Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-05-23

WnlCe plnafOre. "B-D-bettyk1n t-tOO!
she stammered, her lip beginning t:
tremble
There, there, child, don't cry
said mother quickly. 'sBettylsin shall
go then, but she really is too dirt!
and too shabby for the ladies at The
Castle to see. Let us put her here OF
the floor of the carriage and cover
her up with the lap-robe. Will that d.
Betty?"
Yes that would do, said the little
girl, and so said Bettykin, who was
sweet kind dollie and didn't mint
being told she was old and shabby
for she knew that Betty loved her JUS
the same.
Then mother and Betty and Bonnie
Lesley started out for the party with
Bettykin under the laprobe and Muf
trotted beside them, very clean anG
very sad.
His hair was. brushed and tide uI
with red ribbon so that he coult
see quite well and his eyes shone sc
that every cat on the road saw hin
coming and scurried out of the way
before she could be chased. He die
look exactly like a lady's muff, {
gray and silky one with a dogs heae
fastened on, and he thought it was 6
sad world indeed, with far too much
soap in it.
AS Betty and her mother went il
through the Castle gates they heard
the pipes in the distance and wher
they reached the velvety green lawns
where little Lady Jean and the chill
dren were playing they saw the piper
stepping proudly up and down anC
blowing and blowing away,
THE cambpells are coming, oh, oh
oh, oh!
The Campbells are coming, oh, oh
oh, OH"
while his kilt and his sporan swayed
to and fro and the strean1ers on his
pipes f1uttered in the breeze.
There were SO many little
girls in blue and pink and
red and violet running abou,
on the lawns that they looked like a
great swarm of butterflies, and ths
beautiful young lady, like great
white butterfly herself, with a golden
head, came out from among them &c
welcome Betty.
Then mother said goodbye to heI
little girl, and told her to be good and
mind the ladies, and held up her fore
finger and shock it at Muff and went
away.
And Betty didn't cry at all when
she was left alone, no, not one single
bit, but just put one hand in the
beautiful young lady's and pushed
Bonnie Lesley with the other and
they went to find Lady Jean, who was
nice wee lassie with a sleek brown
head.
BY this time the lap roDe had been
pushed aside little, so that Betty.
kin could just get peep at the party
out Of one of her white silk eyes
That was enough for her and she was
quite happy and lay very still on the
floor Of the carriage while Bonnie
Lesley sat up stiff and proud on the
seat.
AS soon as Muff saw all the children
he forgot how sadly clean he was and
flew about like little gray whirlwind,
frisking and barking and running
races, and begging to have sticks
thrown for him, everywhere at once
and never still minute.
And oh, what bright, sunny after
noon it was and how big and gray
the Castle looked, and how green
the lawns were, and how bright the
flowers and-my patience! how the
peacocks screamed over on the stone
walls; Lady Jean and her little visi.
tors made more noise than a whole
regiment of soldiers, and led by the
beautiful young lady they played al
most every game that ever was
known.
The dolls meantime sat very proper
ly, all in their best clothes, In a ring
on the grass where the beautiful
young lady had placed them, and no
body looked at them for as much as
half an hour. excepting Muff, who
came galloping up once, his pink
tongue hanging out of his mouth, paid
his respects to one of them, and gal
loped away again.
Do know to which doll he paid his
respects? Yes, l do, and it. seems
funnier to me every time think of il
and wonder if he really knew what
he was doing
When long time had gone by in
iOLupluS duu playing, tHe beautiful
young lady called the piper to stand
near and her and she formed the chill
dren into line after him, Lady Jean
at the head and Betty next her.
Now, little Ones" she cried when
she had gone to the end of the line
herself, well all march over the
lawns to the tea-table and when we
pass the ring of dolls each child must
take up her own dollie as she goes by,
and carry it with her to the feast.
Ready, Rory, play up"
So Rory played UP, Te-tum-ty-te-
te-tum-te-tum-tum! and away
marched the line of children, Muff
galloping after.
And when they reached the dolls,
pink-cheeked, silk-frocked, and proper
as they sat stiff1y on the grass, there
in the very middle of the ring! red
side up, lay Bettyl1in in her shabby
old clothes, her white silk eye round
and sorry and ashamed and frighten-
ed-oh. SO ashamed, and frightened.
Did she put herself there? Oh, no,
indeed! Don't you remember she had
no hands to lift uu the laprrobe AMI
no feet to walk with and besides she
knew quite we'll that he clothes were
not fit for the party. Who did do it?