The Little Colonel's Knight Comes Riding

d still found one bright spot, untouched by other people's troubles. If, like the old sun-dial at Warwick Hall, she had taken for her motto:

tely; but when he made it plain that it was the chief interest of his days, and the one thing that made his summer in the Valley

r, but sometimes after he had gone she felt that she was not exerting it to the extent she had promised. She wasn't "keying him up to any higher pitch." She wasn't inspiring him with the ambition which his family seemed to think was all that was necessary to make him capable of any achievement. The idea of her influencing him did not seem as preposterous and ridi

His signet ring bore the same crest that was on the silver ladle, and he used it one morning to seal a note for her. With a significant glance in its direction she asked saucily, "Se?

e protesting earnestly-"I'll be anything you want me to be, Lloyd." And then like a flash came that other scene

on disillusioned, for with an amused side-glance at her, as if he fou

ma?a

slated quickly. "But

her need t

sted, looking down at the imprint of the tiny da

lessly. "What's the odds, when

, provoked that her effort to inspi

the greatest of compliments, th

oss an inviting bypath we've never travelled over. Now suppose you tell me just wha

lmost mocking, but the half-closed eyes gazing out across the lawn were serious enough,

makes most of himself-who starts out as they did in the old days to win his spurs and h

sconcerted her. "Yes, I know. That's Gay's pet war-cry-'Ke

d it very hard to proceed, but after a mom

ool-girl sentiment to look at life in such

ment and defeat thou mayst be called. No matter what the trys

asked teasingly. "Never feels the spirit

hose will hear who wake at dawn to listen in high places, and only those will heed wh

nd that's all very well for poets and priests and young idealists to dr

reamy way, as if he were chanting the rhythmical lines, a poem called "Drifting." It was

soul

far

the Vesu

nged

rd a

the purple p

· ·

eed n

pplin

r slow from c

reamfu

irit

walls of P

pell of his voice, yet with a baffled impotent sense of being carried along by a cu

ore, n

orldl

with its w

penly made fun of her enthusiasm and zeal, but he had chilled her ardour and silenced her, and left her with the feeling that her knights

our. It was only because his constant presence and interruptions seemed to bore Leland that she had done it. Wardo did make tyrannical demands on her attention, she had to admit, dearly as she loved the child. But when she found him crying from a bee-sting, and his poor little lip swollen out of all resemblance to a Cupid's bow sh

patience dreadfully sometimes. But now as he clung to her, sobbing and screaming, she thought reproachfully, "He might at least have come around to find out what was the mattah, whe

he pretty pictures in all the magazines. And she quite ignored Leland for awhile to punish him, not knowing that he understood her pique and was amused at it, and that he wa

After they had gone she went down to the porch to wait for Leland. It was almost lesson time. Yesterday's feeling of resentment had entirely passed, and she looked down the avenue expectantly from her seat behind

great desire to arrive anywhere. She supposed he was the bearer of a message to the cook, but instead of going around the house

o Louisville for the day quite unexpectedly with his brother-a matter of business. He was sorry not to be able to keep his engagement with her. Only dire necessity kept him away, and he would be with her in the evening. Until then adieu. She had to

enly realizing what she had never known till this moment, how large a place Leland Harcourt had grown to hold in her thoughts. Everywhere she turned she could see his face with that quick flashing s

deringly. "'His eyes are so blue they fill al

mise to her father about the silver yard-stick, her reverie in the hammock that morning might have led to a very different resu

are for me," she admitted, "and it wouldn't make me have that queah lit

id not know it was there until all the sand between her and safety was covered and a fisherman had to wade in and carry her out. Although she did not put the comparison into words, that was what she felt was happening now,

lmost make me believe that black is white. How do I know but what I might grow to be like poah mistaken

even a knight, or he wouldn't have made fun of my poah little attempt to make him listen to the King's call.

nd all the way that she went towards The Beeches that little word at the end of the letter-that sweet caress

dam Chartley. There was a vacancy in Warwick Hall itself and she was to fill it; was to be her beloved Miss Chilton's assistant in the English classes. Her happiness was as great over this news as h

ing Betty with her permanently. It swept away all thought of her own affairs, for Betty had grown as dear to her as a sister in the years they had been together. She followed her mournfully into the white and gold room, of

room while the girls sewed and talked, and coloured the pictures in every magazine he could lay his hands on. It was suns

urged, trying to interest him in some

er comparison. "No, it's wed as the blo

tonishment. "What do you

f the magazines. "Dwagons is the stwongest fings there is," he added with a knowing wag of his head, feeling

perfection of his hero. Seems to me it would have been bettah if she had not tried to keep the truth from

d Hildgardmar's warning-"Remember that in the right weaving of this web depends not only thy own happiness but the happiness of all those who come after thee," it might have made a world of difference. But nobody had opened her eyes to the enormity of

ike Ned Bannan. Then a stray wonder crossed her mind if Leland Harcourt's mother would have been disappointed in him if she could have lived to see him wasting his spl

third notch at all," she adm

for her at the telephone, and hastily p

's inquiry from the next room. "He was coming ovah to-night but something d

no engagement with any one else for the next night. He had something to tell her, and then-there was that same word with which he had closed his note-that soft musical name, seeming twi

d on the step at her father's feet, her arm on his knee. Ever since the telephone message her thoughts had been in a tumult. It was useless for her to pretend that she didn't know why Leland wanted to see her alone, and what it was he was coming

knowing she was crowned queen in somebody's heart, how delightful it would be. But she didn't want things to come to a crisis when she would have to make grave decisions and solemn promises. She didn't want to go one step farther than this borderland of romance where they lingered now. What she wanted was just to go on building her

omfortable silence that had fallen on

ice on her part, and he is not at all devout, doesn't attend services more than twice a year; so it couldn't have made such a vital difference to him where she went. Then at home her father always placed a certain amount in the bank every month to his wife's credit, so there never was any unpleasantness about money matters. While Jameson is very wealthy and lavishes luxuries an

selfish, although I imagine he'd be mightily amazed if any one applied

p to him and is such a sweet yielding little creature, he'll come in time to be the centre of her universe, and she'll revolve around him like a loyal little planet. But a girl of a different temperament wouldn't. If she were impetuous and highs

bit when she refers to the good times she used to have with the boys there, even when they were just ordinary friends. Half a dozen times I've seen the tears come to her eyes

ed Mrs. Sherman. "Worse than little Mary Ware's

nd a letter he had placed in one of them, "I knew there was som

and the Company wants to have a look at him, and put him through a sort of examination. He's so young they rather doubt my judgment in the matter. B

realize that Jack Ware was grown. He was only fourteen when she had known him on the desert. "Oh, will you evah forget," she la

at the mines. Patient and reliable and strong, he is one of the finest young fellows of my acquaintance. He'll be one of the big men of

Leland Harcourt's name had not been mentioned, she felt that her doubts and unspoken questions about him had been answ

don't suppose when you sent for Jack that it entered your head you were giving her the ver

are magnifying the interest she has in Harcou

came to the conclusion before she went up-stairs that he does not measure