Mother and father call them Florence and Maude, for they
both abhor nicknames, but among ourselves they are known as Flossie, or
Stell, and Gertie."
"What was your nickname?" asked Alice.
"Well," said Quincy, "they used to call me Quinn, but that had a
Hibernian sound to it, and Maude nicknamed me Ad, which she said was
short for adder. She told me she called me that because I was so deaf
that I never heard her when she asked me to take her anywhere."
"Well, Mr. Sawyer, if you will promise not to laugh out loud, I will be
pleased to have you read these letters to me. You can smile all you wish
to, for of course I can't see you."
"I agree," said Quincy; and he advanced towards her, took the two
letters and drew a chair up beside her.
"My dear May," read Quincy. He stopped suddenly, and turning to Alice
said, "Is this letter for you?"
"Before we go any further," said Alice, "I must explain my various names
and nicknames. I was named Mary Alice, the Mary being my mother's name,
while the Alice was a favorite of my father's. Mother always called me
Mary and father always called me Alice! and brother 'Zekiel and Uncle
Ike seem to like the name Alice best.
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