Fifty-Two Weeks For Florette
By ELIZABETH ALEXANDER HEERMANN
From Saturday Evening Post
It had been over two months since Freddy Le Fay's bill had been paid, and Miss Nellie
Blair was worried. She had written to Freddy's mother repeatedly, but there had been no
answer.
"It's all your own fault, sister. You should never have taken Freddy," Miss Eva said
sharply. "I told you so at the time, when I saw his mother's hair. And of course Le Fay is
not her real name. It looks to me like a clear case of desertion."
"I can't believe it. She seemed so devoted," faltered Miss Nellie.
"Oh, a girl like that!" Miss Eva sniffed. "You should never have consented."
"Well, the poor thing was so worried, and if it meant saving a child from a dreadful life---
-"
"There are other schools more suitable."
"But, sister, she seemed to have her heart set on ours. She begged me to make a little
gentleman out of him."
"As if you could ever do that!"
"Why not?" asked Mary, their niece.
"Freddy isn't dreadful!" cried Mary hotly.
"With that atrocious slang! Won't eat his oatmeal! And he's such a queer child--queer! So
pale, never laughs, doesn't like any one. Why should you take up for him? He doesn't
even like you. Hates me, I suppose."
"It's because we are so different from the women he has known," said Mary.
"I should hope so! Well, sister, what are you going to do about it?"
"I don't know what to do," sighed Miss Nellie. "He hasn't any other relatives as far as I
know. And the summer coming on, what shall we do?"
"Nothing for it but to send him to an orphanage if she doesn't write soon," said Miss Eva.
