Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-04-20
BETTINA's STORY.

My little neighbor, Bettina, came in
one evening and said imperiously: ~Tell
me a story"
Certainly, " said; sit down and
will begin: Once upon time, long,
long time ago."
Il don't like "a long, long time ago.
that's the way grandma's stories always
begin, and you're not as old as grandma
and can't know anything about "a long,
long time ago. Tell me something else.
"Very well,r said submissively, II
know a very pretty story about a little
girl who was one day out in the fields
gathering flowers, and as she was saunter-
ing along"
She met little old woman, who said
to her, little girl know all that, the
little girl and the little old woman al
wayss say the same things and the little old
woman always turns out to be fairy and
the little girl always marries the prince. /
don't want to marry prince; my papa
says there isn't a prince living no
couldn't buy up three times over"
"Bettinal" gasped.
And as for fairies, I've been in the
fields often, and I've never met any
fairies big or little.
And what's more, Bettina,n - l said,
shaking my head at her sadly, @you
never win.
No, and l don't want to; they always
say such foolish things like the stupid
old giants. I'm sick of giants! l saw
one once in a dime museum, and he
didn't eat up anybody or say fee, 70, Fl,
fum' way down in his shoes like the
books say; he just stood up there and
let people look at him and feel him like
a piece of wood. He wasn't worth pay
ing dime to see. Tell me story,
please.
But it is so hard to tell you story
there are so many things you don't like.
Let me see-shall l tell you about the
man in the moon?"
There isn't any man in the moon; !;
there's nothing but dried up lakes and
rocks there, and all sorts of dead things.
@Ohi"
"And / don't want to hear about SaNta
Claus, because know who Santa Claus
is, and anyhow he couldn't get down the
chimney through the CRATE, because the
CRATES too little.
well, then, there is the rabbit that
comes ON Easter"
Bettina's lip curled scornfully. "Why,
! order the dye for the eggs myself"
Red Ridinghood-
@Poohl Who ever heard a wolf talkl
Did your"
mo, said feebly; "but they some
times bite. /"
@'Course they do, if anybody's crazy
'nough to go close to them. guess Red
Ridinghood was silly"
@Then," said desperately, suppose
you tell me story"
This idea seemed to please her. She
leaned back complacently in her chair
and folded her hands in her lap. Her
hair fell on her shoulders like yellow silk !;
her skin was sweet and pink her eyes
blue, and her little form clad in costly
clothes, made in the picturesquely simple
fashion of long ago. An ideal looking
child. aureoled by the setting sun.
Well, she began, in a quick, mo-
notonous tone, pitching her voice a key
higher than usual, there's man lives
next door to us named Smith-you've
seen him2"
~Yes."
He has wife and she's named Smith
you've seen herr"
@Yes."
And they've got five children-Anna
Smith, Fannie Smith, Tommy Smith,
George Smith-you've seen thems"
@Yes."
And baby-you've seen it?"
~Yes."
@But the baby hasn't been christened
yet; it's got four teeth-twO lower teeth.
and two upper teeth, and when it cries
it goes swha-an, wha~an, wha-an,' and
it's got blue eyes and no hair; and
they've got dog you've seen itsr
mo.
Named Bruno, and every time the
baby goes out the dog goes with it, and
they always know when the baby's COM
ing home, because the dog comes In first;
and they've got COW, and . cat that's
too old 20 catch rats, and mamma says
she don't know why they keep it because
it costs something to feed it, bat the chill
dren are awful fond Of it; and they've
got cook and house girl, but they
haven't got nurse and they haven't got
carriage cause they're too poor to keep
one, and mamma says they're not the
kind of people she wants to loan
ours to. don't know why 'caMse
their shoes are clean and their clothes
are very nice, though they don't
cost as much as mine and they've got
nice hats-Anna's hats got pink flowers
on it. and Fannie's hats got blue flowers,
and Georges hats got red flowers, and
the baby's got lace cap AL full Of fEiIls-