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Europena was the only one who objected to being a burnt-offering, but when she saw the frizzled locks of the others, her pride conquered her fear, and, holding tight to Billy's hand, she bent her chubby head to the trying ordeal. "Now, Billy, you run over to Mrs. Eichorn's an' ast her to loan me her black crepe veil. Mrs.
"Who is that lady?" she demanded suspiciously of Europena Wiggs, who was swinging violently on the gate. "'T ain't no lady," said Europena. "It's my Sunday-school teacher." "Mrs. Redding?" "Uh-huh. She wants Asia to come over to her house this evenin'." "Wisht I could go," said Lovey Mary. "Why can't you?" asked Mrs. Wiggs, coming to the open door. "Asia would jes love to show Mrs.
"If you don't hush this minute, I'll spank your doll!" The awful threat was sufficient. Mrs. Wiggs had long ago discovered the most effectual way of punishing Europena. When peace was restored, Lucy looked about her. In each window was a piece of holly tied with a bit of red calico, and on the partly cleared table she saw the remains of a real Christmas dinner.
Rothchild's bonnet awry. Still Europena stood there, an evident victim of lockjaw. "'I have a little finger," prompted her mother frantically from the second row front. A single ray of intelligence flickered for a moment over the child's face, and with a supreme effort she said: "I have a little finger, An' I have a little beau; When I get a little bigger I'll have a little toe."
When the last baby arrived, Billy had stood looking down at the small bundle and asked anxiously: "Are you goin' to have it fer a boy or a girl, ma?" Mrs. Wiggs had answered: "A girl, Billy, an' her name's Europena!" On this particular Sunday morning Mrs. Wiggs bustled about the kitchen in unusual haste.
Australia and Europena sat in the window with Chris Hazy, and delightedly clapped time to the music. When the dance ended, Mrs. Wiggs went to the door to get cool. She was completely out of breath, and her false front had worked its way down over her eyebrows. "Look comin', ma!" called Billy. When Mrs. Wiggs saw who it was she hastened down to the gate. "Howdy, Mr. Bob; howdy, Miss Lucy!
But before they could turn the carriage door had slammed. Redding took them into a small apartment, curtained off from the rest of the cafe, so that only the waiters commented on the strange party. At first there was oppressive silence; then the host turned to Europena and asked her what she liked best to eat.
"Lemme hold the muff!" cried Australia. "No, me me!" shrieked Europena. A center rush ensued, during which the muff was threatened with immediate annihilation. The umpire interfered. "Australia Wiggs, you go set in the corner with yer face to the wall. Europena, come here!" She lifted the wailing little girl to her lap, and looked her sternly in the eye.
"Well, she got it all in," said Mrs. Wiggs, in a relieved tone, as Europena was lifted down. After this, other little girls came forward and made some unintelligible remarks concerning Santa Claus. It was with some difficulty that they went through their parts, for Mr. Rothchild kept getting in the way as he calmly and uncompromisingly continued to hang cornucopias on the tree.
"The first feature of the entertainment," announced the preacher, "will be a song by Miss Europena Wiggs." Europena stepped forward and, with hands close to her sides and anguished eyes on the ceiling, gasped forth the agonized query: "Can she make a cheery-pie, Billy boy, Billy boy? Can she make a cheery-pie, Charming Billy?"
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