Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1900-06-15
} ABIuc ButterfIu;

looking round the room. lined with book
shelves, specimen cases and cabinets,
, with a suspicious frown. MY mind
misgives NE that she is somewhere with
that lad. Not for nothing has he display
ed such sudden admiration for my col
lection. such a thirst for knowledge about
beetles and all creeping things. l used
to he fond of the fellow. but if he wants
my blue butterfy-my blue butterfly
Iie rose with a vry face, and after alb
sently oncui1g various drawers, wherein
were arranged butterflies and moths Of
wonderful rarity aud beauty, and gazing
at them with unseeing eyes, he seized his
hat ans: wandered out through the long
window, the scented garden. to the mead
oHs beyond that went sloping down,
down to the sunny valley where the river
ran like silver streak
Well. the old entomologist knew every
bank and hedge, every wood and copse,
on the COUNTRYSIDE. .Kut he was thinking
nothing Of a lifetime given to research. Of
his justly celebrated museum in the low.
creeper covered house behind him. One
thought alone enyrossed him, and sudden
~ he moved behind tree and stood look
Ing intently down the slope with bent
shoulders and scanty white locks stirrin 2
in the soft summer breeze.
In the meadow below a slender girl in
blue cotton gown was gathering the
long, shaking grass that grew under the
ledge, singing to herself as she moved
hither and thither. He could just catch
the words she sang:
When all the world is young, lad,
And al the trees green
And every goose swan. lad,
And every lass a queen.
Blue as her gown We're this maids
eyes. and John Hubbard loved her better
than the most marvellous ento,nolte that
he had brought from foreign lands. He
was an old bachelor and had Geen a man
grown when his sister Mary was but a
child. When the letter came saying that
she and her husband were dead, and the
little one was coming to him. he had
humpled up his L2ir and paced the room
in horror. y child. a noisy. screaming
creature. under lis roof: Never! But
how soon he had grown to love the feel
ing Of the little fingers in his: How they
roamed the hills ami Gales together and
how the blue eyes would watch him as
he unfolde'! to her the wonderful secrets
Of nature. There had never been another
q
sic. his blue butterfly:
But as he watched the frown came
back. There was some one else entering
the me:doW--some one who approached
the girl with rapid steps and threw his
fishing rod and basket impetuously ON
the ground. John Hubbards eyes ran
over his athletic figure and bonny brown
face with great :lisfavor. What did his
Odd friend WEIGH mean by keeping his son
1t home like this? Roddie should have
been sent to- India or Timbuctoo! The
blue butterfly had futtered to the top OF
the stile and sat there smiling at him as
he leaned against the top bar looking up
at her Then he was speaking fast, ear
nestly, and she had turned away her
head. ana thcn-hc was holding both her
hands. and the grass had fallen scattered
at her feet. The old man turned away
with smothered gro:in and srnote the
tree with his clinched fist.
Then he made step forward to take
her away-she was his, his own eve lamb
and again paused Just as abruptly.
What was the last verse of Maisie's IA
vorite song?
When all the world is old lad
And all the trees brown.
Aye. he was old. very old, and some
day soon he would have to leave her,
leave his cherished beetles and butter
HES ana go to stand before the great Mas
ter AMI Maker of all living things. His
could be beGueathe,l to the neigh
boring town, where his name was held
ii honor but not most his valued speci-
men, his blue butterfly. She would be left
20 fntter through the world alone. II it
must be some one. he would rather it
were Koddie. The lad was a dear, good
All, aud they made pretty picture down
here. Once he remeln t<.retl being almost
n love himself with girl who died long,
ong ago.
Suddenly Maisie looked up and evil
tently caught sight Of him. for she
'prans off the stile. and the pair came u1.
he fragrant meadow toward him, the
shining on their happy young
aces. They had forgotten the grass and
he fishing tackle, he noticed with a faint
smile. and when the girl came to put her
lrm through his ana say that Roddie had
'een very lazy anal canght no fish he look
ri from one to the other in silence: then
lis eyes tWinkled
And so YOU caught nothing. lad? he
ai,l.
Much too sunny" responded the !
'oun$ fellow hastily. Tit is not bit |
Il good. YOU know, in light like this
NO.. Of course not" Maisie supple
nented quickly, with Il brief glance into
Ter uncle'S face. He was a stupid bow
o think Of fishing. was he not, dear?"
THAT depends But the old mans |
one was very gentle as he surveyed the
upritS. for culpIits they looked And
OF caught nothing. Rod,'ie:"
Yes. ST.. caught blue butterfly. and
want to keep it" he answered desper-
telv. Put it belongs to your collection.
t tells ne that it loves you and could not
ear to leave you'
The old entomologist Strengthened him
elf AMI spoke ia eager. trembling tones:
"God bless her! RolIie. You are to 80
ate the bank at Stopword. eli? Don't |!
reak up my collection. lad Come here
nd help ME to take care of it. Will
uild out a museum. You shall both be
~ chillren.'