The Swamp Robber by Paul Hutchens

Author:Paul Hutchens [Hutchens, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-57567-735-4
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Published: 1997-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

10

Maybe I never told you that if it hadn’t been for the gang, I’d have been really lonesome. You see, I didn’t have any brothers or sisters. And when you’re the only child in the house, you keep wishing and wishing you weren’t. I guess I wanted a little brother as much as I wanted anything in the world.

Anyway, when I told Poetry good-bye that morning, I couldn’t help but think how nice it would be to have just one brother, even if he was littler than I was.

I was still feeling that way when I came up to the back door of our house, carrying my suitcase. Just then Dad came hurrying in from the barn with his teeth shining under his mustache and with the happiest smile on his face you ever saw. First he picked me up in his big strong arms and whirled me around in a circle, crying, “Hurrah! Hurrah! Bill Collins!” as if he was extra happy to see me.

I thought maybe he’d heard about us catching the robber, and I could hardly wait until we got in the house so I could tell him and Mom all about it. But then all of a sudden I heard a baby crying, and something inside of me just kind of bubbled up as it does when I want to tell Jesus I love Him, and I knew that a new baby had come to live with us.

“The grandest surprise for you!” Dad said. “The grandest brand new baby in the world!”

And I could see myself having a little brother to play with and not being so lonesome anymore when I was at home.

“A brother?” I asked, hoping it wasn’t a girl. In fact, I’d made up my mind to be mad if it was a girl, because I wanted a brother so badly.

“It’s a girl!” Dad said. “The prettiest, blue-eyed, curly-haired little sister a boy ever had given to him!” He was so pleased he couldn’t keep still. He picked up my suitcase and said, “Come on, Bill Collins, and see our little Charlotte Ann!”

Now why in the world I didn’t like the name Charlotte Ann I didn’t know. But then, I didn’t want a baby sister either. So I hung back, not wanting to go into the house. Besides, I was disappointed because I wanted them to be excited over our catching the robber—supposing, of course, they’d heard about it. But instead, they were making a big fuss over the new baby.

I went into the kitchen but not a step farther.

“Well, Bill Collins!” Dad said, surprised. “Aren’t you glad?”

The fact is, I wasn’t. I didn’t like girls very well, I’ll have to admit.

But I guess Dad understands boys, for he didn’t make me go in. He just went in himself, and pretty soon I could hear him talking with Mom about me and also making funny cooing noises to the baby.

“He wanted a little brother,” Dad said.

Mom answered something I couldn’t hear, and then I heard some other woman talking too.

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