HOW SUSY SOLD THE BABY.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIV, Issue XX, 19 May 1900, Page 959

HOW SUSY SOLD THE BABY.

Poor little Susy sat under a tree that shaded her doll-house, and bit the corner of her apron and wrinkled up her forehead until her yellow curls bobbed into her eyes and almost made her cry. A noisy bird flew up into the hedge and scolded at her; another perched on the fence and whistled saucily. Fat old cook was pounding away on the back porch, making "beat-biscuit.” and singing to herself as she pounded.

But Susy paid no heed either to the birds or even to the pounding of beat-biscuit. She was in great trouble. I’apa was away on business, and mamma was very iIL and must not be disturbed; Freddy, George, and Rob were nt the station with Mr Piper, the overseer; Mary, the nurse, was always busy with the new baby. Susy was sure the new baby was the cause of all her trouble. If papa would only come home! Susy was obliged to use the corner of her apron now for a handkerchief. Oh, dear! In all the seven long years of her life she had never known such trouble. That dreadful baby! He cried so that he made mamma ill, and they had to send the boys away, and Mary was cross, and no wonder everything went

wrong. Now, it was not the baby at all that was at fault, but Susy’s love of peanuts. She could not resist a peanutseller.

She strolled down the street. She stopped at the corner, where old Mary sat. with a basket of peanuts before her. The little girl looked so longingly at them that the good-natured woman offered to sell her some on credit.

“I’ll pay you very soon,” said Susy. "Oh. I kin trest yau.” said old Mary. “Ef you don't pay. I'll send the bailiff after you."

Susy had not been afraid then, for she thought her father would soon be home, but now papa would not be home tor a week, and there was no knowing what might happen. Susy decided to find out what old Mary would think of the delay. She tried to saunter towards her as if she was just happening by. “Old Mary,” she asked, as carelessly as she could, “how long do you think you can wait for me to pay you?” “Well. 1 can’t wait so ve’y long. Circus is a-coming Saterday, an’ I’m goin’ to go ef I have to send the sheriff fur that sixpence.” It never occurred to Susy that the old woman was teasing her. Her lips trembled as she answered, “Very well, old Mary, you’ll have the sixpence by Saturday.” By Saturday! It was Thursday and papa would not be at home for a week. How could she get a sixpence? If papa were at home! If mamma were only well! Oh, she wished she had never tasted a peanut. By this time Susy was at her own gate again. She glanced fearfully toward old Mary’s corner. Her heart stood still. She felt little funny cold things crawl up and down her back. There was old Mary, and talking to her—it was terrible!—talking to her was a man—the bailiff himself. Now. they were looking at her. Old Mary was telling him about that sixpence. Susy ran in to hide behind the doll house. There lay the big bag of peanuts. Susy gave it a vicious kick and sat down and just cried and cried. And that is how it happened that Susy was in trouble. Just at this moment Phoebe came out on the porch. She had a silver waiter in her hands, and on it was mamma’s best cut-glass dish filled with white foamy syllabubs, dotted with delicious dabs of jelly. Susy could see her quite plainly between the long leaves. She stopped crying and kept still “Miss Susy! Oh. Miss Susy! where are you?” called Phoebe. “M ! ss Susy, this syllabub is sn’ilin'.” Now Susy was sure that it could not lie about the bailiff, because then Phoebe would not be worrying over her syllabub. She got up slowly and went towards the b-'nse.

“Heig-ho, where have von been? Run. wash von- face an’ carry this syllabub over to Mis’ Langley’s with your ma’s compliments.”

Susy thought Mrs Langley's as safe a place as any. so she went. Mrs Lnnglev herself owned the door when Susv let fall the Iwivy knwker. “How is your mother to-day, dear?” she asked after admiring the svllnliiib.

“She isn’t very well I mean she is dreffidly sick, thank von.” said Susv. dolefully.

“1 nm very sorrv indeed. And how is that dear little bahv?"

"He’s very well,” begau Susy and then blurted out, “1 don’t think he is a dear lit tie baby one bit. He cries so, and he is a drellui bother, and anyway Phoebe says we have enough boys.” Susy shook her head as if she were relieved of a terrible secret.

Mrs Langley laughed, but she did not seem at all shocked. “Dear me! 100 many hoys. 1 wish you would sell him to me. I should dearly love a little lioy.” Mrs Langley had no sooner said “sell him” than a great idea dawned ujion unhappy Susy. Here was the way to get money. She would sell the baby for a sixpence. Nobody at home wanted that baby, and Mrs Langley said she would love him dearly. Yes, she would sell the baby. Her voice shook with excitement as she answered. “I reckon you can have him. He isn’t a very nice baby, but don’t you think he is worth a sixpence?” Mis Langley laughed more than before, and determined to find out whether Susy would really sell her little brother. “Of course he is worth a sixpence,” she said. “Now, 1 tell you, Susy, if you will bring me that baby 1 will give you a sixpence. Come, is it a bargain?”

