The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-02-08
BARBARA'S MISCHIEF.
How She Brought Back Her Sis
tors Lost Lover

~, and, of course, as naughty as she
was tall, and filled up quite a large
space in society in very opposition to
her name: whereas, Barbara was an elf
of nine years standing on this grim
odd footstool of ours, and was not one.
'quarter as big as her name, with the
face of fairy and bright brown eyes
that looked out from under her yellow
bang ridiculously like the way in
which Dots pony peercd from under
his mane-and with orbs almost as big
and fully as limpid. But then she is
my heroine, and you must needs mako
the best OF her.
Dot was engaged, am happy to say,
to perfect Apollo, but am sorry to
admit that she treated said Apollo as
If he were nothing more than a poor,
weak, erring mortal, and took il upon
her stately, privileged self to lecture
the young man upon certain faults she
took it, as matter of course, must he
in his possession, being as he was the
only son OF q very indulgcnt pair of
old folks.
Blu; She was shaken to the very
foundation of her royal being when
one day she discovered that the last
fallen upon thin air; and she had con-
fused sense of pair of indignant, sor-
rowful eyes leaving their light to
haunt her MS she sat there amazed and
hurt after the hall door had slammed
like 4 wooden oath.
He was gone then.
"Oh. Scotch! Scottr' she moancd,
which was no slang at ALL but the irato
Apollo's christcned name.
Dot arose from her chair of state and
carried her heart, bleeding and torn,
upstairs to anoint it with tears and
cover it with the magnificent new ball
dress from Mime. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
able bandage.
Whats the matter, Dot? You is
crying"
Miss Barbara's eyes had caught the
CLEAN OF something shining and bead
like upon the very tip of Dots feather
fan.
81 think you would cry, too. Chiclsic,
wouldn't you, if the prince came and
promised you nice things and then
rushed Off without saying anything
about it,.
Isn't Scott going to take you to the
ball?"
ut certainly doesn't look like it. He
went off so angry with me-"
Another tear splashed holly down
upon Barbara's little upturned face.
The child wiped it off, uttering this
solemn injunction
Don't you cry one bit more will
sec about this matter myself" uncon-
sciously initiating papa's impressive
manner.
They had always talked to her as If
she could understand their mature rea-
soning-this sister and this papa-so
that She had come to have ludicrous
little air OF sage consideration Of all
things brought to her notice.
Nine O'clock and no Scott-he was
not coming, then; must she miss the
glorious assembly ball because of his
anger? Not She! Ifalf-past nine! Had
Barbara been awake she would have
noticed the quivering eyclid that tried
SO hard to keep the teardrops prison
crs. Quarter TO ten-she gave IN all
hope of Scott and in ten minutes more
papa was drowned in sea of over
flowing satin, whose cream white bill
lows filed the coupe.
Ten o'clock. A loud peal of the door
bell aroused Barbara from her slum-
ber Another peal. Out of bed, into
her little Mother Hubbard wrapper,
and down the stairs crept Barbara. on
tiptoe, though there was no need of
that, as every trusted servant had gone
out and the child was alone in the big
house. The little hand mastered the
huge door-key and out in the moon
light the brown eyes discovered Dots
lover
"Oh, it's you"
Yes Chiclie, of course it is. Isis
Dot rcady?"
Now, I've always been amazed at
the hbs children can tell on the slight.
est provocation. | had even gone SO
far as to entertain some odd ideas OF
the utter lack of conscience in the
world of childhood, and honestly he.
lieve that veracity is an actual matte,
of education, pure and simplc-with (;
dismal conviction that even cultivation
docs not always suffice. | have beer
astonished to see with what fertility
the brains of infancy are possessed. in
venting with ease uncalled-for and I'M
precedented falsehoods; and as Barba
ra was beyond the average, lam bounc
to say that she gravcly sent the follow.
ing little fib into SCOTS car:
yes, Dot is All ready and gone with
papa, but you are to bring me instead
I'm almost dressed. Just go into tho
library, please, Scott. and I will MOI
keep you waiting more than few min
utes."