Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1905-07-06

"Do you keep your toys in those
big tin boxes?'
"Well, they're not toys like those
In your nursery"
.'Do you sit here all by yourself,
them"
nodded.
'And never feel lonely?"
Sometimes" said. Smiling in
spite of myself at the serious little
face.
81 heard mummie tell daddy one
day you were lonely man."
"Oh!'
I was certainly hearing some home
truths.
"But you won't be lonely when you
come to my party, will you?"
mo, dear. like to come as often
as I can to your house." and I spoke
the truth.
By this time Kathleen's nurse had
returned-I expect she had been wait
ing outside all the time-and with
strict injunctions mot to forget the
party next Wednesday," my little
visitor kissed me good-by, and I tried
to settle down to work again.
But pair Of blue eyes would keep
dancing in front of me on my blot
ting pad. Sometimes I thought they
were Kathleen's and sometimes
thought they were-some one else's
Kathleen's eyes and her Aunt Mer-
vas were strangely alike. had
noticed it before.
The room seemed quite cheerless
now that she had gone.
In the Intervening days the post
man left strange notes for me.
Sometimes the missives were stuck
together with jujubes, but had no
difficulty in deciphering the signs.
They read: Don't forget the party
next We'n'sday" AS to the crosses
well, the most ignorant person
knows what those mean in letter.
"We'n's 'sday" came at last, and of
course I went to the party. 1t was
great success. The house was
turned upside down by merry crowd
| of little folks who kept the fun going
| until long after they ought to have
| been in bed
Kathleen queened it all very pref
| tily, and after the last little guest had
scarcely keep open, she persisted that
| she wasn't little bit tired, sson'y
hungry" That was subterfuge she
was always guilty of at bedtime.
Next day I saw Kathleen in the
| park and we discussed the party.
"You were a funny man.. she said.
was glad to know that had CIV
en- satisfaction in this direction.
'Did you learn all those stories
from pitsher books, or were they just
make believer"
Both said.
"And you didn't cry when you had
to go home like little Charlie did, did
you?"
I assured her I was able to refrain
from weeping.
"And you liked me the best Of all
the little girls there?"
"Of course I did,
"Quite sure?" she SAID coaxingly.
"Quite sure,' 1 repeated
''Then mummie was wrong" she
| SdlU,
Flows that?" I asked.
s'Well, when mummie and Aunt
Merva came in to say Good night,
heard auntie say how fond you
were Of me. and mummie said, Yes
and know some one else he's very
fond of, too. or would be if she'd let
him. and auntie went quite funny,
and said: Don't be ridiklus, Daisy
Daisy's what daddy calls mummie-
but mummie only laughed and said:
I don't think you're always kind to
him."
Kathleen stopped to take breath at
ter this long recital. and then went
on: $50 after mummie went down
stairs, and auntie brought me a
sweetie fore I fell sleep, asked il
it was true if you liked some little
girl better'n me. Auntie said, Per
haps not, sometimes Then I said
she ought to love you like did. COS
, you were lonely and had no nice lit
tie girl Of your own like my daddy
had. Then she stopped down to kiss
. | me and her cheek was quite wet, JUS
;as IL she'd been crying. I've never
seen Auntie Merva crv hefOreS