Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great (16 page)

   
As soon as we got started Betsy burst into tears. "I want to play too!" she cried.

   
Since our team only had four and the other team had five we got Betsy. When it was her turn to batall she did was stand there and laugh. Finally Marty called her out on strikes.

   
I struck out swinging my first two times up but the third time around I hit a fly ball toward first base, which Libby dropped. Before she could pick it up I was safe at first. And that's when I noticed Jennifer's friend. He was running around in the bushes. He was practically next to me. I remembered the last time he saw me and what happened. So I stood very still and prayed that he would go away.

   
"Why are you staring like that?" Libby asked me.

   
"Jennifer's friend is back," I said. "Look. . . ."

   
Libby turned around and saw him. She called "Time out . . . " and dove into the bushes after the dog.

   
Then a man came into our yard calling, "Mumford. . . Mumford. . . here, boy."

   
When Jennifer's friend heard that he ran out of the bushes and barked like crazy. Jennifer must have recognized his bark, because she woke up and got so excited she wrapped herself around the tree. So Daddy had to unchain her and when he did she took off and ran for her friend.

   
Mrs. Ellis hollered, "Betsy, get into the house . hurry, or you'll get your hives!"

   
The man kept saying, "I'm terribly sorry. Really, I am. I had no idea you were having a party. And I don't know why he ran off like that."

   
My father introduced himself to the man and said it was all right about his dog. Then the man told Daddy his name was Cyrus Beldrich and his dog was Mumford.

   
Mom gave Mr. Beldrich a big piece of watermelon and told him that Jennifer is going to be a mother and that Mumford is the father. Mr. Beidrich sat down saying, "Imagine that!" While he ate his watermelon Jennifer and Mumford sniffed each other.

   
Mouse said, "Well, now the Egrans won't have any trouble naming the puppies. They can make up combinations of Jennifer and Mumford."

   
"Like Jennimum," Jane said.

   
"Or Mumifer," Sondra said.

   
"How about Mumfy?" Mouse asked.

   
"Or Jake!" Sondra laughed.

   
"That's not a combination of Jennifer and Mumford," Mouse said.

   
"But it sounds nice," Sondra told her.

   
"Which one do you like best, Sheila?" Mouse asked.

   
"Oh. . . I think I'll take Jake!" I said.

   
Then we all laughed some more until I remembered that I was in the backyard with two dogs loose! So I ran for the house, calling, "I'll get hives! I'll get awful, huge, giant hives!"

   
But when I got inside I thought about having a puppy named Jake who would be a much nicer, better dog than Peter Hatcher's.

   
Except of course that dogs don't like me.

   
So how can we possibly have one?

   
Even if he is small and soft and his name is Jake.

   
It is out of the question.

   
But suppose Libby gets her own way?

   
Oh well, I will worry about that when the time comes!