“Yes,” said Susy, promptly. She wanted very much to ask for the money then, but she was ashamed. “When shall I bring him to you?” “Oh, any time will do. To-morrow, if you want. When do you want your money ?”

“I’d like,” hesitated Susy, “I’d like to have it now if it’s convenient.”

Susy was perfectly happy as she skipped home. Now the bailiff could not put her in gaol. She would pay that mean old Mary and never buy another peanut from her. Then she began to think of the baby. He was not such a horrid baby after all, and, besides, how would he feel when he grew up and found he was a sold baby? Susy began to waver. By the time she reached home she heartily regretted her bargain. She went to her refuge behind the doll house. She sat down and thought very hard, giving one or two sad little sighs. Then she got up and went straight back to Mrs* Langley. She found her weeding the pansy bed.

“Mrs Langley,” she began. “Why, is that you? Where is little Joseph?” Mrs Langley inquired. Susy wondered why she called the baby Joseph, but was too intent upon her errand to ask. “Here is your sixpence.” she said.

“My sixpence? T don’t want the sixpence. T want the babv.”

‘Well,” said Susy, “T don’t believe you would if yon saw him. He’s weal bwight wed.” “But he will grow white.”

But he isn’t worth a sixpence. Weally he isn’t. His neck’s bwoke.” “My good gracious!” exclaimed Mrs Langley, dropping her trowel. “His Deck broken! What do you mean?” “Well,” exclaimed Susy, impressively, “every single time you try to make him sit up, his head flops over so.” and Susy dropped her curly head on her shoulder to illustrate the baby’s broken neck.

Mrs Langley fairly shouted. “Never mind.” she said, when she stopped laughing a little. “I will bandage his neck. T am sure he will be all right, and at any rate even a baby with a broken neck is better than none.” Susy was in despair. She had to keep the money and give up the baby. The tears gathered in her eyes as she went down the wide shady street. She stopped at the corner, undid a piece of money from the corner of her apron, and handed it to old Mary. “Here’s your sixpence.” she said. Then she walked quickly home. She must manage to get the baby to Mrs Langley’s without being seen.

As luck would have it. Mary was just putting the baby to sleep, walking up and down the garden path. When he fell asleep she laid him in his carriage and went off. No sooner had Mary gone than Susy began pushing and pulling the baby-carriage along the path. She had a hard time crossing the street without bumping the carriaire and waking the baby. She reached Mrs Langley’s house safely, but how to get him into the house? She lifted him carefully out. He was very heavy for her poor little strength, but she managed to carry him un the front steps. The door, ns usual, stood open, and there was nobody about. She staggered into the cool dark parlour, and laid the baby quietly on the big sofa. Then she placed a chair so that he could not roll off. She wanted to kiss him good-bye. but did not dare, so she tiptoed out and went down the road crying ns if her heart would break.

She walked towards the country without the hast idea of where she was going; she could i.ot go hack home. Sm- walked at.ci walked, slop pii.g to rest occasionally. She was hungiier than she find evvi been in ad arr lite, foi she had tiad no dinner. She was so tiled (hat she lay down under a hedge and cried tinnier than evei. She rubbed her di. ty littie fists in her eyes until hrr fare was a beautiful array of black and pink streaks. By-ami-by the sun dropped down behind the the little birds Hew into their nests; it began to grow dark: very soo.i poor little runaway Susy was asleep. It seemed to her the middle of the night when she was awakened by shouts. 1 here were many lights and big men, and a dog was barking. She sat up terribly frightened. What had happened? She did not remember that she had sold the baby and run away. The shouts grew distinct: they were calling “Susy! Miss Susy! Oh. Susy! Halloo. Miss Su-se-lee!” She got up and ran against a big man, w ho dropped his torch and shouted. The big man took the little girl up in his arms and said: “My little girlie, my Susy. Where have you been?” It was papa! Susy was too tired and confused to do anything hut cry. “ Take me home, oh, take me home!” Very soon she was lying on the bed in mamma’s room. Her mother was laughing, but there were tears in her eyes. Susy glanced toward the crib. She rubbed her eyes. She sat up in amazement. There lay the very identical baby she had sold. Such hugging and kissing and explanations! The baby winked and blinked as if he liked it. Papa held his little girl very close while she told him how she hail to keep her promise and give up the baby, and how she was sorry and “runned away.” Then they told her how Mrs Langley had returned the baby, and how old Mrs Paton had seen Susy trudging along the road, and how papa had returned unexpectedly and set out to find her. “But, you dear goosy, why didn’t you tell some one?” asked mamma. “’Cause there was nobody to tell,” said Susy, conclusively. When the boys came home they made great fun of poor Susy. Georgie called her Joseph's brethren, and Rob called her “Peanuts”; hut they stopped when they saw how it pained her. Susy was almost a grown-up young lady before she would eat peanuts again, hut before long her very dearest brothei- was the baby she had sold.