Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1888-09-01
As INNOCENT AS She Was
PRETTY.

! Henshaw, sitting bolt upright i'll her bam-
| boo rocker. 1T is all fol- de- rol, l say, for
people to think tLey must make up jim.
cracks that nobody wants and scatter them
about among their friends"
But it is for birthday present, aunt
We'll, what of that? DO you suppose
because my birthday happens to be coming
that ] want anyo; 10 give Inc an ungainly
pincushiCn with Two HIS worked in the
center"
What if there should be three lI's?'
said Lottie. slyly, remembering old Peter
| Hammonds clumsy attentions, with, as he
admitted, an eye TO Il snug home.
What's that you say?' snapped Miss
! Hetta.
Lotie did not venture repetition, but
sat dtmurely considering what, under the
stress of circumstances, she shoNld do.
Iottie was Miss Henrettas orr han niece,
and had beer a member of her household
| for nearly year. She had learned dearly
to love the prim oil lady, though that love
IVES not unmixed with fear. Her wants
! had all been kindly anticipated and gener-
CuSly supplied; but now she had come to
Eer aunt with Il request for few shlllings
TO spend on tribes, of which Miss Hetta did
not approve, and had been fatty denied.
Oh, dear, what should she dor Harry had
always brought her some tasteful gift, anti
she did so want to make linn la band for
his new derby, She had not dreamed that
she could not, and lad putt off till the last
| moment.
The great drops welled up suddchly to
her eyes. If Miss Hetta saw any symptoms
= of healtache, she had had heartaches her
self, and they had never killed her yet.
But Lotiie did not mean to droop. Auntie
was usually kind, and was albeit her only
living relative except Harry. Well, Harry
was not relative. eXactly-and. oh, dear,
if she could only have hat band
She forced back tho rebelliots tears, and
went singing about the house like the blithe
girl Sue was.
The birthday morning arrived, and the
prob elm of Harry's presents was still un-
solved. "1f could Just give him some
thing, she sighed, looking wistfully down
the long street. "Oh, size said, suddenly,
clasping her hands. Il will, will! What
happy Il ought" And she fairly jumped
into her cloak and hat and went skipping
down the street.
DIR. Beach, an eccentric bachelor, lived
in tho rather lonely house at the extreme
end of the street. Lottis was never sick
herself, and Aunt He!ta never employed
| DIR. Beach for her occasional ailments; vet
the bright hearted girl had contriyed 10
make the acquaintance OF the uncouth doc
tor, who liked her and called her Little
, Miss"
What if the dear old man was little
gruti? lie was good" And into his office
| Lottie now went, assured OF a warm well
come. Absorbed in her own interest and
intent on her errand, she approached tie
bay-window where stood the great monthly
rose bush which had been the wonder and
envy of the admiring public since almost
before Lottie was born.
SON 81 a Gail az coIna 10 al,
if you would be SO kind as to give me three
or four of those lovely buds"
what for?" growled the doctor, saw
agely.
You see," she began, 81 wanted to make
something pretty for birthday gift for
for friend, but [ could no." choking u
little, "and had almost given up hope of
anything, when this morning. as glanced
down the road, your beautiful roses seemed
to say, Come after us, so here | am
Flowers are always nice to give, you know,
and had none"
"Humph! Why couldn't you make what
you wanted to-"
Aunt Hetta would not let me-"
"Humph! Is not Henrietta Henshaw
good to your" he demanded, bristling up.
"Oh, yes. as kind as can DC. But she
does not believe in birthday gifts, shq
says"
! "Hadn You any money yourself"
NO"
"She might give you cent or two from
time 10 time; then you would have fund
to draw from"
"Oh, she does | had five dollars Mon
day that | had not needed 10 use. But
saw Jennie and Tommy Eloy with their
little bare toes peeping out of their old shoes
| and"
80 you sqandered your money to clotne
the feet of those little vagabonds?" growled
the doctor, wondering why lie hadn't seen
the bare toes.
"Yes, / got shoes and the incest red
stockings. Jennie cried and cried when
she Rugged me, because she was so glad, :"
related Lottie, her quick tears starting.
| The doctor rubbed his knuckles Vindict.
lively i'll his own eyes.
swell, little miss, if you had known you
could not get any more money for your
fummery would you have spent all you
had on the little beggars?"
Il don't know; | hope so; I'm sorry you
asked me. l really think | should. But
did want the other SO dreadfully that
might have saved out little"
you could have got brown stockings"
$50 l could. But / guess Pm glad l did
not; the red ones are so much pretter, and
the poor like pretty things as we'll as the
rich"
The doctor looked ponderingly on the
little miss. Sic was pretty creature, and
as innocent rs she was pretty. Though she
was seventeen, her looks aud appearance
would hardly have claimed her fifteen we'll
rounded years.
at is a bridal rose." said Lottie, keep
ing her Grand in mind, as she looked adj
miringly into the great bush, whose beau
tiful blossoms riyaled the wilderness of the
snow.
"Humph! 1 suppose SO. You would
not think now that it had spoiled we'd
ding But it did; just fifteen years ago this
! day"
Lottie looked in alarm at the white.
treacherous thing.
You would not think, either, that gruf
old fellow like me could ever have got a
woman to say she would have HIM"
oh, yes, | would" said Lottie; al
think you are tie incest man in the world
except"
Except whom?"
81 was going TO say Harry"
Exceedingly fine compliment you are
| paying me. You expect some of my
choicest flowers for that It'd bit of fiat
terry"
Lotte did not reply, but looked in such
CONSERVATION from the rosebush 10 himself
that the doctor could not but smile,