Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1882-08-30

iOItl, tfluihpiidubiJs
"But, Papa, you said yourself the
chicken was bad. Why can't say itP"
This being exasperatiug in the OK
IRENE, together with something Aunt
Janet muttered, of which he caught only
''precept and example," set them float
ing out further still upon the troubled
waters and further from reason than they
were accustomed TO going.
II am shocked that this child should
be allowed to speak in this manner to
mer'
Mr.. Storm was rather majestic in his
Indignation, and, being tall man,
looked down from his towering height
The had arisen) upon little Mrs. Storm
in manner that should have awod her,
only it failed TO at this time, 10 Aunt
Janet's blissful amazement.
"Howardr' (there was faint sparkle
in the mild blue eyes) "Nettie copies
you faithfully. You allow yourself TO
speak in that same ill-natured manner
frequently, regarding not only our food,
but other matters; while Nettie listens
and copies you carefully. Wouldn't it
be q triile more reasonable to correct
yourself first and your child later?"
Notwithstanding Aunt Janet applaud
cd mentally and nodded her wise old
head, when no one saw 1t, il was very
unwise speech, rs every one knows, to
make in Nettie's presence, however
wholesome the lesson might prove to the
father. But, considering how full each
life is of mistakes, if not made in that
same direction, in others, who shall dare
censure Mrs. Storm, even in the face of
the fact that it was not this plainly
spoken truth that in measure entirely
cured Mr. Storm of unnecessary fault
finding, and Nettie later; but was owing
almost, if not entirely, to poor, little
Liz beth's queer shoes.
1t was Immediately after this most UNI
comfortable breakfast, that had been fin
ished in silence profound, that Mr..
Storm, i'm q mind unenviable, snatched
up the newspaper 1--WE say snatched,
which is an odious word; but it only suits
the action of Mr.. Storm and stalked
out to the shaded front porch, one ugly
frown chasing the other from his face,
while just before him lay the quiet val
ley, the lofty hills beyond, crowned with
crimson-topped trees, quivering in the
sunlight, and the spooth, unruflled lake;
but seeing nothing of it all, neither the
calm that rested upon mountain and val
ley, nothing of the rich, mellow beauty
of the perfect Autumn day.
At this moment small head bobbed
up and down; now in sight, then entire
ly lost behind the tall shrubbery and
urns dotting the broad sweep of lawn.
Mr.. Storm left off frowning amoment,
to wonder; and, wondering, his face
cleared slowly, neglecting to cloud again
as a small head plainly revealed itself,
at length, just back of a low bush, and
the owner stood quite still, looking di-
rectly in the gentleman's face, with
the sunniest smile resting upon the
sweet, upturned face Mr. Storm ever re-
membered seeing in all his life.
Liz beth's queer shoes were behind
the bush, with Liz beth herself in them,
and the heavy, heavy basket upon her
arm; so it was only the winsome face,
framed in the fluffy golden hair, and the
smile that Mr.. Storm saw, and forgotten
alike was the Miniature and the cause of
it, rs he called, in low tones, too low for
Liz beth to hear, for Mrs. Storm, Aunt
Janet, and Nettie to come out at once.
"Who is it, Papa?' Ncttie reached
the porch first.
"What pretty picture!' exclaimed
Mrs. Storm, who had an artistic eye.
1.-THE pale blue and white 'Browallias'
close beside her and that flaming 'Tri-
toma' Just back of her."
There! That's a face, Nettie, I'll
wager, is unaoquainted with frowns! L
~
ssWho Is itp''
81 don't know" replied Mr.. Storm,
watching the silent figure curiously.
"Come here, little girl. is there any
thing you wsh?'
Thatwas just what Liz beth wished
an invitation TO approach. o! wise
and proper little woman was 'Liz'beth,
you must know, if she did live in u
dreadfully poor old house, and sell ''fat-
wood" and wear queer shoes, There
fore, she came up, when invited, in u
quiet, pretty way-that is, rs pretty as
the dreadful shoes would allow; and
then, when she stood directly before
them all, unabashed, yet so humble, in
her clean-patched calico dress, much too
long, what could either poor Liz beth or
the superannuated aunt know of fash
ions, prayp Ncttic Immediately, but
really without intention to wound, broke
into merry peal of laughter, oxclaim-
ing:
90! what queer shoes ~"
So they were, poor 'Liz'bc and even
Mrs. Storm smiled; but Mr.. Storm and
Aunt Janet were very grave-very grave,
indeed.
1t was not because 'Liz'bcth's shoes
were so drealfully old; yet goodness
knows they were old enough. There
was this about them, they had never
been made for Liz beth's tiny feet or
even bought for her. They belonged
to the old aunt and were low calf-skin
buskins, as she called them; and, as
they in no way fitted Liz beth S feet, the
ingenious little brain had devised a
novel method of keeping them on. An
old, faded black ribbon she had passed
directly under the instep, tying il very
securely upon the top, in what Liz beth
considered very extraordinary bow.
You will see ut once the space there
must necessarily have been between
Liz beth's heel andthe heel of the bus
kin, and no one save this odd little las
sic would have considered it possible or
necessary to utilize that space; but Liz
beth, having an eye to business and
considering her dress had no pocket Cher
dresses never did have pockets, in some
way, she filed these spaces with the
Irvine taken from the fiat wood ut the
sales.
You must know she was obliged
to carry quantity with her when she
started out; for frequently the tied-up
bundles fell apart or broke, and how nice
and easy it was to whisk bit of this
Irvine from the heel of her shoes and tie
up the bundles again in wink.
When bunch was sold, she invaria-
bly, asked for the twipe about it, and il
was Immediately stored away in the heel
of those handy shoes.
They were very handy shoes, Liz
beth thought, and wondered now and
then what she should do without them.
Che ,,,scvbt mt tho txv,po IL, tho ho oE M