``Bless my soul!'' cried the lady. ``Do you hear this child? And
now, come to think of it, I don't know whether I am a lady or not--''

And the lady laughed until Bessie Bell felt quite shaken up.

``Or are you a Mama?'' asked Bessie Bell, when it seemed that the
lady was about to stop laughing.

``So that is it?'' asked the lady, and she seemed about to begin
laughing again.

``Yes, I am a Mama, and I have three little girls about as funny as
you are.''

Another time a lady passed by the cabin where Bessie Bell stood
leaning against the little fluted white post of the gallery, and
said:

``Good morning, Bessie Bell. I am Alice's Mama.''

That made things so simple, thought Bessie Bell. This lady was a
Mama. And she was Alice's Mama.

Bessie Bell wished that all would tell in that nice way at once
whether they were Mamas or Just-Ladies.

The next lady who passed by the cabin also stopped to talk to Bessie
Bell.