The Adventures of Elizabeth Ann | Page 2

and took the handkerchief
away from his eyes. Elizabeth Ann saw that he had very black eyes and
a mustache as white as his hair. His face was thin and there was a line
between his eyes like the one Mother said was a "worry frown" when
she tried to smooth it out from Daddy's face.
What he saw was a little girl in a blue smocked gingham dress and tan
socks and sandals. Her dark brown hair was bobbed and fluffy and tied
back from her blue eyes with a perky blue hair-ribbon. A round gold
locket swung on a little gold chain fastened around her neck.
"Don't you feel well?" repeated this little girl. "Are you sorry for
something?"
The little, white-haired man seemed to understand then.
"It was this silly orange juice," he explained. "It flew in my eye and
almost put it out."
"I thought you were crying," said Elizabeth Ann, relieved to find that
he wasn't. "Orange juice does make your eyes smart, doesn't it? That's
why my mother squeezes it into a glass."
Fred, the colored man, came back just then with another colored man
who carried a tray. "Here's you-all's breakfast," said Fred to Elizabeth
Ann, and he looked as though he didn't know what to say at finding her
out of her seat.
"Just a minute, Fred," ordered the little, white-haired man who seemed
to know him. "This young lady has been kind enough to make friends
with me and I don't want her hurried. Where are the rest of your family,
dear?" he said.
"There's just me," said Elizabeth Ann bravely, and the queer feeling
came back.

"She's in charge of Mr. Hobart," put in Fred.
Again the little, white-haired man seemed to understand.
"I'm all alone, too," he said. "Why can't we have breakfast together?"
And almost before she knew it, Elizabeth Ann was seated opposite to
him and Fred had placed a bowl of oatmeal and cream before her. The
dining-car was filling up rapidly now, and Fred had three other colored
men to help him. Elizabeth Ann enjoyed watching the people, though
they were all grown-ups. Fred did not forget her, but brought her egg
and toast and a glass of milk when she had finished the oatmeal.
"He's a very thoughtful man, isn't he?" she said shyly to the little,
white-haired man. "Don't you think so, Mr. --"
"You may call me Mr. Robert," said her new friend. "And will you tell
me your name?"
"My name is Elizabeth Ann Loring," she answered readily. "I'm named
for my two grandmas. I never saw them, but I think they had pretty
names, don't you? And I'm going to visit my three aunties--one after the
other. This is the first time I ever rode on a train."
"Then it is an adventure," Mr. Robert said smilingly. "I can't remember
when I haven't ridden on trains."
Elizabeth Ann liked him and she found herself telling him all about this
wonderful first trip of hers and the things that were going to happen to
her.
"Mother and Daddy," she said earnestly. "Have gone to Japan. That's
pretty far off and they may be gone a year. They couldn't take me
'cause it's not staying one place; Daddy has to travel all over. But
they're going to send me some of everything they see. All our 'lations
live in the East--I'm going to visit my Aunt Isabel and my Aunt Hester
and my Aunt Jennie till Mother and Daddy come back. Not all at once,
you know, but taking turns. Aunt Isabel lives in New York and I'm to

go there first."
"If you've never ridden on a train, I don't believe you've ever lived in a
large city," said Mr. Robert.
Elizabeth Ann shook her head.
"We live on the ranch," she said. "Daddy takes me places in the car, but
not on a train. Next year I'm going to school and ride a pony."
"How old are you?" Mr. Robert asked.
"Seven," answered the little girl. "Do you suppose New York is nice?"
"Well, it's big and noisy and, yes, I suppose it is 'nice,' " said Mr.
Robert, stirring his coffee slowly. "But I like the country better. Do
people go to school when they're seven?"
A little dimple dented Elizabeth Ann's left cheek.
"I'm going!" she announced triumphantly. "Daddy said I should. Then
I'll have boys and girls to play with. There aren't any on this train, are
there?"
"There may be in some of the other cars," Mr. Robert replied. "I haven't
been through the train."
"Could I go look?" asked Elizabeth Ann. "I brought my biggest doll,
but I would rather; have a little girl to play with."
"I think, if I were you, I'd ask Mr. Hobart