money." And she fumbled for her purse
in various hiding-places about her ample person.
"And you want me to be banker," cried Miss Bailey; "to keep the money
and give Morris ten cents a day--is that it?"
"Sure," answered Mrs. Mowgelewsky.
"It's a awful lot of money," grieved Morris. "Ten cents a day is a awful
lot of money for one boy."
"No, no, my golden one," cried his mother. "It is but right that thou
shouldst have plenty of money, und thy teacher, a Christian lady, though
honest--und what neighbor is honest?--will give thee ten cents every
morning. Behold, I pay the rent before I go, und with the rent paid und
with ten cents a day thou wilt live like a landlord."
"Yes, yes," Morris broke in, evidently repeating some familiar warning,
"und every day I will say mine prayers und wash me the face, und keep
the neighbors out, und on Thursdays und on Sundays I shall go on the
hospital for see you."
"And on Saturdays," broke in Miss Bailey, "you will come to my house and
spend the day with me. He's too little, Mrs. Mowgelewsky, to go to the
synagogue alone."
"That could be awful nice," breathed Morris. "I likes I shall go on your
house. I am lovin' much mit your dog."
"How?" snorted his mother. "Dogs! Dogs ain't nothing only foolishness.
They eats something fierce, und they don't works."
"That iss how mine mamma thinks," Morris hastened to explain, lest the
sensitive feelings of his Lady Paramount should suffer. "But mine mamma
she never seen _your_ dog. He iss a awful nice dog; I am lovin' much mit
him."
"I don't needs I shall see him," said Mrs. Mowgelewsky, somewhat tartly.
"I seen, already, lots from dogs. Don't you go make no foolishness mit
him. Don't you go und get chawed off of him."
"Of course not, of course not," Miss Bailey hastened to assure her; "he
will only play with Rover if I should be busy or unable to take him out
with me. He'll be safer at my house than he would be on the streets, and
you wouldn't expect him to stay in the house all day."
After more parley and many warnings the arrangement was completed. Miss
Bailey was intrusted with two dollars and ten cents, and the censorship
of Morris. A day or so later Mrs. Mowgelewsky retired, indomitable, to
her darkened room in the hospital, and the neighbors were inexorably
shut out of her apartment. All their offers of help, all their proffers
of advice were politely refused by Morris, all their questions and
visits politely dodged
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