," he asked her pleadingly, "I do admire a good game of ches

ren't making him happy," she murmured passionately, "sick people and old people ought to be happy-" and

currant buns that she knew what to do with them. She went in and bought buns. She walked slowly up her own stairs, pausing outside Maman

l of noises-the house was perturbed at suppert

e's room she addres

o have to be a by- the-day! And sit in a windy hall and sew and sew. And then some one ought to bring her a tray, with messy napkins and just two pieces of dry lamb and a sad tomato-and all

her part of the buns. They h

narrow bed for the night, "I could remember whether Mademoiselle ever

ezy, just as she found anything she set o

ing listlessly looking at nothing at all when the attendant ushered Felicia through the corridor. She was just the same ol

why under the shining canopy don't yo

selle D'Ormy and that she did recall there had been a little girl, but she was as incredulous as the Disagreeable Wal

n you used to sew for u

e Wheezy and it

d that the child h

? I mean that the little girl did? For if y

the admission came sl

real good, when the o

ezy's window. It seemed that they shared the room. She was staring animatedly at her room-mate's visitor. From the opened doo

s she was wont to smile at Gran

back yard who has been hearing Marthy sing-Marthy sings a song called Billy Boy about a boy who had been courting. She used to say, in

ht grew deeper and deeper, and on the edge of the Wheezy's bed sat little Miss By-the-day and whistled

idor to light the lights. The Wheezy's bony ha

ho you was-" she muttered apologetically, "My

east. "I'm really old-like Grandy-like Piqueur. I can see vairee well. I saw myself-" she paused, "in a mirror, you know, I was that surprised

histled a while longer, because one little gray

ember in the years

would meet beside

d the verses, while Felici

her and the Wheezy's arm was through hers. Of course she was coming again, she pr

iting day-" she patted

all are so goo

morning, "I did find some one who knows who

Some Happy Part of you! You really ought to try it! Perhaps there is some old lady up there who used to know you when

to keep track of things for her. And they were arranging it so that in another week, she would possess her house, mortgages, taxes, fines and all, and the thirty days

oman's Exchange at noo

e another by-the-day,"

ra

make out

D, that woman. The old man played chess with me but she d

sslike," Miss Sarah chided, "

er, "that's why I'm back

down several possible places in a small notebook whose f

as she presented her client with it. "In the back here are pages to write wha

ing to be sent away, a letter in which she warned Margot that unless Grandy were too unhappy she would not go back to the House in the Woods until the house in the city was clean once more. She explained that certain legal matters had to be attended to. The round stroke of her pen seemed to proclaim her complete confidence that they could

and pretended that they were in the garden and that she was lying on them. She had been most businesslike about them. If yo

E EXPE

rs Bone-f

akes and

five

i One d

ade her first expenditure from money she had actually earned. She looked so tired and wan in her frumpy old clothes that the florist's clerk, who was a sentimental young thing,

tead of selling 'em," he apologized to his astounded boss, who ha

tting all day stitching, in spite of even the fierce longing, whenever she passed a telephone, to speak with Dudley Hamilt, Felicia found herself-happy, happy with the sa

ing out across the river at the gleaming towers of Manhattan, glimpsing the jewel-like line of trolleys crawling slowly over the light

ering bravely down into the appalling

es, I know exactly where to build the paths. We will have to get some pebbles to make the paths. We must plant plenty of narcissi again, Babiche. Because some day, t

dirty heathen" out and make things orderly as they once had been. I doubt if she had yet visualized anybody as living in that house, save Maman and Grandy and hersel

longed to be planting. She had promised herself eagerly that the very day when the heathen were gone she would plant some ivies. She was pretending vehemently that

and napkins to be hemmed, who was dubious about taking the applicant when she discovered she could not use a sewing machine but who decided on

llished with gilt lettering t

ele

ous "places" she quickly discovered that the Seeley household made rather an event of the seamstress' coming. There was no necessity for stealing a lunch. Indeed, when lunchtime arrived she was ushered into the basement dining-room and invited to eat with the rest of the family and a

peared that Mrs. J. Furthrington's chauffeur did not often grace the boarding house for his meals. He usually, as he

thought you'd felt grand from associati

nd this year a-riding in a Rolls Royce! Everybody to his taste-mine wouldn't be for nobody else driving my car no matter how much spondulex come my way. It will be me for the little o

uproariously, his landlady

?" she appealed to

redoubtable Mr. Per

ending-" her shy approbat

want a joy-rid

about the basement dining-room. Flapping his wonderful

rescued her bonnet and carried it upstairs with her. "I love that boy like a plate of fudge," confided Mrs. Seeley as she and Felicia were ascending to the ornate bedroom where the sewing was waiti

ie was not pleased wi

having one of her "spe

unted to her new seam

lc

business we agreed to give her her livin'. Al kept her in a nart school, a swell art school when we was first married. That was a mistake. I said to him many a time to mark-my-words, it would be a mistake. Of course when he

dining-room like somebody had insulted her. And I can't get a peep out of her today. Just this noon I says to her, pleasant enough, because I was short of help, wouldn't she come do

ing a garden?" as

s is impractical. Dulcie is awful impractical. I offered to send her to business college, she could make a good living, but no, she's gotta make statues! With the parks all full of 'em now and that k

s glowing as she lifted them from her work, "that you

summons below stairs. But after she had gone Felice became aware of continued sobbing in the next r

he crying would begin again, very softly. Frequently Felicia could hear the pad, pad, pad of stockinged feet. She knew that whenever the crying stopped the grieving one walked to and fro restlessly. After a longe

ark wainscoting and a grimy enameled tub and standing over near the uncurtained window was a boyish figure, wrapped in a man's overcoat, with a bottle in her hand.

