_MISS ADAMS._
Among the many pleasures which Maggie and Bessie Bradford enjoyed at
Quam Beach, there was none which they liked much better than going over
to the hotel to see the dear friends who were staying there. Sometimes
it was to stay a while with grandmamma and Aunt Annie; perhaps to take
a meal with them at the long hotel table; to hear grandmamma's stories,
or to have a frolic with Aunt Annie and their little playmates. Aunt
Annie was a young girl herself, merry and full of mischief, and liked
play almost as well as Maggie. Then there were those delightful visits
to Colonel and Mrs. Rush, which the colonel said he enjoyed more than
they did; but they thought that could not be possible. They knew a good
many of the other people, too, and almost every one was pleased to see
the two well-behaved, ladylike little girls.
But there was staying at the hotel a lady who used to amaze Maggie
and Bessie very much. Her name was Miss Adams. She was very tall and
rather handsome, with bright, flashing black eyes, a beautiful color in
her cheeks, and very white teeth. But she had a loud, rough voice and
laugh, and a rude, wild manner, which was more like that of a coarse
man than a young lady. Then she talked very strangely, using a great
many words which are called "slang," and which are not nice for any
one to use, least of all for a lady. Maggie ran away whenever she came
near; but Bessie would stand and watch her with a grave, disapproving
air, which was very amusing to those who saw it.
Miss Adams generally had a number of gentlemen around her, with whom
she was very familiar, calling them by their names without any "Mr.,"
slapping them on the shoulder, laughing and talking at the top of her
voice, and altogether behaving in a very unladylike way. But Bessie
thought it very strange that sometimes, when Miss Adams had been acting
in this rough, noisy manner, after she went away, the gentlemen would
shrug their shoulders, and laugh and talk among themselves, as if they
were making unkind remarks about her. She thought they could not like
her very much, after all, when they did so.
One evening Harry came home from the hotel in a state of great
indignation. Miss Adams had a beautiful dog named Carlo. He was a
water spaniel, and was a great favorite with all the boys, who often
coaxed him to the shore, where they could play with him. Miss Adams was
generally willing enough to have him go; but that afternoon, when she
was going out in her pony carriage, she wanted him to go with her, and
he was not to be found. Something had happened before to put her out,
and she was very angry at Carlo's absence. She had gone but a little
way, when it began to rain, and she had to turn back. This vexed her
still more; and just as she jumped from her carriage, Carlo ran up.
"So, sir," she said, with an angry frown, "I'll teach you to run away
without leave!" and taking the poor dog by the back of the neck, she
thrashed him with the horse-whip she held in her other hand. Carlo
whined and howled, and looked up in her face with pitiful eyes; but she
only whipped him the harder. The ladies turned pale and walked away,
and the gentlemen begged her to stop, but all in vain; she kept on
until her arm was quite tired, and then the poor dog crept away shaking
and trembling all over. The boys were furious, and Maggie and Bessie
were very much distressed when they heard the story, and disliked Miss
Adams more than ever.
When the baby was quite well again, Mr. and Mrs. Bradford took a drive
of some miles, to spend the day with an old friend. They took only
baby and nurse with them, and Maggie and Bessie went up to the hotel
to stay with their grandmamma. It was a very warm day, and grandmamma
called them indoors earlier than usual. But they did not care much, for
Aunt Annie was a capital playmate, and she amused them for a long time.
But just as she was in the midst of a most interesting story, some
ladies came to make a visit to grandmamma. One of the ladies was old
and rather cross, and she did not like children, and Aunt Annie thought
that it would not be very pleasant for her little nieces to be in the
room while she was there. So she gave them a pack of picture cards and
a basket of shells, and said they might go and play with them on one of
the long settees which stood on the piazza.
There were only one or two people on the piazza, and the children
spread out their shells and pictures, and were very busy and happy for
some time. They heard Miss Adams' loud voice in the hall, but did not
pay any attention to her.
