widen with surprise. "NO! Yer wrong. Weren't
Heaven that good-looking new boy was staring at! It
was me!"
"What boy?" I asked.
"The son of the new pharmacist who's come to
run the drugstore," explained Tom. "Didn't ya notice
the name Stonewall? He was in the store when Miss
Deale bought us the cones, an by gosh, he sure
seemed taken by ya, Heavenly, he sure did." "Liar!" yelled Fanny. "Nobody ever stares at
Heaven when I'm there, they don't!"
Tom and I ignored Fanny and her screaming
voice. "Heard tell he's gonna be comin t'our school
tornmorra," Tom continued. "Made me feel funny
t'way he looked at ya," he went on in an embarrassed
way. "Sure will hate t'day when ya marry up an we're
not close anymore."
"We'll always be close," I said quickly. "No
boy is ever going to convince me I need him more
than I need an education."
Yet, in bed that night, curled up on the floor
near Ole Smokey, I stared through the dimness to
where I could imagine seeing a brand-new pretty blue
dress, never worn by anyone else, hanging on a wall
nail. Foolishly, as only the young can believe, I
thought that if I wore beauty it would somehow
change the world about me. I woke up knowing I
wanted a new dress more than anything--and
wondering, too, if that new boy would like me even if
I never had anything new to wear.
three Logan Stonewall