The Red Cloud chief., 1881-11-10
..non,i ron Ike i,2,Iasked

81 VI hb-'An ~ shEf" 49,
things best that ] an aoe.'
Just h-re we turned into Clarence
Place.
perhaps YOU had better 90 back
now" SAID /.
"Why?' in . disappoin' ed tone.
looked al Bessie. II think. dar-
lin" said she, THAT we'd better keep
on the broad street. Its nicer to walk
in. II has smooth, wide pavements for
your feet This place hasn't " q
curbstone. II would trip YOU up.
But WHY don't they put smooth
! pavernents heres'
"Oh, because it's such a narrow lit
tie place and the people haven't much
money"
bessie" said the little maid. au-
thorita:ively. take my hand This Is
just the place whcre 1 want to go"
Now it happened that my walk this
morning took me 10 the very end OF the
place. I had a letter Ia cheek, imag-
I ined) from Messrs. Frost & Co. to Mrs.
7 Dibley. who sewed for them. / knew
the poor woman would be glad enough
to get it, for work had been scarce OF
late and times were hard.
And little Stella. the crippled daugh-
ter. would he glad. too. Poor child!
she had been Shut up in one room for 4
year. That room was her little world.
and her mothers face was the light Of
IL. When that face was cloudcd. her
skv was dark, indeed.
The pale, thin. childish features came
SO viz dly TO nv mind that | forgot for
n moment that Angie was trying 10
keep mp with me: but the Little lady
was in no mood to be ignored.
This is a horrid hubby place TO
walk inr' she cried. What do you 20
SD fast forr
because I am in a hurry to give
Stella's mother her letter"
Who j. Stella. aud who's her moth
or? Are you sure it's a good letter.
"Yes, quito sure" And then ! told
her. as well aS | could. of poor Mrs.
Dibley's.hard fortune and OF Stella's
affection.
The latter moved her strangely. Her
color went and came. and it was with
difficulty that she kept back the tears.
We rea he'd the house. "Wll you
wait for me here?" ! asked. N foot
upon the rickety staircase which ! must
ascend.
mo. I'll go with you. want to
see Stella"
But here Bessie interpoSed, TO some
purpose: "You know what mother
says. darlin'? You're never TO set loot
in Il house without leave. You remem-
Der that"
II was a hard struggle. For a mo-
,,apt Ga. curnns fara .rr.u rod anI al
most angry; but Angie loved hermother
dearly. and love conquered.
Well 90 right home and ask her.
If you'll But how stupid, OF course,
YOU can't wait. Well. | must wait"
with her little shrug Of resignation.
..Some time | shall see Stella. | know
| shall. You'll let me come again with
YOU tomorrow. if mamma say Yes
Won't youp'
IL will lei yo1 sec Stella. IL can"
answered. felt some little hesitation
about introducing strangers to Mrs.
Dibiey, who had seen better days and
was sensitive TO au almost foolish de-
gree.
But, unfortunately. the next dav
there was no letter for Clarence Place,
anu lilt HUI ulhe slttl u u was tbhNh
sick. 1t proved to be nothing but a
heavy cold, but il laid me up for a
week or more. When ! found mysei
upon my feet again, it seemed rs if we
had stepped int another season, as,
indeed, we had. The ar was keen and
frosty and the cutters were iull OF fall
en- leaves. As | passed n flaming
maple tree. | picked a cluster OF bright
beauties for Stella, thinking. with a
sigh. of the other little friend. who
could never know their loneliness. !
hoped To find her waiting for Inc, as be.
fore: but she was nowhere TO be seen.
Neither was Bess;e's good-natured face
visible; SD | hurried a.ong to Clarence
Place. | ran quickly up the stairs; but.
before | had time to give the "post-
mans rap" Mrs. Dibley appeared
upon thu threshold
"Ah, [ knew you" she said, pleas,
antly.
/ inquired for Stella. producing my
leaves. She orened the door and ]
walked in. Time was precious with me;
but, for all that, | lost more than half a
second in silent, stupid staring. There
sat Stella. proppeI up upon the lounge.
as usual; but 1t was such a happy little
face that she turned toward me that |
should hardly have recognized it else
where, while close beside her, holding
one of the thin hands, sat Angie. How
the little witch had managed TO make
herself SO perfectly at home was a mys.
terry to me; and not less strange il was
TO see the handsomely dressed lady who
stood looking with a face half-plcaSed,
half-sad upon the two.
"O-hr' screamed Stella, as she saw
me. Its my postman."
Then it's NV postman. too" cried
Angie. This is our postman. mann.
ma He's come back, just as l said he
would"
MY little girl has missed you," said
the lady. kindly. Then she apologized
for the trouble which she feared had
been given me; but l think | was able
to convince her that it had been pure
selhshness with me. after all.
alt seems SO strange said Mrs.
Dibley, to me, in an undertone, ''that
God should withhold so much from those
two poor innocents. l can't see any
reason in it,
The children's ears were sharper than
she thought. We saw at once that they
had heard. Even Angels face was
clouded for a moment
What do you s'pose He did it for.
Angie?" asked Stella, in a tom of per-
pleXitv.
I'm sure / don't know; but mamma
says He does. I'm glad somebody
knows. Aren't you. Stellar"
Whats the difference if He won't
tell?" was the somewhat pcttish an
swer.
.Oh, but He will when He gets
ready. We must wait. Let me see
your pretty leaves, please. Stella"
And left them admiring the beauty
which Mrs. Trowbridge was trying to
explain 10 them.
Now it came to p IS that Angles
gentle, loving comp nionship brought
so much brightness into Stella hitherto
colorless life that both title girls seemed
quite flooded wi b it. Their faces
shone every day as if they had received
a benediction. So it went on for q
->2,tk .~ Ill., Al