Page:The mislaid uncle (IA mislaiduncle00raym).pdf/122

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never occurred to her that she could be in anybody's way, and she returned to the library very promptly, her red hat thrust coquettishly on one side of her head, and her coat flying apart as she ran. She was so pretty and so eager that the red-headed boy began to feel ashamed of himself, and remembered what his grandmother often told him: that it was the mark of a gentleman to be courteous to women. He was a gentleman, of course. All his forefathers had been, down in their ancient home in Virginia, which seemed to be considered a little finer portion of the United States than could be found elsewhere. Let the boys jeer, if they wanted to. He was in for it and couldn't back out. So he walked up to Josephine who was giving Uncle Joe a parting kiss, and remarked:

"I'll button your coat. But put your hat on straight. It won't stay a minute that way, and when I'm drawing you, I can't stop all the time to be picking it up. Where's your gloves? Forgot 'em? Never mind. Here's my mittens. Ready? Come on, then. Good