Connecticut western news., 1888-01-11
THE YOUNGEST SISTER.
BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES.


 II don't know how it is," groancd Kate Blessington, "but in our family things always happen cross grained.
 "What's the matter now7" said Georgia, the eldest sister, who, with blue apron of checked domestic ging- ham tied around her waist, aud her luxuriant flaxen hair confined in red bandanna pocket handkerchief. was cooking tomatoes for ketchup.
 "Why, here have the Moreields come to spend the day, and mamma has just taken to her sofa with an attack of neuralgia, and there's nobody on earth to go to the train to meet the city board CT. You couldn't go, George, I sup poser---with faint gleam of hope.
 Georgia glanced up at the clock. and shook her head.
 "Couldn't possibly" said she. 'There isn't time to get ready. Why don't you send Petera'
 'Peter, indeed! He's cleaning the cistern out. Such figure as he isl"
 'Then Pm sure," observed Georgia, Il don't see what you are going to do. ,"
 Couldn't I go, Katea" pleaded a small, sweet voice.
 And the second Miss Blessington be- came conscious of some one pulling gently at her sleeve. 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 personalities. 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 imp.oring face. "A good idear said Georgia, tasting Of the bubbling scarlet mass in the ket- tie, and adding trifle more red pepper. ''Let Chrissy go!'
 '.But Chrissy can't drive"
 "Oh, yes, I canl" urged Christine, the youngest and least presentable of all the Blessingtons. q drove old Jenks up from the farm yesterday with load of pumpkins. I've often driven him when you didn't know it, George"
 "Oh, you horrid tom-boy" said Georgia, half-laughing.
 But Kate gave little Chrissy a sound box on the ear. Her black eyes flashed wrathfully.
 'Christine," said she, 'I'm ashamed of you! You're disgrace to the family. Don't howl nowr' Gas Chrissy rubbing her empurpled ear, broke into an indig- uant waiD. "The Morefelds 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 eyelashcs at the prospect of driving old Jenks to the depot all by herself.
 She made haste to pull a white worsted polo cap over her rebellious hair, and to scramble into tho rather dilapidated buggy that was waiting at the door.
 "Get up, Jenksr' she cried,- brandish. ing the whip with gleeful countenance ce. 'Pete, I'm going to drive to the depotw
 'Ail right, miss," said Peter, who, fresh from the depths of the ne wly- emptied cistern, was holding old Jenks, as if there was any danger of that ancient steed running away. "Drive keerful past Bowery Lane--hc arays wants to turn in there--and mind you keep tight grip O the reins, if you meet load O barrels or enc O then janglin' tin peddler's wagons"
 Away clattered the venerable buggy, old Jenks falling into stiff trot like an automaton horse, and Chrissy fairly radiant with delight.
 ''But Kate oughtn't to have boxed my ears," she pondered, as the first ella ton subsided. "There was nothing wrong in driving the load of pumpkins home. came by the back road, and nobody saw me. I don't love Kate nor Georgia neither. They're alway. laughing at me and making fun of me, just because grow so fast. They won't let me come into the room when they've got company, because Pm only child and they scold me for running race. with the dog, because I'm woman. wonderi if they call that consistency Never mind, Pll pay lem off yet, see if don't"
 By dint of extraordinary efforts on tn part of Old Jenks, and a liberal applica tion of the whip on that of his mistress they contrived to reach one side of tn depot building just as the train steamed away from the other.
 Christine looked up and down tn platform. Most of the passengers hat already started forth in different direc tions, but one man stood there, glanc ing up and down the road, with valis in his hand, folded newspaper protrud ing from his coat-pocket.
 Chrissy hesitated what to do; the l ghs ress te tho emergency.