Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-06-09
END OF THE RAINBOW.
by ELIZABETH A. MOORE.

1I4ND vi lH 1Ofl11NDONVs
by ELIZABETH A. MOORE.
Ever since Nelly could remember she
had known that anyone who could reach
the end of q rainbow before it faded
would find there great treasures. Janet,
the nurse, had often told her so, and Of
course Janet knew. The stories did not
always agree as to what these treasures
consisted of, but whatever else there
was or was not, the pot of gold" was
always sure to be there. Whenever
Nelly had seen a rainbow, in her short
life of five summers, she had been
strongly tempted to hurry off and seek
these wonderful riches; but Janet had
always objected that the grass was too
wet, or it was too near tea time, or
given some other reason, 80 that the end
of the rainbow had never been reached.
But Janet had gone away now, be-
cause something had happened, Nelly
didn't know just what, that had made it
necessary to dispense with great many
things they formerly had. First tho
pony and carriage had gone; and then
Janet, who had lived with them ever
since Nelly could remember, had kissed
her great many times and gone away
too. And only q little while before she
had heard papa and mamma talking
about something which worried them
very much, and her papa said:
"I'm afraid we will have to sell the
place and move somewhere else. A few
thousands of dollars would set every
thing right, but don't see where it's
to come from, and we mustn't 90 into
debt"
Nelly had not waited to hear what
her mamma replied, but ran out in the
garden in greet grief.
Sell the place, he had said, and move
somewhere elsel Why, Nelly couldn't
bear even to think of such thing. She
loved every part of her pretty home with
Its roses climbing over the porch, and
the cool, shady corners where the ferns
nnd MOSES grew. 1t was bad enough
10 lose Janet and the pony and the other
things which she remembered they used
to have and now did not have, but this
was too much, and Nelly threw herself
on the grass by her own little flower
bed, where the big pink lady slippers
that she had herself planted were just
coming out, and wept. But not for very
long, for, though such little maiden,
she saw that tears would not solve this
awful problem Of what to do, so she
dried her eyes on her apron and tried
to think. A few thousands of dollars
would set everything right, her father
had said, but Nelly had no more idea of
how much that was than her kitten Puff,
wildly scampering around the lawn
after his tail. There was Uncle Ben,
that is, her papa's Uncle Ben, who was
oh, very rich. But then he was away
off and had not been to see them for q
long time. not since the apple blossoms
were all out, and that had been very
long while ago.
Suddenly u bright idea came to her.
There was the pot of gold at the end of
the rainbow, it, she could but get it.
There had been only one or two rain
bows this summer, but when the next
came she would run all the way, to be
sure to get there in time. It was true
they almost always came after thunder
storms, and Nelly was dreadfuliy afraid
of thunder, burt now she looked up at the
bright, blue sky and sighed that there
was not even cloud in sight. "Well
it's awful hot" she said, hopefully
'and thunderstorms always come when
it's hot, SO maybe one will come some
time soon," and, now that this difficult
question was settled, she ran OFF and had
soon forgotten all about her troubles in
romping with Puff.
After awhile tho sky, which had
looked SO hopelessly clear, did begin to
cloud over, and toward evening, for the
first time in her life, Nelly heard with
pleasure, mingled with her childish,
dread, the distant roll of thunder II
cnme nearer and nearer, and before long
the storm, which had been gathering
all the while she was taking her after.
noon nap, came upon them. She kept
close to her mother all the while the
| lightning flashed and the thunder rolled
over the house; for she had to own thai
| she was little afraid, even though she
had been SO anxious for the storm tc
come, and was very glad it was not d
very dreadful one, such as they had had
sometimes.
Presently the storm passed over, and
away low down In the west the sun came
out. To Nelly's delight bright rain
bow appeared in the east and dropped
down just by the woods. Now was the
little girls chance. She did not tell he,
mother of her intentions, because she
wanted to surprise her and her father
80 she slipped off through the garden
never needing the rain which was still
softly falling. She climbed over the
fence at the end of the garden and rar
down the little hill outside, and through
the fields that lay between her home
and the woods where the rainbow
seemed to touch the earth. The grass
was very wet and poor Nelly's dainty
blue dress was getting sadly draggled
and spotted. She tried to run between
the drops as Janet had said was the way
to do; but somehow she couldn' t manage
1t just right, and they came tumblinu
down on her bare golden head and cage,
baby face, as she hurried on, intent OF
her loving errand.
Once she tumbled over tree stumr
and scratched her hand, but she only
said: ooh, dear" and ran on toward
the beautiful bow, which somehow die
not seem to get any nearer. no matte,