Friendship and Folly

the bark and the knots carefully preserved so as to look "rustic." The deep eaves drooped in a rustic manner also, and there were trumpet-vines and wistaria, a

nd stopped suddenly against a thick

ed in the days of phrenology. On this cap also appeared the word "Vireo," in gilt. This figure, outlined as it was against the bright blue of the sky, had the effect of not being more than about sixteen inches long. And in truth Leander Ffolliott was very small for his age, which was ten years and five months. He did not feel small, however; his mind might suitably have inhabited a gian

s wide apart, and was bending forward somewhat, stirring with a stick something on the t

enly shrieked;

za stopped reading,

matter?" she

ere this minute! Stop readin' t

open window; "if you don't he may be so tried with you that he'll

sauntered slowly along over the lawn, so slowly that her brother Lean

aid the gentle voice at the wind

ment was leaning against the wall

Lee? You do

n yellow leather, hard down on the something he had been poking

ee me pick it up. Oh, thunderation! won't I just do what I darn please with the money? You bet! Fifty dollars! Cousin Rod owes me fifty dollars! I

face actually grew pale

as yet by her brother's excitement.

," she replied, calmly. "But what are y

dn't go 'n' tell Rod he no need to pay it, 'cause 't

rupted the girl, imperati

arm as she spoke. A certain

s, where the ivy leaves had hidden it, lay a ring. I

ut it was promptly twitc

t up; then you'll be wantin' to share in the fifty dollars

is finger and thumb. The sun struck it, and

itter!" exclaimed L

ke it," sa

iously. But he obeyed instantly. He laid the ring in the palm of her hand,

trinket with narrowing eyes. H

king anxiously. "That's the ring Rod lost, ain't it? Anyway, it's

e of any mistake," was the a

ave back

ll have th

cour

all interest in the matter. She

with the ring enclosed, and then he leaped down from the wall,

d behave respect

p by her side and walked across t

at it. He was greatly surprised that his sister took no more notice of it. But yo

the ring got there,"

ow

's room sometime, I s'pose. If he thinks such an almighty lot of it, Rod better look o

" abs

pin-wheels, 'n' Roman ca

es

nd peered up at h

you didn't fin

N

. I'll make marmer tell me what she'd like for 'bout fifty cents.

the wide screen door which opene

at it in much the same attitude that had been hers when her brother called her. Sh

strike ten. At about ten the mail for "Savin Hill," as t

o where a sharp line of glitter showed between some savin-trees that had been left standing on the other side of the wall. These trees slante

sion moved two or three sails; but she did not seem to see them.

ere in the house struck

her hand. She hesitated, then came forward. "You told me to bri

id; tha

ged lady, hurrying by the servant, "

ld the papers in her hand and did

cares. How upset he was! And how curious that he should have lost the ring

her still, with his hands in his pockets. He was watching the ring somewh

olyn, without raising her eyes. "There's no other

o speak of the crow in that w

"Oh, marmer, don't be a jackass!

been named in that way. I ob

this fro

y, "that it was Rodney hi

boy interrupted, impatien

ter from Prud

o spoke, now looki

other and son could finish the altercation now entered into as to who should

erceiving that the article would be safer in her care. Bu

region momentarily unknown to his pa

down in the chair a

the wall of the house. The o

nda chairs since he swept here," now remar

ed the girl. "Shall I read this

ing

t she says: 'My

u that?" interrup

mile on the girl's f

seems to

ke her. But then, anything is

made of, but none of that stuff got into my make-up, so I don't mean ever to pose for t

"My dear cousin Prudence died at Carlsbad." Because, you see, they don't die at Carlsbad; they hustle off somewhere to die and be buried. And if I should g

might just as well have been a nurse. I shouldn't have been so bored, for if I had r

makes me feel so, which amounts to much the same thing, because if there were, they wouldn't be poisonous, you know. She sits up to her neck for half an hour. Black mud! Then a nurse comes and lifts out one arm; pours water over it.

glass to walk one-quarter of an hour. We walk one solid hour before breakfast. I go with the process

selves, their insides, you know, to see what the mud baths and the water are doing for them already. And I can tell you as a positive fact th

elt as if somebody were staring at me. So I turned my eyes, and there was Lord Maxwell gazing right at me. He was one of the

face grew red. But the procession kept right on. If I should see him, he wouldn't talk of anyth

ewed fruits, and once in awhile an egg. You can skip this if you want to, but I can assure you I can't skip it; I have to take it three times a day, and sometimes in t

positively must get along now with her maid and her nurse. And she's a lot better, anyway. And I'm going to start from Antwerp; and I shall alight at Savin Hill about as soon as you get this. And you must receive me with frantic delight. My love to Aunt Letitia, and to Leander, and to Devil; and millions of kisses to your

ver

uden

e letter she folded it careful

She contemplatively patted a bo

rudence Ffolliott,"

is lik

nd coming home all i

abroad more

y, but I must say I was relieved when she we

r a moment. Then she smiled, slightly, as she said

ntinued to smooth

oming, too!"

