Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-05-04
By JEANETTE Il. wALwoRTH.
CHAPTER XIII.

goes into erect from to-day, MISS Mn
cite Fairbanksl'
Ninette had dropped her hand and
circled gravely twice around her before
responding, ENORMOUSLY: But I can't
see them!"
''See what2'
"Your new wings"
Whereupon Ida laughed so long and
so gayly that Ninette, applying her own
little narrow gauge to this unwonted
flow of spirits, asked:
us somebody given you something
nice, auntie?"
mo, Niece Ninette, but I have been
brushing the cobwebs from the sky, and
1t is good to see the sunlight of truth
once more"
"Oh, know now!' The light of ill.,
telligence broke suddenly over the
puzzled baby face. Mother Goose"
Precisely" said Ida, accommodating
herself to the tender little feet and
rhythmically supplying the context:
There was an old woman,
Tossed up in q blanket,
Seventeen times as high as the moon;
What she did there
cannot tell you,
But in her hand she carried a broom.
Old woman, old woman,
Old woman, said j,
Oh, whittier, oh, whittier, oh, whittier SO hight
To sweep the cobwebs on the sky,
And I'll be back again by and by"
1t was so deliciously easy to be nom
sensical that day!
But you'll come back, auntie, by and
by?" There was touch of anxiety In
the ignorant little voice.
II will never get so very far away
from you, my darling, my little sun
beam, my salvationP'
They had reached the front door of
their own home by this time. Ida
handed the child promptly over to old
Dido, who was her abject serf. Then she
turned towards the stairway alone.
~ have found out all want to know,
Dido"
Dido looked into the illumined young
face before her with a now respect. She
had lifted the veil heavy with the dust
of half a century.
"Well, my chip"
"Rubbishl'' Ida snapped her fingers
airily. I'm Disguised to think how
much generation have wasted on it all
these years. And. Dido, am going to
have a plain talk with father to-day. /
wanted to know the whole truth first
After to-day you sha'n't hide our dear
little girl away in that gloomy old wing
any longer. I'm going to sweep the
cobwebs out Of fathers brain next"
Not much hardship in the wing"
said old Dido, not altogether relishing
the iconoclastic spirit that was invading
Glenburnie. Things that had remained
solid so long must have some inherent
strength in them-the vendetta among
| them. She was almost too old to adjust
herself to n livelier order Of things.
~ tell you what it is, missy
But Ida's skirts were just disappear
ing around the last curve in the spiral
staircase. She had gone TO sweep the
cobwebS from her fathers brain, to
flutter her new wings defantly in his
presence She found him impatiently
| arranging the chess-men on the board
He consulted his watch before &C,
lSnowledging her cheerful greeting:
"You are outgrowing the old-fash'
toned virtue of punctuality, Ida, am
sorry to see."
81 am outgrowinga great many Other
things, father, am glad to say, but
hope 1 will always retain due respect fol
that old-fashioned virtue, as you call 1t.
She took her place opposite him, bu
made no motion towards availing her
self of the accorded privilege of taking
the first move:
"I think our game will have to wal
little while this morning, father.
want to have long and plain tall
with you-must have, In fact"
The sybarite leaned back in his chat
with q groan:
"Spare me! Arc the mules dyini
with epizootic9 Send for a veterinary
Are the gin-saws In need OF sharpening
Send for gin-wright."
Ida held up her hand imperiously:
Father, I am in no mood for you
cynical jests. have just come fror
White Cliffs. Mrs. Lorimer is very Ill
but do not think she will die. He
sons do"
white Cliffsi You have been t
White Cliffs, and have the temerity t
acknowledge it to me?" His face wa
purple with rage.
~ have"
"And you are not afraid of m
curse?"
"Not In the least"
There was such cool assurance, sue
, indomitable courage, in her face an
voice that her father felt suddenly sci
convicted of foolish buster. He shifte
his position restlessly, but remained s
lent.
Father" she said, in a sweet. gray
voice, utterly devoid of disrespect.
want you to listen to me quietly. Whe
get through. then will be time enouG
for any vaporing you may feel incline
to. But things must be altered"
"You take advantage of my helple
old ago TO insult me with impunit.
girl It Is the common lot of paren
TO experience tho ingratitude of chi
dren. But 60 on; go on. I am istel
ing"
II was poor old Lear's lament mini
Its dignity and its provocation.
She let 1t pass without comment.
"One hears a great deal of VIII;
children owe to their parents in tn
Il "a