Presently she came out on the piazza, followed by three or four
gentlemen, and looked around for a shady place. She saw none that she
liked as well as that where Maggie and Bessie were playing, and coming
up to them, she sat down on the other end of the bench. The gentlemen
stood around.
"Here, Thorn," said Miss Adams, "sit down here;" and she moved nearer
to Bessie, sweeping down some of the shells and pictures with her
skirts. Mr. Thorn obeyed, and Maggie whispered to Bessie, "Let's go
away." Bessie said, "Yes;" and they began to gather up their treasures,
Maggie stooping to pick up those which Miss Adams had thrown down.
Presently Bessie felt a pretty hard pull at one of her long curls. She
was sure it was Miss Adams, although she did not see her; but she said
nothing, only shook back her hair, and put on the look she always did
when Miss Adams was doing anything of which she did not approve.
There came another pull, this time a little harder. "Don't," said
Bessie.
A third pull, just as Maggie raised her head and saw Miss Adams' hand
at Bessie's hair.
"Don't!" said Bessie again, in a louder and more impatient tone.
"Come now, Lovatt," said Miss Adams, "are you not ashamed to be pulling
a young lady's hair?"
"Oh!" said Maggie, astonished out of her shyness, "you did it yourself!
I saw you."
Miss Adams shook her fist at Maggie, and then gave a longer and harder
pull at Bessie's hair.
"When I tell you _to don't_, why _don't_ you don't?" said Bessie,
furiously, stamping her foot, and turning to Miss Adams, her face
crimson with anger.
Miss Adams and the gentlemen set up a shout of laughter, and Mr.
Lovatt, who was standing just behind Bessie, caught her up in his arms
and held her high in the air.
Now Bessie disliked Mr. Lovatt almost as much as she did Miss Adams. He
was a great tease, and was always running after her and trying to kiss
her. He had never done it yet, for she had always managed to run away
from him, or some of her friends had interfered to save her from being
annoyed.
"Put me down!" she said.
"Not until you have given me three kisses," said Mr. Lovatt. "I have
you now, and you cannot help yourself."
"Put me down!" screamed Bessie, furious with passion.
"For shame, Lovatt!" said Mr. Thorn, and Mr. Lovatt looked for a moment
as if he was going to put Bessie down; but Miss Adams laughed and
said,--
"You are not going to let that little mite get the better of you?
_Make_ her kiss you. Such airs!"
Mr. Lovatt lowered the struggling child a little, but still held her
fast in his arms, while Maggie ran off to call her grandmamma.
"Kiss me, and I'll let you go," said Mr. Lovatt.
"I wont, I wont!" shrieked Bessie. "I'll tell my papa."
"Your papa is far away," said Miss Adams.
"I'll tell Colonel Yush!" gasped Bessie.
"Do you think I care a _rush_ for him?" said Mr. Lovatt, as he tried to
take the kisses she would not give. Bessie screamed aloud, clinched one
little hand in Mr. Lovatt's hair, and with the other struck with all
her force upon the mouth that was so near her own.
"Whew!" said Mr. Lovatt, as he quickly set Bessie upon her feet, "who
would have thought that tiny hand could have stung so?"
"You little tiger!" said Miss Adams, seizing Bessie by the shoulder and
giving her a shake. "You are the child they call so good; are you? Why,
there's not another in the house would have flown into such a passion
for nothing. What a furious temper!"
Bessie had never been shaken before. It was a punishment which Mr. and
Mrs. Bradford would not have thought proper for a child, were she
ever so naughty, and she had never been punished at all by any one but
her father or mother, and that but seldom. But it was not so much the
shaking as Miss Adams' words which sobered Bessie in an instant. She
had been in a passion again! She stood perfectly silent, her lips and
cheeks growing so white that Miss Adams was frightened, but just then
Mrs. Stanton stepped out on the piazza and came quickly toward them.
They all looked ashamed and uncomfortable as the stately old lady
lifted her little granddaughter in her arms and spoke a few words of
stern reproof to the thoughtless young people who could find amusement
in tormenting a little child. Then she carried Bessie away.