The sun., 1912-07-14

Once there was little girl nam ed
Henrietta and arm sorry TO ray she was
rather naughty Not had. you know.
but abe was the kind of little girl that
keeps on doing things after she is told not
to. One day. when for the third tim q that
week she had been wading in the brook
with her nice new shoes on. her Aunt
Maria said Child. you are getting 10
have verv had habits II you do not
break yourself of them while there Ia
time they will become stronger than you
are"
Henrietta: Henrietta,' What . funny
little voice that was calling her. 1t
sounded a. IL it came from just under
meath the window. but when Henrietta
ran to look there was no one there.
Henrietta" third time came the
call. louder and m ore teasing than eve
Henrietta could stand it no longer. She
never stopped to think that she had
promised Aunt Maria not to go out. but
downstairs she dashed and ont of the house.
There in the m iddle OF the road scratching
up the dust with his bare toes stood the
m ost unpleasant looking little boy she
had ever seen. He had a sullen dirty
face. the kind of mean little eyes that
never look straight at you. and very long,
thin legs.
The hoy grinned MY name is Run
away said he. -and I'm Bad Habit
live in that old brown house across the
road with my brothers and sisters. They're
all waiting for you
Henrietta began to get angry. wait
ing for me7- she said. why I wouldn't
go to your house for anything! I'm
going home
The boy made face at her -No.
you're not" said he. you're never
going home any more. You're coming
to live with me and all the other Rad
Habits. because you like us. you know
Henrietta stamped her foot. "But I
don't like you.' she cried. -and I won't
come. WON'T"
you'll have to- said the little hoy.
.for We are stronger than YOU are," And
he seized Henrictta by the arm and In
spite of her struggles dragged her
across the street and into his front yard
The Bad Habits house was no better than
an old barn. The gate swung broken on
it's hinges. the fence was half down and
the lawn was waste OF mud and tin cans
and scattered papers. Grouped about
on the front steps number of the
family we're waiting for Henrietta
From within the house came the sound
Of loud angry walls mingled with stormy
sobs. Henrietta knew il was just the way
she cried herself when she was in tenn
per.
that's Cry Baby Cry explained Run
away. -or else Cross Patch. or more prob
ably both. These and he pointed to
three untidy children who had just ap-
peared around the corner Of the house,
ARE Dirty Paws. Buttons on and Muddy
Boots. three old friends Of yours"
They aren't my friends" Henrietta
cried. yet even as she said this she knew
II was not quite true. for there was some
thing very familiar about the looks OF
these Bad Habits
Stop your tricks. Slam the Door"
cried Muddy Boots. and lie ran to open
the door and stick his foot in the crack.
Now bring her in" he cried. Henrietta
did her best to get Away but with Run
away pulling in front and Answer Back
Ask-Why. Dirty Paws. Buttons-OT and
Suck Your Thumb oil pushing behind she
was soon inside the bouse. 1t was quite
as Runaway had said the Habits
were stronger than she was.
Their parlor. Henrietta thought, was
the untidiest room she had ever seen
There were curtains at the windows. pic
lures on the walls and books on the table,
but the dust was thick on every thing.
The way the toys were fiung about, the
cloth half dragged on the table. the ink
stand UPSET and the ink spilling over on
the fioor il all reminded Henrietta very
! unpleasantly of the condition she had lett
her own school room in that morning I've
cause she had been "too tired" to clear ,ip
In two comfortable chairs before tho fire
sat two little girls, One was long and
lanky and did not trouble to look up
from her story hook when Henrietta en-
tered; the other was a fat round greasy
little girl whose Ct umby face was smearel
about the lips with chocolate She had a
iapiui II i,tih. ,aA.s winch sh. ,i,~i TO
hide under her apron. hut Henrietta saw
them, They were just the jind she liked
Aherseui