What Katy Did | Page 7

of Lubin's Extracts, and whenever I want any I shall go just
out and dip a bottle in. And I shan't teach in Sunday schools, like Cecy,
because I don't want to; but every Sunday I'll go and stand by the gate,
and when her scholars go by on their way home, I'll put Lubin's
Extracts on their handkerchiefs."
"I mean to have just the same," cried Elsie, whose imagination was
fired by this gorgeous vision, "only my pond will be the biggest. I shall
be a great deal beautifuller, too," she added.
"You can't," said Katy from overhead. "Clover is going to be the most
beautiful lady in the world."
"But I'll be more beautiful than the most beautiful," persisted poor little
Elsie; "and I'll be big, too, and know everybody's secrets. And
everybody'll be kind, then, and never run away and hide; and there
won't be any post offices, or anything disagreeable."
"What'll you be, Johnnie?" asked Clover, anxious to change the subject,
for Elsie's voice was growing plaintive.
But Johnnie had no clear ideas as to her future. She laughed a great deal,
and squeezed Dorry's arm very tight, but that was all. Dorry was more
explicit.
"I mean to have turkey every day," he declared, "and batter-puddings;
not boiled ones, you know, but little baked ones, with brown shiny tops,
and a great deal of pudding sauce to eat on them. And I shall be so big
then that nobody will say, 'Three helps is quite enough for a little boy.'"
"Oh, Dorry, you pig!" cried Katy, while the others screamed with
laughter. Dorry was much affronted.
"I shall just go and tell Aunt Izzie what you called me," he said, getting
up in a great pet.

But Clover, who was a born peacemaker, caught hold of his arm, and
her coaxings and entreaties consoled him so much that he finally said
he would stay; especially as the others were quite grave now, and
promised that they wouldn't laugh any more.
"And now, Katy, it's your turn," said Cecy; "tell us what you're going to
be when you grow up."
"I'm not sure about what I'll be," replied Katy, from overhead;
"beautiful, of course, and good if I can, only not so good as you, Cecy,
because it would be nice to go and ride with the young gentlemen
sometimes. And I'd like to have a large house and a splendiferous
garden, and then you could all come and live with me, and we would
play in the garden, and Dorry should have turkey five times a day if he
liked. And we'd have a machine to darn the stockings, and another
machine to put the bureau drawers in order, and we'd never sew or knit
garters, or do anything we didn't want to. That's what I'd like to be. But
now I'll tell you what I mean to do."
"Isn't it the same thing?" asked Cecy.
"Oh, no!" replied Katy, "quite different; for you see I mean to do
something grand. I don't know what, yet; but when I'm grown up I shall
find out." (Poor Katy always said "when I'm grown up," forgetting how
very much she had grown already.) "Perhaps," she went on, "it will be
rowing out in boats, and saving peoples' lives, like that girl in the book.
Or perhaps I shall go and nurse in the hospital, like Miss Nightingale.
Or else I'll head a crusade and ride on a white horse, with armor and a
helmet on my head, and carry a sacred flag. Or if I don't do that, I'll
paint pictures, or sing, or scalp--sculp,--what is it? you know--make
figures in marble. Anyhow it shall be something. And when Aunt Izzie
sees it, and reads about me in the newspapers she will say, 'The dear
child! I always knew she would turn out an ornament to the family,'
People very often say, afterward, that they 'always knew,'" concluded
Katy sagaciously.
"Oh, Katy! how beautiful it will be!" said Clover, clasping her hands.
Clover believed in Katy as she did in the Bible.

"I don't believe the newspapers would be so silly as to print things
about you, Katy Carr," put in Elsie, vindictively.
"Yes they will!" said Clover; and gave Elsie a push.
By and by John and Dorry trotted away on mysterious errands of their
own.
"Wasn't Dorry funny with his turkey?" remarked Cecy; and they all
laughed again.
"If you won't tell," said Katy, "I'll let you see Dorry's journal. He kept it
once for almost two weeks, and then gave it up. I found the book, this
morning, in the nursery closet."
All of them promised, and Katy produced it from her pocket. It began
thus:
"March 12.--Have resolved to keep a jurnal.
March 13.--Had rost