Kristy's Rainy Day Picnic

n years old, she was living in the city

y had to support themselves. They lived in one room, high up in a business bl

ived in the country, and it was very hard for the child to be shut up in one

and the sisters were so afraid she would be lost that finally they

and looking out of the window was not very exciting; there was noth

than theirs, and stuck out a foot or so beyond it. One of their windows was quite near this roof which

o it. This was an enticing thought, and without thinking of the danger of falling, or of anything except the longing to get out, she pushed the window as high as it would go, climbed up on

a big room; on one side was a tall brick chimney and in the middle a queer-looking structure which she at once went over to

boring buildings, and in the front a lower one, which was, h

ys, full of imagination, and she at once decided that the brick chimney was a castle in which som

ever be lonely again if she could only find a peep-hole in that glass

lls with their furniture and things, her sisters keeping her well supplied so that she should not be lonely. She found a small box which

which, if she had slipped or lost her hold, she would have been dashed to pieces on the pave

ass tent-for it was a room, and not a garden, as she hoped. This peep-hole was a small three-cornere

she always did. It seemed to be a gentleman's office, for an elderly gentlema

and then a shop-girl on some errand, and once a week a charwoman who cle

s every day looking into this room, her only outlook into

to be begging him to do something which he never did, though he seemed to be sorry for her. Molly had made up a story about her: that she was the daughter of the old gentleman and

at she could not take her eyes off her. After a while she gave it to the old gentleman, who unlocked a drawer in the table, put into it the case with its wonderful treasure, and then took from the same drawer a small bag, out of which he counted what Molly th

errand-boys and occasionally a shop-girl, and the men who came to ta

parently to see the old gentleman, and among the rest one of the shop-girls Molly had often seen there.

for one she had often seen there; he seemed to belong to the store below. But he acted very strangely. He

t Molly was so much interested she couldn't look away. She wondered what he was going to do. She so

ht pennies, put it in his pocket, and then pulled out the small leather case Molly remembered so well, and she saw-as he opened it-the same flashing colors she had seen bef

new mystery and could hardly tear herself away from her

ly, looked at doors and windows, as if seeking something. The old gentleman seemed distressed, an

e had lost money and a valuable piece of diamond jewelry, and one of the shop-girls had been arrested. She was the only one who had been in the room th

the old gentleman and that she knew who had stolen the diamonds. But if she told, it would re

ing nothing, till one of her sisters told about the poor shop-girl, how she was in great distres

ne of her sisters saying she did not believe the g

! the shop-

" demanded her si

all about it," sa

ister. "What do you mean

ow something, though they could not imagine how. A little questioning, however, brought the facts to light, and Molly'

atter for them to manage, and the next morning, asking to

e; but upon their insisting, he at las

Molly was sent for and told so straight a story of the beautiful lady and the shining jewel, of the

iliar, followed by the manager, who was a slight man. She showed him the peep-hole and how

d this Molly had to do, though she would not have consente

ick out the boy. It did not need her word, however, for the guilty boy turned re

rs reward which had been offered, and then they were given better places in the store at much higher wage

ney they bought a tiny home in a country suburb, and came every day to their work on the cars. There they live ni

ng sigh. "That was splendid! was it true?

her, "for the next year the store was built up a story or

said Kristy, "will you tel

h a sigh, "you are certainly incorrigib

y; "I could listen to stories al

hesitated; K

me stories as lo

Kristy interrupted, shouting, "It's a bargain! it's a bargain! you sa

om after lunch, "if I'm to tell stories all day, you certainly s

Kristy laughing

hat work?" ask

a very little strip of knitting, all done up in a clean towel. She had set out to knit a carriage-blanket for a baby she was fond of, but she found it slow work, for as soon as

you, Kristy, how

"I suppose your m

her, my father's mother, one winter that

eer?" asked Kristy. "Did she loo

d decided notions about the way girls should be brought up, and she thought my mother was too eas

did she do? It seems so funny to think

and go home. But every night I was so sleepy that I put it off till another night; and indeed I had a bit of common sense lef

ed Kristy, laughing; "you ru

naway, but first I must tell you about my