Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-20

at last accounts she was exhorting the pris-
oners.
Miss Celia wished that Dr.. Rollins wonld not
describe the fearless anguish of the mother,
swho yet thinks of every one," he said with
moist eyes, iran after the nurse girl with q
shawl, made her husband take q cup of coffee.
and all the time keeps her senses in the midst
Of the confusion"
Celia felt her heart contract; she remembered
her father in emergencies; 30 he used to act;
this was his true daughter.
Insensibly she felt her stony control giving
way under the tide of sympathy. She asked
questions: "who was the playmate that Grace
thought she saw? Couldn't they discover some
thing from him?'
II believe there is . chance there" cried Mrs
Rollins, 'wouldn't Reggy know? Where is hep
Now Reggy had behaved very queerly. He
had been Keen to sit at the table with his aunty
up to that very day. yet Immediately before
dinner he had sidled up to whisper that he
didn't want to go to the table, he wanted to
stay out with his donkey. He SO carefully
avoided giving his aunt q rear view of his small
person that she suspected some grievous mis-
hap to his best clothes; suspicious that grazed
certainty during dinner, when she heard
Teena's voice uplifted wrathfuily through the
slide.
II shouldn't wonder il he has sat down in the
pudding!" Thought Miss Celia
Never was such tumultuous dinner known
in that well-Ordered household; the immaculate
Maddox forgetting her cap. Lizzie trying to
pour champagne out Of a cOrked bottle sounds
of wreck and crash twice emerging from the
kitchen.
Ordinarily Miss Celia's decorous soul would
have writhed at such service; now she hardly
noticed it; her whole being was shaken by dis
tracing emotions, pity, anxiety, clinging re-
sentiment, long-silent instincts Of kinship, and.
stronger and stronger all the time, a frightened
tenderness for the little helpless, innocent
child. her very own little niece. Perhaps this
minute she was shiverinS in some ghsstly howell.
Something rose in her throat to choke her;
she could not eat; the wine that she drank fever
ishly might have been water.
When Mrs. Rollins proposed questioning
Reggy it was as if the strained cords snapped;
neither pride nor anger could hold her heart in
their leash any longer.
"Yes. Mrs. Rollins" she said, lifting her
features strangely like the expression of the
painted general above her, .let us have Rcggy
in. Please cali him, Maddox And thenwI
know our friends will excuse twill You put on
your things and be ready to 90 to Mrs. Bracc's?'
The Rollins would not exchange glances but
Mrs. Rollins felt pale with excitement, and the
rector cleared his throat.
The pause (whlie they waited for Reggy's ap-
pearance) was something painful.
Miss Celia kept her composure like soldier
81 suppose Regsy is out with his donkey" said
she. in precisely her usual voice. only it was
pitched key lower and had the effect in its
distinct enunciation of being held. "He is be-
witched with the beast. can't keep him away
from the stable
But isn't it cold there?' said Mrs. Rollins,
furtively glancinG at the darkening street and
thinking how cold it was for a little child.
She hardly heard Miss Celias answer that
the stable was heated. Miss Celia herself
stumbled, stopped. Maddox, where is Master
Rcggy?' i.
Oh xr.t1 H. n 4
solemnity, Master Reggy amt tit to come in
here ne ID that messed up from spilling the ice
cream on him.
'Never mind, fetch him in; you will kindly
excuse accidents" with her inextinguishable
politeness. tell Teena''--
clamor outside, beginning with plain
below OF rage from Master Resgy and dwind-
ling into furious whispers caught the words off
her lips.
Il think" said DR.. Rollins mildly. that
Teena Is bringing in the little boy by force
Excuse me-" said Miss Celia. She rose and
went to the door. no farther, because in the
hall Teena was dimly visible pulling Reggy by
the arm. Reggy meanwhile making splendid
play with his legs, whimporing and defying in
q breath: II haven't got to mind you; won't
mind you; never will run and tell the butcher
man to stop for you again if you don't let me
go. Please let me go; please. please. III be
good; I'll be-
IF you don't quit crying and kicking" saws
the relentless Toena, they'll hear you in the
dining room and know you're naughty boy."
''Ieena, what Is the matter?' says Miss Celia.
"ReSSy, what have you been doing to your
selfi'
She may well ask. No wonder Resgy shrinks
from society and the dining room gasiight-
the beautiful blue velvet front of him is be-
smeared with cream only partially emoved by
the dshclOth.
''Hc's tipped the ice cream ove- on himself
from greediness ma am" says Teena. severely,
while the wretched Reggy bangs his head. Yes,
keggy, You know it. This here's the fourth
time you've come in for things to eat A whole
plate OF grapes and the ginger and prunes and
three saucers of ice cream l saw with nv own
eyes. and turkey and salad and two OF them
paper cases with oysters! If Mrs. Feretzle
wants to give party when she knows the fam
ily's in affection she'd ought to get her own
ma'arl he pulled the ice cream over him, he
did"
They weren't for Mrs. Feretzle," sobs
Rcegy.
who is it for then?" saws Miss Celia.
Reggy hides his shamed head in her gown;
the answer comes in sObs: 'It-it's-for-my
little 'dOpted sister!'
-Four women at once cried or screamed or
groaned at him-Mrs Rollins, Lizzie Teena
and Maddox {by this time all in the halD-and
the one man said: hoy. what do you mean?''
But one woman caught the little fellow in her
eA"o. a. "ohiuIt white aS TIE splilGu cream, say
ing very gently: ''Reggy. never mind, dear,
where is your little adopted sister,
she's over to Mrs. Feretzla's now" said
KeSgy, ",canse she got to crying for her
mamine. But she's been all the morning il, the
stable with me and the donkey. And then |
looked her 20 Mrs. Fere.zlcs-and-and it was
her dinner was getting. But she feels bad
end says she wants to go home. But maybe if l
get her the typewriter she'll stay
And wha; is your sister namc Reggy?"
said Miss Celia.
why, Oracle Brace of course" said the
young pirate. Santa Claus wouldn't give me
any dopted sister. so / looked her"
Not then. bu. afterward, they learned all
about 1t, how Oracle had seen Rcggy and run
around the house to him and been lured away
to be his little sister and see his donkey The
cart was In waiting and he hid her under the
robes and drove home uEobserved.
Home they played in the stable where there
was no one but the horses to see them. and
finally he carried her to Mrs. FeretZle. who was
happily ignorant of all the commotior, having
been out III the street when Elna and her hus-
band started She accepted her without cues
ton as little visitor OK Resgys
1t was Rcggy's simple theory that after a long
time-and it seemed to him ages since they
first visited the donkey-he might display his
captive and coax his aunt to keey her. All this
story came later. Then there was only one i'm
pulse among the women, which caught them up
like cyclone and swept them through the hall,
over the lawn to the little cottage back Of the
stable.