Evening star., 1909-08-21

to go TO bed.
Very well dearie," promised Mrs.
Adams. What sort of a story do you
WANT
Il like fairy stories best, mamma
piled Oracle.
Then. as soon as Oracle was in her
little white nightie, she snuggled close
beside her mamma in a big sleepy-hollow,
prepared to give close attention to the
goodnight story.
We'll" began Mrs. Adams, this story
| am about to tell is of a little girl called
Nita, and of her punishment for being
very naughty one time during her mann
mas absence. She was left in the COM
pany of her aged greatgrandmother, who
was almost blind. Before her mamma
departed from home she told Nita to be
very kind to old granny. and to perform
any little errands for the old lady that
she might wish to have done. Nita prom
ised to obey; but the very first thing that
granny asked her to do, she pouted and
acted very naughtily. And all granny
had asked of her was a cold drink of
water to be brought from the spring
which was near to the kitchen door But
Nita was playing with her dolls and did
not want to take the time to go to the
spring. so she got dipper OF water from
the big wooden pail which stood on
bench in the kitchen, thus saving herself
the spring for fresh water. Granny put
the wafer to her lips, but, finding it
warm, said she could not drink il. WHY
it's from the spring. declared Nita
thinking that she was telling the whole
truth, for, of course. the water had
originally come from the spring, but it
had been in the pail for some time. But
she knew she was deceiving her old
4, ttNa, r
was as wicked as an outright lie would
have been.
well. it cannot he direct from the
spring. child said the poor old lady.
And I cannot drink il. thirsty as I am
But I shall try to get to the spring if
you will give me my walking cane. /
think it is in the corner.
although Nita felt ashamed of having
tried To deceive old granny. she never
theless got the old ladys stick for her
for she was too anxious 10 get back to her
dolls to run TO the spring and get the
water.
After her aged grandmother had hob
bled to the spring for a drink Nitd sat
down on the big back porch to play with
her dolls. She sat busily sewing on a
little frock for one of her dolles, pretty
pink silk Ia remnant her mamma had
bought for the purpose) to be trimmed in
white lace. After a few minutes had
passed away she heard her grandmother's
voice calling TO her: Nita, Nita, dear.
Please come at once 10 granny,
The old ladys voice being somewhat
excited and imperative. Nita threw down
her work mpatiently and went slowly
into the house to ascertain her grand
mothers wants. She's such a bother
she said to herself oh. why must an
old lady want much waiting on?
Then, entering her grandmother's room
She asked in rather an impatient voice
We'll, what is 1t now. granny
i feel so faint, child, that / want
YOU TO fetch me the camphor bottle.
You'll find it on the top shelf In the
closet of my room. Will you fetch il
quickly, dearie? / am SO faint
"Nita went upstairs. but not quickly
she might have done. Took her time
for getting the camphor bottle, returned
leisurely to her grandmother. put the
bottle on the table beside her and start
ed to go to her play again. Please
dearie.' said granny feebly. pour a little
camphor I'm that glass OF water there ON
the table and hand II to me. 1t was the
exertion of going down the steps to the
spring and up them again that caused
this sudden weakness. Oh. dear child, II
is hard to become feeble as I am.
and 10 be obliged to ask other folks to
wait on me-. And the poor old lady
wiped teardrop from her almost sight
less eye.
..Nita dropped some camphor into the
glass, roughly handed 1t to her grand
mother without single word of sympa-
thy and returned Immediately to her
playthings. But to her surprise the pink
silk frock she had been sewing on few
minutes before had changed in material
and color. There lay "A common cotto !
thing-fashioned exactly like the silk
one, with the needle stuck into one of