The Opelousas courier., 1890-11-08
A BLACK SHEEP.
RY PAULINE PHELPS.

BIZ PAULINE PHELPS.
Aunt Ann stood in the doorway, look
ing at me doubtfuIly. Il don't know
about letting her take it, Noses" she
said. stIt seems as il a girl of thirteen
ought 70 be old enough, and il IL was
MiIly i shouldn't think Of worrying.
But I never saw Bertha's beat for care
lessness. As Mis- Stevens said yester-
day, she's the black sheep Of the family,
and always will be-"
! had heard this last remark often
enough to grow hardened to it, and
never dreamed of taking offence. But
UncIe Moses, who had prophesied, years
before, that I'd ssmake sonethin', some
time and still held to that opinion, put
down the dippsr to say, with more than
ordinary emphasis: s'You let her takeit,
Ann. 'Tain't more'n q mile cross-lots,
and the money'H git there jest as safe as
if ] stopped in the middle OF hayin' to
CO."
tits better TO leave the haying over 3
day than to lose thirty dollars" sighed
Aunt Ann, sepulehrally. "But you'll
have your own way about it, whatever ]
do or say. Only I want you to refnen-
Der if anything happens, Moses, who it
was that sent her,
aWa-al," hastily assented Uncle Mo-
SEES, as he started for the hay field. That
one word was a great ~favorite OF his.
ITe used it in the affirmative and mega
tive; to express pleasure or vexation i
when Ann scolded or the COW kicked
over the milk PAL. Ones, when at the
age of four, / distinguished myself by
falling head first into the spring and
crawling out unaided, he was startled
into the incredulous ejaculation s<Wa-al,
Wa-a1l' but that deviation never DC.
cured again.
Aunt Ann, deprived of one listener.
turned TO me. aIdon't know but whai
il is Just as well for you to CO." she ad.
mitted. 1--WE promised to pay for the
COW the fifteenth, and she's particular
to the hour. But ] wish it was Mile
Waiting here, instead Of you. Aunt
Augusta is the same relation to your
family as she IS TO me. and it wouldnI
surprise me any If she should take Il
into her head to do something for some
of you children. | do hope, Bertha,
il she inquiries who you are, you'll trJ
and act SO as not to spoil the chances o.
the rest of the family
7 brushed my hair ia a way intended
to express the utmost indifference te
Aunt Augusta, her likes and dislikes
Secretly I was a good deal excited. Eve
since ! could remember / Ind hearS
fabulous stories of the benevolence, keen
ness and business capacity of this great
aunt of ours, who managed every detail
| OF the large estate herself. And now.
instead of gazing on this paragon from
| the remote distance Of across the church,
! was TO zee her face to face. The eveni
was OF enough consequences in my eye
to Justify a little extra pains with N,
toilet. skPerhaps, I hazarded. as
donned M best gloves, 'sshe'Il take /
fancy to me and give me q musical edu
cation.
ssshe won't" declared Aunt Ann
with d decision that left no D fol
hope. tsshes one Of the most particular
ON ] ever saw. and any one she take.
q fancy to would have to look as i
they'd just come out ofa bandboz. Yot
could fix up all you was s nipd 10, you
wouldn't have the style to please her
II ism in you. MiIly, now, would be
girl after her own heart / was think.
ing the other day | believed I'd try II
get her acquainted With Miliy."
gave Il disguised look at the refec
tion Of my thin, brown face and lanI
body In the glass, and mournf1liy de-
cided Aunt Ann vas right. Oh, dear,
dealt why vas not ! Millyf Or, IL
musk be myself. why couldn't I hav,
been born with 4 taste for sewing an6
flying up, instead of for climbing
trees, and racing the old horse round TIN
lots bareback. I puzzled over this conun
druta till I was well on my way only 4
give it up as unanswerable. but at an.
rate ] decided, philOsophicaliy, as
pulled my big shade hat farther ever n!
eyes, Il can show her ] know how to act
If / don look as If I'd come out Of
bandbox. I had always been sure
could talk better than Millieent and nve
this reflection ! became quite mysel
again, and vent on picking my wa
Through the posture, whistling HYanke!
Doodle. What # | was 1 black sheep
If my dresses chose totears and my shoa
to wear out sooner than other peoples,
w,g sure Il wasn't sny fault Of mine.
And fhese couIdat be anything wrong j
climbing trees, II riding the old hors
bareback OF course ] shouldn't do ]
wben I vas grovn Up an5 : great pan
payer, but
ssHulloa
The voice seemed 70 come from sons
where underground. stopped an
lacked asound. The ohlyiving cgeatas
p MxazA& ~~44 Z x@&MNfN MAu &EsaN s&Ax