The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1899-12-08
The Losing Of Betty
By Clara Sherman.


older girls. Dora was IL years old and
had been downtown so many times that
there was no longer any novelty in it;
while Betty was only five, and had hard
ly ever been at all. Nevertheless, when
mother proposed the trip one fine De-
tober morning, both little girls were
pleased, Betty on general principles and
Dora because she liked to select her
own ribbons, and also because she
wanted to see the display window at
Lawson's store.
1.-The girls were talking about it at
school," she said. Harriet Graham said
/ just must go down. Each day they fit
up the window differently. Yesterday
il was kitchen, aad Harriet said there
was a little girl il it who played cook.
She swept the room, and she cooked
things on the stove, and she scrubbed
the kitchen table. and she washed the
dishes in the dearest dish pan and dried
them on pink-and-white glass towels
DAY before yesterday, when Lillian saw
it, it was a parlor, and the little girl
PLAYED she was lady and wore long
dress and did all sorts of things"
That was very exciting for Betty, and
it was a contented party that took the
electric car, rode through the subway,
which still seemed to Betty like some
mysterious, enchanted cave, and start
ed on the brief tour of inspection and
shopping which Mrs. Warren had
planned. They bought Betty's shoes
. rih OIL
before it became convenient to pass by
the wonderful window, which, in the
minds of the children, was their chief
goal. 1t tqualed and even surpassed
their hoYes.
"There. now, Betty Warren!" said
Dora. did you ever in your life see
anything sweeter than that little girl
in the nursery? See, she is dressed like
a nursemaid to-day, taking care OF the
children! Look at the twin brass beds,
and that precious cradle with the fluffy
pillows and the silk coverlet! Don't
you wish you could be an advertisement
little girl, and do nothing but play with
such lovely things?"
Betty said nothing. She was taking
y
had no words of comment ready yet.
The wide window was furnished like
small room, and the little girl, who was
Just then making up a bed, was just
about Betty's size. Very cunning she
locked in her nursemaid's cap and
apron, with a soft frill of muslin about
her neck and the quaint arrangement
of her hair. All the furniture of the
room was fascinating; but the crown
ing charm here, as in every real nursery,
was the children it COMMUNICATIVE doll
figures which seemed to give the tiny
nursemaid so much care. She rocked
the baby in its cradle-indifferen to the
wise instructions given by those who
knew better-dressed and undressed
the dolls that took the place of older
children, showed a black Dinah how to
put log properly on the CRATE fire, and
once she even found it necessary to
make the little boy doll stand in the cor
ner for being naughty to his sister.
Mrs. Warren and Dora both gazed
with great interest, and Betty was
wholly absorbed. ooh, what a happy
little girl she must bel" she murmured,
softly.
81 don't know about that" said her
mother. "It must be hard to turn play
into work. She looks as earnest over it
as Dora does over her arithmetic prob
lens. 1 should think this crowd of per-
sons looking at her would make her
nervous. 1 feel sorry for the little
thing"
'Well, anyway, mamma, they draw
the curtains every little while to give
her rest" said Dora, comfortingly, as
they turned reluctantly away.
They stopped for an ice cream soda
before taking the car for home, and it
was here that Mrs. Warren met an old
friend of hers with her daughter Lii
liam.
'It is the greatest piece of good for
tune that have met you," said Mrs.
Hathaway. 81 have just been trying to
reach you with the.telephone. Our old
friend and schoolmate, Susan Haskell,
is coming to lunt Eeon with me, and
want you to come right home with me
now, for she is to be in the city only
about four hours, on her way south
ward"
Mrs. Warren was pleased with the
thought of seeing her old friend, but
hesitated little about the children.
|'Of course, Dora can go home alone all
right she said. "But / wish Betty
were not here. She is such little fly
away you must keep right hold of her. y
"Oh, Mrs. Hathaway, mayn't Lillian
come home to luncheon with me if NAM
ma is going with your" said Dora, eager
1y. Mrs. Warren seconded the invita-
ton, and the three children were final
Iy left to GO home by themselves. After
that Lillian had one or two errands to
do in the neighborhood, and then the
girls went the the florists to leave an
order from Mrs. Hathaway. But at last
they were fairly started toward the sub
way entrance, where they meant to take
the cars.
Suddenly, at the same minute, both
girls missed Betty. Neither could tell
Row it happened. She had been skip
ping from one to the other, holding now
Lillian's hand, now Dora's, saying little