Now--er--Marguerite--that's your name, isn't it?"
"No, ma'am, my name's Imogene."
"Imo--which? Why! I thought you was Marguerite. Miss Coffin hasn't sent
another girl, has she?"
"No, ma'am. I'm the one. My name used to be Marguerite, but it's goin'
to be Imogene now. I've wanted to change for a long while, but up there
to the Home they'd got kind of used to Marguerite, so 'twas easier to
let it go at that. I like Imogene lots better; I got it out of a book."
"But--but you can't change your name like that. Isn't Marguerite your
real name?"
"No'm. Anyhow I guess 'tain't. I got that out of a book, too. Lordy,"
with a burst of enthusiasm, "I've had more names in my time! My Aunt
Bridget she called me 'Mag' when she didn't make it somethin' worse. And
when I first came to the Home the kids called me 'Fire Alarm,' 'cause my
hair was red. And the cook they had then called me 'Lonesome,' 'cause I
guess I looked that way. And the matron--not Miss Coffin, but the other
one--called me 'Maggie.' I didn't like that, so when Miss Coffin showed
up I told her I was Marguerite. But I'd rather be Imogene now, if you
ain't particular, ma'am."
"Why--um--well, I don't know's I am; only seems to me I'd settle on one
or t'other and stay put. What's your last name?"
"I ain't decided. Montgomery's a kind of nice name and so's St. John,
or Wolcott--there used to be a Governor Wolcott, you know. I s'pose, now
I'm out workin' for myself, I ought to have a last name.
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