Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-06-10

with a brave snow OF Indifference, lit
will be much nicer at your grand
mothers where everybody loves you.
Mistress don't like you and never
will"
"But my papa does" argued poor
little Tottie heartbrokenly.
NOW be a little woman and do
what's sensible" Marie exhorted
cheerfully "You don't want to stay
where you're not wanted, do you?
Mistress told your papa to send you
away because she don't like you and
don't want you around. If you stay
it will make your papa unhappy and
everything will go wrong. You would
| not want to make trouble, would you,
Tottie?"
| No, Tottie did not want to make
any trouble for her father. She loved
him far too deeply for that; so she
promised to be good and not let her
father suspect that she cared so much.
That's right" Marie approved,
you'll have lots of fun on the farm
with all the goats and ducks and
ponies and things, and your grand
| mother is a real nice old lady, lots
kinder than your mamma | think
you ought to be very glad to have
| such nice place to go to. Maybe your
| father will let me run out to see you
once in a while when mistress is away
visiting her stylish friends. Won't that
be fine?"
Geraldine babe Tottie goodbye with
a promise to run out some time with
papa" but she forgot all about her
good resolution in her gay social
flight, so time went by on golden
| wings to the young, beautiful wife
whose every wish seemed fulfilled al
most before she expressed it. When
Tottie had been away whole year
she received letter from Geraldine,
the first her stepmother had ever
written her. 1t ran as follows:
My Dear Little Girl
Papa tells me that your birthday Is
close at hand and I write this to let
you know that l want you to spend the
! day with u.s. Be sure not to disap-
point me, for I really want you very
much. I have surprise for you.
Papa has written grandmother about
it, so it will be all right. I will send
Marie for you tomorrow.
Your Loving MAMMA.
The surprise was monthold baby
sister, little pink-and-white dimpled
cherub who smiled at everybody and
everything that came within range of
her blue, wondering eyes, eyes that
seemed to look way down into Tottie's
heart and understand all that she
could say. Geraldine was supremely,
adoringly happy in the possession of
her treasure, so happy that ner new
mother-love reached out to the little
wait whom she had hitherto sighted
and ignored
Tottie stayed a week. the happiest,
week of her life. Then came the last
| day with Dimples who, young as she
was, seemed to have grown used to the
little presence that lowered near her
so constantly. She stayed with her
every hour between Dimples' long
maps, when she watched quietly be-
side her crib, until Geraldine undress-
ed her baby and let Tottie hold her
moment for the last time.
Late that night when Geraldine
looked in at her treasure before re-
firing she saw a little white figure
kneeling beside the crib and heard
very low, childish voice say, I'm aw-
full glad you're so happy, Dimples, my
own little sister. I wish you could
talk to me an tell me just how it
feels to have real, true, own mamma.
am grandma's little comfort, she
says, an she's just as good and kind
to me! But it isn't like having a real
mamma, Dimples'
A strange tightness got hold of the
listeners heart, pain that she could
not at first understand, because in all
her bright, happy, sheltered life sae
had never known one pang of loneli-
ness. All at once she understood the
little girls heartache and the knowl-
edge Smote her own soul like sword
thrust How could she have been so
blind, so selfish? How unworthy she
was of her own great happiness. Of
which she had not offered the smallest
crumb to the starved little heart whom
she had promised to love as mother.
She went forward suddenly with
outstretched arm and kneeling down
beside Tottie drew the bowled little
| figure close to her heart. Darling,
won't you stay with lis after ths?"
she whispered with her cheek pressed
close to the tear-wet face OF Tottie at
will be much nicer to have two little
girls than one. Gr.ndma can come
down, too, and then we'll all be one
big happy family. Will you stay?"
Tottie drew deep breath of awed
wonder that ended in a sob.
ooh, mamma! do you really, truly
want me?" she gasped.
Il want you with all my heart, dear
little girl and papa wants you, and
DimDleS We all want Won and volI're