Friendship and Folly

r to come back. Immediately after her cal

trantly, "what have you

alling him a

kicking and screaming, and probably doing hims

ander was screaming at the present moment, he would be heard plainl

s together. "Leander is so sens

orward to find her brother. But she

w. And why has he a c

of Prudence. It was a glossy black crow, that now immediately pulled up one foot, cocked i

drew back a little, as if i

up her arms in her relief. She had hardly known how great had

called Mrs. Ffolliott to her daughter; "

a whoop from somewhere,-re

ishin' him. I say, sis, have you been 'n' done anything

e crow's leg over the wall and off to the top of the nearest tree. But, as the tips of h

a bat he had left on the lawn, and fell forward with great f

of lint, and alum, and this thing and that, by Mrs. Ffolliott. She loo

d when Leander was well, fearing he might be ill, a

said that cobwebs were to be stuffed into his nose, and

tone that the boy, as he half lay in his mother's arms, kicked one leg violently

then we could bleed and die together,

eping by this time, lest her son should do himself an injury. She begged Prudence to be careful; she a

she paused to inform the group assembled that she was going to the barn, f

er and his nasal hemorrhage. The door was open, and there was the sea but some rods away, with no intervening wall in front. The building stood

tently for a few momen

yes, it was cobwebs I came for. But I'm not a cat, and I can't go up into the peak there after them. No doubt L

er face. Then she resumed her gaze at the sea,

ses, but it's pleasanter to be first fiddle. I should just like to ask what you expect of a girl who has been a Carlsbad nurse for months,-expect of her when she gets out, I mean. You expect some kind of a fling, don't you? Very well; all right; I don't think you'll be disappointed. J

't anybody near e

the fragrance of a thicket of wild roses which grew among the rocks in front of the barn and slightly to the left. Nowhere do wild rose

of the door, and resumed her gaze at the

at one man holding the tiller as he leaned back in a half-reclining position, his eyes scanning the shore, but scanning it lazily, and not as though he e

ll enough," Prudence said to hersel

eed

pplin

r slow from c

reamfu

piri

walls of

ddenly leaned forward and said, "

looking at her; he took

dreary whiskers, a smooth chin that was so markedly retreating that it apparently required courage to refrain from allowing it to be covered with a beard, prominen

iss Ffolliott?

I'm not the owner of the

; he flung out the anchor, and then leaped after it, pressing it down with his foot. Then he stood up and looked at the door of the barn, whe

" he asked. Then he hastily added,

ning," sh

d, "isn't this jolly, though?

r, if I fe

ow, are y

tly, you know. Really I

aughed de

n that hay-loft? It is

ut it isn't mine, any mor

I shal

without changing her position, save to reach forth a hand negligently.

of a prospec

salt water. How c

the Cep

he

weeks

ell. Did the mud

omething cured me. I'm a

say 'as right

rivet. Isn't it joll

nk y

glance at each other,

?" he asked, in a

s because your conversat

like it: I know conversat

w it i

u're not v

lite to tell me I'm not

began, "I say, now-" when

me it's joll

on't; bu

ou are at

eg your

companion did not join him. She gazed at him with apparent

xwell come o

's face grew

now they've sent her to the Sulphur Springs. I've just taken her there. Her mother's with her, you know, and her

well's healt

she seems better, and then she'll

didn'

er says. Wasn't treated right. I say, i

pt out his arm t

's what th

dings; he assured his companion that she must have no end of a

ut a prospe

this question and answer. Then

a smile lurking about

liott," he said, but his manner showed t

going to say?

me come here and call now and then, I'd stay there a week or two. Is this your

es

permit me

would be welcome," with a lit

nd now I suppo

he were hoping she would tell him no

wheel?" glancin

of c

d; so do I. Perhaps you'll l

rha

sailing as w

es

e; she's a real fine one; and I like something I can ma

rha

t seem ve

n't

e old friends

ful frankness. Before she could a

me. You said you understood precisely how I was situated, and that you

all about everything.

d! And we a

e are f

must kill time some way, than to stay over at that seaside hotel, though he had been thinking a half-hour ago that he might as well move on. He was also telling himself that Prudence Ffolliott was more sensible th

n't matter. It had been a devilish set of circumstances that had obliged him to break off with her; yes, a devilish set. He had done it as honora

abruptly, "I'll

dence put her fingers in it f

ble stairs and down

to his boat, a crow flew down between

ack with an

ut the girl from the door,

I thought it was,"

p to where Prudence stood and perched on the threshold bes

eeting was a feeling of pique that, after all, Miss Ffolliott cared so little for his failu

red with exceeding distinctness that Miss Arabella Arkwright had a thick waist and thick fingers; that she had at first shown a very annoying inclination to call him "my lord," but, thank fortune, he had made her drop that; and he was quite sure that she no longer referred to him as "his

e what he called "an old story." He could get used to that, but he couldn't quite get used to the fact that Arabella Arkwright was his wife. He knew she was not to blame for his having had to break with a woman he fancied, and who could amuse him, but he often

ide her. The cord which Leander had tied to its leg still dangled from it. Occasio

companion, looking as if he knew unutterable things

ched the top of the bird's he

nge things, don't we

his way and that. He ho

ou; and all you are you owe to him. You don't care if you do? All right. That's like a human being; that's ingratitude. And you stole

had grown red. Her eyes had sparks in them. Suddenly she put her hands

ress," she said, looking at the cro