Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1907-07-18
When the Circus
Came to Town
BY ELIZABETH SUTTON
copyright, by Joseph B. BoWles.

L
kitchen table making cake for supper.
Miss Lappin was never in good nu-
| NOR while making cake. She was so
particular about beating the batter IN
, I'll 1t was all studded with bubbles,
| and she worried and fused all the
I, time It baked, fearing 1t would be
too we'll done or not done enough.
! Naturally her temper and patience did
! not amount to much during the proc
ess.
Marie, her niece, sat at one of the
windows of the kitchen, that opened
into garden filled with lilacs, roses
and geraniums. She was pretty
girl, with a clear red and white COM
plexion, beautiful teeth, dark eyes and
in striking contrast with these
charms, hair as yellow as a marigold
She resambled not in the least her
aunt, who was a tall, angular spinster,
Aunt, will you let me go?" Marie
had asked the question a dozen times
within the last few minutes, and Miss
Lappin had pretended not to hear her.
Suddenly she compressed her lips
so tightly that they were lost in her
face She beat the sponge with such
vigorous strokes that a number of
small bubbles appeared and broke
on it's surface. mo; won't let you
co." she snapped, $50 it's no use'n
you settin' there teasin'. l amt
thinkin' of lettin' you go, so there's
an end to it. After awhile you'll be-
lieve that when l say thing mean
it. won't let you go there, or to
any other party. You know without
astin' l never let you go anywheres."
will you please tell me why you
never allow me to go anywhere? Will
you tell me just why you never let
girls Of Boisville?" the girl asked,
calmly.
Miss Lappin let her spoon fall into
the butter. She rested her hands
upon her hips and faced her niece.
We'll, Marie, bein's you want to
know SO bad, I'll tell you this much.
don't let you go round like the 9th
er girls because of the kind of
mother you had. When you wuz left
an orphan, with not one in the wide
world to see to you but me, took
you an made up my mind I'd raise
you an never let you git like your
mother if / could help it. 1 hate to
say one word ag'in' the Dead but your
mother wuzn't much, Marie. You
know as well as do, an that's we'll
eaolgb. that you mother went an
ran off with a German professor,
leavin' you little thing of three, an
my poor brother broken-hearted.'
Boisville had gossiped a long time.
about Miss Lappin and her pretty
niece Marie. They said: Marie looks
just like her mother. It'll be too
bad if she takes after her, too; but
Miss Lappin is a little hard on the
girl. My goodness, youth must have
its fling, an if it doesn't, somethin's
sure to happen. Young folks will be
young folks. Even if her mother
Wuzn't much. Gracious, that amt
no reason Marie should be shut up an
never let go anywheres An she
dresses her like holy show, for fear
she'll git proud or any one'll look at
her"
Marie received invitations to every
thing going on in Boisvilie, for all
liked her, and all felt very sorry for
her. They pitied her as the victim
of tyrannical spinster who was de-
termined TO cut the girl from all So
cial life, because, unfortunately, her
mother had furnished Boisyille with
its one scandal.
So Marie was always asking her
aunt: Aunt, may I go?" and Miss
Lappin was forever answering her:
mo; you can't 60" It was rather
extraordinary, under the circum.
stances, that the girl was never seem.
ingly ill-natured or resentful because
Of these refusals. When her aunt
said mo" she appeared perfectly sat.
ished, and then would ask her permits
sion to go somewhere else in few
days.
One day in early summer Marie
who had been out on an errand, rushed
into the kitchen, where Miss Lappiu
sat sewing. She threw a parcel down
on the table and seemed quite breath
less. 'Oh. aunt, there's circus here.
she cried ut came in this morning
!! met some OF the girls and they are
all going in a crowd tonight. They
sant me to go with them. Aunt
may go 2. @ z7 :
Miss Lappin dropped her sewing in
her lap. She pushed her glasses ur
on her forehead. Marie Lappin, she
said. "you must be gettin' crazy. 70,
sure. You wantin' to go to a circus
A girl 10 years of age. Why. Marie
you must be gettin' soft'nen Of TN
brain. No, Marie Lappin, you can't e
to the circus" =
Very well, aunt" Marie said bnt
not as humble as usual.
I'll tell you what I'll do. I,ll le,
you go an see the parade, Miss Ian
pin cried suddenly. 'Ill let you stay
out this morning till it's all over
Marie murmured her thanks for this
concession =
The girl left the parlor aud wen,
into her own room opening off tha
kitchen, It was bare little Mace
She took a pink dress. much Shar,,f
4ol u 49, ~.