“Let's have this, Missy.” He turned to his grandmother. “Ought to hear her do this rag--I've been teaching her double-bass.”
Missy shrank back as he placed the rag-time on the music-rest.
Pete smiled down at her--his amiable but condescending smile.
“What's the matter with to-day?” he asked.
“Oh, I don't know--I just don't feel that way, I guess.”
“Don't feel that way?” repeated Pete. “You're temperamental, are you? How do you feel, Missy?”
Missy feared she was letting herself in for embarrassment; but this was a holy subject. So she made herself answer:
Pete shouted. “She feels religious! That's a good one! She guesses she--”
“Peter, you should be ashamed of yourself!” reproved his grandmother.
“She's a scream!” he insisted. “Religious! That kid!”
“Well,” defended Missy, timid and puzzled, but wounded to unwonted bravery, “isn't it proper to feel like that on the Sabbath?”
“Peter--stop that! You should be ashamed of yourself!” It was his grandfather this time. Grandpa moved over to the piano and removed the rag-time from off the hymnal, pausing to pat Missy on the head.
But Peter was not the age to be easily squelched.
“What does it feel like, Missy--the religious feeling?”
Missy, her eyes bright behind their blur, didn't answer. Indeed, she could not have defined that sweetly sad glow, now so cruelly crushed, even had she wanted to.
Missy didn't enjoy her dinner as much as she usually did the midday Sunday feasts when grandpa and grandma came to eat with them. She felt embarrassed and shy. Of course she had to answer when asked why she wasn't eating her drumstick, and whether the green apples in grandma's orchard had given her an “upset,” and other direct questions; but when she could, she kept silent. She was glad Pete didn't talk to her much. Yet, now and then, she caught his eyes upon her in a look of sardonic enquiry, and quickly averted her own.
Her unhappiness lasted till the visitors had departed. Then, after aimlessly wandering about, she took her Holy Bible out to the summerhouse. She was contemplating a surprise for grandpa and grandma. Next week mother and Aunt Nettie were going over to Aunt Anna's in Junction City for a few days; during their absence Missy was to stay with her grandparents. And to surprise them, she was learning by heart a whole Psalm.