Litchfield enquirer., 1878-05-23

she added, and followed him up stairs.
 A qnaint room this upstairs parlor. A little old-fashioned piano, it's keys yellow with age, was against the wall. Two sofas upholstered with red and black striped calico, big chair and twOa hard ottomans, likewise covered, a what-not, table covered with books, bead ed lambrequin on a bracket, and engravings of Thorwaldsen's ''Night' and Morning were the furnishings of the large apartment. At the end of the room opposite the fireplace were three steps, painted brown, leading up to wide window, opening like door. With out was a piazza, whence one could see the sea-wall, the narrow dverging streets below, and the end of Anastatia Island opposite the city. The breeze came freshly through this piazza, and the heavenly sweet airs that blew on those sunny March days in St. Augustine were full of balm. MT. Field stood by the open window, happy and calm.
 The parlor-door opened, and young lady entered the room and advanced toward him. Her face was flushed, her lips lit tie set, her blue eyes proud and indig- nant She held out her hand not i'll friend- ly way, but palm upward, it's gesture com- manding him to deliver her the hat. He look ed at her, rather at a loss.
 sMrs Godfrey ?" he asked, thinking that this must be the boys step-mOther, then. She was very young and beautiful.
 IHtSO OOO1Tcy. 1 CTS, Sir, that you have chased them kicked them and caused the younger to fall and hurt himself seriously. If you have any apology to offer, must myself listen to you, Sir. My father is ill.,"
 'I am very sorry," said Christopher hesita- ting. The unfaltering indignant blue eyes impressed him. "I-I intended no injury to your brothers. They were trespassing on the grounds of friend, and in his absence l de- tended his property. They ran-l pursued: By an accident one fell and hurt himself. gave up the pursuit, and brought the lads hat home. Boys will be mischievouS, l know. I am sure you regret their escapades as seri- ously as anyone can." With this he rendered the hat which fell from Miss Godfrey's nerve less hand. She was thunderstruck by thls young mans impertinence. He stopped to pick up the hat she stopped their heads col lide, and they came up red in the face and winking away the tears but Christopher held the hat
 q beg pardon, " he murmured, resisting an impulse to put his hand to his forehead, and ready to laugh, but Miss Godfrey's face was so grave that he contained himself and looked
 sober.
 'I cannot expect you to look at this matter from my standpoint, said Miss Godfrey, ,coid- ly. My brothers, know, are gentleman if as you say, they were trespassng, they were unconscious of the fact, or else they were harmless in the act. Whatever they did, gentleman would hardly kick dog much less a defenselesS lad Brute strength used against an inferior power szis-..Forglve me. Sir. 1 am angry. GOod-evening.
 With this Greta disappeared. She had seen Christophers face change, and repented her bitterness She knew that her speech ought to cease when it had once become intemper- ate.
 MT. Field laid the hat on the table and then went quietly out of the house. The next day Greta began again to use ccr- tain regular morning hours for hearing her brothers lessons hours which had been un- observed while her father was ill. Greta was patient with her brothers, and loved them ten derly but teaching them had always tried
 her sorely if her father had guessed how sore | ly, he would have stopped it instead of desir- | ing it.
 1 Christopher, idling away morning Tn hls room, heard a complaining voice. Looking | out and up, he saw Jack seated in the win
 dow of Greta's room, doubled up over his
 book his face drawn into fifty wrinkles.
 ''If fellow," asked Jack, in an injured
 tone, 'had bought thing for seven-ninths of
 it's value and sold it for five -ninths of it's l value, what was his loss per cent on It.: Dog
 on it what do 1 care!''
 l Christopher could not hear the reply. which
 occupied some little time. Jack then said | grossly;
 "Yes, I understand But plague on these | old lessons What is the use oi my wasting
 my time working up sums that are only imagi-
 nation and figures like to see a thing, and then do it. Show me dozen apples at three | cents apiece"
 Here the talk was probably interdcted, for l Jack screwed himself up into a smaller knot l fhon hofOra onH on6paSopH himself tn his | study.
 Next day, just as Christopher was passing | down the lane between the houses in a hurry 1 to overtake friend, he glanced up, saw Jack 1 perched in the old place, squirming and set | ting himself, and-saw an ink bottle knocked | from the window-sill He jumped aside, but
 was sprinkled by the descending torrent. To | make matters worse, Jack, who had really knocked the ink over accidentally, was so transported with delight at the happy chance of Mir. Fields passing that he broke into a half-smothered laugh. The next instant Gre l ta was at the window, and her startled blue eyes met the wrathful up-looking brown eyes | of Mir. Field.
 ''Oh, am so sorry !" cried poor Greta, 1 thoroughly overcome. ''Please excuse him. It
 was an accident. Oh, am very sorry p Christopher took off his hat to her and, went
 by. II am not sorry" said Jack to his sister. II didn't go to do it but if it had to fall on any
 body Pm glad it was On that old chimpan-
 zee !"-the boys new name for their foe. The next day Greta, walking between her
 two brothers and merrily chatting met Mir. 1 Field face to face. She looked at him, cogored
 deeply and bowed timidly. He cOurteousiy
 replied to her bow, and passed quickly, not sO
 quickly but that he heard Jack roughly ask
 her why she spoke to that fellow. He was sor- | ry for Greta by this time ; the deep-eycd del-
 icate, decided face was eloquent to it's students. For her, she had begun to take his part agains:
 the idoliZed boys.
 | Two days after-the middle of March-there | came up a sudden and terrific rain-storm- In | little while after it began, the streets were running with water, the sea was covered with white-caps and the thunder and lightning startlngly frequent. NIT. Field from the club house, saw a slender womanly figure emerge from the "Hotel Parks" struggling under an umbrella, which was soon put down in de- spair, toward the sea-wall. Up and down the wild waves the little lady looked then, in the | pouring rain, turned toward boat-lafding. l Christopher recognized her with curious leap of the heart, and sallied out in the rain to join | her. The wind turned his stout umbrella wrong | side out he threw it away, and ran toward her. She was standing, with despairing face.
 by the deserted landing where boats were
 usually kept on hire.
 l Miss Godfrey This is terrible weather
 for you to brave. Can l serve you in any way ?" he asked, reaching her side at last. 1 My brsthers-my brothers have gone olt
 sailing, Mir. Field, said poor Greta, piteousiy | looking up. The rough wind tore the hood of l her waterproof cloak from her head, and the rain dashed on her tumbled curly hair. Her hands were busy holding her cloak about her and retaining her folded umbrella. The up- per cape Tapped against ChTistopher's breast. | Then and there the love of her took possession of him, and the beauty of the rain-tossed hair smote his heart. He took the edge of her hood in his fingers and drew it quickly over her head; then relieved her of her umbrella. mean
 while having spoken.
 ''When did they go were they alone 2" ''They came here to hire boat ! gave them money. They promised me once not to go out without some one in the boat who un- stood sailing, but they usually took only col cred boy. They always thought they could