The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-12-16
Tabitlia's Button.
BY MINNIE e. KENNEY.


BY MINNIE e. KENNEY.
Two little girls sat on the broad fat
rock under the spreading branches of
the old elm. Their pink sln-bonnets
were very close together, and they were
so absorbed in conversation that their
dolls had slipped unheeded from their
arms and lay unnoticed at their feet.
"Yes, she did know she did, for
you see nobody else could possibly
have done it," said Tabitha decisively.
"Fll tell all the other girls; for they
ought to know how bad she is"
Gentle little Lois listened TO her
friends words with troubled face.
"But maybe she didn't, she pleaded.
perhaps you'll find it somewhere /
wouldn't say anything about it yet"
Tabitha shook her head as she drew
a string of buttons from her pocket
and ran them through her fingers.
She was very proud of it, for she hal
more different buttons on her string
than any of her schoolmates, and it was
a favorite fashion Just then to collect
buttons.
ut was the prettiest button Of all,
she said, regretfully. Il don't believe
l shall ever have such lovely brass
button again, unless | can make Orpah
give it back, and she won't; for, if she
was mean enough t. steal it, she will
be mean enough to keep it. shall
certainly tell the girls for they truly
ought to know about such q wicked
thing. No one else could have possibly
taken it, Lois, for | had it this morn
ing and showed it TO her Just before
school. L put it in my desk at recess,
and when / came back it was gone. and
no one but Orpah had been near the
desk. She said so herself, for she was
sitting there studying her spellingles-
son all the time. OF course she took
it J" and Tabitha looked virtuously in
dignant.
Did you ask her?' said Lois.
"Yes, and her face turned red; so
that proves she took it," answered
Tabitha. "She cried, and said she
never touched it; but, Of course, she
would say that Any one that would
steal would tel a story about it..
"Yes, suppose so, yielded Lois,
her heart quite as foil of pity for the
culprit as for Tabitha's loss.
Couldn't expect much better of a
bound girl" said Tabitha, tossing
her pretty little head, with long plaits
of hair hanging down to her waist.
Before school time the next morning,
Tabitha had kept her word of telling
her schoolmates, and sensit We Orpah
felt that she was in disgrace as soon as
she entered the room.
In many ways she was far from being
as happy as her schoolmates. She had
no parents or brothers and sters to
gladden. her lonely little heart with
their love, and she had been bound
out" till she should be of age, to
hard, penurious woman, who could
make no allowance for the frailties of
childhood, but expected, and exacted
MS far as she was able, absolute perfec-
tiCn. Now and then she had to bear
unkind remarks from Ter school mates
concerning her dependent condition;
and if 1T had not been that her teacher
was uniform Y kind she would often have
been very unhappy. Now, she knew
at once 4hat Tabitha had not believed
her when she denied having any knowl
edge of the button: and she was both
hurt and angry to think that her school
mates would SO readily believe evil of
her, and condemn her unheard.
Tabitha was the leader OF the school,
and the girls all yielded to her sway;
so poor Orpah was "sent to Coventry"
with the single exception of LOIS. whose
tender heart would not let her treat
her schoolmate coldly, even though
her bosom friend commanded her to
do so.
Poor little girl Her heart ached
with loneliness and keen sense of
Injustice; for she had spoken truly
when she said she had not touched the
button. All she could hope was that
some day the girls would discover
their mistake, and do her tardy Justice
80 the days went on, and one morn
ing, when the roll was called, there
was no response to Orpah's name. All
day long her desk was unoccupied, and
the next day the girls heard that she
was very sick with low fever.
Perhaps Tabitha Reproduced herself
for the eagerness with which she had
held her ofending companion up to
Judgment, aud for the systematic nm
kindness with which she had been
treated ever since; but she would not
admit il even TO Lois.
Poor Orpah tossed on her little bed
in feverish restlcssness through the
long summer days, receiving all neces
sary care, but none of the loving ca
resses and petting that would have
been so welcome. In her delirium she