a ing her words. “Oh, your clean clothes.” She began wiping them with her hands. But as she wiped, it smeared farther and deeper in. his clothes. Her eyes widened, and her mouth came ajar. “Oh, no! | am sorry!” She could feel the heat and color flooding her face. - The boy fingered his clothes and looked at Elizabeth. He gritted his teeth and said, “Don’t worry.” “Bootsie must have got in our back yard. | just got through watering the lawn.” She put the palms of her hands agaist her neck. “I’m sorry.” The boy said slowly, emphasizing each word .. . “I—said—it’s—okay! These clothes are old anyway.” Elizabeth put her dirty hands in her pockets. “I just feel terrible about this.” She took one hand out of her pocket, leaned down and gave Boot- sie a hard spat on the rear. “Bad dog!”’ ? The dog yelped and wobbled down the stairs. Elizabeth looked up at the boy and said, “Oh, “Well, going, | am | clothes and his hands. | had 1?” He brushed of the legs. better looked at be his his trousers with house, He her tail be- (12) a rip in SHARON GROOTHIUS his Elizabeth still stood motionless, but her fingers were tightly closed again against her eyes. The boy slowly looked up at Elizabeth. He tilted his head toward his left shoulder and wrinkled his forehead. Elizabeth suddenly flung her hands away from her face. The boy’s eyes widened. She started down the stairs to try and help him, but the boy scampered to his feet gate. and said, the toward yelling, door | walked the | as later!’ he he pushed open. 7 Bootsie came from around the house and started to chase the boy, . tail. Re The dog kosbarkedoe . | but Elizabeth grabbed ahold of her she outstretched furiously. aes one arm. the i other hand held tightly to the dog’s “What about the hammer?” boy didn’t stop to answer. limped, almost ran toward Elizabeth said herself . . . “And his name.” in a low tail. He his house. tone the where falling | saw them cried. later. Much almost gate started Elizabeth “I'll see ya The The boy stumbled, trying to keep balance. His arms flung outward as if he were ready to fly. The take-off wasn’t too good, for he fell flat on noticed SONNET right pant-leg and whinned. He reached toward the rip and fingered it helplessly. “Wait,” Bootsie lay unnoticed at the bottom of the wooden stairs. As the boy started down, he tripped over Bootsie, and at the same time his pantleg caught onto a rose-bush branch. Bootsie yelped and ran around the corner tween her groaning. sorry.” quess hadn’t his face, his arms still outstretched. “Poofl’” he gasped as he fell to the sidewalk. Elizabeth stood motionless with her hands against her eyes. Her baby finger and forefinger separated slowly as she let the view come to her right eye. The boy rolled over and sat up, lane todau, blossoms wished brushed carpet deep for on a patchwork quilt | fished North Logéle the graying see our the were there, tepid air. eun-warmed loam; cobblestone. stream \\ the e bridge ¢ bridge to you today; looked vu troll of yesterday ) | picked an early berry from a limb-- plump, red, | saw brome and | seed, saw grain watched and ; . veined with and the fancied sown green in spring, edging gold From cotton cirrus frost geese from become day to day. northward winging cap to stem. side glide, by side. to | don’t even know beneath | picked a warm-lipped how swift the daus of rose today; laughter (13) marveled pass away. hay