The Red Cloud chief., 1883-06-29

'nS oot Oh ID hail-w indow with a
strange sort OF Stare. Before Der
spread The summer scene. The old
Windmill swung i,s grea, sails abou;
iaziiy- Robins and sparrDws ehirp~d
and txitier-d busiiy. Tn. old-fa.h-
ioned garden. with II. troop Of herb.
and flowers. ifs shrub. aud bushes. half
clipped. half struggling. seni up q
subtle fragrance, and ever and anon
b little brook could be heard rippliny
over the stone by the bridge, where
she had - many times waded and
a fun" with her little friends.
But Peggy DID no, notice anyihiny
of this She was thinking: II don't
feel like singing; but I can't. I von't.
give up my splendid ring. II ! tell IL
It. Grandms will tell all The neiyhbor-.
and the o9ner win be found and claim
u. 1T - not the owners ans morr.
They should no; have lost II. 1 found
II, u now j, j. mine. ! don't care il
can sing. ] al look a; nv ring
whenever | please" Upon this .he be-
gan 10 cry a. though her heart would
break. just TO prove how happy she
wa IN doing wrong. But in a few
minutes she brushed away her tear.
Tor she was a resolute little girl. and
went down stairs.
why. Peggy. you must be sick.
dear. You have been crying. ] AM
SURE" said her loving graSimother.
immediately. "Or. are YOU unhappy?
Come to me. child, and tell me all about
IT. Do. know | can help nv little
girl"
Grandma" said Peggy, pe.iishlv.
81 have only a headache. I have
nothing TO tell" (.'That was not
true she added To herself, with the
justice and severity Of a judge.) Peg
y was no ignorant wrong doer. She
knew as well a. you and / do, dear
reader, that h was going away from
all the pure and good things which she
had ever been taught. just then a
neighbor came in. Her name was Mrs.
Smart She always knew all the news
Of the neighborhood just as soon A. il
happened before.
They've had a great time up to the
boardin' house. said she.
Now, grandma did no, like tn listen
TO the stories which Mrs. Smart was 20
apt 10 tell. She knew that very often
they turned out 10 be false. and in any
case they were gossip. Every school
girl and school-boy knows what gossip
Is. When YOU grow up | hope you will
not get 10 be like Mrs. Smart. II You
do, You VIII pry and peek
and ask questions. and hint around
until o find some little thing
that YOU can twist into n story
against somebody-(neyer for any body.
be sure of tha;.)-and then 0 VIII go
from house To hous. TO tell the evil
thing you have imagined, thus doing in
jury TO innocent people. and mcddling
with matters which do not concern
You.
Yes" said Mrs. Smart. they've
had a great time up there. One Of the
fine ladies has lost her diamond ring
IL was stolen from her by a chamber
maid. Poor gyurl. | do pity her. if
she j. a thief. There she sits a-cryin'.
The lady knows il Was that gyurl. for
she was the last person in the room.
and the lady Is sure that she left her
ring on the bureau, an when she came
up Ia breakfast IL was gone and the
gyurl herself said nob,d else had been
in the room, They've searched her
trunks and cant find noihin'. but they
made such a fuss that Mr.. Laird has
discharged the poor thing. and she's
agoin'."
What lady was it?" questioned
Grandma. for she was quite Interested.
Twas that Mss Dulcimer that was
down here a-tryin' 10 buy your chimney
t'other day. She feels very badly. too.
Twas her mothers ring. and folks say
twas worth four hundred dollars"
Peggy trcrnbled with excitement. but
her voice was pretty calm as she sad:
Which way did She go home from
here. Grandma? Was il while | was al
school?'
Yes: il was day before Yesterday.
in the afternoon. She went up to the
clearinghouse through the orchard,
because il was cooler, she said
Well said Mrs. Smart. Il must
20, for | want Ia see that guilty gyurl
of. She WAS a-sittin' in the kitchen
erwin rs 4 her heart would break. and
a-teliin' how she never done no such
thing; but YOU never can tell, Those
gyurls are so deceiyin'. l presume she's
got the ring somewhere about her
clothes now. Al any rate. she won't
get another place very soon. kinder
pity her. and yet ii serves her right"
As she going away asked Grand
ma.
"Yes; in the stayc-why, | hear i;
now-good-bye. m acoin' 10 see how
she takes it when she goes"
Peggy sprang upstairs like n deer.
She went straight Ia her chest.
Through the window came the rumble
Of the stage. nearer and nearer. In n
minute or two il would reach the board
ing-house, and 60 on. Peggy looked
for the KEY. IL was not under the mat.
tried 10 think. but her head seemed in
a whirl. What could / have done with
the kew" she sobbed. Putting her
hand up to her neck. She happened to
feel a little ribbon. oh. YES" she
sighed in relief. She had tied the KEY to
n ribbon. and placed il about her neck;
for now that she had n diamond ring
in her chest. she would have 10 be
more careful. she had said 10 herself.
But the ribbon was tied in a hard knot,
and was too strong TO break. The
ominous rumble had stopped; the stage
had reached the boarding-house. What
shaHI do?' groaned Peggy. her heart
beating with fright and anxiety. '-Oh,
l must ge; into my chest" Then she
SAW a penknife on the table. In an in
slant she had cut the ribbon and un
locked the chest. caught up the ring.
and run downstairs. Her grandma
called: Where are you guing?" but
she dashed like 4 whirlwind through the
kitchen, cleared the two steps at q
bound, and went up the road Ike a
fash. How she IAN. Her heart beat
like a trip-hammer, but her ear were
wide open to catch the sound Of the
stage. Round the corner, by the end of
the orchard. she still kent on: but Just
as she came in front Of the trim croquet-
ground. she saw the stage start of from
the door.
After ii she sped with all her might.
The summer boarders were all collected