The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1915-06-24
BLUE and PINK RIBBON
BY MARY MONROE.

TOT 10 years MISS marina anu MISE |
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
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 third person, instead Of hav-
ing to soliloquize.
1t was when Maud Grant married
John Springer, the doctor, that the
wrench came. II Maud had only
known 1t, 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 disconsolate at her loss.
But after a while Maud did not
climb the hill so often; and then the
time came when she did not climb 1t
at all And the two old ladies began to
be very busy with knitting and crochet
work, and the balls Of yarn rolled all
over 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, 1t 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. l think a baby girl with a
dainty little cap with a blue ribbon on
it is just the sweetest thing in the
world"
Il can't abide blue" soliloquized
Miss Martha. II am so glad that
Maud's baby is to be boy. Charles?
Or Ferdinand? My uncle or my ia
Their? think Ferdinand will sound
prettier. and then. 1t would be a sort
Of tribute to papa"
"She must be called Dorothy. aftel
mamma" Miss Mary soliloquized.
They emphasized their sentiments
to callers, and it did not take at al
long time for the news to reach Mrs
John Springer, in the house at the
bottom Of the hill.
1.-THE dear old things!" she said tt
her husband. "Oh, John, one Of then
is going to be SO dreadfully disap
pointed. Whatever shall we do?"
"Well, my dear, they are bringing
their own troubles on their own
heads" laughing. I'VE must jus
leave them to work out their owl
problems. Anyway, we shall be happy
whichever way it Is, won't we dear?
Maud smiled up at her husband
and he put his arm round her shoul
, ders and kissed her.
And now the day arrived when tn
blue and the pink ribbon each re
posed upon its cap, along with littl
jackets and coats and all the para
phernalia of babylon. And the littl
maiden ladies' waited. And the wal
proved longer than they had expected
} And by and by rumors began to sprea
about the town, and then a carriag
drove swiftly up from the station, an
q famous specialist leaped out an
, ran through the room in which tn
; two old ladies sat, waiting.
, Dear Lord, save her to me!
. prayed Miss Martha upon her knee
, Thou knowest / want her-we wal
her."
: Little Miss Mary started, for thi
was the first time In all those year
e that her sister had betrayed the re-
ognition of her identity.
Martha! Sister!" she said in
trembling voice. Anu IL was Mdrtnd
turn to tremble and look afraid, Il
D she had not dared to hope that tn
e olive branch, held out, would bes
such fruit SO soon.
The little old ladies looked at eae
other, and of a sudden they fell In,
8 each others arms and cried. And
q the tears streamed down their cheel
: and mingled, they asked each other
4 forgiveness with sobs and self-r
proaches.
u I'LL hope it will be . cir
d There!" said little Miss Martha.
mo, no! It Is going to be boy.
want 1t to be q boy!" answered Mi
Mary. And each had gone as far as
was possible to go when she mat
that admission.
- There was the sound Of hurried fot
. steps on the stairs, and Doctor Sprin
70 er came into the room. Instantly u
: two old ladies had seized him, one
each hand, and their wrinkled o
faces we're upturned to his.
,s John! She's doing well?" tn
- both pleaded together.
"A Welt" cried John Springer. WI
"a it's all over. It is
"A grill" exclaimed Miss Martha
--Sl lSt<po Misc Mary