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Show A SMALL PERSON. '" By MARY TALBOT CAMPBELL. Mrs. Arundel was greatly mystified when her small daughter was invited to the "Simmy Lim-mage" Lim-mage" by Miss Earlo, with a number of tho Kindergarten Kin-dergarten children. When the exact location was explained by the teacher as the "city limits" and the occasion a birthday picnic for her little nephew, Clinton Clifford, the mother gave a smiling smil-ing consent. Clutching a tiny chatelaine purse by its diminutive chain, Carita sidled up to Mrs. Arundel and fell to whispering, after a shy, "Scooee us, please," to Miss Earle: " 'Course, mama, I won't spend it if you can't 'ford it, but mama dear, I'd feol so much more like -a person if I had a little money in my purse! " The persuasive voice rose with the telling, till the final bit of wisdom blessed the ears of both women. "Mother's little philosopher!" It was only another pet name to Carita who had long ago ceased trying to understand the laughter of grown folks in answer to her utter seriousness. But comfort came from the depths of the mother-bag, mother-bag, source of all delight, in the form of three small coins. Mrs. Arundel's laughing eyes followed the little figure with its wee swinging purse, fluffy uptilt of abbreviated skirts and the bobbing brim of a sai-lr sai-lr iiat, swinging from its elastic about the child's neck, while a tangle of auburn hair escaped in all directions. Carita was not one of the Kindergarten's regular regu-lar attendants, and before Miss Earle had marshalled mar-shalled her brood off the cars, May Williams had commented sniffingly on Carita's "baby ways." May was in the habit of queening it in her Kindergarten Kinder-garten world. Carita's legs certainly had "baby ways," they stuck out straight from the car seat; the position was not unfavorable to the display of their shapely shape-ly plumpness. And man, whether in prime or k immaturity, loves ever to guide a fresh young -heart untouched by life's experiences. So Carita's Ca-rita's widening eyes of appealing loveliness and humble admiration for their wisdom drew to her side and refreshed these sophisticated small men. The mystery was great to Carita when told that they were "there" but forming a bobbing link in the gay chain of boys and girls, she whirled merrily to the inspiring air of "King William," as they circled beneath the swaying green boughs. Clintcn Clifford stood in the center, cen-ter, casting a knowing eye over the budding charms of the little women surrounding him, as the - high-pitched voices carolP" alluringly: "Go choose your east, go choose your west, Go choose the cne that you love best; If she's not there to take your part, Choose another with all your heart!" Clinton seized Carita with a firm clasp and the ring closed again as the mystic rite continued: r "Down on this carpet you must kneel Sure's the grass gr.ows in the field;" He dragged his . chosen one to her dimpled knees facing him, whispering impressively: L "Now, you've got to kiss me when they sing it!" "Salute your bride and kiss her sweet, Now you riso upon your feet.". Clinton felt hot and glad as with frank enthusiasm enthusi-asm Carita offered a softly clinging bud of a mouth. Then she chose him with sunny insistence, despite sarcastic instructions from all save Clinton, to the effect thnt the game should be played turnabout turn-about fashion. He, with lofty defiance of rule or duty, refused any other "bride," so discord terminated ter-minated the game, the "truly gardnors" declining to sing at the eternal nuptials of "that baby." At last the jmaglc, low-lying cloth was spread with the birthday cake, blossom-decked, in the middle.. "And now, Clinton, it's time for the flowor-glv-. ing!" said his aunt. . "Take the bouquet and hand it to the little girl you love best of all in the class. Then lead her to the feast, the others following in procession pro-cession singing, 'Merrily we'll march in time.' " Miss Earle cuddled the small person tenderly ns she made a plain sign to Clinton respecting his old-time lovo, May Williams. Then she whispered whis-pered confidentially to Carita: "You see, sweetheart, he's got to choose u good II leader who knows the song But I choose you!" I Taking the groat bunoh of flowers, with its " shining encasement of tinfoil and border of paper pi lace, from its sugary hole in th Cake's center, t Clinton paused -dramatically, casting appraising 1 , eyes over the rosy, upturnod faces, though his l' heart know no shadow of turnlitg. The small per jj' son watchod with resigned, but yearning eyes. I "Well, then and that's Carita Arundel! r 'Cause she's a gardner for today and a reglar j; poach for looks!" With a throbbing bound, one little heart gained Ji; heaven, but consternation overwhelmed the rest, ! h while angry protest voiced itself: ;i I "But that baby don't know a single song!" ; Jj "What's the dif? I'll holler loud 'nough for I !j two!" cried dauntless Clint. j i v Big-eyed Carita stood erect, breaking through t Miss JEarle's enfolding arms, the future woman ji stirring deliciously wiihin her as she knew herself f dowered with love and beauty. At Clinton's ap- ; i proach she dimpled ecstatically, cheeks ablaze, the ! ! world at her feet! With the morning-time fresh- H i' nosa of life, she ran a joyous step to meet him, I pink palms outspread, a dewy bliss misting the t i blue of her eyes. Clutching hotly her precious tro- ! 1, phy, a broken cry, "O-h-h! Clinty!" stirred that ! herd's heart. Bending close to his peachy bit of a . ! bride, he masterfully drew her arm through his !; and whispered: "Now we're 'gaged!" "Will we be truly married like papa and ma- ma?" j, "Sure!" j J "0, Clint! Can I name the children?" I (,. Her glowing face moved him, but a fellow must have reserves of generosity, so he confided: I "Just the girls." ! But Miss BJarlo, the frustrated matchmaker, In- i torrupted their low-toned conference. !!- "Come, children, lead off the line!" and her f voice rose with a laughing trill, followed by as- i piiMng trebles, Olinton, a whole .choir in himself, j while Carita's heart warbled a wordless song at- )' tuned to pure delight. Around and around the ; feast they marched, to flutter down into" hungry j l little heaps of famished childhood. Carita j awaited, with innate feminine tact, the moment j when Clinton was eating tri-colored ice cream, to 5. say bewitchingly through the fragrant shelter of ' I her great bouquet: J ! "We'll have a big family, won't we Clinty? 'Crtuse papa says it's satl for a child like mo to 'I t grdw up alone, and mama says, 'one but a lion.' , But we'll have 'bout a dozen, won't wo Clint? :: This prospect, oven soon through the glamor of a variegated frozen rapture, was too much, so thq. boy ejaculated: j"Goe! I can't 'ford twelve! It takes money! s Wliy, papa says it keeps him humpin' just for us J three. But I can s'port four kids." I Knowing, oven at her tender age, the need of money to "S'port" children, Carita clung to her puijie, inwardly vowing to save every penny till it was crammed full and she could " 'ford" an extp. daughter. I "Then how many can I name?" .''Why, half of four, o' 'course, and that's two!" J Ills eyes loved her, though scorn shook his voice, but he felt dimly that it was best for the ?. man to know the most as he held up the proper ! number of Angers. Now, all was clear and her little mother heart floated away on blissful I J waves of maternal dreaming. 1 j' Seeing himself forgotten, Clinton gulped ice j cream in chilly silence and darkly plotted the jj wisSdom of not having any "kid," as he heard Ca- ' rltai in radiant absorption, whisperingly name her ; rosy digits: "E-duff and Hortense and " "That all!" snapped the small home-founder, ruthlessly cutting short the sweet enumeration of her jewels, for he languished in benighted ignor- ancje of the reserve potency of the magic purse. ' From McClure's Magazine. ) ... mi |