The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-08-21
Little Blue Shoes.

~ LAotAAA AAC present IlaL ucI niue AdO.
| had had that very day
Somebody far away had sent them-th'
pretty wee things. with tiny silver buck
les. fit for the little feet OF the sweet
| faced child who wore them-and Dolly
had clapped her hands joyously at th'
sight OF them-so joyously that beautiful
| Lady Vivian, looking up from her dainty
| correspondence, had said. with little
frown:
DO send the child up stairs. Geof. she
| gives me quite a headache"
Then Dorothy had been banished witt
| nurse. who did not often have a head
ache, and who carried the blue shoes with
her as sort Of consolation.
That was generally the order of thing:
| when Dorothy went downstairs Ito see
| daddy al his breakfast as she would
| proudly say. There would be a lovely
time for few moments while Dolly
romped about with Fritz" the fat pug
| dog, who nevertheless loved a game OF
play with the little daughter Of the
house. and then mother, very pretty and
very languid, in her beautiful white tea
gown. would come in. and Dolly would
have to disappear. with very wistful
look on her fathers kindly face.
II don't know how II is,'' the little girl
said. al she climbed the long flight OF
stairs that led 10 the nursery. II don't
know how 1t is, but nanny and l don't
agree. as Aunt Mary says!'
And then nurse. with a quiet smile.
stopped the current of the little girl s
thoughts by a suggestion that she should
knit some blue socks TO match the pretty
shoes, and Dolly-dear little golden-haired
Dolly-was delighted.
Though. after ALL the wise woman
said to herself, as she sat down, what
the child says is perfectly true. My lady
doesn't seem to care-and-but then, it's
no use talkingi' So she held her peace
and Dolly played in the sunny nursery till
it was time for her walk-and Lady Wv
ian drank her chocolate undisturbed.
And so she jumped for JOY when nurse
brought the smart crimson coat and bon
net, with their borderings of snowy white,
and Fritz came up into the nursery
and prepared TO sally forth also.
Lady Vivian heard the glad bark of the
dog. and it annoyed her again. She was
cross this morning. A certain lovely
gown of palest heliotrope, destined for her
to wear at a great dinner in the evening,
had come home with q shade too much
in the trimming of massed violets that
adorned it, and she came down with a
frown on her beautiful face in conse-
quence, which all her husbands gentle
ness failed to smooth away.
She had scarcely looked at the child's
pretty shoes, though a word of praise
from her would have been dear TO the
little heart, and somewhere deep in her
own being Violette Vivian knew that,
though it annoyed her all the more to
be conscious of it.
SO Dolly had gone away with a reproof
from the beautiful mother whom she ad-
mired so much from a very, very far dis
lance: and now the sound of her merry
voice. and the glad bark of Fritz" were
another milestone in the way of my la
dy's wrath.
Il wish nurse would teach that child
to be quiet when she comes downstairs"
the beautiful woman said, petulantly, and
then added, as an afterthought for her
husbands benefit, This horrid little
house is so small that you can hear every
thing everywhere"
I'm sorry, DEAR, the man answered,
looking up from his paper by the window,
but it's the best we could do this year.
Perhaps next year rents will be better,
and
They never are BETTER" Lady Vivian
said, dolefully. They're always worse.
And 1 love London-I hate the country,
and the people, and rents, and everything
and 1 will live in London, at any rate,
for part of the year,
And then there was silence, for the
question was a vexed one between them,
Sir Godfrey contending that more coun-
try and less town would be preferable,
for the child's sake
But that argument weighed sadly, sadly
little with his exquisite wife.
In the evening Lady Vivian stood before
her glass, while her maid put the finish
ing touches to her beautiful toilet. She
looked perfect dream of loneliness as she
turned to greet her husband as he entered
the dainty apartment.
His face was anxious, and for once he
paid but little attention to the fair vision
before him.
"Dolly's not very WELL" he said, hur-
riedly, land nurse thinks it would be as
well to have the Doctor" Then, CHANGING
at her with all the admiration that she
coveted, You look lovely. Vivian, darl-
lovely-but 1 wish We weren
going, dear"
A look of displeasure crossed his wife's
perfect face.
Certainly we are going" she answer
ed, coldly. turning to take up her furry
white cloak; certainly we are going, and
we must start at once, or we shall be
late. You fidget too much over the child;
she will be all right with nurse. l dare
say it is only her teeth again"
Il don't think is is" Sir Godfrey said,
humbly; but he stole away to kiss his
baby goodnight, and to tell nurse not to
leave her.
So the carriage drove away, waking |
Dolly up from a feverish sleep. and she |
asked nurse for the little shoes that she |
had worn that day-they were so pref |
,y, and she would like them on her pillow. |
she said with all the unreasoning sweet /
ness of childhood.
And then the night rolled on.
After the dinner was over Sir Godfrey |
sought his wife, and found her amid a 1
brilliant throng, the most beautiful and /
he most brilliant Of them all. She was /
rery happy that evening-she had been !
quite the belle OF a gay and splendid /
and great attention had been /
,aid her. Royalty smiled on her, and ask
"a her opinion in a pretty. chivalrous
speech; fashion and rank were around
did Geoff come to spoil sport
With long face?'
''Violette darling" he said. as he near
d her, drawing her a little apart, Il
lave had a message from nurse to say
hat Dolly is worse, and she thought We
should know. Can you come at once?"
The beautiful eyes were fun Of wonder
Is they turned on him.
Come where?" she asked. quickly. but
Is he explained that they were to go home
o see the sick child the sweet face lost
IS happiness and the red lips poassd an
yTily.
1t Is only nurses fussy way" she said.
+eEra E@EA s
good time, and ! am not going 70 give
way 10 her fads You can so 4 you ike.
md I'll come home later with the Chef
.-,--as >, Nd IT,. rs oil she Rnl-l 81 !