The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-04-10


! Il don't believe you'll have any more
! leads brought YOU said Lucy, soothing
! ly.
You don't know anything about it,
And this proved to be true.
i When Lucy came back Miss Deborah
met her with a tragic gesture You
needn't tell me that I shan't have any
more toads brought me. This thing is as
bad hs one of those endless chains. Every
child tells ten other children that l will
pay five cents a toad. The Baxter boys
have been here again with ten more
toads, ten-Lucy, do you hear? And
some friends of theirs came with six.
wish John were here to swear Tor me.
am ready to consign those toads to eternal
perdition. Lucy, you needn't laugh in
that heartless way. Not another toad
will pay for; I've told them not to come
again. and to tell all their friends that
the market is overstocked.'
In spite of this warning, the door bell
rang again late in the afternoon, and
Bridget came up with her face Wreathed
in those maddening smiles.
well, who is it?' asked Miss Deborah
shortly.
"They didn't give their names, ma am,
hut there's two of EN-, little girls, this
time. and they've got a basket
"Confound it, Miss Deborah spoke
with deliberation and n certain relish at
is little late in life to begin to swear,
she said to Lucy. 81 don't know wha t
Letitia would say. I, won't take another
| toad. not one. l have thirty-two already
l shall land in the poor house"
But you promised said Lucy
Hang it, Lucy, can't help it if did
| She descended the stairs VI stormy
mood. "Ycu can go away" she said TO
| the children, Il have all the toads | want.
i, did not mean to keep on taking them
all summer
Tears came into the eyes of the smaller
girl THE paper said the lady would
pay five cents for every toad, she re
marked in taltering voice.
You can never believe all you see in
the paper said Miss Deborah with dig
n:tv.
The little girl lifted up the cover of the
basket in Il hesitating way. There's SIX
| and we worked hard to get them,' she
said.
Miss Deborah was beginning to feel
, heartily ashamed of herself Come into
the dining room and l will make you
| some lemonade" she told them. after
ALL promise is promise. l will take
the six toads. Thirty eight" she added
under her breath.
The next morning she took another no.
tice to the editor, stating that no more
toads were wanted, but in spite of this
fact toads arrived in rapid succession. Be
fore the week was over Miss Deborah
found herself the possessor of sixty Of
/ these interesting creatures. Lucy always
took the children's part, but when the
high water mark of sixty was reached,
even Lucy thought it time to call halt.
I've spent three dollars Oh these con-
founded tods,'' Miss Debroah said. mot
to mention the twenty cents for frogs l
didn't keep; if it goes on much longer it
will be worse than one of the plaques. [
am sorry Letitia is so disturbed. She
writes that we are making ourselves the
laughing stock of Eppingham. / suppose
Sarah Lutterworth has sent her one of
her lively letters. It is funny! Of course
it is funny! l can see myself that there
is an amusing side to it, but 1 don't see
why Letitia should mind when she is
neatly out of it. Who would have sup
posed that toads were so numerous in
Eppingham?'
After Miss Deborah's sixty toads had
been cheerfully disporting themselves in
her garden for few days, John Forsyth
UNEXPECTEDLY arrived to spend night with
his aunts on the way to join his family
at North East Harbor.
II was delightful to see the dear fellow,
but both aunts devoutly hoped he would
not hear of the toad episode, for they
were beginning to feel sensitive, and
their nephew had sense of humor.
1T is so good to see you," John said, as
| theykah three sat out on the piazza after
- in Newport for day or two
sElse WeeK.NneHs hunted up Aunt Letitia.
She is at one the SWEETEST hotels, and
I thought she looked in first-rate condi-
ton, but she seemed l<tle homesick."
"Lctitia homesick?" MSS Deborah ask
ed incredulously.
Il fancy being with Miss Macauley
isn't all Aunt Letitia's fancy painted it.
She said something enigmatical about
never knowing them. She said Miss Ma
cauley was most interesting woman,
but that she liked her own way he
added with a gleam of amusement in his
eyes. I'm short think Aunt Letitia will
| How well your hollyhocks and sweet peas
and dahlias are looking, Aunt Deborah
Don't be satirical John: the garden
never looked so badly. Still, if yoJ& Gould
have seen it fortnight ago when we
came down from the mountains. you
would be amazed at the Improvement
Did l see a toad in the garden?" John
asked Il certainly did. There goes an
other! And there is third one hopping
along! How odd. There is fourth.
never saw 50 many toads before"
The garden is full of them," said Miss
Deborah. They eat insects, so we are
glad to have them"
II suppose they all happened along of
their own accord?" John inquired non.
chalantIv.
Quite so, said his aunt Deborah. 1.-THE
garden gate was ajar and they walked
| in
| That was very convenient
John began to laugh and so did his
aunt Deborah.
Il might have known your Aunt LIE.
titia would have told you the whole