Back to School with Betsy (9 page)

Claus while Billy and Ellen took their seats in the back of the sleigh.

"It's funny," said Christopher to Santa Claus, "but you talk just like Mr. Kilpatrick."

"Yes, you do," cried the rest of the children, "just exactly like Mr. Kilpatrick."

"And who may Mr. Kilpatrick be?" asked Santa Claus.

"Mr. Kilpatrick is the policeman who takes us across the street," said Betsy.

"Oh, that fellow!" shouted Santa Claus. "Sure, I've seen him often. He's got a face like a dish of turnips and hair the color of carrots."

The children laughed. "I don't think it is nice of you to talk about Mr. Kilpatrick that way," said Ellen.

"Sure, there's nobody with a better right," said Santa Claus.

"I think you
are
Mr. Kilpatrick," said Mary Lou.

"'Kilpatrick'! What a name!" said Santa Claus. "Upon my word, I've killed flies and I've killed mosquitoes and one or two centipedes, but never have I killed any Patrick."

The children shouted with laughter.

By this time the sleigh had reached a house. It stood by the road under tall trees. Lights shone from the windows. It was an old inn.

Santa Claus stopped the sleigh and everyone climbed down. A boy in the yard led the horses to a shed nearby. He put blankets over them.

Santa Claus led the way into the inn. There was a fire roaring in the fireplace.

Betsy's eyes were as big as saucers. "Why, Father, it's just like your dream when you were a little boy," she said.

In front of the fireplace there was a table. They all sat down at the table. Santa Claus sat at the head of the table.

"Are we going to have something to eat?" asked Billy.

"We certainly are," said Santa Claus. "What do you want to eat, Billy?"

"Hot dogs!" shouted Billy at the top of his voice.

"Yes, hot dogs!" shouted all of the children except Betsy. 'She was laughing so hard she couldn't say anything. At last she said, "Oh, Father!" and she began laughing again. "Do you remember the hot dogs in your dream?"

Father was laughing too. "Yes," he said, "I remember."

After the children ate their hot dogs and drank big cups of cocoa, they went out to the sleigh. They felt all warmed up.

When they were settled, with Betsy and Peter on the front seat with Santa Claus, they started for home.

"Jingle, jingle, jingle," went the sleigh bells. "Trot, trot, trot," went the horses' feet.

Santa Claus joked with the children all the way back to the stable. There the children climbed out. They all shook hands with Santa Claus and thanked him for the lovely sleigh ride.

As they got into Father's car, they cried, "Good night, Santa Claus! Good night and Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas!" shouted Santa Claus. "Remember me to Mr. Kilpatrick!"

"Sure!" shouted Billy. "Remember me to your twin brother."

Father dropped the children off, one by one, at their homes.

"Good night!" they each called. "Thank you and a Merry Christmas!"

When Betsy kissed Father good night, she said, "Father, was Santa Claus Mr. Kilpatrick?"

Father laughed. "Well, what do you think?" he said.

Betsy's baby sister, Star, was a year old. Betsy loved her very dearly. She helped Mother take care of her, and when she played with her it was like playing with a lovely big doll.

One day Betsy was watching Mother give Star a bath. Betsy sat on a little stool. The day before she had been over to visit Mrs. Jackson. Now she was telling Mother all of the news.

"The apartment over the Jacksons' garage is all finished," said Betsy. "It's very nice. Sort of like a big playhouse."

"Is that so?" said Mother.

"Yes," said Betsy, "and Mrs. Jackson has a lady coming to help her with the housekeeping. She's going to live in the apartment over the garage."

"Well, well!" said Mother. "Isn't that fine!"

While Betsy and Mother talked, the baby kept Betsy very busy. She kicked and splashed and played with a rubber duck. Every time she threw the rubber duck out of the tub Betsy picked it up for her. Star thought this was great fun.

"May I shake the talcum powder on her?" asked Betsy.

"Yes," replied Mother as she patted Star dry.

Betsy shook the powder all over the baby. Then she rubbed it with her hand. Betsy thought the baby was the softest, smoothest thing she had ever felt.

"Mother," said Betsy, "do you know what kind of a baby I want the next time we get one?"

"Goodness!" cried Mother. "You're not thinking of the next baby already, are you?"

"Oh, yes!" said Betsy. "I know exactly what kind I want. Could we get one all ready-made? I forget what you call babies that you get all ready-made."

"You mean 'adopt' a baby," said Mother.

"Yes," replied Betsy. "Couldn't we 'dopt one?"

"No, dear," said Mother. "We already have a baby."

"I'll bet if a little baby could talk, it would say it would like to be 'dopted by us."

"Well now, we won't talk about it anymore," said Mother. "You have a dear little baby sister to play with."

"Yes," said Betsy, "but I want a lot of babies. And I like all different colors."

One day during the following week Betsy was coming home from school. When she was a few blocks from home she met a little black girl. She was about two years old and she was crying. Betsy went up to the little girl. "What's the matter?" she asked.

The baby just went right on crying.

Betsy looked up and down the street. There was no one in sight. "Where do you live?" she said to the baby. The baby cried harder.

Betsy knelt down beside her. "Are you lost?" she asked.

The baby took hold of Betsy's hand. The baby's hand felt soft and warm.

"Haven't you any mother or father?" asked Betsy.

The baby just sobbed.

The two children were standing in front of a big house. Betsy looked up at the house. Then she led the baby up to the front door. Betsy rang the bell. She waited.

In a few minutes the door was opened by a plump old lady, wearing a checked apron. "What is the matter?" the lady asked.

"Does this little girl belong to you?"

"No, she doesn't," said the lady, leaning down to look at the children. "Now, I've just made some cookies," she said. "Perhaps if we give her a cookie she'll stop crying. Just wait a minute."

Soon the old lady was back with two cookies. She gave one to each of the children.

"Oh, thank you!" said Betsy. "Now she'll stop crying."

The baby took the cookie, but she didn't stop crying.

She just cried between each bite.

"Don't cry," said Betsy. "There isn't anything to cry about. My mother and father will 'dopt you. It's nice at our house and I'll play with you. I have a baby sister too. And you can play with her."

Betsy and the baby trotted down the street hand in hand. The baby was still whimpering.

When Betsy reached the corner grocery store she went in. She bought two lollipops for a penny.

"Whose little baby have you got, Betsy?" asked the grocer.

"I guess she isn't anybody's," said Betsy. "I found her and my mother and father are going to 'dopt her."

The grocer laughed. "Well, good luck to you," he said.

Betsy gave one of the lollipops to the baby.

She put it in her mouth. She was perfectly happy now.

When Betsy reached home they were both sucking lollipops.

"Mother! Mother!" shouted Betsy, as soon as she was inside of the house. "Come see what I found, Mother. Come see!"

"Bring it upstairs, dear," called Mother. "I'm in the sewing room."

Betsy and the baby started up the stairs. It was a little slow because the baby would only put her left foot up.

"What on earth are you bringing?" Mother called.

"It's a surprise," Betsy called back. "Just wait till you see what a nice surprise it is."

At last they reached the top of the stairs. Hand in hand they went into the sewing room. Betsy's face was beaming. She was so pleased with her new friend.

When Mother saw them she dropped her sewing on the floor.

"Why, Betsy!" she said. "Whose little girl is this?"