The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-12-15
LITTLEST SISTER
BY AGNES e. eRoeAN.

eyes which a sudden sunny smile
could transform into dancing merri-
ment.
ut is lovely to have you here" said
the child, "before you came, 1t was
SO lonely. That's what it means,
guess, to be the littlcst sister, Special
ly when you've had different mother
from the rest. They were all quite
grown up you know, when my mother
came, and they didn't need her. P'raps
that's why she went away to Heaven.
Daddy did not like to be bothered"
"The biggest sister had said Mercy
me! the child's too old to have
nurse and going to school, will not
need a governess, whatever shall we
do with herr And I told her to adj
vertise for ia sort of sister. Some
one to fix my clothes and read to me,
and stay in at night when everyone
else was away. Oh! you don't know
how dreadful it is to be the littlest
sister,"
The young woman nodded. 81 do
know, darling" she replied, II was
Just like that" There was sudden
catch in the sweet voice. 'They closed
the DOORS" she went on dreamily,
"and went their different ways, and
was left alone"
"For all of the EVENING"" asked the
child.
forever" answered the girl.
"And they did not come back"
The young woman sadly shook her
head. 'There were so many things
In the world to keep them busy" she
said.
The child leaned forward eagerly,
"Then, whatever did you do?'
Into the somber eyes danced the
sunny smile, "Why came here" the
girl replied. "Your advertisement
seemed just written for me, to make
little sister happy was so exactly the
thing I wanted to do"
"You might have been a secretary,S
the child suggested shrewdly, sand
have made more money" Again the
companion smiled.
81 was very stupid" she said, "about
making money. Perhaps I had forgot
ten all that I knew, in caring for my
invalid father"
SWELL" the child answered cheerful
ly, shat was a good thing for me.
I'm so much in the way, they all tell
me that, and they never did want me
at all. Now. the biggest sister is go
ing to be married and the other rs go
ing abroad. The brother is going
abroad, too, the one who calls me that
kid and"
The young woman turned about,
asked J. haefaet lesaly the
tall brother with the deep true eyes,
not the brother with the kind voice
which makes you feel that somebody
cnres-he--is not going away7'
The child regarded her companion
perplexedly. then shook her head. "Oh,
no,R she said, shat is the oldest broth
err who has always been painting pic
lures somewhere far away. He came
back not long ago, and yesterday he
came up here to my big room. He
was so very grave and SO very cross,
that was afraid. So he said, you
are the little one? Where, is sheT
s'pose he meant the biggest sister.
and I told him and he went away"
The girl caught the child in her
arms. "He asked like that?" she
questioned eagerly, quickly, anxious
ly, like that?"
Bewildered the child nodded, then
raised a startled face, "what was that
noise, back there among the shad-
ows?" she asked.
"You are fanciful," the girl replied,
"a log broke in the fire. Let me hold
you close and I will tell story:
"Once upon time great artist
came back to his native land to see
his own, and perhaps to wed a Won
drous lady. The hearts of his sisters
were set upon this choice, for great
was her influence in the world Of let
tiers, and very great was her wealth.
To marry her, would be to bring to
the artist all those things for which he
had struggled so, the sisters told
q humble maid of their dwelling. This
maid had but dared to raise her eyes
to the man, as he passed her upon the
stair, or-in the garden. Had but
dared, meeting him upon the road, to
ride home ut his side in the great au-
tomobile. Yet the sisters seemed to
know of the dream she had dreamed
alone in her own little room with the
stars for COMPANY. And 80 the mai
den found that she must go away be-
cause the kindness Of his eyes grew so
akin to love,-because the gentleness
of his voice thrilled to tenderness"
"Didn't she care--for-him?" the
child asked drowsily.
ut was because she cared so very
much answered the girl, "that she
determined to go away--that he might
marry tke wonderful lady, who could
bring to him victory" A tear splash
ed down upon the now sleeping eyes
of the child, while from the shadows
came q mans figure.
"So--dearest," sGid the mans low
and jublant voice, shat is your rea-
son, that is why you have made me
play at hide and seek finding you like