Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 239, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 October 1911 — What Moppet Did [ARTICLE]

What Moppet Did

Moppet and Mar# had been playing tde-and-go-seek all the morning, ley had hid in the house in the urn, in the' shed, and in the playhouse, and had had a beautiful time. “ It eras Mary’s time to “seek,” and Moppet meant to find a new, new place to -hiffe, as she wept scamperfag around the house past the juni-per-tree. 'f- _• It was just at that minute that her eyes were dazzled by a sudden glitter down the lane. It was the gleam dEf the bright "new palls on the tinmaa'a cart. The tired old horse stood at the gate with drooping head. The cart was heaped high with bundles of rags that the tinman had got from the farmers’ wives in exchange for his shining pans and kettles. The door at tbe back of the cart stood invitingly open, and there was not a soul watching; for the tinman was at the back door haggling with Aunty Lou over the exchange of a suit of Pen’s for a stpw-pan with a long handle. Moppet saw all with her round bright eyes. Mary would never think of looking for her in the tinman’s cart—never in the wide world! t Back of the lilac bushes through the fence she scudded to the lane. The old horse stood as if asleep. Moppet rose on tiptoe and peeped through the open doors of the cart. It was lined with shining things, but there was plenty of room inside for little Moppet. She wiggled and .Jiggled, she pushed and she pulled, lying flat on her little stomach, until there Bhe was, breathless hut happy, safe in the tinman’s cart. Once inside she cuddled down on & blanket she found there and peeped nut. There was Aunty Lou and the tinman at the back door. There was Ben at the bam and grandpa sitting *n the veranda reading his paper; «nd O goodness me! there came Mary Smith pell-mell around the corner ,pf the house past the juniper-tree! Suppose she, too. saw the glittering Jfails and the open cart! Quick as « flash Moppet reached out and jjtulled to the swinging doors. They Came together with a muffled bang and a sudden snap! MOppet lay Jus’ as still as a little mouse, giggling to herself. Moppet, Moppet,” she could hear Maty faintly calling. “Too far away M no fair—no —fair!” Nearer, nearer came Mary’s voice. Moppet held her breath. “Moppet, Moppet!” nearer still—J'hen Just Outside the cart—then farther farther, and fainter fainter, “Moppet, Moppet!” And stjll Moppet giggled away in the darkness. Then something fell with a soft thud on the top of the cart! “Get up!” cried the tinman, cracklng his whip, “get up, old lazybones!” And away swung the sleepy Cjld horse and the tinman’s cart; and there in its dusky depths crouched Moppet, with the giggle frozen in her throat. “Mr. Tinman, Mr. Tinman!" she wailed, when she could catch her breath. ] But over the clatter of the jolting tinware rang the jolly tinman’s voice,— “ ‘I was walkin’ by the river In the flowery month of May’ for the tinman had made au excellent bargain, in spite of Aiwty Lou's haggling, and he was In a singing mood. •'‘Mr. Tinman, Mr. Tinman!” sobbed Moppet, banging on a tin pan firith dimpled fists. “ ‘Twaa there I met sweet Ellen,.. A-slngin’ by the way,’ ” roared on the jolly tinman. CJitter-clatter, olitter-clatter, rang the jingling tinware; and all poor little Moppet could do was to bang and call, and bang and call—but no-, body heard. “Whoa!” called the tinman, after It had seemed hours and hours to Moppet, “whoa!” And the tlncart slowed up and stopped. - "Mr. Tinman, Mr. Tinman!” walled Moppet, shaking the locked doors, "Mr. Tinman, Mr. Tinman!" 'There was no answer. One mlnut4, two minutes, three minutes, and still tha minutes dragged. ’. - Then Suddenly there was the sound of some one approaching. The doors of the cart flew open—into its dusky darkness flashed the dazzling sunshine, in rushed the sweet fresh air, and a familiar voice said, — “I Want a quart cup and a' stew” “Granny Murry, Granny Murry I M shrieked Moppet. A rush, a scurry, and, if it hadn’t been for tha tinman, somebody would have had a bad fall; for there was sobbing Moppet clinging to startled Granny's neck. "My child you scared me half out of my wits!” gasped Granny when the tinman had helped her to sit down on the grassy bank with Moppet still in her arms. ”1 won’t get over that Jn a year." ‘Til never, never, never get over tt In all my born days!" sobbed Moppet Bat when she had had a bowl of bread and milk and three seed eooldes and a pink peppermint candy oat of branny’s little silver box, she did get over It. —Agnas McClelland Danlton, In Little Folks.