. Miss Santa Claus of the Pullman. ay, 67 MISS SANTA CLAUS Come on, brother, lets go and try whatits like to wash in that big white basin withthe chained-up hole in the bottom of it. There was a bowl apiece, and for the firstfive minutes their hands were white ducksswimming in a pond. Then the faucetswere shining silver dragons, spouting outstreams of water from their mouths to drownfour little mermaids, who were not real mer-maids, but children whom a wicked witchhad changed to such and thrown into a they blew soap-bubbles through theirhands, till Willms squeal of delight overone es
. Miss Santa Claus of the Pullman. ay, 67 MISS SANTA CLAUS Come on, brother, lets go and try whatits like to wash in that big white basin withthe chained-up hole in the bottom of it. There was a bowl apiece, and for the firstfive minutes their hands were white ducksswimming in a pond. Then the faucetswere shining silver dragons, spouting outstreams of water from their mouths to drownfour little mermaids, who were not real mer-maids, but children whom a wicked witchhad changed to such and thrown into a they blew soap-bubbles through theirhands, till Willms squeal of delight overone especially fine bubble, which rested onthe carpet a moment, instead of bursting,brought the porter to the door to see whatwas the matter. They were not used to colored pushed aside the red plush curtain andlooked in, but the bubble had vanished, andall he saw was a slim little girl of sevensnatching up a towel to polish the red cheeksof a chubby boy of four. When they wentback to their seats their finger tips were curi- 68. He pushed aside the red plush curtain and looked in OF THE PULLMAN ously wrinkled from long immersion in thehot soap-suds, but the ache was gone out oftheir throats, and Libby thought it mightbe well for them to eat their dinner whiletheir hands were so very clean. It was onlyquarter past eleven, but it seemed to themthat they had been traveling nearly a wholeday. A chill of disappointment came to Willmwhen his food was handed to him out of apasteboard box. He had not thought to eatit in this primitive fashion. He had ex-pected to sit at one of the little tables, butLibby did nt know what one had to do togain the privilege of using them. The tripwas not turning out to be all he had fondlyimagined. Still the lunch in the pasteboardbox was not to be despised. Even disap-pointment could not destroy the taste ofGrandma Neals chicken sandwiches andblackberry jam. By the time they had eaten all theywanted, and tied up the box and washedtheir hands again (n
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Keywords: ., bookauthorjohnston, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1913
