The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-05-26
TWO LITTLE BOYS.

Their Unsuccessful Search for a Lost Little
Girl Whom They Heard Some Ono
Calling.
Spring had just come. The trees
that had looked like old sticks along
the city street, and which Jimmy and
Jack had decided between them ought
to have been broken up for kindling,
had all of sudden grown extremely
pretty, and were full of birds. After
breakfast the two small friends. who
were of one size and often of one
mind, set out hand-in-hand to take a
walk. Jack with the round patch,
the size of saucer, high in the back
of his coat, where the bulldog had
grabbed him; and Jimmy, with the
toes Of his shoes cut open. because
they never wore out and his feet
would grow.
81 wonder what summer IS going to
be like" Jimmy was asking. They
say it's coming very fast"
Don't you remember summer"
cried jack Il do"
''Well, begin to remember eating
some currants," answered Jimmy
''Oh, weren't they souri,
Both the little boys stopped all of q
sudden. Some one had called out, in
q startled voice, from one of the WIN
dows along the street: "Ettar'
Never mind, we aren' either of us
Eta" said Jack.
Il wonder who she is," unused
Jimmy.
The voice sounded again. shrill and
earnest. calling: "Etta! Etta!" as if
the mother of some little girl had lost
her, and was getting very much
alarmed.
"She must be on the street, said
Jimmy. 81 don't see her mothers
head sticking out, but the windows
open. See that girl way down the
sidewalk, there. guess that is Eta,
Jack"
What naughty girl to scare her
mother sou exclaimed Jack. Let us
go and tell her to come home"
As they scurried along on their err
rand, the voice rang out again and
again, calling the missing child. until
it seemed as if every body oughtto join
in the search for her.
''Etta! EttaT
When the little girl was accosted by
Jimmy and Jack. who said ''Hallo!"
to her, and then stopped and stared at
her. she looked out from her very big
hat with astonished eyes. and would
not answer at all.
your mother calling you, Eta"
Jack informed her. Don you hear
her? do, even from here"
my name isn't Eta" remarked
the little girl, whirling round till her
back was turned toward them, and
then looking over her shoulder. Per
haps you think me aninny; but Inever
was one yet" And with these words,
she danced off down the sidewalk,
gayly
The two boys sat themselves on
doorstep and asked each other ques-
tons they neither of them could an
swer, as to what they were 10 do in
order to find Eta.
1T might be we'll to call her our
selves" said Jimmy. "May be she'd
mind us better than she does her
mother. You shout first"
A number of people looked out of
their windows as the boys proceeded
through the street, making the name
of Eta sound clear and shrill us they
went, while the echo still rang high in
air behind them from the house the
child had left. where the female voice
called and called.
However, no little girl responded to
all this noise-and all at once Jimmy
made sound which caused Jack TO
look round at him. He was crying:
She's lost" he sobbed; "anG we
can never, never find her!"
Jack put his kind little arm about
Timmy's neck, which was very awk-
ward for them both, and they nearly
tripped each other up, especially as
Jimmy could not see where he was
going for his tears.
''1here little girl with nat on
at one of those windows. Jack an
nounced. We'll stop and ask her if
she is Eta; and l guess she ran in
there to make Il call on some other
little girl-named Jenny. l guess.
Accordingly the boys stopped under
the open window, quite persuaded
now that their search was successful,
and told her that her mother was
calling her. and wouldn' wait for her
any longer.
The little girl at the window quickly
disappeared. and soon opened the
door of the house. and came out.
You have frightened them very
much at your home" said Jimmy,
reproachfullv. They think some
thing has happened to YOU"
The cir! was starting off on a run,
W hen Jack exclaimed:
"Why, that's not the way! Don't
YOU know where you lice, you funny