The Irish standard., 1904-07-30
A LITTLE BLUE
BUTTERFLY D D
BY JULIA TRU1Tr BISHOP
Copyright, 1901, BY Daily story Pub. CO..

INDY ran like lapwing from the
IL kitchen door, where her father had
just read aloud the letter he had brought
from town, to the hammock which was
lazily swinging between the two oak
trees in the corner of the yard. Her face
was glowing through its freckles, and
her lips were apart, for she painted as she
ran.
miss Marg'ret!" she cried tumultu-
ously; and the young lady in the ham
mock raised her head little way to look
at her with surprised eyes. Miss Mar
g,ret-he's comm, again-the gentleman
that was here las summer-we've jes
gotta letter-father, he's goin' right back
to town to meet the train-oh, Miss Mar
g'ret, he's comm again!"
Miss Margaret, opposed to the girls
flushed and palpitating joy, was a little
pale and cold. She lay back in the ham,
mock now, with both hands clasped be-
hind her head, and looked at Lindy's
burning face.
"And to think would have called you
quiet, lifeless little thing, if had been
asked few moments ago!" she said.
1.-THE gentleman who was here last sum-
mer? 1 don't remember to have heard
you speak of-of any such here as that.
A summer boarder, was he? wonder
if he was as tired of everything in the
world as am. But you are surprise,
Indy"
ooh, he's comm back!" cried Indy,
clasping her sunburned hands in kind
of ecstasy. ''There goes father to town,
right now-an' mothers fixin' up his old
room!'
"Lindy, l am ashamed of you!" said
Miss Margaret, with half scornful laugh
ter in her eyes. Il thought all the time
it was Dave Lorry-and now do you
mean to throw Dawes love away for
some city man whom you hardly know
who comes out here to amuse himself
they all do that city or country, with
the exception of Dave here and there;
and nobody cares for the Daves!"
"Dave!" repeated Indy scornfully.
II think l see myself noticin' Dave
Lorry-great, big, backwoodsy thing
like that" The flush had dropped from
her forehead, but still dwelt in her
cheeks-twin roses which made freckles
or sunburn of no account. Her dark
blue calico waist, ill-made and ill-fitting,
was turned in as to the neck and rolled
up as to the sleeves, displaying throat
and arms that filled Miss Margaret with
envy while she looked She had been
there an entire month, and had not once
noticed them until now. But then-she
had spent most of the time out there in
the hammock, fighting her own battle
and trying to learn endurance. She had
barely taken notice of the pretty coun-
try girl before whom big, awkward Dave
was offering sacrifice in vain. Miss Mar
garet, looking straight at Indy, went
of into thoughts that hurt. When she
came back again Indy had her hands
clasped and was crying with deep be-
seeching:
ooh, my clothes are so awful!
haven't got thing that's fit to be seen!
He amt never seen me dressed up vet.
Oh, Miss Marg'ret, if you only would"
Margaret with start.
If you'd only let me fix up-in one of
your dresses-jes' for this one evening""
pleaded Indy, with sudden dew of
longing in her pretty eyes. "I'd like for
him to see-how could look-if only
had a chance!"
There was piteous supplication in
Lindy's voice. For moment Miss Mar
garet lay still, looking at her, and
through her at something beyond. She
was thinking, with dull ache at her
heart, how pretty the country girl was,
and what safe little nook Heaven had
given her to be happy in, and how little
happy she was, struggling to get away
just as other people did in other hooks.
After little she rose up, with weary
laugh.
Il brought only one of my pretty
gowns with me-" she said. people don't
need such things in the country-but |
brought it because-well, because of
what happened once when had it on.
But now am going to give it to you, SO
that may never think of it again: Come
on-we will have you in brave array by
the time the conquering hero comes
we will make little blue butterfly of
you, 50 that he can see how pretty you
are"
The little blue butterfly fluttered and
gasped in front of the mirror in Miss
Margaret's room. The round arms were
bare and the white neck rose like lily
stem from amid the floating, filmy,
shimmering blue. Miss Margaret had
taken the bonny brown locks out of their
stiff plait and had coiled and puffed them
at the top of the dear-like head; and now
she stood back, amazed at her own
handiwork.
'Oh-ain't it pretty" cried Indy in
q low tone that was almost sob. She
had asked it of the image in the glass.
She had forgotten that Miss Margaret
was there. She had forgotten that Miss
Margaret had ever been.
In a moment she heard Dawes voice
To- H. 1-sA