nteresting to all of

his remark a tr

s found the rin

ference that Carolyn smiled at them. But she did not take th

moment. She came to her daughter and put he

egraph to Rodn

ickly. Her face flushed crimson. She uttered an

a man. He was tall, he was young, and at j

e piazza. He put one arm about the elder woman and one a

just in time to hear you ask if I couldn't b

ght up at the young man's face. Car

ere, and are you afraid

thing else we sai

a w

ely," now began the elder lady

exclaimed

o be puzzled. A line

y want me to

y, that's all," sa

ere Lawrence laughed, but the l

mma," said the girl, "or he will

ad always been his home, and though "Aunt Tishy" was not his aunt, but only a second cousin, she had been very kind to

he spoke. "I thought," he went on, "when I overheard you speak of sending me a messag

o are silly," Ca

folliott, "we have jus

el

ly refraining from looking at him, and

that-I didn

thus far, Mrs.

hed, not quit

n was once a fool he was

the lady answered, helples

re going to cut off an

hat she is tired of staying abroad, and she is coming here. Wha

of the piazza pillars

the face of the globe," he said, looking at Carolyn. "At least I came to know it, you understand. But a man gets over a lot of things. You'll find there w

elder lady, comfortably; "and now w

ill gazing, somewhat markedly, at the girl, who

found that ring that Prue gave you,

t case I must owe the boy fifty dollars. That's the reward I offered. I remember at the time I wan

anda. Mrs. Ffolliott went into the house.

was wild-wild for her. I suppose I was somebody

not quite two y

teral y

he asked,

rt to me. Caro, I'm go

s hands, held them closel

ange so that I shouldn't see Prudence. It makes me appear

N

st In

st In

myself so many times if Caro thinks this o

only laughed

ngs, until Lawrence asked, suddenly,

yn to

rse it was D

my gold thim

l exact every penny. I would gladly have given all my po

ware of this gaze. She did not try to help him out with his sentence. She was standing in perfe

f she had always impressed him as she impressed him now. If she had d

en somebody else. That accoun

fancy he

d awkward to have that turn up now when he had ceased to

step towar

t as a savage," he remarked. "I

cour

ay out here until I com

ed now to

ll

doesn't

y we

an instant, then he turned back. He rejoined the girl on the piazza. She had walked to the railing and was lea

have my eyes been?

kly as he came

was afraid Aunt Tishy w

O

es

wo stood i

hat man person who was hanging around

man pe

I ought to be more specific

bout him t

his shoulders. His e

aro," he went on, more softly, "do you think yo

hich the girl's eyes were drooped. She

it?" he repe

ok her hand. S

've asked me t

de no reply. His fac

atingly,-"because I feel almo

spoke per

don't know surely that-that y

ed laughing directly. He took her h

omething about how you loved her. You did love her. And you can't have forgotten it in less than two years. Why

a man gets over everything, yo

eagerly now. His who

ent on. "If you feel hopeful that you could learn

himself why he had never before

ld learn," she

o me? Caro, say, 'Rodney

wn her mor

y i

am promis

ou. We shall be as happy as the day i

istfully. Her features

, "I hope you haven

ure I'

tle from him. She put her hand on h

solemnly, "remember you are not bound,-not bound

as solemnly as she had spoken,-"grateful be

ands, and held them fast, looking

id, nearly

love you

at he had not spoken thus, and a scorching blush rose to her

hat!" exclaimed Lawrence, quickly. "And I love you with a lov

ad his arm about Caro no

n the outside of the piazza, at the farther end of it. This figure n

apart. His eyes were what romance writers used to call "glued" to the two standing there. His mouth was stretched

ing. He subdued his first impulse, which was t

nodded a

do?" he

l, thank ye," a

t his sister. "Was she in love?" he was asking h

love? Is that why you 'n

e," Lawrence pro

? That's what the new chambermaid 'n' the coachman are. He told me the other da

ked him about it,"

rsion. He walked forward, and

found a rin

face, and gazed up

and pay for this advertisement, and-fork over

ter escaped to her own room, where she sat for a

es, the shrill tones of her brothe

ust her cousin's letter into her belt. She now drew it out, and read it again. She read it