Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-03-19


90 little Beck; in church," cried
Debby, with all the vigor cf an italic
exc. amation point. "How you do run
on %
"Well, don't Dick look at other folks
in church,"
This was turning the tables. Debby sud
denly remembered that it was almost time
to get dinner, and, frowning and laughing,
went out of the room.
1t was not far from New Years Day.
No snow had fallen, and the old village
| gossips predicted an open winter.
We had tried to lay in q full supply of
coal, but as usual, the money was needed
Tor something else, and we were burning
! some green wood, of which we had bought
few feet. OF course, being girls, we
were always devising ways and means,
always making crochet-work to sell, or
| knitting tides, or doing machine sewing,
| Tor Debby and had bought machine
| together, but do all we could we only
| kept the wolf from the door.
| Added to this, Aunt Annice had pa
| tiently instilled into our souls that we
had been wronged Grandfather Barton
had once mortgaged his property for
large sum. After his death, John Nudge,
ofwhose father the money had been Dor
rowed, declared it was unpaid, and made
a claim for several thousand dollars.
This was before our father was married
but he protested that. the sum had been
paid. Mr. Nudge, then a young man,
insisted that it could not have been, as
the mortgage was not cancelled, and he
had found the note among his fathers
papers.
The upshot of all was that papa, being
unable to prove that the money was paid,
though his father, on his death bed, de-
clared that 1t was, or rather had spoken
OF 1t in such terms that all the family
were satisfied that it had been paid, gave
up the estate, and by that operation we
were, as little Beck often dramatically as
serted, made beggars.
On the whole, though, we were rather
jolly set of beggars. If ever any one was
born with faculty to make nothing go q
good ways, that person was Mother Bar
ton.
"a regular little steam engine" Beck
used to say, when that brisk little person
aforesaid got up some new scheme for
adding to the family purse.
We made cunning and curious con-
trivances for comfort and convenience,
frightened the walls with autumn leaves
and dried ferns, made wonderful lounges
out of pine boards and calico, and filled
our windows with improvised tlower-pots
and vases full of thriving plants.
If only we could have depended with
little more certainty upon the Providence
that makes to-morrows as this day, only
more abundant, we should never have
spoken a repining word.
& Well ~ said littlo RacE ono dav ct
suppose l, or some of us, must carry that
sack home" and she held up little gar
ment beautifully embroidered. "There
it is, Debby, done; and you're the only
one that's got decent waterproof, so
GO"
Debby inspected the sack and declared
it the prettiest that ever was made.
"I've been longing for breath of fresh
air." she said, {" and it's so pleasant out;
besides, to-morrows New Years Day. l
want to see the shop windows"
SO Debby went and soon returned with
the money paid her for the sack.
Only little Becky's sharp eyes could
have noticed the flushed, preoccupied
look of our eldest sister
Glow far did Dick Nudge come with
your" asked the sly little puss.
snapped Debby, with sparkling eyes.
"Well, tell me, anyhow" pleaded little
Beck
Gas far as the corner, then, if your must
know"
"Deb, why don't you show proper
pride?" cried Beck, almost angrily
"You're not bit like me. Do you know
how would treat him, or any of that
family9 With lofty dsdain, thus" and
the small creature lifted herself on tiptoe
and tried to look down upon Debby, who,
being head and half taller, uncompro-
misingly refused to be overtopped.
Il had an object in view," said Debhy,
with dignity. Don't you remember that
missing number of the Spectat0r?" she
asked, folding her waterproof carefully
away.
Yes, | remembered how often | had
wished for it to complete the set. My
father had mourned its loss because the
books were unique in binding and print
ing, being an old London edition.
ooh, you merely wanted to ask" said
little Beck, provokingly.
"That was all. Some time ago he
promised me he would look for it. To-day
he tells me it is found among some rub
bish in the garnet. He said he would
send it up tomorrow
"Pray, why couldn't he have given it
to you to day."
a didn't ask" said Debby, dryly.
"Maybe he'll bring it here himself"
said little Beck.
MAYBE he will" Debby responded.
The next day came, cold but splendid.
We were not so poor but that we could
make our little gifts to each other.
1t was ten O'Clock when a carriage
drove up to the door, and Mr.. Mudge's
footman, as little Beck called him, left a
package for Miss Barton. OF course it