Діти залізниці
What Bobbie brought home.
Shewasalwaysveryangrywhenanyoneelsecalledheralittlegirl,eveniftheadjectivethatwentfirstwasnot"silly"but"nice"or"good"or"clever."AnditwasonlywhenshewasveryangrywithherselfthatsheallowedRobertatousethatexpressiontoBobbie.
Shefixedthelittlecandleendonabrokenbricknearthered-jerseyedboy’sfeet.ThensheopenedPeter’sknife.Itwasalwayshardtomanage—ahalfpennywasgenerallyneededtogetitopenatall.ThistimeBobbiesomehowgotitopenwithherthumbnail.Shebrokethenail,andithurthorribly.Thenshecuttheboy’sbootlace,andgotthebootoff.Shetriedtopulloffhisstocking,buthislegwasdreadfullyswollen,anditdidnotseemtobethepropershape.Soshecutthestockingdown,veryslowlyandcarefully.Itwasabrown,knittedstocking,andshewonderedwhohadknittedit,andwhetheritwastheboy’smother,andwhethershewasfeelinganxiousabouthim,andhowshewouldfeelwhenhewasbroughthomewithhislegbroken.WhenBobbiehadgotthestockingoffandsawthepoorleg,shefeltasthoughthetunnelwasgrowingdarker,andthegroundfeltunsteady,andnothingseemedquitereal.
"SILLYlittlegirl!"saidRobertatoBobbie,andfeltbetter.
"Thepoorleg,"shetoldherself;"itoughttohaveacushion—ah!"
SherememberedthedaywhensheandPhyllishadtornuptheirredflannelpetticoatstomakedangersignalstostopthetrainandpreventanaccident.
