Ella of All-of-a-Kind Family Read Free Page A

much more comfortable. Prettier too.”
    “Ooh yes,” Ruthie agreed, charmed by the idea of a new hairdo.
    Gertie still had her doubts. “But will you be able to do it all right, Charlotte?”
    “There’s nothing to it. It’s simple.” Charlotte exuded supreme confidence. “You just take the scissors and cut across the forehead. Miss Ruth,” she bowed ceremoniously, “when you have finished what you’re doing, will you kindly step into our barbershop?”
    Ruthie was quite ready to abandon the napkins for this new game. “I’m finished already,” she chirped.
    Charlotte pulled a chair into the center of the room.
    “Upsa daisy!” she cried, sweeping Ruthie off her feet and onto the seat.
    “Now with your permission, madam.” Briskly she flip-flapped a towel and with a grand flourish tied it under Ruthie’s chin. Picking up the scissors, she held them aloft, clicking them open and shut.
    The click, click sound seemed a bit menacing to Ruthie. Warily her big brown eyes followed Charlotte’s every move.
    Now Charlotte was bending over her, scissors poised. Ruthie’s shoulders hunched. The metal felt cold against her temple. She squeezed her eyes shut so tight her face screwed up like a small monkey’s.
    Snip—scrunch—snip! Wisps of hair started floating down into Ruthie’s lap. Scrunch-snip-scrunch! It wasn’t scary anymore. Ruthie relaxed.
    “There you are!” Charlotte announced with satisfaction, stepping back to survey the effect.
    “Do I look nice?” Ruthie asked.
    “Very nice,” admitted Gertie. “Only … Charlotte, don’tyou think it ought to be straightened out a bit? The bangs look sort of uneven.”
    “Hold up your head, Ruthie,” directed Charlotte.
    “Hmm. You’re right, Gertie. It is a little bit shorter on the right. Well, we can fix that easily enough. Just a bit here—a tiny snip there—a little more—just a bit.…”
    Another look and both sisters agreed that now the bangs were shorter on the left. Charlotte frowned. “I can’t understand why it doesn’t come out even.”
    “I think you ought to put something with a straight edge up against her forehead and follow the line,” advised Gertie. “Like a ruler. That way you’d be sure to come out straight.”
    Charlotte’s face lit up. “I have a much better idea.” She opened the door of the dish closet.
    “What are you looking for?”
    “This!” Charlotte held up a mixing bowl. “Turn it upside down and presto! You have a beautiful china hat with a perfect edge for cutting bangs.”
    Ruthie sat very still as Charlotte put the mixing bowl on her head.
    “Oh madam,” Charlotte gushed, “such a becoming hat! You look just gorgeous—simply gorgeous!”
    “Lemme see. I wanna see,” Ruthie cried.
    Gertie held up a shiny tin cookie jar. Ruthie giggled at her reflection. “I look so funny.”
    The bowl slipped down over her eyes.
    “Oops!” yelled Charlotte, rushing to the rescue. “Hey, where are you?” she asked laughingly as she maneuvered the bowl back into place. It slipped again, this time over one eye, giving Ruthie a rakish look.
    “You hang on to it, Gertie,” Charlotte commanded, “orwe’ll never get this done. Hold the bowl so that only the tip ends of the bangs show. There—that’s fine! Close your eyes, Ruthie. I don’t want to get any hairs in them.”
    Ruthie sat stiffly while the scissors clipped away.
    “Now, off with the bowl, Gertie. I’m all through.”
    “Gosh, Charlotte!” Gertie sounded dismayed. “It’s so short!”
    “The shorter the better,” Charlotte said, trying to sound convincing. “What do you want bangs to do? Hang down so far over her eyes, she’ll need a Seeing Eye dog? I think they’re exactly the right length, and it makes Ruthie look very pretty.”
    But Ruthie was a bit doubtful. She rubbed a hand over her forehead. “It feels so short.”
    “How can we tell what she looks like the way she’s messing her hair up?” Charlotte said. “Let’s