Sharp County record., 1890-01-30

| ing PeggOty behaved wonderfully "ell'
and when she was fairly reddy for
church with the new boots snugly but
toned on her feet and shining as only
brand-new boots can shine, her satisfac-
ton was complete. She loitered lit
tie behind papa and mamma, ,snuifng the
pleasant air and stubbing her little toes
along over the rough concrete pavement
regardless of pains and penalties. In
fact, she nearly forgot the boots.
The walk was rather long and Peg
goty was not sorry when they reached
the church, and she settled down against
papa in the pew pit with sigh of con-
tent. When the hymn was sung, how
ever, she slipped off the seat and sat
down on mammals footStOOl and then she
took look down at the new boots. Hor-
ror of horrors Peggoty's heart came
right up in her mouth. Across both lit
tie toes was the old familiar purplish
streak wearing white in the middle, and
in the corner of the right boot was
small but undeniable hole. And these
boots were to have lasted two weeks.
Peggoty was fairly stunned by the size
of the calamity. She sat down beside
papa after the hymn was over, inwardly
full of anguish, but outwardly such a
model of what good child should be
that old Mrs Bryce, who was wont to
regard Peggoty's performancesin church
with any thing but a lenient eye, actual
ly leaned over and gave her a pepper
mint. She sat like little statue all
through the sermon, Her one idea was
to keep those little worn toes from at
tracting attention. Who would have
thought that merely scraping those
boots overhaul a mile Of pavement would
have produced such disastrous effects,
Papa thought it dreadful thing to wear
out pair of boots in eight days. What
would he say when he knew it had
actually been accomplished in walking
to church?
Mamma looked at her once or twice
little anxiously. She sat so very still
and her face had such lovely, far away
look, and thought of Aunt EmmOnS'
prophecy came into her mind. Still,
Peggoty did not look at all like sick
child, and she dismissed the thought.
More than the usual number of young
and old ladies stopped going out Of the
church to kiss Peggoty and pat her little
red cheeks, and Peggoty received it all
without much attention, Usually she
was not quite as Indifferent as she APP
peared to the admiration she excited,
but caresses made no impression to-day.
She kept carefully in the background
all the way home, wondering what was
best to be done. Immediately after din
ner those new boots would have to come
off with her best dress, and then "the
deluge." At last she resolved that she
would go away. She would 60 soff like
Dick Wilmington, or some of the
Princesses in the fairy tales, and come
home only after some marvellous advent
ures, and they would all be so glad to
see her that they would forget about the
boots. She almost decided to 60 at once,
but having glanced into the dining
room, where Hannah was setting the
table for dinner, and most appetizing
odors stealing in from the kitchen, she
decided to wait. Perhaps she might also
get something to eat on her wanderings.
Peggoty did manage to secrete a roll
in her little pocket, and the minute din
ner was over slipped upstairs, and after
some struggling got off her best dress
and into her everyday attire. She |
meant to take her departure through |
the orchard, but nurse, after waiting for
Peggoty, who usually made one of the
party, took Johnnie and baby and went
off that way, thinking Peggoty was with
mamma, so escape in that direction was
cut off. Peggoty was not able to button
many buttons on her dress, but then it
was warm day and didn't much mat
ter AS for the boots, well, they were
worn out; she concluded not to take
them off.
She grasped Dolly Rosalind firmly by
one kid arm and peered through the
banisters, waiting for a chance to go
out the door, but to her dismay, papa
got chair and sat placidly down under
the big maple by the gate. The garret
door was ajar and feeling that attempts
to escape now would be failures, Peggoty
went up there to wait till night She
usually liked the attic, but to-day it's
interest was soon exhausted. 1t was so
warm and it did look so pleasant out
doors. Peggoty stared out OF the dusky |
window, not daring to try and open it, and |
listlessly watched two or three fat flies |
that were buzzing about. Finally she
and Rosalind climb ed an old bedstead,
and sat dismally down behind pile of
old pillows and winter blankets and ate
the roll. 1t was forlorn situation, and
Peggoty began to fancy how hard 1T
would be to go out all alone in the dark,
with no one but Rosalind, who didn't
amount to much in an emergency. Two
great tears rolled down her cheeks as
she pitied herself. However, it was
warm and close, and long before Peg
goty had planned half her coming ad-
ventures she fell fast asleep.
Meanwhile mamma had missed her.
She came up to the nursery and found
the best dress lying on chair. She
hung it up, wondering nurse had forgot
ten to do it. Then she went off to her