Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1893-03-17
BARBARA'S MISCHIEF.
How She Brought Back Hor Sis
tors Lost Lover

Should take BarbaraS sister Dot for
my heroine, for Dot was tall and queen
ly, and, of course, as naughty as she
was tall, and filed up quite large
space in society in very opposition to
her name; whereas, Barbara was an elf
Of nine years standing on this grim
old 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 peered from under
his mane-and with orbs almost as big
md fully as limpid. But then she is
my heroine, and you must needs make
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 poor,
weak, erring mortal, and took il upon
her stately, privileged self to lecture
the young man upon certain faults she
took it, as a matter of course, must he
in his possession, being as he was the
only son of a very indulgent pair Of
old folks.
But she was shaken to the very
foundation of her royal being when
one day she discovered that the last
sentence of her excellent harangue had
fallen upon thin air; and she had con-
fused sense of a pair of indignant, sor.
rowful eyes leaving their light to
haunt her as she sat there amazed and
hurt after the hall door had slammed
like a wooden oath.
He was gone then.
"Oh! Scotch! Scottw she moaned,
which was no slang at all, but the irate
Apollos christencd 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 Nine. Highprice- admir-
able bandagc.
whats the matter, Dot? on is
crying"
Miss Barbaras 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, ChiclSie,
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 If off, uttering this
solemn injunction:
Don't you cry one bit more, ] will
sec about this matter myself, uncon
sciously initiating papas impressive
manner.
They had always talked to her as il
she could understand their mature rea
soning-this sister and this papa-sC
that she had come to have ludicrous
little air of sage consideration of al
things brought to her notice.
Nine O'clock and no Scott--he wa.
not coming, then; must she miss the
glorious assembly ball because of hi,
anger? Not shc Half-past nine! Hat
Barbara been awake she would hav,
noticed the quivering eyelid that tricC
so hard TO keep the teardrops prison
crs. Quarter to ten-she gave up al
hope of Scott and in ten minutes more
papa was drowned in sea of over
flowing satin, whose cream-white bill
lows filled the coupe.
Ten o'clock. A loud peal of the door
bell aroused Barbara from her slum
ber Another peal. Out of bed, int,
her little Mother Hubbard wrapper
and down the stairs crept Barbara, OIL
tiptoe, though there was no need o
that, as every trusted servant had gon,
out and the child was alone in the hi,
house. The little hand mastered tn
huge door-llcy and ont in the moon
light the brown eyes discovered Dot
lover.
"Oh, it's YOU
"Yes, Chickie, of course it is, Isl
Dot ready?"
Now, I've always been amazed q
the fbs children can tell on the slight
est provocation. had even gone $,
far as to entertain some odd ideas o
the utter lack of conscience in III
world of childhood, and honestly he
lieve that veracity is an actual matte
of education, pure and simple-with
dismal conviction that even cultivation
does not always suffice. have bee
astonished to see with what fertilit,
the brains of infancy are possessed, in
venting with ease uncalled-for and un
. precedented falsehoods; and as Barba
IA was beyond the average, am boun
to say that she gravely sent the follow
ing little fib into SCOTS ears:
Yes, Dot is all ready and gone wit
papa, but you are to bring me instead
I'm almost dressed, Just go into tn
library, please, Scott, and / will no
keep You waiting more than few min
utes."
Poor Scott, A wrathy whirlwind wa
gathering about his ears as he obeye
the little maid His quarrel with hi
beloved had driven all thoughts of tn
ball from his head, and now 20 com
and find her off and away with her pa
terual relative, and knowing that sh
had very good reason to think the mes