Evening star., 1913-12-09
THE EVENING STORY.
GOLDILOCKS.
By Lucille Baldwin Van Slyke.

Billy and the twins and Rosa rushed
noisily in from school crying, variously,
| Want doughnut. doughnuts. dough-
nuts and "Maynt 1 have a raisin-
cooky?"
wait minute. laughed Mrs. Rem
son. You haven't any of you said a
word to Aunt Vance
The four faces sobered instantly.
Hello said the twins, dismally.
How dyou do?', asked Rosa, shyly.
as she drew nearer and held out her thin.
little hand. Aunt Remson smiled. the
gentle smile she unconsciousiy reserved
for her motherless niece
My land" wheezed Aunt Vance, do
you think it's good for them to eat be-
tween meals?"
They do get so hungry" murmured
Mrs. Remson. ''Meg's doughnuts never
seem to hurt any one. either
Well. I think all sweets are bad, :
sighed Aunt Vance. putting her hand to
positively forbid my touching them"
Rosa rummaging in the cooky jar
moment later peered naughtiiy across
the lid at her cousins.
Doctor F'lummerty has positively
forbid" she mimicked. closing her eyes
and signing melodramatically.
Gosh. but / hate Aunt Vance!" sput
tered Billy. his mouth full of doughnut.
"She makes me think of mush.'
Rosa Shivered. I'm glad my this
years stay is over there she sighed.
What are you hanging round here
for?" asked Rosa, curiousiy. as she nib
bled close to the raisin
Crowds gone to Bat Weaver 8, he
responded, laconically.
Play hy-spy if / gd enough kids"
demanded Rosa.
Billy considered. loftily. He hated play
ing with girls; il was only a little better
than not playing at all. But i'll view of
his recent difficulties with Bat Weaver
he could not consistently enter into the
neighborhood revelries, SO when she had
rounded up the twins, the three Schuyler
girls and the boy who had just moved
across the street, he consented to count
out with a glib twisting of the mystic
formula that elected the new boy 1T.
Rosa wriggled breathlessiy through the
cellar window to a snug nook under the
side yeranda-
of Aunt Vances rocker. Her dolorous
voice sounded disagreeably clear above
the creaking.
You ought to put a stop To her stromp-
ing around So said the lady. severely.
she isn't allowed to romp around SO at
my house. To my mind thirteen is alto
Sether too big for such goings-on.' Rosa
stuck out her tongue in the darkness.
But she grinned when she heard Aunt
Remson's laugh.
She's just a little girl. really said
Aunt Remson. II haven't the heart to
stop her fun, Kate, l simply haven't. Did
you notice what beautiful manners she
has?'
Manners is all that ever will be beau
tiful about her. grunted Aunt Vance. Il
never saw such a limpsey-looking child
anywhere She certainly don't get her
plain looks from the Stephenson side, and
will say her mother was right pretty,
whatever else she was. It's a mystery
homely-'
Just growing fast said Aunt Remson,
lightly "She has lovely eyes and l think
year or so''
Pretty" snapped her sister-in-law.
That gawky little thing pretty.. Don't
be such fool, Jane. / said to Ben when
sent her on to you last month that
it was no wonder to me Frederick didn't
mind not seeing her more'n twice a year.
She just gets on my nerves. / could
stand her staring eyes and her pindling-
ness, but that hair. Just stringy look
ing, ] call ii. You can't even braid il
smooth. Put it in one braid and it's
crooked-two of 'em simply look like rat
tails
Rosa hunched herself into a defiant
little heap behind the lattice. Hateful
old thingv' she whispered, hotly. She's
jus stringy looking too. Ole. fat, bunchy
looking stringy. Don't care at all. !
DON'T
But she did not see the new boy peer
ing through the lattice. She hardly heard