Judith caught the little crippled figure closer in a loving hug. “I’m thankful a’ready!” she cried.
They hurried through the simple breakfast that mother had left for them, and then Judith shouldered the joyous child and tramped away over the half-mile that separated them from the old black dory.
“Now, Judy, now le’s begin right off an’ pretend! Go ahead—you pretending?”
“I’m pretending. I’m a chariot and you’re a fine lady in pink ging—”
“Ging—!” scorned Blossom. “Silk, Judy—in pink silk, a-ridin’ in the chariot. It’s a very nice, easy chariot an’ doesn’t joggle her hip—Oh, I forgot she hasn’t got any hips, of course! Well, here she goes a-riding and a-riding along, just as comfortable, but pretty soon she says—we’re coming to the beautiful part now, Judy!—‘I guess I better get out an’ walk now,’ she says. Now pretend she got out and walked, Judy—you pretending?”
“I’m pretending,” cried Judy, her clasp on the little figure tightening and her eyes shining mysteriously. Sometime the little fine lady should get out and walk! She should—she should!
“Now she’s walking—no, she isn’t, either, she’s riding, and it isn’t in a chariot, it’s in her sister’s arms, an’ she’s Blossom. Don’t le’s pretend any more, Judy. There’s days it’s easy to an’ there’s days it’s hard to—it’s a hard-to day, I guess, to-day. Those days you can’t pretend get out and walk very well.”
“Pretend I’m an elephant!” laughed Judy, though the laugh trembled in her throat. “That’s an easy-to-pretend! And you’re an—Oh, an Arab, driving me! You must talk Arabese, Blossom!”
Blossom was gay again when they got to the dory, and Judith dropped her into the bow, out of her own weary arms.
“Now say ‘Heave-ho!—heave-ho’!” commanded Judith, “to help me drag her down, you know. Here we go!”