Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-10-10
Mandy Jane

ohS tS iikeu Manda lane. We all
SAID SO the first day. she came to school.
Her dress was sort of old fashioned.
ana TOO long for her: but it wasn't lust
now she o k hat was the matter. I
guess we thought there were enough Of
us without her. and we didn't want any
more. You see, there were nine Of us
sIrls VINO brought our dinners,-just
under the trees; and, besides. we ali
knew each other, and it's so much
trouble to get acquainted with strange
ers.
Well, we don't need to have her.
SAID Della Kelly. w didn't ask her to
come TO our school, and we can 20 on
just tne same's II she wasn't here"
so When noontime came. and the
teacher and the other little childran
went nome, We hurried off and left
'Manda lane to herself. She looked IN
as II she expected we'd ask her to
come, too; but we didn't, and after. a
few minute she sat down on the steps
and opened e basket. She sat there
nearly all noontime, and We couldn't
help seeing her while we played. Little
kltty-she's always so tender-hearted
-Wanted to ask her to come.
whose playhouse can she have a
part OF, then? asked Maria. There are
only three places, Inc it'll make one Of
in it," ~ e'S
Well. none Of us wanted her. and
KITTY couldn't do anything without the
rest or US, though she looked sorry.
a the way it went for four or five
days. We found 'Manda Jane knew as
much about her lessons as any Of ,s
though her dresses were too lone. and
tne other childred liked her in games
d. recess, put we girls wouldn't pay her
any attention. Our school house is in
the country. in a nice woody place: and
so We thought 'Manda Jane was going
60 look Tor wild flowers when she didn't
stop on the steps one day. but walked
right past where we were, farther in
the grove. By and by we saw her NOV
lns ABOUT as bl.sy as she could be, as if
herself. -
I think that would be awfully lone
some said Kitty; Inc l think we all
teit a little sorry and sort of mean. only
we wouldn't say so.
The next day 'Manda Jane hurried
OIL Just the same way, and the day aft
er that, too; and we could see her flv-
ing about and fixing something. We
pretended we didn't care what it was:
put really, We could hardly play at ali
Tor watching her. But the next noon.
"hen we Were getting ready to go for
our baskets, h stopped us.
Ihere's a new store started down
80 "ne,e you 1olkS keep house," she
said; land, if you want tea, sugar. soan
or-or anything, the oma that KEEPS
It'll give good measure and sell cheap.
store? % we all said at once.
ohe was leaning against the teach
ers liable, her eye all twinkly and
larshlng; and she booked almost pretty
ever SO much prettier than Maria
VINO Jumped up on the table beside her
Yes, I've started a store she said
a should think you housekeepers
would need to buy a lot of things"
we began to crow round her; but shs
wouldn't tell us much, only to "come
and see" and we didn't wait to have her
ask Us twice. She had fixed up the
prettiest place with moss and green
branches!
.s,m'hA %@AB-A %@NM%MMM
There was a nice, smooth stump fol-
a counter, and scales made Of strings
and birch bark. There was white sand
for sugar n pebbles for coffee, and
she had made cunning little paper bags
to put things in. Oh, it was such fun!
We bought and bought; and she gave
us some real gingerhread-such good
gingerbread that her grandmother
made-because, she said, storekeepers !
gave things when they had an open
ing We forgot all about not wanting
her, and almost forgot to play keep
house at all, because W. were all the
IiIlS Auiili1t5 " IAS StOre. she laQ SO
much custom that she said one of us
might be clerk; but everybody spoke
for the place, and so we had to take
turns. 1t was the very incest noontime
we'd had. and nobody ever thought Of
leaving 'Manda Jane ont after that;
we couldn't do without her.
How did you ever come to think of
anything like lthat?" Della asked her
one day.
Grandma made me think of it," she
said. You see. l felt a little bit lone
some, and l thought"-her face grew
red and sober, and she stopped a min
ute: then she said the words right out
I though you girls didn't like me-,
and wouldn't ever be friends; and I told
grandma there wasn't any place for
me. Make a place, then she said. "Ail
the world wants the mes chat are will
ing to make themselves wanted 80
then l stopped thinking haw you ought
to make it Dleasanter fo.. rne, and b.
gan to plan how I could make things
nicer TO-: you
The Farmer and the Bicycle