The Washington critic., 1888-04-21
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~ the butchers 8 bill came In yes
terday. Cheer up, little girl, and
never mind the new bonnet Jack
Smelling must be no end of a
cad, If he minds what kind Of
frame your dear little face looks
out Of The big brother of Bah
Nixon ended his words with gentle
touch upon a round shoulder turned
petulantly away from him, and after
waiting moment for q word or a
smile from its owner in vain his face
clouded slightly and he passed quickly
out of the breakfast room.
As the sound of his step died away,
one dismally wet blue eye appeared
furtively above a scrap of linen cam
brio crumpled into limp wad, by
two babyish, dimpled hands; then the
other eye came out, until finally the
whole disheveled head was held de-
family erect.
The general storminess of the do
mestic atmosphere seemed TO have
crept even into Bab's saucy yellow
bangs, which fluffed and crisped in
unexpected kinks about the pretty,
low brow and white temples, as the
silky fuzz about baby's head is wont
to- disport itself. A breeze came in
just then through the open window,
thrown up to let in the premature
balminess of the sunny March morn
ing, and blew some of the loose locks
intrusively about her blue eyes, Up
flew the dimpled hand to push them
aside, as very cross young voice
cried, 81 dout care I-do-not-
carep' with emphasis. ''If l cannot
have new bonnet l won't go with
Jack and his sister, whom l never
saw. / think Ernest is perfectly
mean-so, therel AS if / wasn't of
as much Importance as the nasty,
bloody meat that he eats-bahl
Butchers BILL indeed Jack always
notices, too, and he'll be sure to see
how perfectly NANCY my old blue
feathers are getting, and his sister IS
sure to have something straight from
Paris If / could only make two rib
bons and bit of jet look as ravishing
as Kate Arbuckle does, my bonnets
wouldn't cost so much, but l can't,
and / don't care!
II should think Ernest might let
me get trusted for one just this once,
as long as he is going to get me q bon
Z net in little while, anyway. / mean
to ask him this very morning, and it
won't do any harm to stop on the way
to the Office and see what Nine. Vau-
rier has that will suit me. Then |
can tell Ernest how much it will cost"
Foolish little Barbara flew about
the dainty nest which the dear elder
brother had sheltered her in through
all their orphaned years, giving an
approving nod at her trim sailor-made
gown of brown as she passed the long
mirror on her way out to interview
Nine. Vaurier about. the much de-
sired bonnet.
"Just the thing for you. 1t came
last night. Lizette, bring the odd,
blue affair, for Mile. Nixon" Truly,
was it not ''just the thing?" And oh,
how blue her eyes and how sunny
her hair shone under the exquisitely
pretty structure which madame
nestled with assured touches upon
her head. She really never knew
how the matter came about. Per-
haps madame talked too volubly to
hear her objections or mark her hesi-
tation. sit made no difference at
all, she assured Barbara, whether
the bonnet was paid for now or in
two months" She could not sell it
to any one else without being dissatis-
fed, having seen it above mademoi-
selle's golden hair" The bill would
''be in the box to be paid when her
brother pleased" and so little Bar
bara went out sure that her bonnet
was above criticism, but not quite so
sure that her management of the
matter would bear as satisfactory in
spection when she told Ernest. AS
she ran down Nine. Vaurier's broad
stone steps, hat was lifted by some
one who stood by an open coupe in
front. Itwas Jack Smelling, who shot
glance of approval after her from
his dark eyes as he passed up the
steps with his sister.
Now to tell Ernest" thought
Bah, as she laid aside her wraps and
prepared to greet her brothers re-
turn with dinner of his especial
vianoib that should make him as wax
in her hands.
The dinner hour came, and Barbara,
fresh as rose in her soft wool gown,
was ready to 'fess up' and be for
given. But, when after waiting a
long thirty minutes beyond the time,
messenger came instead, with n
hurried note: "Off for Philadelphia.
Send my traps after me; care Wales
Brothers, 1244 Chestnut street. Will
write," her heart sank. Now, what
was to be done? Clearly there was
nothing except to write and tell him
all about it. So the next day Ernest S
bag was packed and forwarded, and a
penitent letter went by the first mail
10 Philadelphia.
Day after day went by and no
letter came in reply. No word from
Ernest of any kind; as though to EN-
phasize his displeasure, Aunt Val
erie, who was always ready in an
emergency, came to stay with her,
and then the great storm shut down
all communication from other cities,
and poor, miserable little Bah was
left to imagine all possible and inn
possible calamities as having befallen
her brother Some delay in sending
home the bonnet had been requested
by Barbara, who was n little uncer-
tain as to what Ernest's rigid sense OF
justice would prompt him to do, and
then the storm further delayed the
delivery of the tell-tale box.
But finally it came and Bah locked
herself inlo her room 30 open it with
"dreadfully gone feeling" as she
afterwards described it. She took of
the soft layers of white paper, out ol
which fell the bill. She lifted it me
chanically. "Fifteen dollars" were
the figures she had seen on the box
when madame took it out, and Ernest
had said lie had not "ten." "0h