Show eS e'S J s r. r 3 ona K i Minnie's Minnies l s 's own p pl mother had b been en dead l almost two years when her father dune came to her her hr one night after she sho had gone to bed and sitting silting beside her 4 s sold said ld Dear Im I'm m going going- to log bring a mamma mamma to to you I you I have decided to toI I t marry marry agate again glow How ow would you you like to toha ha have have VP b b. a- a new i v A lain I shot hot through Minnie's Minnies l s hector heart f y at her fathers father's words The rho memo memory of t fir her h her r h own n mother w s still so In Inh her r h her mind that she co could not could ld not think think of or I another tD taking InS h her I place It seemed c n now w to her that she could never be- be cemo cm r reconciled c d to the thought Ind In- In d deed e she bitterly re resented th the Idea Iden of or 4 She did n not t answer her father r r. r but drew the covers over o her v facet face and gave up to the sobs which t- t l shook hook her frame mme In vain her father fatherA A tried tried tried-to to soothe he her het the she he only wept the l harder At last deciding to let Jet his little daughter have time to calm herself herself her- her self un and think the matter over o alone V T tho the tho good man kissed her good night and left the room The next morning Minnie camo came to t. t tho breakfast table with a pale serious seri serl- td ous face tace m merely owing bowing tt to her fathers father's r cheer cheery Good morning morning- little daugh daugh- f ter tel And she fihe answered his questions only by by nods or shakes of or the hea head still fe feeling Ung bitter In her heart against r i what h ho he had said to her the tho previous night A AI soon oon as as the the meal was as over i she hc hurried hurled to her room to prepare for school From the closet close she shoo took tooka n f little frock which had be ben been n one ono of or I J 3 her lieI favorites a and was going oln to put Iton It Ii itS S on when she discovered all the butt buttons but but- it- it r t tons tOilS had been broken off art II in the laun laun- dry drs Oh Oli how provoking pouted Min 1 i l ale nie And this is not the only dress f I 1 that needs mending My 1 aprons and rr j P pt petticoats too are arc in n n. sad plight fore for fOI i e want of or the needle and thread I justi Just i o t cant can't get set the time to fix them theta besides beside iJ I dont don't know much about such work Oil Oh dear f oh dear How different it was was- before darling mamma died And t the tears towed Hawed afresh at t the thought F of that lent dear departed one one whoso whose loss Minnie could n never ncr cr recover recover from nom If wasn't so 80 old and feeble fl- fl Id I'd 1 ask ash her to come and ami slay stay a month N Jc und and get things in good condition ag again ln for or not only the clothing of papa an and I Ii myself nee need some attention but the ther r 1 entire household Is In a sad wa way This thing o of a new cools cook over every new moon moon moon- and md none nono of them taking an any interest Iest h Jn Ii- the house Is mouse Is becoming ing ng M My oh Ill I'll be glad when Im I'm grown rown up to take c care re of or this dear old h home mo But Im I'm only 12 12 s-o s o that time I h a lon long wa way off Then Minnie lInnie started to school wear wear- t 0 Ing a soiled trod frock as her clean clenn one ones I were all in need of ot mending before she sheI I could appear In them On the way wa waI i I sh she passed b by the home of oC Mrs Jones who had been ben such a true good friend friem to her hel mamma and who still delighted In lu being of or any service she could to Minnie and und her papa Ill drop in there and ask her to mend my things said Minnie to her her- h her r- r self And Ill And and Ill I'll tell her what wha papa thinks of of ot of doing She wasso was wasso wasso so fond ond of or mamma cc dear ar that Im I'm sure suro shell she'll oppose It as os I 1 do Pretty soon Minnie was seated on 01 the sofa beside beshe Mrs oIls Jones in the lat lat- 1 18 pretty sitting room room dialing ina ir irit In it u. most friendly wo way After ACter she ha hamade had made known her wants and had been told b by Mrs Irs Ir's Jones to bring her frocks and aprons to her on her way to school the following morning she laid hare h her r heart throwing herself in ht tho the dear deal womans woman's arms and giving gl want to to toa a a burst of tears Now now dear little girlie you OU must look nl nt It In a different light said ald Mrs fits Jones stroking tho the curly lead against her breast You know lenow how ow it almost broke your our fathers father's l heart eart when he had to give o tip up your dear mamma His grief as well as your our