Little Vampire Women by Lynn Messina Page B

was filled, when she signed her name with a flourish and threw down her pen, exclaiming…
    “There, I’ve done my best! If this won’t suit I shall have to wait till I can do better.”
    Lying back on the sofa, she read the applicationcarefully through, making dashes here and there, and putting in many exclamation points, which looked like little balloons. Then she tied it up with a smart red ribbon, and sat a minute looking at it with a sober, wistful expression, which plainly showed how earnest her work had been. Jo’s desk up here was an old tin kitchen 20 which hung against the wall. In it she kept her papers and a few books, safely shut away from Scrabble, who, being likewise of a literary turn, as were many of his ancestors, was fond of making a circulating library of such books as were left in his way by eating the leaves.
    She put on her hat and jacket as noiselessly as possible, and going to the back entry window, got out upon the roof of a low porch, swung herself down to the grassy bank, and took a roundabout way to the road. Once there, she composed herself, hailed a passing omnibus, and rolled away to town, looking very merry and mysterious.
    If anyone had been watching her, he would have thought her movements decidedly peculiar, for on alighting, she went off at a great pace till she reached a certain number in a certain busy street. Having found the place with some difficulty, she went into thedoorway, looked up the dirty stairs, and after standing stock-still a minute, suddenly dived into the street and walked away as rapidly as she came. This maneuver she repeated several times, to the great amusement of a black-eyed young gentleman lounging in the window of a building opposite. On returning for the third time, Jo gave herself a shake, pulled her hat over her eyes, and walked up the stairs, looking as if she were going to have all her teeth out.
    There was a dentist’s sign, among others, which adorned the entrance, and after staring a moment at the pair of artificial jaws which slowly opened and shut to draw attention to a fine set of teeth, the young gentleman put on his coat, took his hat, and went down to post himself in the opposite doorway, saying with a smile and a shiver, “It’s like her to come alone, but if she has a bad time she’ll need someone to help her home.”
    In ten minutes Jo came running downstairs with the general appearance of a person who had just passed through a trying ordeal of some sort. When she saw the young gentleman she looked anything but pleased, and passed him with a nod. But he followed, asking with an air of sympathy, “Did you have a bad time?”
    “Not very.”
    “You got through quickly.”
    “Yes, thank goodness!”
    “Why did you go alone?”
    “Didn’t want anyone to know.”
    “You’re the oddest fellow I ever saw. How many did you have out?”
    Jo looked at her friend as if she did not understand him, then began to laugh as if mightily amused at something. The dear boy thought she’d had teeth removed. How delightfully absurd to believe a vampire needed a dentist!
    “What are you laughing at? You are up to some mischief, Jo,” said Laurie, looking mystified.
    Jo didn’t respond but shrugged rather carelessly, as if hoping to throw him off the scent but knowing she only stoked the fire of his curiosity.
    “I have some very interesting news,” he said. “It’s a secret, and if I tell you, you must tell me yours.”
    “I haven’t got any,” began Jo, but stopped suddenly, remembering that she had.
    “You know you have—you can’t hide anything, so up and ’fess, or I won’t tell,” cried Laurie.
    “Is your secret a nice one?”
    “Oh, isn’t it! All about people you know, and such fun! You ought to hear it, and I’ve been aching to tell it this long time. Come, you begin.”
    “You’ll not say anything about it at home, will you?”
    “Not a word.”
    “And you won’t tease me in private?”
    “I never tease.”
    “Yes,