News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-10-30
HOV T0ppy Held The Fort.


didos while l am gone. You are to
to knit fifty rounds on yoursock, an
sit on the back porch stiddy, an
keep the hens out of them dryin' ap-
pies
Yes m, /" replied Toppy. She stuck
one lean little finger into a morning
glory bell and looked up with a queer
little glance from her two bright
twinkling eyes to Miss Mehitabel.
"And mind you nobody gets into
the house. Be a good girl, Toppy,
and mebbe I'll let you off with twen-
ty-fve rounds on your sock to-mor-
row."
Miss Mehi1bel gathered up the
reins e and Ist4ar4qsf n Y y<ssIIlL-y- off
toward Lover, whittier that austere
spinster made fortnightly pilgrim
ages with butter and eggs.
She did not see Toppy's small nose
turn up, but it did; for this day Miss
Toppy watched the blue tail. board of
the wagon vanish down the road.
Then she picked up the corners of her
long brown apron and with speed in
her heels, fire in her eyes, and vigor
in her elbows. she shooed every chick
en- into the large winter chicken-coop
and shut it up tightly.
She returned slowly to the house
and picked up her gray sock and
warn ball from the place on the
porch seat.
You nasty, horrid thing" said
Toppy, glaring at the dangling leg
| N-In IntI " lJ
she gave the needles a toss and
swish; the stocking landing among
the grape leaves of the arbor. Top
py danced bare-footed double shut
tie on the soft turf.
How'd ye get up there?' she ask
ed, eyeing the stocking with little
swapping, sideways quirk of her eyes.
" You flew up there, sOckies, to get
away from being made wuss lookin'
than you are already"
She sauntered down to the gate
with a iaunty air and looked up and
down the road
"'Taint just time for 'em yet" she
said refectively. "Guess I'll make
me a wreath. 3"
She invaded Miss Mehitabel'sp patch
of marigolds.
They amt sweet" said TOppy,
curling them profuseIy, "but they'll
make u jolly good-looking crown"
She pulled them with long stems
and wove a wreath very deXtrously.
When she had placed this firmly on
her smooth, mcEse-colored hair,
she braided out two pig-tails which
branched out behind her ears in per-
petual defiance. Toppy was an i'm
posing spectacle.
"Ill wear dahlyers in my button
holes" she said, surveying her little
shapeless calico jacket. " "Dahlyers
are dandies for triumph"
A row of dahli s forthwith left
slight figure.
A loud "ahem unded from the
region of the gardefHgate.
Toppy turned around quickly. Hel
garden party had arrived in ful
force. There were six of them. They
were poor-house children, the same
as Toppy, and bearing the stamp o
their pauperism plainly upon them
Such clothes, such misGt hats, sucl
pathetic gowns an6-trousers.
Toppy flung open the gate with {
magnificent air of hospitality,
"All here? Yes, there's Gracy ant
Tom, and jimmie and Marth, ant
Bobby and little Pete. You've had
hot walk, Didn't anybody ask yo1
where you was a-cOming to? 81
down on the porch"
"Three on a seat and no squeezin'
Wait till | hook Miss Mehitabel'
turkey-tail fan. 1t gives wind splen
did, and you can pass it round"
Toppy whisked into the house am
returned with the fan.
Six yellow pumpkins were placed i
a circle out behind the hop poles.
"Them's chairs, ladies and gentle
men, sit right down" said Toppy.
Three overturned milk pans serve
for tables. There were apples, brea
and butter, a mug ofmilk, the larges
fraction of a molasses cake and
pile of cookies. For dessert thel
were some half-ripened hazel nut
and some early-ripe sour grapes.
How the hungry eyes OF the chi
dren dilated as Toppy brought tn
viands on.
They began with low "Ahs, whic
gradually rose to squeals as luXur
over-topped luxury, and Pete put h
small teeth into a cookie with sna
that told of keenest interest.
Toppy watched them eat with III
arms on her hips and satisfaction
her eyes.
"Taste good, Marthy?"