own was to see Hut you rou both had to bow to the In Inevitable In- In evitable dear as aa we all must do who 11 live Your father sees ees your need as well as his own You say 1 your our home is a always s 's In n a disorderly state tate now without a mistress to look 1001 after artel It Your Four clothes In h a deplorable condition And while you ou have hae your our little comrades to tn play with and occupy occupy oc oc- CUP cupy much of your out time your papa has no companion to cheer heel his homo home nm and make It attractive for his coming coining in III n the evening And d dearie you will grow up in a a. very few ew years and then well we'll see some omo tine fine young oung fellow coinIng comInG coming com coin ing a courting our out little miss who will bestow her heart healt and hand Just as her hel dear mother did before her hel and awa away she has flown to a house of or her own Then poor Then poor papa papa papa- Minnie 1 sat vcr very quiet an and tive thc After ACter a little she Rhe sighed then said aId Well VeIl maybo maybe you are ale right dc dear ar Mrs Jones In Jones In fact Im I'm quite sure sute youre you're OUI right for mamma uc used to toa say a that if IC she could not live to raise me she would love Jove to know that you OU would take tak her hel place in m my heart And Andou you ou have too It will not matter who papa marries marries even even though she be beever beever beever ever so grand and fine shell fine shell she'll never get et a y place in my heart henrt Next to mamma I 1 loved lovd papa Next to papa I 10 love not grandma al althou although although al- al I thou though h 1 I spose e I should hould but I love II j you I I Mrs l Jones folded ol e the child to her i I I A J. G SJ rn V o I II H Ho o 0 I S I M r wJ hC u n 0 t L co coL V L r o ill d 1 V A fi 1 I Fj IE ji u i r L L J Jt U 7 t 1 i y r f. f FIND A FRIEND I t I 7 i 9 I I I 1 Th Thi i I IK j t d K 1 r. r a V Q k A ban bandit lt bold strike For near nc him is a friend A man who al all I unarmed Who'll strike t Ikc the tI timely Y blow Doth fear tear he lie 11 JI fa fall luI to cat ca ill That W will the he helpless save Though I he Ie shall b be e unharmed 1 From t the h e elt wicked bandit lt foe II j I I I I I i breast and when Minnie looked ed up into her face her e eyes es were full of tears your our papa told you you you-you- you whom he ho Is going Is-going going to marr marry she sheI asked In a hesitating voice I I never asked him said Minnie I spose he would have told me but butI I began to cry en and would not let him himi i talk to me But say Mrs Jones Joncs I If I he should marry some one who would I not would would not bo ho anything like lIko mamma mamma mamma mam- mam ma who would not be kind to me i 1 i then Im I'm coming to live with you for tor torI II I know mamma would wish It May May I i Indeed you ou ma may m my dear little l I girl Ctrl declared the lady Indy i I ly The very day your papa Is marI marn mar- mar I n ed you rou may take up your life ure with i me I love you ou not only for your own dear leal sake but for your mothers mother's Your mother whom I loved like Uke a a. sister I and for your for for your dear fathers father's sake Mke also But Dut now you must go to toi i school It is almost 9 an and my little charge chargo must not be tard tardy But before before be be- fore taro you go dearie promise me this I Dont Don't ask your OUt papa whom he lie Is gaIn goIng goIng go- go Ing In Into to marry Let it ft be a surprise Perhaps it will be better than you think All right I promise smiled Min lIn nie And do you ou know enow It doesn't seem half so bad had since talking It over with you Of course couise darling mamma cannot come back and maybe papa does docs get lonely And the house does need a mistress sure But I fear Ill I'll not like her Still I if I don't dont and dont and she doesn't like me me-I'm me Im I'm to come and live with you And say dear that will bo be nice for you too for Cor you OU live all ala alone no with your our poor feeble old father Cathel That makes mc how think think how Is grandpa I tope Hope hes he's hos feeling better belte 4 this morning r Thank you Minnie father is feeling feelIng feel- feel Ing a n. bit stronger but I dread the approaching winter The cold coM always alwn's weakens him so But now child you must run rut off to school I cannot let you be late Jato you ou know As Minnie sat over her lessons that morning the thought of oC what surprises surprises sur sur- the future had in store for her hel heri helI i came into her mind so often orten that she really stumbled through her lessons much to to her teachers teacher's surprise She had now got ot to think o of her fathers father's marriage more calmly Indeed since