Understood Betsy, Dorothy Canfield Fisher [top 10 most read books in the world .TXT] 📗

out her knees to make her lap

bigger.

 

“But I want my own White-bib myself!” said Molly, looking up from the

beads she was stringing.

 

“Well, maybe Eleanor would let you settle it that way,” said Cousin Ann.

 

The little girls ran over to the basket and brought back each her own

kitten. Eleanor watched them anxiously, but as soon as they sat down she

jumped up happily into Betsy’s lap and curled down close to little

Graykin. This time she was completely satisfied, and her loud purring

filled the room with a peaceable murmur.

 

“There, now you’re fixed for the winter,” said Aunt Abigail.

 

By and by, after Cousin Ann had popped some corn, old Shep got off the

couch and came to stand by Betsy’s knee to get an occasional handful.

Eleanor opened one eye, recognized a friend, and shut it sleepily. But

the little kitten woke up in terrible alarm to see that hideous monster

so near him, and prepared to sell his life dearly. He bristled up his

ridiculous little tail, opened his absurd, little pink mouth in a soft,

baby s-s-s-, and struck savagely at old Shep’s good-natured face with a

soft little paw. Betsy felt her heart overflow with amusement and pride

in the intrepid little morsel. She burst into laughter, but she picked

it up and held it lovingly close to her cheek. What fun it was going to

be to see those kittens grow up!

 

Old Shep padded back softly to the couch, his toe-nails clicking on the

floor, hoisted himself heavily up, and went to sleep. The kitten

subsided into a ball again. Eleanor stirred and stretched in her sleep

and laid her head in utter trust on her little mistress’s hand. After

that Betsy moved the checkers only with her other hand.

 

In the intervals of the game, while Uncle Henry was pondering over his

moves, the little girl looked down at her pets and listened absently to

the keen autumnal wind that swept around the old house, shaking the

shutters and rattling the windows. A stick of wood in the stove burned

in two and fell together with a soft, whispering sound. The lamp cast a

steady radiance on Uncle Henry bent seriously over the checker-board, on

Molly’s blooming, round cheeks and bright hair, on Aunt Abigail’s rosy,

cheerful, wrinkled old face, and on Cousin Ann’s quiet, clear, dark

eyes … .

 

That room was full to the brim of something beautiful, and Betsy knew

what it was. Its name was Happiness.

 

THE END.

 

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Understood Betsy, by Dorothy Canfield

 

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