The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1890-02-06
.'rm going to run and ask mamma If /

I'm going to run and ask mamma If
Imayn't go out"
And off she rushed.
Soon, with her kitten in her arms and
her little spaniel at her heels, she was out
on the wet road. The rain had quite
ceased. The afternoon sun, weary of
sulking, was coming out in splendid
state. In its radiance every drop on
every clover Leaf was glittering jewel,
and the pools in the street reflected bits
of the brilliant sky.
On and on wandered BERTHE, her scar
let skirt blowing backward, her yellow
hair tangling flossily as the breeze caught
and played whit. AS she passed 'sThe
Oaks she paused to put her small, in
quisitive face against the ironrailing and
peer through.
What grand, bsps house it wasl And
how smooth and green was the large
lawn, all lovely with beds of blooml
And how sweet the flowers smelt after
the rain-the geraniums and carnations,
and sweetbrier and verbenasl
Il should SO love to see the funny man
Sister Margery saw she said to herself.
And then, just as if she had had magi-
cal ring, her wish was gratifed. For
out on the main walk, not twelve feet
away, from small side path came Mr..
Sterling.
He saw the little maiden outside the
railing-the bright eyed, curious face.
He liked children. He sauntered towards
the gate.
"Hello, little lassiel what is your
name?"
"Kearney, SIR"
"Oh. you're one of the Kearney sisters,
are you? Which oneF'
Sim not the clever one" she said.
He smiled.
"No?"
"No. Clotilde is the clever one"
"Well?"
"And I'm not the good one. Janet is
the good one"
"Indeedv'
| Eyes," with nod. Sand I'm not the
pretty one either. Margery is the pretty
Fone."
"And you?"
"Oh, I'm the bad one. At least that
is the way Uncle Dick says we ought to
be dis-dis-distinguishedi"
She was breathless from her struggle
with the big word.
Then" he said, laughter lighting up
his quiet brown eyes-''then it was Mar
gerry saw todayy'
"Yes, and think" Indignantly: '-she
was all wrong. don't think you're one
bit awkward"
CHIP
II think you're downright nice. And
some day-not now, because the girls
said mustn't, but some day, when we're
better acquainted, I'm going to ask you
to let me ride on your little white pony.
He bowed gravely.
Certainly"
Its so sweet" growing friendly and
confidential. "Do you know that last
summer-keep still, Kitty Kearneyr' tc
the pussy, which was writhingly at
tempting an escape-"last summer Mar.
gerry, who is the grandest artist that evel
lived, I think, made sketch of i
when it was out at pasture JUst wal
here and I'll run and get it. Come on
Twigt'
Away she scampered, her little dos
after her. Smiling amusedly, the tall
brown gentleman by the gate waited he1
return.
In about fifteen minutes she was back
with fiat book under her arm.
''It is in there, and he is eating grassr'
He took the book rather diffidentlv.
but very curiously, too. 1t could not
matter. Sketches were made to be
looked at. And this was sketch of his
own pet pony.
"By Georgew
He almost dropped the book.
"Oh, please, please" cried BERTHE, in an
agony of remorse. ~ quite forgot your
picture was in there. What won't Mar
gerry sayl Oh, never mind the ponys
| picture now"
She snatched the book, turned, ran
home as fast as her fat legs would carry
her, leaving Give Sterling crimsoning
and laughing as he never had crimsoned
and laughed before.
"Weu, I've seen myself for once as
others see me, thanks to the pretty onew
He dropped his eye glasses and saun-
tered back to the house. For several
days he neither saw nor heard anything
of his neighbors. Then he CHANGED to
encounter BERTHE.
"Oh, please, can't talk to you," the
child said. "Thes girls say am SO I'M
reliable. You know Margery caught
me when / was sneaking her sketch book
back, and made me tell her where had
taken it to-"
| "And thenT
"Then," confessed BERTHE, with con-
trite gulp, "then she sat down and criedp'
81 sayl Nor
"She did. There she is now! Oh,
Margery, Margery"
/ The girl had come unexpectedlv around