The Red Cloud chief., 1882-07-06


case Of = faslure-why. the least said
the better. And now. that IL was tin
ished, ibey hung IL ia Walter room.
having united all their little savings u
buy As nice n frame rs they couId for il.
Almost a week yet must elapse before
The opening of the exhibition, and both
Walter snd Nettie wished IL had been
but n day, 80 full were their hearts Of
hopeful expectancy. Every night Walter
fell asleep gazing 1t the Roman Lady.
aud his eyes turned with uniailing de-
votion on her first, when awakening.
Now. the only assistance employed
by their mother in her household work
Wa a poor colorcd girl. Who y what
Is called a. half INVITED" her vacant. ex-
pressionlcss face told how little Of the
mind had been given her that teaches
one TO act and think sensibly; but she
Was very oDcdient and harmless. not
withstanding the queer. foolish fancies
that had given her the name. among
children. of Cray Peggy" Once or
twice only. in her life. she had been
known 10 do strange things. and ome
times seemed possessed by foolish fears.
making her timid and frightened Of
things in which no "A else could i'm
agine any cause for alarm
IL was one of Pegg's duties each
morning to clean and dust Walters
room after he had goneio school for the
DAY, and the very first morning after the
picture had been hung. she stopped
right before il. and gazed AT il a. If
spcll-bound; again she turned away 10
20 about her work. but CHANGING back
neryously AL the time nj the ace on the
wall with its great dark eyes. which
seemed 10 the foolish girl TO be staring
fixedly at her, and following her whrr-
ever she went. From one side Of the
room to the other she moved, the eyes
really appearing 10 o as she did. TIL.
with her usual duties only half per-
formed. poor Peggy hastily left the
room. glad 10 escape from the eyes that
seemed 10 disturb her 20.
The following morning il was just the
same. only the strange impression Of
fear had taken stronger hold on the fool
ish girl. and she hurried about, giving
only a frightened glance now and then
AT the stern eyes that never seemed TO
cease their close watch Of her. and
away she sped, leaving a very imper-
fectly-cleanel room.
The third morning came, and poor
Peggy acted as though she had really
grown desperate under the strange
spell of the picture. Once she clinched
her fist and shook il mcnacingly at the
innocent Roman Lady. but dropped il
again. quellcd by the staring eyes.
Slowly she walked 10 the bed. half cry
ing now. and muttering 10 herself:
IL want that ar ooman t. stop starin'
ut me- and, CHANGING back ~nervously
To meet only the same relentles. gaze.
the poor silly girl seemed actually 10 lose
the little mind she had. and. rushing TO
the hearth. seized a porker sharpened AT
one end. and without a moments de-
lay was again before the picture ex-
claiming: =" I'll fix YER and the next
instant punch, went the cruel poker
through one eve, punch! through the
other, and there hung the poor Roman
Lady with only two round holes in her
fair face where the dark ewes had been.
With a grunt o: deep satisfaction. but
a frightened glance ai the havoc she had
made. Peggy finished her cleaning, and
left the room.
Run up stairs. Ncttie. and put these
clothes in Walters room." said her
mother. a Nctiic came in from school
n half-iour earlier than her brother.
With never n thought of The dismay
awaiting her, the little girl ran lightly
up the steps, laid the articles in their
proper places. and then turned for an
admiring glance nj the Roman Lady.
XU..l loeF ,.,.-.l .rr ,,I an s,l1.r
terror-sirickcn clasping of her hands.
Netiic stood like one petrilied before
the disfigured picture. She could not
possibly believe her own eyes for a
moment; not Ill she drew nearer. and.
reaching up. actually placed her finger
IN the poor pierced eyes could She
realize the terrible. mysterious catastro-
phe.
Lost in grief and bewildcrment she
stood. uncertain what Ia DO. i'll sudden
" Walters voice from below brokethe
spell that seemed holding her. Instant
" all her thought was turned 10 him;
she must try 10 tell him gently what had
happened that he might be- spared the
sudden shock experienced by her.
fastening out of the rooms. she stood
at the landing of the stairs as he came
bounding up, her little face looking
pale with grief. and her hands still
clasped tightly together. Scarcely no.
ticing her. Walter MAS passing hastily
on. when she laid her hand d~et9iningly
ON his arm, and said in a low. tgcmulous
voice:
80 Walter. don't, don't 60 in there
yet"
Her brother stopped and looked at ier
rs if he thought she was suddenly losing
her mind. what in the world Is the
matter. Netiie. YOU look rs though you
had seen som thin tcrrible9"
30 Walter" she repeated in rcluc-
tant. broken sentences. the Lady
the Lady
In a moment the words had filed him
with vague alarm.
Tell me. Nettie,' he cried almost
anrriiv, "what is it-what do YOU
mean"
90 Walter. the Roman ~Lady-has-
has had her ewes put cut."'
Walter paused only an instant, s'ar-
inc at Nettie IN speeches. amazement.
and then. dashing past her into his
room. his own face the next moment
was rejecting h nm preston of hers
"Who could have done it, he cried,
ST last finding voice. Who has ruined
my picture? Oh. Net,ic, who. who
could have done such n thing?:'
II have thought and thought" said
Nettie. d~ejectedly. land 1 know j,
could be no one but Crazy Peggy; ! viii
60 and speak TO mother about it al
once"
She WAS turning TO leave the room
when Walter caught her. almost rudely.
by the arm. "Stopr' he cried. Il viii
not have you say anything about il;
father and mother never cared about
nv paintings; everything and everybody
is against me; / will never, never try
again. and l don't want ever again to
hear of my picture
Poor boy. grief and anger had taken
full possession of him. and Selling the
unhappy Roman Lady he hurled her
under the bed out of his sight then
. .-x e.. ~ ~, h,s