A Little Queen of Hearts - An International Story

yet there he sat, his head bowed upon his folded arms, while now and then something very like

leeve of his Eton jacket; and there was no longer any question but that Harold Harris, sturdy little

g queer little geometrical figures on the big silver-cornered blotter that half covered the table. It was evident too that his thoughts were not at all on what he was doing, and that the hard cry was being followed by a good, hard think. But this did not last long; Harold was simply trying to make up his mind, as the phrase goes, and that soon accomplished, he drew pen, paper and ink toward him and commenced wri

halt with his hands in his pockets; "

. A beautiful portrait of his mother hung over the library mantel, but it belonged to a closed chapter of his life, and he had almost forgotten its existence. He had never dreamed this would be so; he had never meant it should be; but that did not alter the fact that, flattered and made much of ever since he went up to Oxford, he had somehow had little time to think of his mother, and, sorrier than that, little inclination. Death was such a desperately gloomy thing to contemplate! Besides, to keep thinking about it did not bring any one back. And yet, as much as in him lay, Ted had loved his mother, and been very proud of her too. It seemed hard that she should not have lived a great while longer. But then she had been so very sad sometimes, and life of course wasn't worth very much under those conditions. When it ceased to be awfully jolly, perhaps it was just as well to have done with it. For him, thank his stars! that unhappy period had not yet arrived. To be a Christ Church Senior, with p

alf hour; and shortly after "the fellow did come back," the dearest little fellow in the world too, by the way, and shut to the big front door and locked it as he had

ng out an im

ealed gladness; it seemed so cheery

ppose I'd go to bed, did you, with you

self into a great easy-chair opposite Ted and clasped his hands behind his head in comfortab

er a moment, and with a perceptible little note of apology

anything relating to that younger brother being in reality of any importanc

dn't." Surprised at this,

r to Uncle Frit

nnoyance. "What in creation have

Ted a moment to recover from his astonishment; then he answered curtly, "Well, you can just write him anothe

have some of your friends down here, sam

0

absurd fashion. What did you do it for, anyway?" and Ted in his impatience got on

ng to take things into my own hands now and begin to enjoy life in my own way. This little house is as much mine as yours, and I mean to have my turn this summer. I didn't like your friends last year, and took myself off. If you don't like mine

?" he asked presently. "I suppose you p

ars, and that it seemed to grow worse instead of better, and that if they'd only come

id you really say we'd

You like Uncle F

n any honest fashion; for he was a very good fellow still in his own estimation. He had simply not taken Harold into account-no one could have expected that he should; but now it seemed the boy was beginning to resent that state of affairs. There was some show of reason in it, too, and he rather admired his spirit. It was rather natural, perhaps, that he should want to have "his turn," as he said;

tell me beforehand what you wanted to do,

fference to you this long time. Besides,

I can tell you one thing, Harold, you'll be sick enough of your own bargain before it is over. What do you know a

y ask one thing of you, Ted, and that is th

ot I won't

welcome them. But, never mind, he could explain to Uncle Fritz, if he must, what an independent life T

er few minutes of meditation. "There isn't enough of my allowance left now to tide me

re than you did for yours last year." It was a mean little thrust, perhaps, on Harold's part, but Ted d

appreciated the situation, and c

ght to each other, and not in an altogether unkindly spirit either. Ted had not been as angry as Harold had expected, and Harold, sorry for his thrust about money matters, had wound up by being rather conciliatory, and he was happier, on the whole, than he ha