The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-05-28

Children, your pa hasn't come"
MAY be-" said Posey. who delighted in
excitemenis he's been run overI"
IL had happened TO Posey herself great
many times barely To escape this catas-
trophe.
Nonsense SAID William. my father
has oeen detained By important business,
no doubt"
Lucy bingham, who was hanging on the
young mans arm. gave IL ever so faint
squeeze by way OF encouragement when he
uttered these manly words.
Just then servant came out OF tbs hotel
and handed Mrs Popham q dispatch. Here
Willie. who began TO have vision OF
headiess family dependent on his hands
grew little pale. Posey screamed. Mrs.
Pophan. who generously shared both her
sorrows aud her joys with the household
OIL which she became so conspicuous mem-
Der. renamed where she had been standing
and tore open the abOminabie yellow en-
velope. while the twenty-five people pres
ent held their breath as one man and wait
ed. Mary Popham WAS white and her hands
shook. She read the message over once or
twice. nervousiy adjusting her glasses and
holding the scrap of paper first near. then
far. AT last the color rushed back into her
face in food.
"Pshaww she said, &c Amt anything!
lie got as far as Bucks Cove. and there he
met old friend who made him stop over
Bucks Cove 10 his native town. and he
amt been there. land knows when. But
he's comm on on Tuesday"
To speak of the Pophams without moro
than usually abiding to P0sey would De
to singularly fail biographer of that
family even for ever so short period.
Posey was "little-but. oh. my" lt has,
w. believe, been fairly well demonstrated
already by famous examples from history
that size has little or no connection with
personal force.
Posey was thin. WHY. white-faced little
girl. with line OF SIM al red freck les across
her cheek bones and the bridge OF her nose
W 81 4, A. ed me m les
her forehead by n round rubber comb. and
she frequently performed O part of her
toilet by frequently pulling out this SEMI
hoop. tiercely rakinG In q stray lock or two.
and then driving the rubber teeth INTO her
head again with velocity and
force that threatened to lacerstc her
brows. She had a pair of gray eyes which
were capable of boring like Rlmlets. and
which produced uneasy sensations in guilty
consciences. She was rather q dreadful
little girl. but We may mention, TO do her
justice. that she subsequently developed
into an alto2etner charming young woman.
solaced the declining y ears of her parents,
married most satisfactorily. and lived
happily ever after. We feel In duty
hound to say this much, because VS. are in
duty bound 10 say more. Posey at the
time of w hich We write possessed q horn
bic distinction. She was probably the most
accomplished liar north of the equator.
Some children hb-Posey lied. She en-
broidered tales about the Popham mansion
at DOOntOD. NJ. De-, which WOulQ nave QOD6
credit to the ima0inatlon of q Schehera-
Zade. She liked her gray little glance upon
ones face. and composed by the yard with
actual briIliancy.
rosey took to hotel life as duck takes to
water. She had not been two days in the
North Side House before she could hail any
waiter by his particular cOgnOmeD. She
complained loudly of the table and de-
mauded special preparations for herself.
She summoned lemOnadcs by the magic
ali Ntrta hnt in har had In fan
that terrified her mamma when she set
tied the weekly account. She spent
good deal of time travelling mp and down
IN the elevators. AS for the stairs.
she used them-that 10 to say the banisters
for sliding down upon. 1t seemed TO her
that that was what they were made fora
sort OF gymnsstic opportunity, thrown In
by the landlord. Mrs. Popham was con-
wonder where POoey was The other In
mates of the hotel were continually won
deriDg where she was not.
Pvsey was ubiquitous. She knew every
quaintance with Miss Lucy Bingham,
for Instance, even antedated her
mothers Posey had met Lucy on the
very evening of the Pophams arrival
The little girl was waverng about an up
DER stair landing, trying 10 decide whether
it would be more fun TO slide all the way to
the Office floor below, or TO get the elevator
man TO take her ever SO many times up and
down hIs entire shaft as fast as he could go
without stopplng-when ay0unR lady 10
sea- green gown paused before her and
patted her on the cheek Posey hated to
have her cheek pHtted, and she was about
to resent the familiarity tiercely when
her choice OF bOnbons out of @ largo and
tempting boxful. The little girl promptly
took ont hardful at random. and then,
being told that she migh have Just one
more, she fingered and gloated over
nj I'm N N ha
loZenge without being able TO renounce
either. Lucy Bingham invited her TO come
into her room and TO make her choice at
lasure. Posey accepted. Pm very fond
of little girls" said Miss Bingham.
Are your said Posey.
"Yes. love them dearly. Did you Just
arrive to-nightp
yes With mamma and my brother Will
lie In a palace car"
And how do you like Bar Harborfv
Not much. like Boonton the best.
We've got lovely house in Boonton. We
have two elevators"
ut must be a very big house."
II should say 1t was it's enormous. NY
fathers rich. L can tell you! Willie has
two horses. papa has two. and so has
mamma I've got doll with real gold ear
rings and real lace on her dress, but didn't
bring her. because 1t was a bother. Think
III take the lozeuge and I'd better be going
now. but I'll come again often"
You're q dear little girl" said Lucy.
THANK you" said P0sey, good night"
The next day Lucy Bingham rose early,
with all the energy of o person who has
found an object In life. As for what i'm
mediately followed we have already suffi-
GENTLY described it.
The season at the North Side Hotel pro-
crossed after the manner of seasons. It
had begnn by being rather dull and un-
promising; IL dragged on despsiringly for q
week or SO; 1t suddenly blazed In TO brilliant
success near the end. and then quickly
drew TO close only too soon. The Pop
haps had arrived just before the brilliant
boom. Perhaps their advent had even had
much to 90 with drawing together and unit
ing as whole the hitherto somewhat aim
less and disconnected y orth- side household.
Nothing creates SO init mate q feeling as O
joint enjoyment of a Joke. When people
have laughed together. this at once estab-
fishes u little understanding which ire
quently leads TO great results. Certain it
Is that the POphams had not been two daye
IN the house before the hotel family be-
gan TO organize itself and TO settle, as If
from the turn OF Kaleidoscope. into var-
ons groups and cliques. Then the little
drama of the season began. Perhaps Willie
Popham alone would have been suffi-
GENTLY important acquisition to iDauGu-
rate this notable change. Be assured that
| If there were those WHO laughed at his
mamma and rebearsed the escapades of
that enfant terrible. his little sister, Will
liam himself very soon ceased to be n Joke.
| yonng man who leads the german must
of necessity DO taken seriously. And Will
liam. managed" by Lucy. bad at last ar-
| rived al this leading role.
-. Il.