The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-04-02
THE LOST RECEIPT.

"And 50, said Aunt Annice, "that
receipt was never found"
Debby was putting at the fire, and
we girls were half blinded by smoke,
but Aunt Annice maundered softly
"I really believe that is the hum
dredth time she's told that story since
came from school," said little Beck,
winking as she passed me. "POOr
old aunty! Oh, you careless ancestor
of ours ~ continued Beck, shaking
her. elenched fist at the portrait of an
ancient gentleman in a wig, that
decorated our west wall, over whose
Roman nose the paint had been crack
ing for forty years "what did you
go and lose It fOr?" ..a --..
Sure enough, what did the go and
lose It for?
Aunt Annice, absorbed in mourn
full recOllections, shook her head over
the fire, and as the little pug at the
back of her head, which generally did
duty for chignO',, had uncoiled itself,
and, her dear old nose was very
Roman indeed, the effect was un-
commonly funny. Little Beck caught
sight Of It and laughed in hearty
pantomime.
/ think Aunt Annice felt the loss OF
the property and the consequent
poverty that had come upon us more
than we did. She had harped upon
it ever since we children had been
old enough to listen. ~
"Catch me to blow the old fire after
this fashion il that money could be
found ~ Grid Debby, springing to her
feet, her face decorated with several
small patches of SCOT. II think it's
downright horrid to be poor, there!"
stamping her little foot, which was
pretty, even in its patched shoe.
"We'd order a palace at once"
little Beck said, soOthingly; and
wouldn't every room be warm ? Don't
talk to me about cold rooms being
best for ones health, and all that.
Don't / know how it is? Did we
ever have scant supply of pudding
hut what dear mamma said, Pudding
isn't healthy p" -e..s-
"Well, she meant too much of it,"
responded Debby, in whose presence
1t was not safe to cast the most limo.
cent aspersion upon the darling head
of the household.
IFS there such thing as having
too much of that which one needs ?''
murmured little Beck, dreamily. 81
tell you what, girls, Pm going tC
write q poem one of these days, and
it won't be on the blessings o
adversity."
at does tend to make people un.
selfish, I Think" echoed Debby.
"Make! Who wants to be made tC
do things ?" and little Beck tossed
her curls till the sun seemed to burn
Its gold into them.
"We're all miserable creatures, y
muttered Aunt Annice, as she folded
her thin hands one over the other and
looked from the window. "Girls,
haven't you got smoke here?"
"Have had," said Debby; "but',-
"It's taken itself wings, as ouI
fortune did," laughed little Beck.
"It was the last thing your poOl
grandfather said on his dying bed. D
and Aunt Annice took up the thread
bare old theme; 'Annice Pm 30 GLAD
that mortgage Is all paid upl every
cent, every cent? And he wasn't {
man to say thing was done II I
wasn't. i always declared that JohI
Nudge would git come up with fort
but ne don't seem t0-not yet. Mebb,
he thought he was doing right"
"Don't say that, Aunt Annice
don't make the least allowance TO
that wicked man. To see him livin,
In our dear old hOme"
Debby laughed. Little Beck turne'
round sharply and looked at her.
Its 80 comical to hear YOU sa,
that when we never lived In Il !" wa
the explanatory answer. ,i. p
"NO matter, 1t ought to be 0urs
and the Mudges know It. Die
Mudge--you needn't look that way
Miss Bebby, you know he'd give til
whole farm for smile from you'll
always looks sheepish when he see
us, and Its a pity, for Dick is hand
some.
81 wouldn't mind goingito angin
school with him II II wasn't for tn
old grudge. As It Is, they're quit
out Of our circle but do have tn
sweet opportunity of looking ther
squarely In the. face inchurch, = AZ ne
where else, and II my eyes don't te
them what / think Of them, the
one might AZ well be blind S,Ts,Y
80 little Beck In church y, erie
Debby, with all the vigor of an italI
exclamation point. ."How. You d
SWeil, DONE Dick look AZ ,otht
folks In church ?v. =. ~. .sl
This was turning the tables. Debb
suddenly remembered that. is ws
O. :. IL. = d.