The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1891-05-22
"About anything" said Eugene. HE

"Opinions OF your own are not fashion
able, and you must accept your inv
tations."
Eugene obeyed. She always sun
whenever she was asked, and Away
looked well, and her aunt vas Satisfied
1t was her hope to make a great matcl
for her, and keep her from returning t.
Germany and music.
What might have happened no on
can say, but M day a witch, who hat
it in her mind to change the course o
events utterly for two young womel
who had done her no harm, whistled VI
a wild north wind, and mounting j
rode through New York, sending every
thing fying-men's hats, newspapers
loose signboards, figures on which COS
tunes were displayed, the stock of thu
corner fruit stands, sometimes the ole
women who watched them. Eugene
who had just entered Broadway, being
compactly dressed in cloth and wearing
a little toque that fitted closely to hel
head, Jared better than many of her sex
who We're abroad that day.ABut as she
braced herself against a second gust she
became aware of a little woman in great
distress, like some frail boat tossed upon
the ocean in a gale-a woman with
whom the wind was doing what ii
would, since it had first twisted her
drapery about her in a way which, while
it exhibited an questionable quantity
of red and white stockings ON two little
limbs, thus reminding one of sticks of
peppermint candy, rendered them per-
fectly useless.
'Save me" cried this little being, as
she clutched Eugenie's arm. ''Save mel
or l shall be blown over the housetops!'.
1t seemed possible. But Eugene did
her best to prevent the catastrophe.
The fair sufferer by her aid remained on
terra firma and found shelter in the open
hallway Of a building devoted to offices,
where Eugene smoothed down the
Aounces, untangled the ribbons, adjusted
all the ~futtering finery, and came at last
to a little woman with a tiny body, a
large head, with a round, red and white
face, like a Holland dolls, and a guam
tity of light hair, now wildly blown
about and mixed with the trimmings of
the most elaborate bonnet possible. As
she looked at her, memories of German
folklore rushed upon Eugenie's mind,
and she asked herself if she had caught
a gnome, and if it would grant her a
wish if she refused to let it go otherwise.
"You are so good" said this little
being, II shall never, never forget it.
What l looked like I don't know, or
what people thought of me. It was like
an angel coming to me out of heaven
when you caught me-"
She was holding her bonnet now while
Eugene twisted up her hair, which was
so plentiful as to overload her immense
head. Curious memories were coming
into Eugenie's mind. This was a familiar
face and figure. Where had she seen it
before?
you are WEAKLY angelic" said the lit
tie woman. Eugene laughed.
''There comes the rain" she said, as a
shower of drops fell on the pavement.
"Oh, it pours! and you have no UNI
owella either,' said the little woman.
But though you may shwink you won't
for you are all WOOL. But l am en-
rely silk and satin and shall be utterly
vuined. Mrs. Bunny told me to take an
lmbwella and a waterproof. 1T will
urely storm, Maisie,' she said; but l
vas naughty and would not. l am well
punished for it,"
The right chord was touched at last.
remembered where she had
zen this little gnome before. 1t was
when she was ten years old that Mr..
Bunny, a man with whom her uncle
connected in business, and who, she
lad heard, came from England in the
;teerage, a poor boy with his wardrobe
a handkerchief, to become a million
lire in the course of thirty years, had
,ome to take her to see a Fourth of July
procession that passed the balcony of
he old fashioned house in Bond street
where he still lived, though it was al
most given over to business ever then.
Mrs. Bunny in a wonderful cap had
,een very kind.
I'm so glad to see you," she said,
and 'ow sweet you are in that white
rock. Give me a kiss, my dear. Maisie
owe, ere is little Miss Eugene Ashton
Then Maisie came skipping out of the
"Oh. you dear!' she said. $50
ften Mrs. Bunny has told me l should
ee you and now this is the first time.
low stwaight you are, and how nicely
'ou cawy yourself. l always notice
,eauty. | admire it, though l never had
ny myself. I'm never envious. Kiss
ne, dear, and we will have just the
o~veliest time, won't we? Such a Dwight
and the music. Tra-la-la! How
love muster And Maisie spread her
which We're very full, to their
width on both sides of her and
xecuted a sort of Spanish dance. emusic
the soldiers marching. and one can
ee evwything from Mrs. Bunny's beau
iful balcony"
AT that time Maisie was perhaps TWEEN
y years of age. She was extremely short,
shoulders We're slightly deforlned,
ut she contrived to conceal her defects
figure very tolerably. Her good, smil-
,g face had many changing expressions,
II of them good natured and amiable.
took quite a fancy to her at
nee. She thought Maisie very pretty,
18th the fluttering ribbonstthe frills of
ice that adorned her costume, the strings
f blue beads with which she bedecked
er neck, the bracelets she wore upon
er arms anc the immense bouquet she
arried in her hand. The sashes. the
the ~adornments of all kinds she
upon her person. 1t all came
ack to Eugene as she stood watching
rain plash upon the pavement. !
Could this be Maisie. who had seemed I