Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1903-08-06

THE CHILD GAZED AT HIM VERY SERIOUSLY
AND VERY CRITICALLY.
she longed to have wedding Of her
perhaps HepZy would talk to her about
1t again.
Hepzy, the good natured, was in the
upper room making beds. Alice Doro-
thy sped upstairs as fast as her dimin-
utive legs would carry her.
ooh, Hepzy," she burst out, her
bright face rosy with running and ar
dent interest, won't mamma let US
have a wedding some time too"
"Bress yo' heart, honey, dar couldn't
be no weddin' 'thout bride nohow"
"But. Hcpzy, mamma could be that.
She's more pfettier n Miss Edit"
Hepzy's fat sides began to heave as
she patted a pillow into its proper ro-
tundity, her black palm silhouetted
against it's snowy. beruffied covering.
81 don reckon, chile, yo' maw's much
notion O marryin' ag'in, seein' she's
he'd one cFar 'scape."
whats n cPar 'scape, Hepzy"
'Lawd bress de chilel 1t amt nuthin'
dat consuns one livin' soul but hu'self.
honey. An howsomever dar amt nevah
bin no weddin' 'thout brid' groom,
shuah's yo' bawn, III gal"
"a bwidegoom"
"Yaas, chile; suttin' shuah-de pus-
son wot stan mex de bride an hoP hui
bokay while she am a-fas'nen of hui
Club"
Alice Dorothy was silent for brief
instant in the face of this unlocked for
obstacle. Then, with a thoughtful
pucker on the little forehead, "P'raps
we could get one, Hepzy."
Now yo' is off'n de trac' liz gal.
Oar amt no gittin' bout 1t. He JUS
come, an come hisself till by an by he
leabe off a-comin' an teks de bride Off
to his own residumps."
"Oh," explained the perplexed little
questioner, with n dimpling smile of
illumination, "A1r. DonaP comes nearly
every day. P'raps he would be tn
bwidegoomr'
"Fo' heabens sake, chile, wot am de
mattah wifi yo' sawsh dat yo' nav
done tie so scrumptious fore she done
gone out? It's a-draggin' on de flo
lax monkeys tail!'
The little girl laughed gleefully at
the picture. HepZy had successfully
burned the drift of conversation, which,
as she declared to Marin Smith that
afternoon with numerous fat chuckles,
she felt "'bleeged to do, fo' de Dressed
chile was gittin' too pussonal."
Mamma and Alice Dorothy had been
swinging to and fro in the big rocker
for a long time that evening. When
the little girl, nesting closer, had asked
in her sweet, lisping fashion If they
couldn't have a wedding some time like
| Miss Edits, an did she fink that Mr..
| DonaP would come, too, cause Hep
| zy said there couldn't be none 'thout
bwidegoom, mamma had kissed her
| quickly on the mouth and told her
| never, never to say anything like that
| again.
"And mammals little girl must be
very quiet, too, when-anybody calls,
| because"-with a half sigh-'mamma's
afraid that-Mr. Donald doesn't like
| little girls"
| The front door bell rang sharply. A
messenger had come to say that Mrs.
| Nelson had j. 'ciyed word that her
| son had bee and would Mrs.
| Cranston come over for awhile until
her sister could get there"
Alice Dorothy had n tiny scheme
| tucked away in her active little brain.
| She was pleased when mamma had
| turned on the lights and told her she
might "sit up" awhile in the big rocker.
1t was very still in the house after
mamma had gone, and the small eye
lids dropped heavily. Then the bell
rang again, and the half closed eyes
| flew wide open as their owner gave
| quick little breath.
| Yes, she was sure he would come!
| There he stood looking down at the
round, friZZly head. He was saying
| something about finding her alone. He
| was big and broad shouldered, and his
| eyes were smiling at her.
The child gazed at him very seriously
and very critically for moment, and
| then the dimples broke.
IL fought p'raps you'd come" she
said, looking up AT him ecstatically.
| "You were looking for me, thenF
| "Ycs. | wanted t ask if you'd be
| tn bwidcgoom at our wedding an
stan by the cuttings wifi tn bu'ful
| bwider
Whose wedding. Alice Dorothy :?
Yours?' There was n note of eager