The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-06-03
Onr Bogs aud girk.
WE WANT EACH OTHER.
BY MARY G. BARTLETT.

had all voted for themselves.
"This will never do," said mamma
awe must send the one who can best be
spared"
Al know who that is" cried Will.
$50 do r. exclaimed Susie. "1t'.
Net"
"I never can study in peace when she's
round" said Will with scowl.
"And she wsU not let my bureau drawer
Alone" continued Susie.
Nets black eyes danced. Gam l go
ing?" she inquired, too happy at the
thought to care for the disparaging re
marks of her brother and sister.
The mother hesitated. "Will it bt
best to send such troublesome little
girl away from home?"
81 know Pm troublesome here" said
Nettie, earnestly. "There are so many
of us-but there I shouldn't have any
one to trouble, so couldn't help being
good. Don't you see?"
YOU'D better let her go, mother,
said Will. 81 wish we might all be there
to see."
"I don't" replied Net, tartly. "The
show would be over as soon as you
came"
"Let us see what Aunt Lizzie says, u
proposed mamma.
Aunt Lizzie said eyes" She said it
heartily, too, for Nettie was one of her
favorites. So in week from that time
the delighted child found herself in the
"real country" where, as she wrote to
her brother, were "acres of the most
beautiful green grass you ever saw, and
a good many different grains growing,
besides tall pine trees, wild oats and
sweet peas"
Nettie was right when she said she
couldn't help being good" in the coun-
try. She had no time to be naughty,
there were SO many things to do.
First, there were the cats. They must
have, at the early milking, their portion
of the sweet, new milk; then JEFF, the
old family horse, must be enticed to the
open kitchen window by tempting dis
play of potatoes, and, very likely, if he
became too importunate, it was necessa-
ry to entice him away again with the
same. Then the sheep, browsing just in
side the little gate; Nettie was sure they
were always watching and listening for
her-they came with such a rush when
she appeared among them with her pan
of salt
And there was the daily walk with
Gen. Jackson, the dignified Newfound-
land, "among the pines;" taking the cool,
shady path through the woods, stopping
frequently to examine some new flower
or to gather bouquets of those she knew
so well. Bright little friends they seemed
to her, those flowers; and she had other
friends beside; up, up, up in the tops of
the tall trees; merry little friends who
sang so sweetly that she was sure the
songs were meant for her, though she
could hardly see the singers.
Yes, Nettie found it impossible to be
naughty. There really was no time.
And how was it at home? Susie put
her bureau drawer in perfect order upon
the very morning of Nets departure.
"Now," thought she, ait will stay just
so. There'n be nobody to pull my things
about"
But it didn't stay ust so. To her sur
prise, Saturday afternoon found it in a
decidedly confused, "mixed-up'' condi-
ton.
"Have you been here, WHIP" she in
quired severely of her brother.
"Of course not. What should I go
there for?"
"Somebody's been here, anyway"
Didn't I.hear little girl say she had
to turn her things over and over to find
her blue necktie last night?" asked
mamma, quietly.
"But l never left it so," said Susie, in
credulously.
al don't know who did, then," re-
torted Will. "Net isn't here"
Susie made no reply. She folded her
disordered garments and laid them care
fully back in their places.
Will went down stairs to study his les
son. For the first few days he had done
this bravely. 1t was so pleasant to sit
down to his book undisturbed by the
ceaseless chatter of an unrelenting little
tongue to hear no jubilant cry of Will!
do look, Will" when the cat, which Net
was putting through course of gym
nastics, jumped higher than usual; to
feel no small fingers in his hair, pulling
it Just little;" no plump hand at his
ear, boxing it "just little;" and, final
ly, no soft arm about his neck, hug.
ging him "just little" while a merry
voice cried exultingly: "You can't read
it ,aoao, Will. You can't see."
Yes, it was undoubtedly very pleasant
to be quiet. So pleasant that Will could
hardly study for thinking of it. The
fruit of the tree of knowledge certainly
seemed to be within his reach to-day,
and yet he showed no disposition to
pluckit.
"This is the dullest lesson that evel
was" said he at length, impatiently
Then he settled himself down upon the
sofa and went TO sleep.
Susie came down not long afterward
and found him there. She knelt dowr
beside him and gave him little shake
and almost instantly found herself clasped
tightly round the waist.
"Don't! don't, Will. How rough you
are!" .... os
Will opened his eyes. 1 believe was
dreaming. / thought twas Net. Sht
never used to mind" and he turned his
face to the wall with little sigh.
That evening the two children invited
Pinkie into the sitting-room. Poor pussy
Though his little mistress tormented him
sadly, he had missed her very much
Finding it very pleasant to be noticed
again, he condescended to perform al
his various feats in the most satisfactory
manner.
A few days after this Will wrote Nettie
a letter. Here is a portion of it:
believe miss you. / didn't think so al
first, but do now. Pinkie's better than moth
ing to amuse a fellow, but he can't begin
with you. don't get my lessons very much
better than I did when you were here. And
Sues traps tciN get whisked about, somehow
She says they do it themselves. She found
four wrinkles in her best ocket-handkerchie
yesterday, SO you see you didn't do uH thu
mischief, after all. From your affectionatt
brother WILL