Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-07-19
BARBARA.
The Mischief She Unwittingly Did,
and How It Was Remedied.

and How It Was Remedied. o.
know you would much rather l shoult
take Barbara's sister Dot for my heroine, 70
Dot was tall and queenly and, OF course
naughty as she was tall and filed up quite
large space in society, in very opposition II
her name, whereas Barbara was an elf o
nine years standing on this grim old foot
stool of ours, and was not one quarter as biz
as her name, with the face of a fairy anC
bright brown eyes, that looked out from I'm
der her yellow bang, ridiculously like Dot.
pony peered from under his name, and witt
Orbs almost as big and fully as limpid. Blu
then she is my heroine and you must needs
make the best of her.
Dot was engaged am happy to say, K
perfect Apollo but I'm sorry to admit thai
she treated said Apollo as if he were moth
ing more than poor, weak, erring mortal
and took it upon stately, privileged self t.
lecture the Young man upon certain fault:
she tool1yNs matter of course, must b5 in
his possession, being, as he was, the only
son Of a very indulgent pair of old folks.
But she was shaken to the very foundation
of her royal being when one day she discov-
cred that the last sentence of her excellent
harangue had fallen upon thin air, and she
had confused sense of pair of indignant,
sorrowful eyes leaving their light to haunt
her, as she sat amazed and hurt, after the
hall door slammed like wooden oath.
He was gone then-"O, Scott; oh, Soottn'
which was no slang at all, but the irate
Apollo's christened name. Dot rose from
her chair of state and carried her heart
bleeding and torn, up the front stairs, to
anOint it with tears and cover it with the
magnificent new ball dress from Madame
Highprice' s-admirable bandage!
''Whath the matter, DOt!" Miss Barbara s
eyes had caught the CLEAN of something
shining, liquid and bead-like, upon the very
tip of Dots feather fan. youth cryingr'
81 believe you would cry, too, Chickie
wouldn't you, if the Prince came aud prom
ised you nice things and then rushed of
without saying any thing about them
Fouidn't your
'Ithn't Thcott going to take you to the
balla" -
at certainly looks that way Hewent of
so angry with mei' Another tear splashed
holly down upon Barbara's little upturned
face. The child gravely wiped it off, utter
ing this solemn injunction: ''Don't you cry
or worry one bit Lore about thith. will
thee about thith matter mythelf," uncon-
sciously initiating papa's most impressive
manner of speech.
They had always talked to her as If she
could understand their mature reasoning
this sister and this papa-that she had come
to have ludicrious little air of sage and
wise consideration of all things brought
within her ken.
Nine O'Clock and no Scott-he was net
coming then; must she miss the glorious
assembly ball because of his anger. Not
she. Half-past nine; had Barbara been
awake she would have noticed the quiverins
eyelids that tried so hard to keep the tear
drops prisoners. Quarter of tensile gave
up ell hopes of Scott and in ten minute.
more papa was drowned in sea of over
flowing satin, whose cream-white pillows
were filling the coupe to its utmost capacity.
Ten o'clock. A loud peal from the doc,
bell aroused Barbara from her sound slum.
Der. Another peal. Out of bed, into hel
little Mother Hubbar d wrapper and down
the stairs crept Barbara, on tiptoe. too
though there was no need of that, as every
blessed trusted servant was gone out and
the child was alone ia the big house The
wee hand mastered the huge door-key anG
out in the moonlight the brown eyes discov
cred Dots lover.
80. it'll yoa,'' IT,
'Yes, Chickie, of course it is. Is-is-Dot
ready" s
Now, I've always been amazed at the little
and big-fbs children can tell on the slight
est provocation. have even gone so far as
to entertain some odd ideas on the subject
Of the utter lack Of conscience in the world
of childhood, and honestly believe that We
racity is an actual matter of education, pure
and simple-with q dismal conviction that
even cultivation does not always su flee.
have been astonished with what fertility the
brains of infancy are possessed, inventing
with ease uncalled for and unprecedented
uutruths; aud, as Miss Barbara was beyond
the average, 1 am bound. in all truth. to say
that she gravely sent the following little fiji
upinto Scott's listening ears:
"Yeth, Doth 18th all ready and gone with
papa-but you are to bring me insthead.
am almotht drethed; jutht go into the
library, pleath, Thcott, aud / will not keen
you waiting more than Uneven minuths.n
Poor Scotia wrathy whiriwind wa.
gathering about his ears as, all unconscious
ly, he obeyed the little maid. His quarrel
If so ouesided an affair could be called thai
with his beloved had driven all thoughts
OF the ball from his head; and now to come
and find her OF and away with her parental
relative, and to realize that she had haG
very good cause to think the most horrible
things in the world of his seeming careless
ness, made him blind to the simple outland
ish scneme OF the little sister, and to be
glad that he has been the object of even ,
thought.
Barbars rushed OF wild with excitement
and, reaching her own room again, she. like
ahuman Katy-did, jumped upon the low
wide dresser, tore each little curl papel
from its resting place upon her pretty round
head, and began to comb the crooked yellow
knots into heaps Of wonderful golden fuzz
Next Dots diamond star was pinnes
coquetishly to one side of her Uranium.
dancing school dress was donnei-a frocl
all giimmer and pale pink shadows, anC
leaving It unfastened, she drew on, her fur
lined school cloak, poked sash of pures
Brussels into one Of its capacious pockets
and ran down breathless to Scott.
Into the coach and on to the assembl,
rooms. ssts~..
wont Dot thtarer' thought the littl
wretch. Zone needn't be tho old after al
to so 70 a ball. make a thenthation,
doa't wenderp, 49,, Ma \ - i.