Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-30
TOpSY ON THE TOP FLOOR
By CLARA J. DENTON.
Copyright. 1901. by George W. Jacobs & Coz
CHAPTER XIV.
UThe Rad Roy y


''The Bad Boy"
This was dreadful news, indeed and Net
tie was soon mingling her tears with
Daisy's.
But said Mrs. Howells, after mo-
ment do wipe away your tears, Daisy, and
tell me how it happened Crying will not
| find Topsy again. and if 1 know just when
she disappeared, perhaps l can suggest
something to help Matters
20. it's no use. she's gone" said Daisy. at
the same time however wiping her eyes ana
sitting erect; but I'll tell you all about It.
cause, / spose, you want to know. The
minute got inside Mrs. Mullard's hall
knew something had gone wrong: that
dreadful Joe came running up to me. and
he was laughing so he could hardly speak.
You can't take Topsy out this morning.
he said, just as mean as he could. But q
made up my mind not to have any more
| fuses with him, so pretended not to hear
him and ran on upstairs as fast as ever L
could. He holloaed after me, you needn't
go up there, Miss Topsys taken herself
| out OF course, then l began to under
stand what was the matter, but l hurried
| on faster than ever. When l came 20 the
top floor there was Miss Ann walking about
| in the hall and looking if she meant 20
start right off downstairs
80, Miss Verro,' l said, all out OF
breath. has Topsy run away 1 don't
know she said; she's gone, and can't tell
just how 1t happened. l had some friends
| calling here, just after you left this morn
ing. AS they were leaving our washer
woman came in. l took the clothes and
hunted up my purse to pay her When She
turned to go saw that the door was open.
/ looked around the room; Topsy was not
there. Then went into the hall. but she
was nowhere to be found Mrs. Mullard.
whose room, you know, is on this floor.
heard me calling, and came out of her
room to see what was the matter. She was
kind and went right downstairs TO
have the house searched thoroughly. Then
she sent one of the boys to search the
neighborhood and she telephoned to police
headquarters herself. -
This is very sad said Mrs. Howells:
did you ask Miss Verro what time all this
happened?'
YES about 10 o. clock"
Dear me, and now it is nearly I. Well, l
believe some one has stolen her.
"Of course, they have" said Daisy, her
eyes flashing, land / just believe that bad
bellboy, Joe, has had something to do with
it. You can't think how glad he looked
when met him in the hail.
Poor little Topsy; hope they'll be good
to her. said Nettie
mo fear of that, little daughter: she is
valuable dog, and very delicate one. Who
ever has taken her will probably have Tnore
sense than to ill-treat her. My principal
concern is for poor Miss Verro. who will be
so lonely without her little friend. 1t is Won
derful how much comfort one can get out
of poor, dumb-creature.
Yes, and while 1 was listening to Miss
Verro's story tall lady, with lots of dia-
monds on her. came out of one of the rooms
and she said, Why, Miss Verro l shouldn't
think you'd care so much about that little
bit of dog, when you can buy another ole
just as good any day In the week. You
ought tove seen the look Miss Nerros
face; but she just turned away and said,
Come on into my room Daisy.
There was a queer look on the child S face
which made Mrs. Howells ask:
And what did you say, Daisy?'
We'll" exclaimed Daisy, holly, Il waited
till the lady got to the head of the stairs
and then l ran and pulled at her dress. and
when she turned around / said just as fast
as 1 could, for fear she'd run away from
me, You're a bad woman to talk like that
to Miss Verro, she hasn't anything else to
muse her and she can't ever buy another
TopSy; there aren't any others like her on
earth, and / just wish you had to stay all
your life shut up on the top floor and see
how you'd like it, "
why, Daisyr' exclaimed Nettie, with a
look of horror, how did you dare talk So
and what did she say?"
90" replied Daisy, coolly. II dared fast
enough. and all she said was, Why, you
awful child-who are you, anyway? III
speak to Mrs. Mullard about you. Then L
made her very low courtesy. the way my
dancing teacher taught me, and said, I'm
Daisy Wood. madam, and then l ran of
into Miss Verro's room"
Il am very sorry. Daisy, that you gave
way to that hasty little tongue of yours"
said Mrs. Howells, for Mrs Mullard. you
know, might make it unpleasant for you to
come to her house."
well, if she says anything to me. III
ask her f it was any worse for me to say
what did; than for big. healthy woman
to talk that way to poor, sick Miss Verro?
l don't suppose it was very nice of me. but
if big folks don't want little folks to be
naughty, why don't they just be good them
selves?'
Did Miss verro hear what you said?"
asked Nettie.
No indeed; and didn't tell her. I only
stayed a few minutes after that: l wanted
to look for Topsy. 1 looked all around the
neighborheod for her, but l couldn't hnu
her. and then l came over here"
20, dear, O. dear said Nettie. Il wonder
if we shall ever see our dear little Topsy
again?'
And this was question that was asked
many times as the days went on.
Miss Julia returned to the boarding house
as she had planned to do, and, there
now no Topsy to take care Of there was
nothing to prevent Miss Verro's visit to the
sanitarium. Miss Julia steadily gained in
strength, and soon began to hook forward
to the time when she should be able to
walk about on the top floor. 1t would he a
year. perhaps, the doctor said, before she
could go up and downstairs.
Before that time" said Miss julia, If
sister Ann improves as rapidly as | have
done l shall be in my Shenandoah home.
where my room is on the ground ftoor and
Miss Julia of course, missed Popsy very
much: but Nettie spent several hours OF
every day with her and Daisy also made
frequent calls. Mrs. Mullard sometimes
met the latter in the hail. or on the stairs.
and although she gave her stern looks OF
disapproval, she was really too kind beart-
ed to interfere with any of Miss Julia S
pleasures.
One Saturday afternoon, about month
after Topsy's dis ppearanee. as Nettie and
Daisy We're coming down Mrs. Mulkr1s
front steps, Nettie grasped Daisys arm and
whispered:
There he is.
Daisy looked toward the pavement and
saw a roughly dressed boy who was sham
bling along without even a glance toward
the big boarding house.
who is he?' whispered Daisy, although
the boy was several hundred feet away.
1.-The Bay Boy that tried to take Topsy
from me that day at the park
rs that so?" Why, I've seem him before
lots of times: he goes past our house most
every day. / wish we could find out where
he lives. 1 believe papa can; III tell him
about it,
Yes and I believe he's got Topsy now.
and if we could hunt up his home we'd
have her. o. 1 can't bear to think Of her
being with him; he's cruel"
They walked slowly along. their arms
oro,,n6 aacb other buf when fl,ay uecxa COW.