第31章 BIG SISTER SOLLY(6)

"What rot! She didn't come. Content Adams, you know she didn't come.""She must have come," persisted the little girl, in a frightened whisper. "She must have. Oh, Jim, you don't know. Big sister Solly must have come, or I would have died like my father and mother."Jim's arm, which was near her, twitched convul-sively, but he did not put it around her.

"She did -- co-me," sobbed Content. "Big sister Solly did come.""Well, have it so," said Jim, suddenly. "No use going over that any longer. Have it she came, but she ain't here now, anyway. Content Adams, you can't look me in the face and tell me that."Content looked at Jim, and her little face was almost terrible, so full of bewilderment and fear it was. "Jim," whispered Content, "I can't have big sister Solly not be here. I can't send her away.

What would she think?"

Jim stared. "Think? Why, she isn't alive to think, anyhow!""I can't make her -- dead," sobbed Content. "She came when I wanted her, and now when I don't so much, when I've got Uncle Edward and Aunt Sally and you, and don't feel so dreadful lonesome, Ican't be so bad as to make her dead."

Jim whistled. Then his face brightened up. He looked at Content with a shrewd and cheerful grin.

"See here, kid, you say your sister Solly is big, grown up, don't you?" he inquired.

Content nodded pitifully.

"Then why, if she is grown up and pretty, don't she have a beau?"Content stopped sobbing and gave him a quick glance.

"Then -- why doesn't she get married, and go out West to live?"Jim chuckled. Instead of a sob, a faint echo of his chuckle came from Content.

Jim laughed merrily. "I say, Content," he cried, "let's have it she's married now, and gone?""Well," said Content.

Jim put his arm around her very nicely and pro-tectingly. "It's all right, then," said he, "as all right as it can be for a girl. Say, Content, ain't it a shame you aren't a boy?""I can't help it," said Content, meekly.

"You see," said Jim, thoughtfully, "I don't, as a rule, care much about girls, but if you could coast down-hill and skate, and do a few things like that, you would be almost as good as a boy."Content surveyed him, and her pessimistic little face assumed upward curves. "I will," said she.

"I will do anything, Jim. I will fight if you want me to, just like a boy.""I don't believe you could lick any of us fellers unless you get a good deal harder in the muscles,"said Jim, eying her thoughtfully; "but we'll play ball, and maybe by and by you can begin with Arnold Carruth.""Could lick him now," said Content.

But Jim's face sobered before her readiness. "Oh no, you mustn't go to fighting right away," said he.

"It wouldn't do. You really are a girl, you know, and father is rector.""Then I won't," said Content; "but I COULD knock down that little boy with curls; I know I could.""Well, you needn't. I'll like you just as well.