Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-01-04
he Rainy-Day
Visitor

| Probably Ernest was as scarlet a
grandma's tomato pincushion by this
time. Minnie watched the little rivers
run down the garden path into the
little lake at the gate. She sighed
Scarlet fever was the only thing En-:
nest had not divided with her in all
the nine years of their twin lives.
! Grandpa was asleep on the sofa,
with a newspaper over his face;
grandma dozed in her easy chair by
the fireside. 1t seemed as If they
we're always asleep. She thought OF
Mrs. Todd's baby who was always
taking nap when she wanted to take
him riding. People seem to sleep a
good deal at the top and bottom OF
their lives" she said to herself, and
sighed again.
Grandma sat up with a start why,
child" she exclaimed, picking up her
knitting, II must have closed my eyes
for second. l was Just wondering,
she went on briskly, smiling down at
the doleful little face, III you wouldn't
like to read the diary your mother
wrote when she was ten years old"
Minnie with wide eyes followed
grandma to the bookcase. A mother
only ten years old made one feel sol.
emn. After a few minutes search
the book was found. It was Of faded
red leather with Diary" printed
across the back in gold letters. There
was red pencil tied to it with a RIB
bon that had once been blue.
AS soon as she began to read, Min
ME forgot that it was raining, forgot
that she was lonesome and homesick.
Ester Brown and me are going to
kepe diary" 1t began. Minnie stop
ped reading. Gould that possibly be
Aunt Esther Brown. who lived at
Waterloo, "our adopted aunt" as the
twins called her?
"That is just who it was" said
grandpa. waking from his nap in time
to hear Minnie's excited question.
She could hardly let the book 60
long enough to eat her dinner. At the
very end of the book came the most
exciting part. She was going slowly
to make it last as long as she could
when she read this:
ester Brown and me are too old to
play with dolls eny more, SO we are
going to put our paper dolls all In the
seekerit drawer of the old sekefitaree
and never look at them again. Cross
you're harte and hope to d."
Grandpa, grandma. grandpa" cried
Minnie, dancing up and down. lis
there secret drawer in the secre-
tary"
eyes, yes" said grandpa, rubbing
his chin. LET me see. Pull out the
second drawer from the top. It's
riphf in hack If thatn
Minnie did so, trembling with ex-
element. She found q little narrow
drawer, but it was empty.
At the sight of her disappointed face
grandpa came to help her. They
hunted for half an hour, but no other
secret drawer could they find. They
were about to give 1t up, when grand
ma, who had joined in the search, said
suddenly:
Father, didn't she mean the old
secretary? You know we bought this
one the spring after she was nine and
she and Esther had the other in the
attic to play with"
Up into the dark musty attic went
the three. There in the dormer win
dow stood the secretary, covered with
dust and cobwebs. II Minnie had hard
work to keep from screaming down
stairs, she had haxder work now, as at
last grandpa opened the secret draw
er, and handed her pile of what
seemed to be dusty papers. ,s
1t was indeed the paper doll family
put there so long ago by the two little
girls.
When they were busted, they ap-
peared as good as new, and Minnie
spent the rest of the day playing with
them. She laughed and laughed at the
At bedtime. when she gathered them
up, she said to her grandmother, 1T
was just like having my little girl
mother come to play with me-"