Milton came home from the grocery one night with a telephone message
from Mr. Vedder requesting Amarilly to bring the surplice to his rooms
on the next day.
"How is business?" asked the ticket-seller kindly, when the little girl
appeared in answer to his summons.
"Fine! The surplus has brung in nine dollars and seventy-five cents
a'ready. It's kept things goin'."
"The theatre will open in a couple of weeks, and then you will have
steady work, though I wish we might get an easier and pleasanter
occupation for you."
"I'm agoin' to hev one, Mr. Vedder," and she proceeded to tell him of
Derry and her engagement at his studio.
"It kinder seems as if I b'longed to the theayter, and you've been so
orful kind to me, Mr. Vedder, that it'll seem strange-like not to be
here, but Mr. Phillips's work'll be a snap fer me."
"You've been a good, faithful little girl, Amarilly, and I shall want to
keep track of you and see you occasionally, so I am going to give you a
pass to every Saturday matinee during the winter."
"Oh, Mr. Vedder, there's been no one so good as you've been to me! And
you never laugh at me like other folks do."
"No, indeed, child! Why should I? But I never knew before that you had
such beautiful hair!"
"It's 'cause it's fixed better," said Amarilly with a blush. "But who
wants the surplus this time?"
"I do," he replied smiling. "I am invited to a sheet and pillow-case
party. I thought this surplice would be more comfortable than a sheet.
Here's a dollar for it."
"No," declined Amarilly firmly. "Not arter all you've done fer us. I
won't take it."
"Amarilly," he said earnestly. "I have no one in the world to do
anything for, and sometimes, when I get to thinking about it, I am very
lonely. So if you want to be kind to me, you will give me the pleasure
of helping you a little now and then. I shall not enjoy the party unless
you will take the money."
Amarilly cried a little that night, thinking how good he was.
"I hed orter like him best of all," she thought reproachfully.
Two or three days later Pete Noyes came to the house.
"Hello, Amarilly! I ain't seen yer in so long I'd fergit how you looked.
Say, why didn't you ever fix yer hair that way afore? It looks swell,
even if it is red!"