San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-09-20

Just then nurse comes in at the door.
"Come, Trotty, she says, its bed
time"
So Trotty is taken into the library
10 say good night to papa and man.
ma, and Miss Carlotta, and then walks
up the long stairway alone by herself
like a grown up lady. Jemima goes
too, carried by the head.
Nurse sits down by the nursery fire
and takes Trotty on her lap to brush
out her pretty yellow curls. This is
soon done; the little white night dress
is put on, and presently Trotty is
safely tucked in bed.
But before she has had time TO get
to sleep, mammals own maid Anne
comes in to have little chat with
nurse. At first they speak in whis'
pers, which is rather foolish Trotty
thinks, as she watches them iazily.
She does not pay much attention, and
is lust about falling asleep when she
hears nurse say, "Her Uncle Fred. "
She is wide awake in an instant.
"You know never heard the whole
of that story" says Anne. "Tsll me
about it won't you?"
Then, to Trotty's great JOY, nurse
tells Anne how, long ago, grandpa's
pride and delight had been in his
handsome boy. Butthough he loved
him so dearly, he was very stern to
him sometimes, too; and one day
when grandpa had punished him very
severely for some slight fault, the
boys proud spirit had rebelled against
| it.
"And," continues nurse, sinking
her voice O. little, she just ran away,
and we never heard word of him
since"
"Dear me! says Anne.
Dear me!' repeats Trotty under
the pink curtains.
%rhe poor old man," says nurse
wiping her eyes, "his hearts most
broken" -.
"Maybe he would come back yet"
saws Annie, in her funny Irish way.
"Maybe he would" replies nurse,
rather doubtfully.
Trotty, listening attentively, can
not quite understand all they are say
ing. She only understands that the
handsome boy who looked like her
ran away years ago, and that grandpa
has been sad ever since.
"But them" thinks Trotty, tri-
umphantly, "mamma said he was
coming home in her ship. 1 wonder
if nurse members thatT'
She listens once more to what
nurse and Anne are saying. But
they are talking Of other things now.
Presently the white eyelids fall gradu-
allv over the pretty blue eyes, shut
ting out the rose colored curtains, the
baby brother by the fire, the flicker
ing light on the ceiling-and Trotty
is fast asleep.
When the morning comes the sun
is shining, oh, so brightly! The
minute nurse has finished dressing
her, Trotty goes carefully down the
stairs, and runs out upon the broad
piazza. How fresh and green every
thing looks after the rain! Over the
gate at the end of the garden walk
She can see the blue ocean, with myr-
lads of little waves dancing in the
morning sunshine. She runs down
the walk quite close to the water.
There is a beautiful great wave roll
ing in toward the sand. Trotty looks
at it admiringly.
The wave breaks into q long line
of white foam, and runs back again,
leaving curious looking star fish on
the sand.
Then she suddenly remembers
what she heard the nurse say last
night about Uncle Fred, and new
idea comes into her mind. IF [
could only get the gate open, would
90 and look for him. MaybeI could
find him." she thinks.
She gives the gate an impatient
little shake, and to her intense delight
it swings open. Trotty runs quickly
out on to the beach. Her friend, the
star-fish lies at her feet. Trotty picks
him up, examines him carefully all
over, and then invites him to go With
her on her travels.
I'm going to find my uncle Fred, "
she SAYS. you may go too, if you
like, little fish," Then the poor star
fish is rudely pushed by some chubby
little fingers into a wee pocket, and
Trotty, with her pretty golden curls
flying in the wind, walks gravely mp
the beach. She stops every now and
then TO look ut some lovely shell, or