dowdy figure, Babiche clasped i

r dog?" she a

demanded a

ash-" Felicia's voice was ca

wash any dog-" the

she took the bottle fro

your-'scarbolic,'"

eally need

ared with all her might at the shabby, frumpy, middle-aged

tterly, "I've got to quit-you don

quietly, "you mustn't have a 'scarbolic' bottl

I did have that top floor front you know, it was a peach of a place to work. But she rented it to a chauffeur and put me in this hole-oh

us comes to a time when she feels all shut in-I went out into my garden when I felt that way. It is a big garden but it felt smaller than this room. I cried in it all night long, walking up and down and up and down-quite su

been thinking, that you're rather like my rosebush. You're Dulcie, aren't you? I think I know exactly what you need. If you'd just come along with me-I've a big room

shoes and when she's down the stairs I'll whistle-so-vairee softly. And then you will come out and down

et that Dulcie realized she had been coaxed that far. She drew ba

I've wanted it evaire since I saw it, it's velvet, rather like a choir boy's, only it has a tassel." Her arm was through Dulcie's, they were really walki

and the parcels that Felicia handed her, turning her head away when she fancied Miss Susan was eyeing her sharply.

oo dreadful-" she excl

ey's-I ca

ly exhausted from her emotions, and clung to Felicia's arm. And when they were safe i

o the window and pointed out across the gleaming river, "that's what you'll see every night from your windo

did not talk any more, just listened to sobbing breaths that the girl drew-listened as she sat in the wic

rs. Cramped and dazed from her uncomfortable night in the chair Felicia jumped up sta

s it?" Dulc

clapped

l day, Dulcie, you're going to be so glad-just think! The

ir leave-taking. All day long Felicia chattered to Dulcie of her plans of how they should find w

a chair beside her. Late afternoon found the two of them standing in the empty room that had been the nursery. They had been laughing a little over the absurdity of their situation; the tailor's missus had removed

r chairs and some rugs over on Ella Slocum's back porch-I'l

restlessly, "It's no use, Miss Day, you might better have let

h?" asked Felicia shyly

uld paint these silly papered walls-" Felicia sighed. Dear old shepherds and shepherd

ked. "I didn't know." But t

and dream about how I'd do it and how it would make other people dream just to look-it wasn't going to be any ordinary Pandora-it was to be a symbol-a sy

oon as it's lovely again you will walk around in it and dream about your Pandora. I used to dream a lot of things in that garden. Some day, while I'm off sewing on my stupid sewing, you'll come dashing upstairs-and begin! Think what fun i

was the moment

ndles burning recklessly on the mantel- shelf and Felicia and Dulcie sitting by the embers of the little fire. They'd had a supper of sandwiches and milk. Babiche was curled at their feet and they were planning excitably what they

alled up to Felicia, "i

Mr. Alden with her

ry apologet

Grant and the doctor think he's pretty bad tonight. He's a notion he wants to play chess with you, he's

r Girl deci

wait up for you," sh

erself rest in its cushions. She felt rather lonely without Babiche

so darned good to me when I was a kid that I can't let him miss anything I can get for him-Lord knows that's not much-I thought I

is asleep," he whispered, "you come out and let me know-I'll be in the library downstairs with some cha

she had met him, save that his eyes burned deeper. His voice was more p

dn't you co

s board lay on the small table; Uncle Peter w

men's voices and a faint aroma of cigars floated up the stairway. You can't think what exultation it gave her, just having a sense of nearness to sturdy masculinity after a lifetime

men! She moved her pawns quietly, watching Uncle Peter's adroit game. She w

g gown closer. Felicia was very tired from her exciting day. She grew paler and paler; the circles

, he had caught her! But he laughed, a feeble, senile l

osed his eyes. "Come again,

reproached her as

rose, from th

garage, that the car would be here

elow them beside an open window. Felicia

e speakers through an arched doorway. They were sprawled easily in big c

ings, will you? You might be gone six months instead of three and that's too long between songs. I know you aren't singing and you haven't any voice and all th

igure, over-coat on arm, the doorway, and a hand pulling him back. But on he came, protes

to say Howdy and Good-b

e him. Then with her heart in her eyes she looked to him-he was

But she leaned back against the shad

se that at last he saw her-that is he saw a little

he murmured-

he was still sitting with her face thus hidden when he came d

ood as ever whe

ing for him at the f

Alden, "ask Dud to sing 'Who K

stened to the first firm chords as Dudley Hamilt's long fingers moved over the keys, listened as he began to sing. He wasn't using very much voice, just enough to let the melody ring upward to Uncle Peter, round and

e soul of a

he breath

is fled and t

gone, who kno

blood of my he

my soul

grown numb and

stopped

ight, Uncle Peter. 'Night

uous phrases of the man who had laughed but after that she was no longer

a respectful quest

reddie Alden, "the mai

But a second later

this little woman h