The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1915-03-11
BLUE and PINK RIBBON
BY MARY MONROE.

\(OpyTlSuI 1871, ny W.. ". SllapNldi.)
For Is years Miss Martha and Miss
Mary had inhabited the big old house
on the hill, at the top Of the village
street, and neither had spoken to the
other. And nobody in Crawford had
ever learned the cause of their dis
pute.
When the only brother died, leaving
q little girl, the sisters, then in the
second year of their quarrel, had each
written. asking Johns executor for the
privilege of caring for the orphaned
niece: So Maud had come to the
home, and from the first she had &C.
customed herself to the peculiar state
of affairs in that family.
1t was convenient to say what you
wished to say through the intermedi-
airy of a third person. instead of hav-
ing to soliloquiZe.
1T was when Maud Grant married
John Springer, the doctor, that the
wrench came. If Maud had only
known it, the old aunts were so chas-
tened by her approaching departure
that she could have made them
friends.
So Maud went to live in the new
house at the bottom of the hill, as Mrs.
John Springer; and, though she
climbed the hill often, the old ladies'
were sadly d%isconsolate at her loss.
But after a while Maud did not
climb the hill so often; and her the
time came when she did not climb it
at all And the two old ladies began to
be very busy with knitting and crochet
work, and the balls OF yarn rolled all
yer the room as the busy old fingers
pulled at them.
Miss Mary and Miss Martha sat op.
posite each other in their chairs, their
fingers working and the needles click
Ing, and, as they worked, they solilo-
quized:
"A pink ribbon on the little cap, be-
cause, of course, it is going to be a
boy" said little Miss Martha.
"-How glad am it is going to be a
girl" said Miss Mary. Il love blue
ribbons. ! think a baby girl with a
dainty little cap with a blue ribbon ON
1t is just the sweetest thing in the
world"
81 can't abide blue" %soliloquized
Miss Martha. Il am SO glad that
Maud's baby is to he a boy. Charles?
Or Ferdinand? My uncle or my IA
Their? l think Ferdinand will sound
prettier, and then, it would be a sort
Of tribute to papa"
She must be called Dorothy, after
mamma" Miss Mary s%oliloquized.
They emphasized their sentiments
to callers, and it did not take at all
q long time for the news to reach Mrs.
John Springer, in the house at the
bottom Of the hill.
"The dear old things!" she said to
her husband. ooh, John, one of them
is going to be so dreadfully disap-
pointed. Whatever shall we do?"
We'll, my dear, they are bringing
their own troubles on their own
heads" laughing. I'VE must just
leave them to work out their own
problems. Anyway, We shall be happy.
whichever way it is, won't we dear?"
Maud smiled up ut her husband.
and Ne put his arm round her Shout
ders and kissed her.
And now the day arrived when the
blue and the pink ribbon each re-
posed upon its cap, along with little
Jackets and coats and all the para
%phernalia of babylon. And the little
maiden ladies waited. And the wait
Ero"ed longer than they had expected.
And by and by JUNIORS began to spread
about the town, and then a carriage
drove swiftly up from the station, and
a famous specialist leaped out and
ran through the room in which the
two old ladies sat, waiting.
Dear Lord, save her to mel"
prayed Miss Martha upon her knees.
Thou knowest l want her--we want
her."
Little Miss Mary started, for this
was the first time in all those years
that her sister had betrayed the rec
ognition of her identity.
Martha! SISTER," she said in a
trembling voice. And it was Martha's
turn to tremble and look afraid, for
she had not dared to hope hat the
olive branch, held out, would bear
such fruit so soon.
The little old ladies looked at each
other, and Of a sudden they fell into
each others, arms and cried. And as
the tears streamed down their cheeks
and mingled, they asked each others
forgiveness with sobs and ~self-re-
proaches.
I'll hope it will be a girl!
There!" said little Miss Martha.
mo, no! 1t is going to be a boy. I
want it to be a boy!" answered Miss
Mary. And each had gone as far as it
was possible to go when she made
that admission.
There was the sound of hurried foot
steps on the stairs, and Doctor Spring
er came into the room. Instantly the
two old ladies had seized him, one by
each hand, and their wrinkled old
faces were upturned to his.
John! She's doing well?" they
both pleaded together.
WE'LL" cried John Springer. ..Vhv.