Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-29

Bessie looked at her with admiring eyes.
She often opposed her for the sake of get
ting her into an argument, for she liked
TO hear Mollie talk ''Do you know what
my brother Harry said about You the
other days He called you a real little
enthusiast"
Mollie looked slightly puzzled. 81
don't know whether to take that as COM
pliment or not" she said. HE might
have thought made too much fuss over
little things"
The girls laughed. ~ should call it a
decided compliment" said Helen. land /
should be charmed if any one said il
about me.''
Don't be alarmed, they never viii, "
said Bessie.
Helen sighed II know it." she
answered, in a mock melancholy tone.
mo one appreciates me. Nobody under
stands me. When l leave this dreary
world shall have the inscription on my
tombstone:
''She hath done what she could
And been misunderstood"
When the small breeze excited by Hell
ems nonsense had subsidized, Bessie in
quired, with provoking GOODNESS, '.Mollie.
what would you do if you should 60 out
camping as you did last summer, where
you cannot by any possibility have q
piano.'
This was q question, and for a minute
an OMNIBUS silence ensued. Then Mollie
said, with cheerful vagueness: ''Oh, l
shall find some way l am sure.''
might practice or an old tin pan," put
in Bessie sarcastically.
Yes" said Moilie, gravely. That's a
good idea, and I'll remember it. Or
might take some paper and mark Off a
keyboard of an octave or two and paste it
on plank. / could play beautifully on
that, and it would at least keep my fingers
Imber''
''Bravoi" cried Amy. "Mollie, you're
a genius"
$50 she is, and 1 should love TO enjoy
her edifying company longer, but sup
pose / must go TO my old painting lesson, !"
sighed Helen.
''Old painting lesson" echoed Mollie,
Il thought you liked it
so should, if l could paint flowers
and people and things, but as for sitting
and looking at an old vase for two hours,
gazing along pencil TO get the proper
81 know | could paint ten times better if
did the things that l liked"
"When you converse upon topics be-
yond your comprehension, Miss Starr,
you DO not create an impression of your
knowledge, but only expose your pro-
found ignorance prosed Mollie, in a
grandiose manner.
"Well, shan't stay here TO be laughed
i Il ~ - r -
this very misunderstanding at the clock
Good by, Molle." And giving her a
hasty kiss she took Bessie's arm, and
the three girls hurried from the room.
During the months that followed Mollio
had abundant opportunity TO test the
strength Of her resolution. At first the
sense of novelty and the enthusiasm that
always accompanies new idea made her
self imposed task an easy one, but gradu-
ally this died away, and many times was
the music neglected until almost bed
time, when she reluctantly left the pleas
ant game or fascinating book to do what,
with a little forethought might have been
an agreeable duty. Mamma had been
told of the plan, and had laughed at
the formally worded Resolve" but
heartily approved of it, and now, though
she sometimes wondered at her daugh-
ter's forgetfulness, she held her peace,
remembering that it was Mollie's affair
and knowing that. if the girl did once
really neglect it, her wounded pride and
the sense of failure would be sufficient
punishment. And by and by Mollie dis
covered the value of little system, and
then she might have been seen every
morning, directly after breakfast, practic-
ing with an energy and determination that
went far toward conQuering the difficulties
Of the complicated exercises.
AT last the time arrived for Mollie's
summer fitting, and one pleasant day in
June the four girls were gathered to-
Cether in her little sanctum for good
by talk"
"Oh, dear"' sighed Helen. at does
not seem any time since winter, and now
it's summer again, and l shall miss you
SO dreadfully.n
Ditto" answered Mollie, brightly.
"But perhaps it won't seem any time till
autumn, and then | shall be back, you
know. And you will not miss me long,
for in another month you will be revel-
ling in the treasures Of Martha's Vine
yard"
81 know it, groaned Helen. "But a
whole month in this dreadful city, with
the thermometer over eighty, and every
soul away, and nothing to do-ohv'
Come, Helen" cried Amy, "don't
look SO doleful, or you'll give US all the
blues. You've made even Mollie look
sober"
Mollie contradicted this statement by
beaming smile that was reflected in the
faces Of the others. Even Helen looked
more cheerful You are the most com
Portable girl" she said. II don't believe
you ever were homesick in your life. "
Wasn't" said Mollie, promptly. II
have tried hard enough"
The girls broke into chorus Of laugh
ter Tried to be homesickl What do
you meanT'
"Just what I said" answered Mollie.
stoutly. "You know last summer mamma
went to Europe, and left me with Aunt
Linda' Well, everybody kept saying:
Poor little girl, how you must miss your
mother, Aren't you dreadfully home
sick until began TO feel really troubled
because / wasn't And one night tried
TO cry myself 10 sleep thinking about It.
But twas no use. / never did cry easy,
and thought / was the most heartless
creature alive So ] wrote 10 mamma
that everybody seemed 10 expect me - be
homesick, but ! wasn't, and hoped she
would not feel hurt, for / tried real hard.
but was having such good time that
couldn't
Well, =" said Bessie, laughing, that's
an original idea. But, to change the sub
Jet, are your things all packedF'
''Au except my ribbons and lsces, and
those 60 10 the top tray, ven know
And the musicr' eske1 Bessie, mis-
ehievously.
safe in corner OF my trunk" was