The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1922-03-03
WHEN SHE WAS BAD
BY WINIFRED kITTREDeE

I
"And when she was good
She was very, very good;
But when she was bad"
Angelica Morn lived just outside
Baltimore court. This was thing for
which the dwellers within that sanctu-
airy thanked their lucky stars night
and morning, and sometimes in be-
tween times, too, as on their way to
work they furtively passed the little
yellow cottage where she dwelt. They
found it well to walk softly, and drive
their cars quickly, past this small
and unimposing domicile. Angelica
had an unpleasant habit OF making
shining cars and new hats the targets
for small, over-ripe crabapples, of
which she had in her yard three trees,
and Angelica'S aim was remarkably
accurate Lovers often turned up the
preceding street in their walks, and
careful mothers sent their scrubbed
little boys and girls to school the other
way.
Frequently, when their well-kept
poodle dogs came home with muddy
coats and followed by a short length
of Irvine, and their angoras nursed alb
breviated ears and bloody paws, the
Baltimore court housewives might be
heard to make scorching remarks
about their small neighbor. But COM
plants were made on the side, for
Angelica's mother was none too easy at
the best. And, too, it did make one
feel trifie foolish to be making I'M
pleasant remarks about a demure
little girl who had just brought chair
and now stood looking up with inno-
cent eyes. Angelica's manners were,
by spasms, unbelievably cherubic.
One day Angelica came from school
unusually thoughtful To her moth
er's inquiries she merely said, ''Oh,
there was a dentist came to the Sec
ond grade to talk" But the thought
full mood remained for the rest of the
day.
The Misses Pebody rose early. The
elder Miss Pebody went to raise the
curtains at exactly half-past five.
"Sister, think we are going to be
blest with rain," she said. Then her
gaze fell to the front walk. "Jane
Miranda, come here at once What is
that?"
In large letters lay this inscription,
"Mis Pebody brush you teef."
Angrily the two ladies glared at each
other. In unison they gasped one
word, Angelica"
Scarcely had they recovered from
the first shock when the telephone
tangled wildly. A wrathful voice
shouted: HAS that young rascal been
at your house, too? What did she
write?" He shut off at once when
they told him, and Jane was Just quick
enough to see their bachelor neighbor
efface the remains of large heart
above an elongated toothbrush. The
lower initials in the heart were
81. M. P"
"This is going entirely too far" said
the elder Miss Pebody. Something
must be said to Angelica's mother.
At nine o'clock we will go over"
But the Misses Pebody were not the
only ones to whom had occurred the
necessity of a visit to Angelica's moth
er. A little later they heard even
through their closed windows the up
lifted voice Of the Court tale-bringer: :
"And If you'll believe it, Mrs. Gowing,
that young imp had put it right on my
front steps: Shut you mouth and
brush you teef' And for her to say
&hn% 20 or
my eyes"
The Misses Pebody were at the door
in time to hear the gentle voice of the
minister's wife reply. Yes, 1 really
think something ought to be done.
Angelica should have known better.
She wrote on the front walk, right
where the children could see: You
are devil. Did you no itT"
The two listeners gasped. wait"
they cried. Are you on the way to
Angelicia's? We will be ready, short
ly."
Just as they were going down their
walk their bachelor friend emerged
from his house "Guess I'll go too"
he observed, grimly.
Mrs. Morn was ready to start work.
Angelica" she said. where's my
tailors chalk?' Angelica didn't know;
didn't even know where it was now;
hadn't seen it fol- long time.
Just then a knock sounded. An
gelica became irreproachably demure
But the combined utterances of five
determined individuals prevailed over
her innocence Immediately after
their departure, Angelica was sent to
the court with a pail and sponge. Her
return was markedly fearful, but Mrs.
Morn was stern. "Not once may YOU
go out of the yard today" was her
sentence.
Angelica sulked, then as she looked
up toward the court, grew surprising
ly cheerful. A gentleman was ap-
preaching whose hat fairly radiated
newness. She glanced toward the
crab-apple trees, and grew positively
radiant. The next morning several OF
Baltimore courts most prominent men
stood bareheaded, waiting for the
nearest haberdashery to open.