MIDGET’S LOVE PUZZLE.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VI, Issue 36, 6 September 1890, Page 19

MIDGET’S LOVE PUZZLE.

M its Blanc ii a i; i> was entertaining some friends in t he parlour one evening, when she heard a small voice she knew so well saying, ‘ Please, 'scuse me, mamma.' Then she saw a little figure standing in the doorway in a white gown, with tangled cm Is and bright eyes, ‘too bright for 10 o’clock at night,' thought Mrs Blancliard. Midget ran across the room to the refuge that had never failed her—mother’s arms. ‘ Mamma, dear,’ pleaded the little night owl, ‘ I just learned to-day how to tell you I love you in such a beaut iful new way. Please, may I show you? I'm so ’fraid I'll forget by morning.’ Midget held up her dimpled lingers.

‘Now, everybody do just as 1 do,’ she said gleefully. ‘ Hold your thumbs together so ; now the next fingers the -ame way, but the next to that you must double in tight.' She held her chubby lingers in this position : the palms together, the thumbs tightly touching, also the forefingers, but the second fingers folded in so that her rosy nails and the dimples that stood for knuckles touched, then the thiid and fourth fingers met at the tips as the thumbs and forefingers did. ‘ Now,’ cried Midget, in great delight. * how far can you go from nurse?' and she parted tin* thumbs far as they would go. ‘ Now. how far from cook?' and the forefingers went apart. Then insuppressed glee she carefully explained : ‘ You must skip the folded fingers and go to the next. Now, how far can you go from your dear, sweet mamma ?' she cried in gieat triumph. And odd it was that those quern’ little lingers would not separate, and the more you tried the closer they were not Midget's tiny little lingers but papa’s strong ones and Judge Mill's wrinkled ones. And as long as the second fingers are held in bondage, the third ones will not separate.