Bobby in Search of a Birthday Page 8

  CHAPTER VIII

  FATHERS AND MOTHERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT

  The Lady Who Likes Little Boys took Bobby into the house to get himready while the man was bringing the 'mobile out to the gate. The carwas waiting long before the Lady had Bobby ready. She was very slowabout it; first she held him tight and ran her fingers through hishair; then she put his hat on, and took it off to smooth his hairagain. Next she brushed his clothes. Finally she put the puppy in hisarms and gathered up all the presents which Bobby was to take with him.

  There came a sudden honking from the waiting 'mobile, the Lady hastilykissed Bobby, put on his hat for the last time, and led him out ofthe house. She helped Bobby into the car and very slowly arranged hispresents about him in the back seat. Then, reluctantly, she closed thedoor.

  "Aren't you coming with us, Alice?" asked the man. "The ride will doyou good."

  "No," she replied, "the day is over for me.

  "Why, the sun hasn't not gone to bed--_quite_," said Bobby, for theedge of the round, red ball in the West had not yet touched the horizon.

  "All right, son, we're off," said the man and honked the horn, and thewheels began to go slowly 'round.

  "Wait, Alfred!" called his wife in an unsteady voice and her hands wentout quickly towards Bobby.

  The 'mobile came to a sudden stop, the Lady opened the door andsnatched Bobby out and to her breast.

  "I can't let you go, Bobby. They wouldn't celebrate your birthday atthe Home. They wouldn't know how."

  "I'm afraid it wouldn't be much like a birthday there; not after thisone," said the man.

  The Lady put Bobby down and he seized the opportunity to readjust hishold on the puppy and to look into his blouse pocket to see if theprecious bit of paper was still there.

  "May I, Alfred?" he heard the Lady Who Likes Little Boys saying to theman in the 'mobile.

  "Alice!" cried the man. "I love you a thousand times better than ever!"

  That seemed a very funny sort of answer to Bobby; there was no sense init. He looked up and found the Lady's arms held out to him.

  "Bobby, would you like to stay with us and be _my_ little boy? Then,every year when your birthday comes, we could celebrate it together."

  Bobby's eyes glistened. He looked from her to the man and back again.They were both smiling at him.

  "Will you be my mothers, then?"

  "Yes, dear, I'll be your mother."

  Then, forgetting all about the puppy, which fell to the ground with asurprised little yelp, Bobby rushed to the Lady Who Likes Little Boysand threw his arms passionately about her neck as she knelt to receivehim. They both squeezed just as hard as they could and the Ladylaughed and cried and then laughed again.

  Bobby sighed with complete happiness. He had found a birthdaysand already that magical thing was bringing him all sorts ofpresents--puppies and perk-_wiz_its and "glassies" and mothers andperhaps curly-tailed little pigs to buy him an edge-cation. He huggedthe Lady again.

  "Well, son, you seem to like mothers."

  Bobby looked up and saw that the Man with the Pocketful of Quarters hadclimbed out of the 'mobile and was standing over them.

  "Yes'm," replied Bobby and twined his fingers in the soft hair at theback of the Lady's neck.

  "And fathers, too?" smiled the lady.

  Bobby drew back and looked at her with shining eyes.

  "Have I fathers, too?"

  "Yes, dear. You will love him because he likes little boys, too."

  Bobby thought that over, then looked up with a shy smile at the man.

  "The Man Who Lets You Play with the Puppy?" he asked.

  "No, dear," said his mothers, "not that man--The Man with the Pocketfulof Quarters. Will you shake hands with him?"

  "Why _he's_ the Man Who Lets You Play with the Puppy, too!" said Bobby,anticipating the fact.

  "Already he's found me out!" laughed the man.

  Smilingly, Bobby held out his hand to his fathers.

  THE END

  * * * * *

  Transcriber's Notes:

  Obvious punctuation errors repaired.

  Page 32, "did'nt" changed to "didn't" (I _didn't_ think about)

  Page 52, "and" changed to "an" (things, an edge-cation)

  Page 53, "fathers" changed to "father" (The father of the boy)

 
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