Dotty Dimples Flyaway | Page 7

depot. She found her mother's purse
in the writing-desk, and scattered its contents into the wash-bowl, then
picked out the wettest "skipt," a five-dollar bill, and tucked it into her
bosom. This would make it all right at the door of heaven.
"Now my spetty-curls," she added, hunting in the "uppest drawer" till
she found the eyeless spectacles used for playing "old lady." With these
on, Flyaway thought she could see the way a great deal better. Horace's
boots would help her up hill; so she jumped into those, and clattered
down the back stairs with Dinah under her arm.
There was nobody in the kitchen, for Ruthie was down cellar sweeping.
Flyaway caught her shaker off the "short nail," and stole out without
being seen. Sitting in the sun on the piazza was the "blue" kittie.
"Finkin' 'bout a mouse, I spect," said little Flyaway, seizing her and
blowing open her eyes like a couple of rosebuds.
"Does you know where I's a-goin'? Up to heaven. We don't let tinty
folks, like cats, go to heaven."
Pussy winked sorrowfully at this, and baby's tender heart was touched.
"Yes, we does," said she; "but you musn't scwatch the Charlie boy;"
and she tucked the "tinty folks" under her left arm. Then all was ready,
and the little pilgrim started for heaven.
"Um's on the toppest hill," said she, looking at the far-off mountains,
reaching up against the blue sky. One mountain was much higher than
the others, and on that she fixed her eye. It was Mount Blue, and was

really twenty miles away. If Flyaway should ever reach that
cloud-capped peak, it was not her wee, wee feet which would carry her
there. But the baby had no idea of distances. She went out of the yard
as fast as the big boots would allow. She felt as brave as a little fly
trying to walk the whole length of the Chinese Wall.
Where were Dotty Dimple and Jennie Vance? O, they were half way to
heaven by this time; she must "hurry quick."
The fact was, they were "up in the Pines," picking strawberries.
Nobody saw Flyaway but a caterpillar.
"O, my shole! there's a catty-pillow--what he want, you fink?"
Kitty winked and Dinah sulked, but there was no reply.
The next thing they met was a grasshopper. "O, dee, a gas-papa!
Where you s'pose um goin'?"
Kitty winked again and Dinah sulked.
Flyaway answered her own question. "Diny, dat worm gone see his
mamma."
Dinah did not care anything about the family feelings of the "worms;"
so she kept her red silk mouth shut; but she grew very heavy--so heavy,
indeed, that once her little mother dropped her in the sand, but picking
her up, shook her and trudged on. Presently she dropped something else,
and this time it was the kitty. Flyaway turned about in dismay.
"Shtop," cried she, scowling through her "spetty-curls," as she saw
three white paws and one blue one go tripping over the road. "Shtop!"
But the paws kept on.
"O, Diny," said Flyaway, as pussy's tail disappeared round a
corner,--"O, Diny, her don't want to go to heaven!"
Then Flyaway sat down in the sand, and pulled off one of the big boots.

"Um won't walk," said she; but, before she had time to pull off the
second one, a dog came along and frightened her so she tried to run,
though she only hopped on one foot, and dragged the other. She did not
know what the matter was till she fell down and the boot came off of
itself, after which she could walk very well. What cared she that both
"Hollis's" new boots were left in the road, ready to be crushed by
wagon wheels?
She kept on and kept on; but where was that blue hill going to? It
moved faster than she did.
"Makes me povokin'," said she, giving Dinah a shake. "Um runs away
and away, and all off!"
Sometimes she remembered she was going to heaven, and sometimes
she forgot it. She was on the way to the "Pines," and many little flowers
grew by the road-side. She began to pick a few, but the thorns on the
raspberry bushes tore her tender hands, and one of the naughty
branches caught Dinah by the frizzly hair, and carried her under. What
did Flyaway spy behind the bushes? Dotty Dimple and Jennie Vance.
They were eating wintergreen leaves; they did not see her. Flyaway
kept as still as if she were sitting for a photograph, picked up Dinah,
gave her a hug, and crept on.
She went so quietly that nobody heard her. When she was out of sight
she purred for joy. She had got ahead of the girls on the way to heaven!
She took