As he worked Mickey talked. The
grass, the blooming orchard, the hen and her little downy chickens, the
big cool porch, the wonderful woman and man, the boy whom they expected
and who did not come; and then cautiously, slowly, making sure she
understood, he developed his plan to take her to the country. Peaches drew
back and opened her lips. Mickey promptly laid the washcloth over them.
"Now don't begin to say you 'won't' like a silly baby," he said. "Try it
and see, then if you don't like it, you can come right back. You want to
ride in a grand automobile like a millyingaire lady, don't you? All the
swells go away to the country for the summer, you got to be a swell lady!
I ain't going to have you left way behind!"
"Mickey, would you be there?" she asked.
"Yes lady, I'd be right on the job!" said Mickey. "I'd be there a lot more
than I am here. You go the week they wanted that boy, and he didn't come;
then if you like it, I'll see if they won't board you, and you can have a
nice little girl to play with, and a fat, real baby, and a boy bigger than
me--and you should see Peter!"
Peaches opened her lips, Mickey reapplied the cloth.
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