Bonnie May - Louis Dodge

TO
THE LITTLE NEW ENGLAND GIRL
WHO (IN COMPANY WITH HER MOTHER)
MADE FRIENDS WITH AN AMERICAN SOLDIER
ON A JUNE DAY IN 1898
IN THE MARKET-PLACE IN HONOLULU
AND PROMISED
“I SHALL NEVER FORGET YOU”

CHAPTER	PAGE
I.	The Intrusion of an Actress	[ 1]
II.	A Momentous Decision	[ 15]
III.	Mrs. Baron Decides	[ 24]
IV.	A Crisis	[ 36]
V.	Bonnie May Opens the Door	[ 46]
VI.	Concerning a Frock	[ 59]
VII.	A Sunday Morning	[ 75]
VIII.	Still Unclaimed	[ 86]
IX.	A Disappointing Performance	[ 95]
X.	The White Elephant	[ 110]
XI.	How a Conveyance Came for Bonnie May—and How It Went Away	[ 121]
XII.	Relates To the Playing of Parts	[ 137]
XIII.	A Mysterious Search Begins	[ 146]
XIV.	Mr. Addis Receives Support	[ 155]
XV.	A Question of Reconstruction	[ 169]
XVI.	Mrs. Thornburg Reveals a Secret	[ 184]
XVII.	“A Kind of Duel”	[ 193]
XVIII.	Mrs. Baron Takes Up the Gauntlet	[ 202]
XIX.	Bonnie May Looks Back	[ 218]
XX.	Concerning Laughter	[ 230]
XXI.	An Exit and an Entrance	[ 244]
XXII.	Baggot’s Play	[ 257]
XXIII.	Baron Comes Home on a Beer-Dray	[ 267]
XXIV.	Bonnie May Hides Something	[ 279]
XXV.	Bonnie May Sees Two Faces at a Window	[ 289]
XXVI.	A Gathering in the Attic	[ 298]
XXVII.	What Happened in the Attic	[ 310]
XXVIII.	After the Curtain Was Lowered	[ 321]
XXIX.	The Mansion in Shadow	[ 331]
XXX.	“The Break of Day”	[ 339]

Illustrations

She assumed a slightly careless air and looked airily at imaginary objects	[ Frontispiece]
FACING PAGE
“I thought everybody knew me,” she said. “I’m Bonnie May”	[ 8]
“Good evening,” she said, as if she were addressing strangers	[ 28]
“You seem a little old for the part,” she suggested	[ 54]
A most extraordinary ancient man stood there watching her	[ 82]
“Enter the heroine!” was the child’s greeting	[ 162]
“They look as if they were quite happy—and didn’t care to be anything else”	[ 180]
“I don’t know what you’re getting at!” he exclaimed. “If you’ve got anything to say, why not say it and be done with it?”	[ 196]
“Dear child, do try to love me, won’t you?”	[ 252]
Thomason jerked his needle through a tough place and pulled it out to arm’s length	[ 292]
“Look at them!” she screamed. “Look! Look!”	[ 318]
She had put her arms about the trembling old lady’s neck, and for the moment they were both silent	[ 352]

Bonnie May

Only women understand children thoroughly, but if a mere man keeps very quiet and humbles himself properly, and refrains from talking down to his superiors, children will sometimes be good to him and let him see what they think about the world.

Rudyard Kipling.

Contents

Illustrations