Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-09-12
The Magic Slippers.

If any one had wanted to find Eva
Arnold they would have TO look behind
shady and fragrant hedge of wild
roses and grape-vines. There sat the
witch, as her brother Allen called her,
with hook in her hand, and, wonder
full TO relate, grave look upon her face.
81 do wonder if that tradition about
our family is true. | will ask grand
mother all about when L see her."
81 do wonder if that tradition is
true" said little Eva, again, just as she
was about 10 sink 20 sleep. ''If it is
true, and the shoes are yet in existence,
will borrow or steal them, and that as
soon as possible"
a great cloud of dust, and great rat
tie of wheels heralded the approach OF
the coach. And in that coach was
Eva's long looked for schoOlmate,
Gertrude Wayland. At the gate OF
farmer Arnold's substantial mansion
stood Eva, waiting eagerly to catch the
first glimpse of her friend. Her brother
Allen, hidden in a secure nook, was
also looking out with no little curiosity
10 see the red-haired divinity, so much
vaunted by his sister.
"After all, !" he said TO himself as he
walked toward the brook with his fish
ing apparatus under his arm. 81 did
not dislike the looks of her as much as
| thought would, but that is no reason
that L should fall in love with her."
And Allen, who had no small share of
vanity, laughed aloud.
"Now, Allen, I've caught you at
last" cried Eva, triumphantly, as she
discovered her brother reading under
the favorite hedge. "NOw stand up
and let me introduce you TO my friend
Gerty the best of schoolmates."
Allen rose and greeted the divinity
in the graceful and self-possessed man
ner natural to him. For the first time
he had a full view of her face by the
morning light. 1t was not beautiful
face, not even pleasing face at first
sight, and Allen was keen admirer of
beauty; but it was peculiar face, such
an one as makes an impression on ones
mind not easily forgotten. Eva's face
was flushed with her morning walk,
but Gertrude was remarkably pale;
there was, too, a soberness and dignity
about her, which was entirely stranger
TO Eva. Allen, as he entered with
much politeness though with little zeal
=, in w hiah EUo rnnE
the principal share, secretly wondered
how two such dissimilar characters
could have formed such close friend
ship. But he concluded that there was
no accounting for womens' whims.
"You must drive, us over to grand
mothers to-day, Allen said Eva. 81
positively must 90 there to-day
.Well, then, if that is the case, | will
drive you over, and as women can
never keep a secret, in the course OF
time yours will come out and L shall
have my laugh"
Agreed" said Eva, "Only drive us
over"
1t was a pleasant drive of five or six
miles, yet Allen, who usually took the
principal part in a conversation, was
remarkably quiet, listening to the chat
of the two girls without attempting to
interrupt it.
Her hair was not red after all, it was
really pale, golden color, and floated
around the white face, as he had seen il
in some pictures. After all, she was
unlike any one else he had ever known,
and she had the sweetest voice he had
ever heard. But the idea of falling in
love with her was really too absurd to
contemplate.
"Grandmother," said Eva after a
long silence, which she enjoyed in con-
templatiug the movements of very
pretty little foot, which tapped ner-
vously upon the floor. GRANDMOTHER,
L wish you would tell us the legend of
the magic slippers, which l heard once
when L was a very little girl. It's
tradition about our family, isn't it?"
"why, child, it's only silly story
about pair of slippers. No one be
lieves it nowadays"
"But the story, grandmother, if you
please"
"Well, said the old lady, as she ad-
justed her spectacles, ''they say that an
ancestor of ours was once climbing a
a steep and rugged hill, and found near
the top a poor man, covered with
wounds and nearly dead with cold and
loss of blood. Our ancestor carried him |
home in his arms and tended him care |
fully until he was recovered. When |
the stranger grew strong and well,
they discovered that he was very |
handsome man, with eyes remarkable
for their brilliancy. When he was
going away he gave TO the wife of our
ancestor pair of slippers. Theee was
nothing remarkable about the slippers
themselves, but as the story runs, they |
were endowed with rare gift by the
stranger. Any woman in his benefac-
tress's family, whose feet the slippers