The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-13
copyright. 1896. by Bacheller. Johnson and
Bacheller.l
pAEl

her grandmother and her great-grand-
mother had lived and died. Her own
parents died when she was very young.
And she had come to live there with her
Great-aunt Peggy. Great-aunt Peg
gy was her grandfather's sister, and
was a very old woman. However, she
was very active and bright, and good
company for Letitia. That was for
tunate, because there were no little
girls of Letitia's age nearer than mile.
The one maid-servant whom Aunt Peg
gy kept was older than she, and had
chronic rheumatism in the right foot
fected her temper.
Letitia's Great-aunt Peggy used to
play grace hoops with her, and DOM
inoes and checkers, and even dolls.
Sometimes it was hard for Letitia to
realize that she was not another little
girl. Her Aunt Peggy was very kind
to her and fond of her, and took care
of her as well as her own mother could
have done. Letitia had all The care aud
comforts and pleasant society that she
really needed, but she was not very
contented little girl. She was natural
ly rather idle, and her Aunt Peggy. who
was a wise old woman and believed
thoroughly in the proverb about Satan
and idle hands, would keep her always
busy at something.
If she was not playing, she had to
sew or study or dust, or read a stent in
q story-book. Letitia had very nice
story books, but she was not particular
ly fond of reading. She liked best of
anything to sit quite idle, and plan what
che would do some other time, and
think what she would like to have IL
she could have her wish--and that her
Aunt Peggy would not allow.
Letitia was not satisfied with her
dolls and little treasures. She wanted
new ones. She wanted fine clothes like
one little girl, and plenty of candy like
another. When Letitia went to school
In pleasant weather, she always came
home more dissatisfied. She wanted
her room newly furnished. and thought
the furniture in the whole house very
shabby. She dislilxed to rise SO early
In the morning. She did not like to
take n walk every day, and besides
everything else to make her discon-
tented, there was the little green door,
which she must never open and pass
through.
This house where Letitia lived was,
of course, a very old one. 1t had a
top roof. saggy and messy, gray
shingles in the walls, lilac bushes half
hiding the great windows, and well.
sweep in the yard. 1t was quite a
large house, and there were sheds and a
great barn attached TO il, but they were
all on the south side. AT the back of
the house the fields stretched away for
acres, and there were no outbuildings.
The little green door was at the very
back of the house, toward the fields, In
O room opening out of the kitchen. II
was called the cheese-room, because
Letitia's grandmother, who made
checses, used to keep them there. She
fancied she could smell cheese, though
none had been kept there for years,
and 1t was used now only for lumber
room. She always shifted hard for
cheese, and then she eyed the little
green door with wonder and longing.
1t was a small green door, scarcely high-
er than her head. A grown person
could not have passed through without
STOPPING almost double. 1t was very
narrow, too, and no one who was not
slender could have squeezed through il.
In this door there was little black key
hole, with no key in it, but it was al
ways locked. Letitia knew that her
Aunt Peggy kept the key in some very
safe place, but she would never show
il to hey nor unlock the door.
'It is not best for you. my DEAR" she
always replied, when Letitia teased
her; and when Letitia begged only to
know why she could not go out of the
door, she made the same reply; 1T is
not best for you, my dear"
Sometimes, when Aunt Peggy was
not by, Letitia would tease the old
maid-servant about the little green
door, but she always seemed both cross
and stupid. and gave her no satisfac-
ton. She even seemed to think there
was no little green door there; but that
was nonsense, because Letitia knew
there was. Her curiosity grew greater
and greater; she took every chance she
could get to steal into the cheese-room
and shake the door softly, but IL was
always locked. She even tried 10 look
through the keyhole, but she could see
nothing. One thing puzzled her more
than anything. and that was that the
little green door was on the inside OF
the house only, and not op the outside.
When Letitia went out into the field
behind the house, there was nothing
but the blank wall TO be seen. There
was no sign of door in IL. But the
cheese-room was certainly the last
room in the house, and the little green
door was In the rear wall. II was very
strange. When Letitia asked her Great.
aunt Peggy 10 explain that, she only got
the same answer:
1T is not best for You TO know. my
dear"
Jctitia studied the little green door
more than she studied her lesson-books
h,,t oh a