The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-09-05
HOW JOHNNY BOUGHT A SISTER.

STOOD afternoon, ma am. Is 1t I'M
veniept to me to come and play wis
Charley little whilea It's very whisht
I'll be."
Almost every fine afternoon Mrs.
Dingle heard something like this from
the pretty-faced boy who came around
the corner of the house to her nursery
on the broad piazza And Mrs. Dingle
would smile a very hearty answer to the
-.May I?' all over his iace-she always
seemed to have so much more time to
smile than any other grown up people
Johnny knew-and say: ts q
..Come right along here, you poor
little darling. and have jolly time with
the children" tti-
Johnny thought that piazza the most
delightful place in the world. There
were rugs and cushions and hammocks
and rocking horse and a baby jumper
and swing, and toys and picture
books without end And so much fun.
and so much laugh thai Johnny al
WAYS forgot his promise to be whisht
the very first thing. But nobody was
expected to be quiet on Mrs. Dingle's
plaza.
1t was when he got ba k on the home
side of the hedge that the stiffness set
lied over his little face. The birds
seemed to twitter in a half whisper, the
evc;greens to hold up their fingers in
warning the very trees whisiled q soft
whisht-whisht as they swung in the
wind. And Bridget would be sure to
meet him with the caution he heard so
much oftener than any other:
'.Whisht now, like an iljGant by,
an niver be dishturbin' yer mother, an
she ten times shmarter an more
KNOWN intirely than any other lady
johnny knew his mother was writing
n book-a6ery learned book, too. for
Bridget had told him SO at least fifty
times. And he was as proud of it as
she told him he ought to be. but could
not help Sometimes Sinking that if it
were not so very fine and grand thing
he would little rather she were more
like Mrs. Dingle, in which case she
would surely have time to laugh anu
talk with him sometimes, or take him on
her lap and kiss and shake and tickle
! him till he would run away and hide,
when she would try to find him, and
cry behind both hands because she
lcouldn t. Or he wished she could let
some one run up and down stairs with
him to make little noise in the silent
rooms.
His papa never spent much time at
home. He was very quiet, too, and
johnny knew he had lost good deal of
money in bis business. So he was not
at all surprised at the answer mis- moth
Ger gave HIM one day at dinner when he
said:
Mamma, l wish | could have q little
sister. Why can't 1?''
"a sister. Johnny? Well. Tn afraid
Eve can afford it lust now. What do you
want of sister,
''0h, to play wis me and to say, 4 love
'ou,' like CharleY's little sisters. It's
verv nice it would be, mamma"
Mamma laughed at his way of talking
Hike Bridget Then she turned to some
sheets OF written paper which were on
the table beside her. and Johnny finished
his dinner without saying an thing
more, for he knew he must not disturb
her, and then asked: kH
May go over TO Charley's, MAN.
mas
"Yes. Be SIRE yoa behave well. Do
you always say good afternoon, and ask
If it's convenient
"Ies, mamma" AID Johnny went
out on, tip.oe. His father looked up
over his paper.
Il wonder. Laura, if the little fellow is
lonely? be has such a subdued air for
- child. Perhaps he needs more stir"
Bridget takes very good care of
bim, and keeps him very quiet" sad
mamma. looking after his little figure
as he walked soberly under the tree in
the back yard, pausing moment to
fcnale lovingly neighbours stray kit
ten. and then disappearing through TIE
hedge. Next day his papa handed him
two pieces of red pasteboard, saying:
TEL Bridget TO take you to the me-
nager e and show you the little mon
keys and the ponies.n
Johnny got Bridget to spell out to
Him every word on the tickets.
''Say that again," he said. as she
read the last line on one of them
"-C Oh ldren half pr.ce
-'Does it say that?''
-'Sure it does. -
"Does it mean for little girls?''
-'Yes. an little b'ys. too"
land how much is half price?'
<'Twinty-fve cints."
I'm sure that's cheap" said
Johnny {, himself. "and I've got a
quarter of my own" He sat thinking
80 long and 50 hard that Bridget had
plenty of time to iron her RULED lawn,
aud by the time she was done the
grand plan he had in his head and the
discrimination to keep it a secret even
from Charley Dingle made him look
so much more solemn than usual that
papa feared his attempt to stir johnny
up was gong to prove failure
At the menager.e Johnny laughed
with the rest at the comical little
monkeys, but kept on the keen lookout
for something lii the way of a sister,
ard was giad to see SO many little chill
dren about A pretty, wee lassie, held
s<sn her Iather's arm, smiled down at
him as he smiled up at her, and made
no objection when he gave her some
peanuts and took her soft little hand.
He always found it hard 70 talk to
strangers, but at last yentured TO say
10 TIE gentleman.
sd like to buy her for sister, sir.
How much money could YOU sell her
for?',
Why, my little man, think she's
worth about million dollars. don't
1osfn