Dotty Dimple at Play

too; Mrs. Rosenberg was preparing supper. It seemed to the impatient Dotty that she was a long while about it;

e at last, in a shrill voice;

but very unwholesome, and the t

" said Mrs. Rosenberg, with a displ

le guest, faintly; "but I

lyly to see if Solly was watching her. Yes, he was, and so were all the rest of

most wonder your mother let you come here to play with my poor little girl. Mandy's jus

in her whole body to hold it. She thought of the cheerful, orderly tea-table at home; she recalled

s is! But if I once get home, I'll never make her patient any mo

polite to do so before company. He was a natural gentleman; and it was unfortunate that just at this time his mother was obliged to send him to M

was now so dark that she hardly dared look out of doors; but eve

night," said Mandoline

. This she supposed was true politeness. More than that, she was anxious, for private reasons, to hold Dotty, so she might not have to kni

shed chamber, sorely against her will; and Mandoline told her su

ht she, "and the queerest bed. I s'pose it's made

y away for the night in as little space as possible. For instance, the four youngest children slept together in one trundle-bed, two at the top and two at the bottom, their feet coming together in the middle. But Mandoline h

one!" said she; "I don't

onesome when there were three in the bed! But Dotty was too low-spirited even to smile.

'clock, there came a loud knocking at the side door. She hid her face under

sing herself. "It is somebody after be

ke. Dotty's swollen heart gave a great

away." That was what he said. "Is

t its likely she is; but she and my Man

d little Dotty, with an eager s

hen," said Mr.

to go home. What did m

and. When you have finished your err

wn stairs in her haste, and fastening her dress as she

was clinging to his knees, and pleading with her whole soul, "Mrs. Rosenberg, I'm sorry to trouble you, but i

only succeeded in touching the end of her nose. No one who had looked at Mrs. Rosenberg at that moment would have suspected her of being a vixen. She was sure

from Dotty. "When you are tired of my little daughter, will you

had time to scream

en rushed out into the darkness, calling, "Papa, papa!" But Mrs.

was queer. Hush! hush! Don't go into fits, child. Ther

en before; and with a child's quick insight, Dotty per

passionate outburst. "O, take me-do! They won't send for me, nev

parrot in the blue cage called out, "Quit that! quit that!" and Mrs. Rosenberg was afraid a policeman would come in to inquire the cause of the uproar. She pattered about in a pair of her husband's cotton-velvet slippers, and tucked all her little ones into bed aga

ightful supper of some mysterious Jewish cookery, she had been drinking gall and wormwood. That

wonder what her father'll pay me. He seems to think this is a house of correction. Her mother won't be likely to let her stay more than one day. I'll

e treating themselves to nibbles of wood; but nobody heard them. Be careful, old rats! Your teeth have done mischief before now! The night wore on to the wee small hours, when a loud noise like a cannon startled Mrs. Rosenberg; or was she dreaming? The house was shaken to its very

er one of her children was spared or not; she only thought in her stupor that M

t as Abraham always said; the rats have been nibbling matches in the store; they've b