my own little girl."

"Oh, Papa. I know you think so, and I wish it was so. And I am awfully
glad you think so, but of course you are prejuist, you know."

"Prejudiced? Not a bit, not a bit."

"Well, that's Kathleen and Nora, and--and perhaps Hazel--you know Hazel,
Papa, Hazel Sleighter?"

"The western girl--not at all wild and woolly though. A very modern and
very advanced young lady, isn't she?"

"Oh, I don't know what you mean, Papa. She says she may go down, but
I don't think she likes going with a lot of kids. You know she has her
hair up. She has to have it up in the store. She says the man would not
have her behind the counter if she had not her hair up."

"Oh, that's it. I thought perhaps the maturity of her age made it
necessary."

"I don't know what maturevy means, but she is awfully old. She is going
on sixteen."

"Dear me, as old as that?" inquired her father.

"Yes, but she said she wanted to see that circus car. That's what she
calls Mr. Gwynne's car. And she says she wants to see the elephunts
perform. There are not any elephunts. There's only Rosie and Rover. But
she may get off. She can get off if she can fool her boss, she says. So