The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1888-04-06
THE YOUNGEST SISTER.

things always happen cross grained"
"What's the matter now ?" said
Georgia, the eldest sister, who with blue
apron tied around her waist. and her lax
uriant haxen hair confined in a red ban
danna pocket handkerchief, was cooking
tomatoes for ketchup.
"Why, here have the Morefields come
to spend the day, and mamma has just
taken to her sofa with an attack of neur-
algia, and there's nobody on earth to go to
the train to meet The city boarder. You
couldn't go, George, suppose ?''-
with faint CLEAN of hope.
Georgia glanced up at the clock, and
shook her head.
Couldn't possibly" said she, There
isn't time to etready. ''Why don't you
send Peter?"
.Peter, indeed! He's cleaning the cistern
out. Such a figure as lie ISL
''Then I'm sure" observed Georgia, Il
don't see what You are going to do
sCouldn't go, Kate?' pleaded small,
sweet voice.
And the second Miss Blessington be-
came conscious of some one pulling gently
at her sleeves. She turned sharply
around. A tall, rosy girl stood there-a
girl just arrived at the age where "brook
and river meet half child, half woman,
but infinitely pretty in both her persona
li.ies. Sunburned. dark -eyed, clad in an
outgrown calico frock, and with her hair
braided into one long, gold-gleaming
queue behind, she stood there with an i'm
ploring face.
"a good dear' said Georgia, tasting
of the bnbbling scarlet mass in the kettle,
and adding trifie more red pepper. Let
Chrissy gov'
''But Chrissy can't drive
ooh, yes. Can't urged Christine, the
youngest and least presentable of all the
BIessingtons 81 drove old jerks up
from the farm yesterday with load of
pumpkins I've often driven him when
you didn't know it, George"
''Oh, You horrid -boyf' said
Georgia, half-Iaughing.
But Kate gave little Chrissy sound
box on the ear Her black eyes flashed
wrathfully.
christine said she. ~ N ashamed of
you! You're disgrace to the family
Don't howl nowr' Gas Cbrissy, rubbing
her empurpled ear, broke into an lndig.
nant wail) "The Morefields will hear you.
Go quick get on your hat; and mind you
don't show yourself at the tea-table.
Your new frock isn't finished and your
old one isn't half decent; and besides You'll
be needed in the kitchen to wash dishes"
The tears dried on Chrissy's eyelashes
at the prospect of driving old jerks to
the depot all by herself.
She made haste to pull white worsted
polo cap over her rebelious hair, and to
scramble into the rather dilapidated buggy
that was waiting at the door.
s'Get up Jcnksi' she cried, brandishing
the whip W it'll gleeful countenance. pete,
I'm going to drive to the depotr'
.'All right, MISS" said Peter, who.
fresh from the depths of the newly emptied
cistern, was holding old jerks, as if there
was any danger of that ancient steed run
ming away "Drise keerful past Bowery
Lane-hc al'ays wants to turn in there
and mind you keep tight grip o the
reins, if you meet 4 load o barrels or one
O them jangling' tin-peddier's wagons.
Away clattered the venerable buggy
old jerks falling into stifl trot like en-
automaton horse, and Chrissy fairly ra-
diant with delight.
"But Kate oughtn't to have boxed my
ears she pondered, as the first citation
snbsided. ssThere was nothing wrong in
driving the load of pumpkins home. |
came back road. and nobody saw me.
don't love Kate--nor Georgia either.
They re always laughing at me and max
ing fun of me, just because grow so fast.
They won't let me come into the room
when they've got company, because I'm
only child; and they scold me for running
races with the dog, because I'm woman.
| wonder if they call that consistency
never mind, I'll pay 'em Oft, see if !
don't"
BY dint of extraordinary efforts ON the
part of Old jerks, and a liberal applica-
ton of the whip on that of his mistress,
they contriyed to reach one side of the
depot building just as the train steamed
away from the other.
Christine looked up and down the
platform. Most of the passengers had
already started forth in different directions
but one man stood there, glancing up and
down the road, with valise in his hand,
folded newspaper protrnding from his
coat pocket.
Chrissy hesitated what to do; then she
rose to the emergence.
'Hallol" she cried in a sweet, high
pitched soprano voice. "Are you the gen
tleman from the city--the new boarder p
He advanced with rather puzzled coun-
tenance.
ssYes," said he. 81"
ave come to drive you to the cottage"
said Christine Blessington. Jump in,
please. Where's your trunk There's
room for it behind.
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