A Bundle of Trouble. Jacqueline Dembar Greene

I grow up,” said Francesca, watching the boy with the puppy, “I want to be fine dressmaker, make beautiful clothes.”

      “I want to be a movie actress,” Rebecca confided. Her family always said she had a flair for drama, and once she’d even visited a movie studio and played a small part in a movie. But her parents wanted her to become a teacher.

      “I make beautiful costumes for your movies!” Francesca plucked at Rebecca’s sleeve. “My neighbor, she is teaching me,” she added proudly. Francesca told Rebecca that she hoped soon to be able to make all her own clothes and clothes for everyone in her family. “I practicing every day,” she added. “And look here, I sew the corno into the hem.” She turned up the edge of her skirt to show Rebecca a little hand-stitched animal horn in gold embroidery thread. “Is for a blessing. Against the, how you say? The evil eye—to keep us healthy. Some people wear a corno necklace of gold or silver for good luck, but we—we sell our…our everything to pay for boat to America. My mama, she say that not matter—a charm of thread is working just as well.”

      “It’s so pretty.” Rebecca knew that some Americans carried a rabbit’s foot in their pocket for luck. Bubbie said that in Russia people painted intricate designs on eggs to ward off trouble. The Irish had four-leaf clovers. Maybe Mrs. Brodsky should sew a little Italian blessing onto the hem of Nora’s nightgown, Rebecca thought with a smile. Perhaps that would make the fretful baby stronger and healthier.

      Then she remembered Mrs. Brodsky’s eyes. She was just about to tell Francesca about poor Mrs. Brodsky, who used to be a dressmaker but could no longer see to sew, when a policeman started walking up the path toward the girls, and Francesca clutched Rebecca’s arm.

      “Quick!” Francesca hissed. “Hide!

      5

      A Dreadful Mistake

      “Why do we need to hide?” Rebecca asked, puzzled. But the policeman approached the girls before Francesca could answer. Rebecca smiled politely when he stopped in front of them. In his arms was the puppy that had been swimming after the red ball. The policeman was young, with a broad freckled face and piercing eyes. Rebecca’s smile faded at his stern expression. “Is this your dog?” he asked.

      “No, sir,” said Rebecca. She glanced around. The boy was no longer in sight.

      Francesca flinched. “Dog is…mine,” she whispered.

      Rebecca looked at the other girl in surprise. She had assumed the puppy belonged to the boy. Why hadn’t Francesca mentioned that the puppy was hers? And why did she look so frightened?

      The brisk breeze started blowing harder. “Please see that he stops menacing the ducks,” the policeman said brusquely, handing the dog to Francesca. “Put him on a leash!”

      Francesca just stared at the ground and didn’t reply, so Rebecca spoke up. “We’ll keep him with us,” she promised.

      The policeman nodded and walked off.

      Clouds scudded across the sky and the wind blew chill. In the distance, thunder rumbled. A few drops of rain began to fall. The girls turned hurriedly back to the babies on the blanket. Francesca’s face was pale.

      “I didn’t know this was your dog,” Rebecca finally said.

      “He is pest,” said Francesca.

      “Why were you afraid of the policeman?” Rebecca pressed. “We weren’t doing anything wrong.”

      “He maybe take me to jail for letting the dog run free.”

      “Of course he wouldn’t! Anyway, the police have more important things to worry about. Like thieves and…and kidnappers!”

      Thunder boomed overhead, louder now. The puppy squirmed out of Rebecca’s arms, pranced over to Nora, and snatched the rattle right out of her hand. Holding it in his mouth by its pink ribbon, he ran off.

      “Hey!” Rebecca cried. She tore across the grass after the pup. At the same time the rain began falling hard.

      The dog barked happily and bowed low, shaking the rattle. “Give it here!” wheedled Rebecca, dodging this way and that, trying to catch him. Finally she lunged and managed to grab the toy away.

      By the time Rebecca returned, Francesca had wrapped the babies in their blankets. Hastily, she tied on their bonnets and settled them into the buggy and the sling, tucking the pink blanket in tightly, then securing the shawl around her shoulder snugly.

      “I go home now,” Francesca called over the thunder, as she started running down the path. “Must hurry!” The puppy scampered after her.

      “Oh! Good-bye!” called Rebecca. She liked Francesca and hoped they would see each other again soon. It would be fun to bring the babies to the park together, too. Rebecca spread her own wool cape protectively over the buggy to keep Nora dry, wishing she had thought to get her new friend’s address.

      As Rebecca left the park, two figures darted along the path ahead of her. That boy again—and with him, another boy. Rebecca stopped and squinted. Though the day was darkening and the rain was falling, Rebecca could see that the second boy was her own brother! The boys laughed as they ran, and the larger boy clapped Victor on the shoulder companionably.

      Rebecca stared after their retreating figures. What is Victor doing here? And who is this boy? He and Victor were obviously friends—and yet she’d never seen or heard of him before today.