Idaho Springs siftings., 1902-12-20
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3 CaIisty's Christmas Tree &s
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~ s.Gs n s-lts - sscfs - S.ers n s.3SS &9
1t was Panky-Panky, who lived with
people beside whom her own task mis-
tress was embodied amiability Panky
who could sell more papers than any
other girl in the city, who knew the
most songs and could play the har-
monica, and who had licked" a boy
much larger than herself, who was tor
menting a stray cat; Panky, the inim-
liable. who used rough words and got
mad" right often, but who never told
a lie or did a mean thing. And Panky
was selling papers on the city streets.
who hath given to me this sweet
And given my brother dust to eat
And when will his wage come in?"
jamie might have soliloquized had
she been conversant with the poets,
which she was not But she felt it.
and to the prayers which she said at
bedtime she added a fervent appendix:
"And please, dear Father. manage it
somehow so Panky can comet"
There was so much room and so
much to eat at the farm and Panky
was so small and needed so little to
eat-oh. if Aunt Calisty'' would only
think to ask her. too But jamie
couldn't ask her to do that. She only
told things about Panky and spoke of
her oftener than semi-occasionally (be-
cause she couldn't help it, and prayed
vigorously.
Barring this shadow, life at the farm
was delightsome, and the twins flour
ished like green bay trees, till all of
a sudden everything went wrong 1t
came about at the time of fall clean
ing in which they were assisting. Amos
beating rugs until his determined little
face was scarlet, and jamie mopping
and busting and arranging and rear
ranging until their nutting was sadly
neglected.
"Chippy1l get ahead of u.s." said
Amos, somewhat regretfully as he
rested a moment to watch the bright
eyed chipmunk who was laying in his
winters supply in the hollow trunk of
the old sweeting tree that stretched its
riehly-laden arms out, almost into the
windows of the Kitchen and spare
room"
Never mind well catch up; we're big
ger" responded Janet, dangling a long
pairing from the Gravensteins which
she was pairing for pies. and then
adroitly flinging it over her shoulder.
1t fell on the smooth stone step form
ing a perfect ''P" with part of an "a"
attached. ''If only Panky could comet"
she sighed.
"Panky is brick" quoth Amos, "if
we was only biggeri P'raps we kin fix
it up somehow, some day so that she
kin come. I'm gettin' stronger ev'ry
day an p'r'aps next spring Aunt Calls
ty'll let me work out some for Mr.
Bonney after our farm works done,
an | could earn enough to give Panky
a vacation anyway.
"P'r'aps Amos. you're a brick!
Anyway well keep on a a-thinkin
hard An a-prayin'. too"
Miss Calisty hurrying through the
sitting room to attend to her stewed
ounces, heard with a sigh. Three
wouldn't be so bad now-but by-an'-by
the education an ALL d'no'. No.
can't, that's all.
When she returned from the kitchen.
the twins stint" was finished and
they scurried off to the beeches.
Upstairs the contents of her best bu-
reau drawers were spread upon the
spare bed, then one by one they were
replaced, and Miss Calisty was closing
the last drawer when sense of some
thing missing made her open it again
and thoroughly inspect the contents
The others followed in order. No, it
was not there-the exquisitely beauti-
full embroidered scarf brought her
years ago by her dearest girlhood's
friend who had gone as a missionary
to China-her one altogether lovely
possession, And her prolonged search
in house and yard availed nothing.
Then she buried her flushed face in her
trembling hands and cried heart-break-
ingly. But it was not the loss of the
scarf-no, far worsel 1t was the sus-
picion-transformed into conviction in
her quick decided mind-that her boy
and girl, the beings she loved and
lived for, were thieves. She could not
bear it.
1t was a fearless, though saddened
fact that the twins saw when they re-
turned. feeling - little guilty at hav-
ing fitted away so unceremoniously.
Now that their nutting fever had
cooled a little they really felt it quite
grave offense and their subdued lit
tie faces only served to deepen that
awful conviction.
1T was for that Panky," she said to
herself resentfully. ''She's too smart
to be trusted. l haven't seen all the
letters she's sent them, an | b'lieve
she's been putin 'em up to it. She
could sell it for lot of money. But
won't accuse them or even ask them.
If kindness won't make them ashamed