she might go to Mrs l Jones in ii the event of the now new mother not being all that Minnie fancied she sw should be she even thought it might be better for or her father to Im have Ima a companion He Ho was very tn lonely And when he attended the social functions functions functions given b by his friends It Jt was a agad asad asad sad gad sight ight to see soe him go off ocr alone alon Minnie remembered remember how her hr mother used to plan upon their little social pleasures and how glad gladly I she he always alwa's accompanied her husband and how sweetly she he entertained entertain Gd d at her wr own a. a home a homo home now closed to friends because no s mistress was there to play Pla the ho hostess tess As Minnie had about thought the 1 knots out of ot the problem another phase of or the question pr presented Itself of or a sudden Suppose e she should not I find her stepmother congenial Suppose Suppose Sup Sup- pose pos she should feel fel so unhappy in I her own home that she should decide to go and live lI with dear Mrs Irs Jones And suppose that lady should should should-should should take It into her head to marry again She was a widow widow had had been over er since Minnie could remember remember and and she was wn such uch a 1 splendid ld woman not only a n. most noble character but hut a handsome woman as well And her house was a perfect asylum for tor the theold theold old nn poor poor nil and orphan children In ht need of C a friend In III fact o e everybody everybody every every- 1 bod body loved l Ir Mrs JOll Jones R and wa was It not notto notto notto to be supposed that some good man would wish vcr very ery much to make mako her his wife wiCe Wasn't her hel papa going to marry n n. second time limp Didn't many people do the tho same Would it be anything unusual If her l Mrs Jones should hould again go to tho the altar Minnies Minnie's face drew drow down very ory long Then Ihen she was in danger langer of being supplanted supplanted supplanted sup sup- planted even there thele But Minnie was waR not given to pessImism pessimism pessimism pes pes- and In a V fei minutes h her r brow blow cleared eleand Um the length o of her face shortened so 80 to speak k an and she sho Huther put Hut her books neatly away In her desk for tho the noon bell had tapped and nd the tho school was about to be bt dismissed for fortha thu tha luncheon hour And end as she went along h homeward a an anew anew n new w thought sprung up within her fertile brain bruin The Thu more marn It grew the themore themore themore more she h liked it It and nod a tl smile played round her lips a as she Iw half lf to herself herol Why J- J should It Il riot not U be so so Ill I'll propose It ll to papa Then she sha hastened her hr steps into a arun and readied reached the gate just Jt us as her father Cather approached it from flom the opposite tion Ioe Minnie ht her r face Cace alt all aglow and anda a smile of or happy anticipation glorifying glorifying glorify glorify- ing her pretty young- young face ran run up to him catching both his hl lauds and swinging round rO him In 1 her 1 old playful rul fashion Cashion Papa she sho 1 Ive I've a wish to male make Do you know of or an any fairy who ml might ht gram grant It It- It If its it's In iii my power to tu do so little daughter augh tei I Ill I'll be he your happy fairy her hr papa answered Then its it's this this and and Minnie Jinnie tiptoed tip lip toed till she could lt reach hi his ar ear Into which she bhe whispered something that made malo th the tho good man blush J a wee bit lit but tt which caused him to laugh out- out right ht and clasp hi hK his little daughter In his hK arms ann a as ho he said hl So Su you would like tt to have ha Mrs I Jones JonC-I hero here in the tho place dear r mama left fr vacant vacant vacant-It if I haven't already chosen somebody m o l else Well dear dal Mrs oll Jones Jons shall be he your o Jr fairy for It Is IN she hp who ha has already pil ml promised to come como and and amid look ook after afier you and your 11 0 old nil daddy How happy Iam I Iam am Minnie that tn my nty choice should bo ho yours And Ami ho lie kissed JI fel the tho little upturned upturned up up- turned JInN face And how nappy happy well we'll L Lt L now no too loo replied Minnie It Il isn't going to bo be p half hale bad after all to fu have ha a itc 11 vh she sho Oh I 1 know now note said gaid to mo me that on the du day of nf your our wedding I should take talc up my life lIf her Oh I'm Im so glad glad so so glad While no on one can ever cvet take dear deal mamas mama's place In m my heart dear Mrs hs J Jones will help to heal th the wound and make mal me forget target the loss los with her sweet swoot love lovo and helpfulness |