The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-05-22
miscellaneous.
THE THROOP GIRLS.
EN EMMA A. OIL PER.

| BY EMMA A. OF PER.
I'm wondering how the Throop
girls will get along with Miss Chip
man." said Mrs. Moseley TO her caller
| She looked over at two houses across
| the street IL large white one and IL lit
tie yellow one.
The Throops have Just moved
! here" she exclaimed, from Under
hill. There's Just Phoebe and Daisy
and their father. I've got IL sister i'll
Underhill, and she knows them. She
says they're good girls, and smart as
steel traps. They've got ambition.
They want to 60 to the Normal School
at Bradley, and get an education and
teach school.
I'm kind of curious TO see how
they'll make out neghboring with
Augusta Chipman,' said Mrs. Nose
ley, with another cluclile.
At that very moment the ThrOOp
girls were seated II Miss Chipman's
best room, i'll whose dimness their
bright young faces shone out like
stars.
They were returning Miss Chipman's
formal call which they had not ell
loved much. 1t had been business
call. anyhow, Phoebe said. Nj iSS
Chapman had informed them that she
had more apples and potatoes than
she could use herself, and that she
could accommodate them with those
articles, ut the market price.
Accordingly, they had brought Il
peek measure with them.
I'VE would like some apples, said
Phoebe. I'VE thought we would
make Il birds nest pudding for sup
per-
You do all your homework, | M
derstand,n said Hiss Chipn an. She
was middle-aged. She wore her hair
drawn back tightly and gathered mo
diminutive knot.
"Oh, yes" Daisy answered, land go
to school
1--WE want to go through the high
school here and go to the Bradley
Normal" said Phoebe.
I'VE want to he teachers" Daisy
explained. Good ones
They chatted away cheerfully for
some time.
Then they followed Miss Chapman
down to her we'll stocked cellar. Miss
Chapman looked sidewise ut the meas
ure they had brought.
1--WE thought we'd take Il peck"
said Phoebe.
"Tlipy're selling at thrty-fve cents"
said Miss Chapman. ''I-er-I gener-
ally use my own measures She
picked ny ii peck measure, filled it
with rosy Northern Spies and emptied
it into their measure.
Phoebe flushed holly. Daisy bit
her lips. Phoebe paid her, and they
made short work of getting up the
cellar stairs.
Come again" said Miss Chapman.
"Thank you" said Phoebe, stifIly.
When the door had closed behind
them the ThrOop girls looked at each
other. "Did-you-eTer." Phoebe
calculated.
The mean, horrid old thing ~ cried
Daisy Did she think our measure
| held more than we said ?"
"She seemed to ~
Il believe hers has false BOTTOM
| Daisy avowe1.
"Oh, no. said Phoebe, though her
heart burned within her. shes hon
est ! suppose"
But mean Daisy subioined.
'Pison mean! I've u great good
mind to take her old apples right
| straight back to her.
But there was supper to be consid-
cred. Phoebe stirred the batter and
Daisy sliced the apples. The pudding
was a great success and their father
p"aiSed it.
The Throop girls did their faithful
best to make Il cheerful home for their
father, who worked hard and did for
them all his scant means allowed.
And tonight they bravely buried Miss
Chapman and her peck measure
fathoms deep beneath their happy
talk and laughter.
There came Il knock at the door
when their father had gone down town
after supper. The visitor was Ozro
Martin, from the poorhouse two miles
away, a half witted follow, long and
loose jointed with an unkempt mop of
red hair and ludicrously twisted
face. He came to the village frequent
", begging his meals from house to
house. He had applied to the Throop
girls before successfully, and he bore
them in mind, for he had some small
shrewdness in his witleSs noddle.
Phoebe let him have a chair by the
stove and the remainder of the birds
nest pudding.
"Shtopped in to Mish Chipman's,
neksht housh,n said Ozro, in his own
peculiar speech, IN she wouldn't give
a pore fellar nuthiu', She'sh drefful
mean, she ish." He looked Spiteful.
I'VE know that, said Daisy, warm
". She's fearfuIly stingy."
"Shtingy. that'sh it," Ozro agreed.
Shed ought to be arreshted n put
in the jail ~ Malice cleaned from
his dull eyes.
pheasant evening, isn't it - said
Phoebe, considering that enough had
been said about Miss Chapman.
But Daisy could not forget her
When Ozro had gobbled the pudding
and departed, and they had spread
their books and states on the table and
plunged into their home work, :"
Daisy gave signs of a wandering mind.
Now and again she Uttered spasmodi-
cally, and at last she jumped up and
bolted off with a gleeful and mysteri-
GUS wait Il minute :"
She came dancing back after little.
GigGling triumphantly, she set down
before Phoebe small plate.
On it was Il half an apple, impaled
upon which, by means of IL match,
was u slip of paper, and on the paper
was written:
Dear Miss Chipman-We are afraid
that YOU gave us half an apple too
much. and we beg to return it.
"PHOEBE AND DAISY THROOP.'
I'm going over and leave it at her
door," Daisy declared.
Daisy Throop - Phoebe Gasped, in
shocked remonstrance. But she hid
her laughing face.
Il am, " said Daisy, land you're go
ing with me. She'll find it III the
NOR ling. Come on ~
"We mustn't" Phoebe protested.
"Yes, we must. She was mean, you