Tabitha at Ivy Hall, page 90 by Ruth Alberta Brown
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lf," she answered with dignity, resolved to hold firmly to the fiery temper that caused her so much unhappiness.
"Why don't you drop it and take some other?" he asked curiously, aware that she was making an effort to control herself.
"I did once," replied the girl with a dejected air, in such contrast to her former haughty tearing that he was amused. "But it didn't pay."
"Why not?"
"Dad made me take it all back."
"Tell me about it."
"That's all there is to tell. I let folks believe my name was something else and he made me tell them what it really was."
"What was the name you adopted?"
"Theodora Marcella Gabrielle Julianna Victoria Emeline."
"Whew! How could they ever remember it all? That's a long handle for a little girl."
"They called me Theodora Gabrielle for short."
He smiled in spite of himself. "And do you really wish your name was that whole string?"
"I did wish so once. That was when I was a little bit of a girl. I am twelve now. In next April I will be thirteen. Girls are young ladies when they get into their teens, Aunt Maria says. If I could change my name now, I would rather it would be Theodora Eugenia Louise. That is shorter, and long names are not the style any more. Theodora was my mother's name and I should want that for mine always."
"Do you look like your mother?"
"I reckon not. She died when I was too little to know anything, but if either of us looks like her it must be Tom. I am afraid I resemble Dad."
"Afraid?"
He spoke this word with a peculiar rising inflection, but she did not catch the significance of the question, and replied, "Yes. He is tall and thin and black and slab-sided. That's me, too, except I am short yet; but I expect I will grow. Besides, I've got the Catt inside of me. I scratch like fury when I am mad. Now Tom doesn't get mad, though his name is almost, or just, as bad as mine."
"What do you get mad at?"
"Lots of things, but 'specially my name. Fo