"Go off by myself and say it to Lily? I haven't any Lily."
"No, of course, but you might say it just the same to a chair—or—or anyfing. Mamma says it's not nice for a lady to say it, and that's why I'm doing it all I can now, 'cause I'll be a lady some day, and then I can't. There are lots of fings that way. Anyhow, Bill said it, and I told him he was an aggynorstic. That sounds like a dreadful word, but it isn't, for I heard mamma call somebody that, and I asked her what it meant, and she said it meant a person that doesn't believe. I fought it would scare Bill, for I fink it has a scary sound, like the day of wrath."
The doctor turned away his head, and, taking out his handkerchief, buried his face in it, a violent fit of coughing seeming to overtake him.
Elinor looked quite alarmed, but the doctor assured her it was only a small matter, and though very red in the face, he resumed a grave demeanor and asked Elinor to continue her tale.
"The Doctor turned away his head,
and taking out his handkerchief, buried his face in it"—Page 46]
"Well," she went on, "'then Bill,' I said, 'you're an aggynorstic,' and he stared at me so hard. 'I don't like aggynorstics,' I said, and he said 'what'll I do about it?' And I said, 'you write to Santa Claus just like'——Oh, my! I was just going to tell such a precious secret. I won't, though——Anyhow, I made him promise he'd write to Santa Claus if I'd buy vi'lets whenever I had any money in my bank. And he did write, and now I reckon he'll find out. He's real e'cited over it."
"And where does he live?"