The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-12-12
ccllancnns.
Adelina.
CHAPTER /.

1
| 1t was the day after New Year's-a cold,
clear Tuesday morning-that dsconsolately
wended my way to school, wishing that the
| holidays came oftener and stayed longer, and
regretting that out of the fifty-two there was
only one week of uninterrupted pleasure
The old red school house stood at the iunc-
| ton of three roads, and as | raised the little
| hill just before reaching it, saw, coming from
the opposite direction, alittlc black-clad figure
that looked like n moving blot on the I'M
| broken whiteness of the snow covered land
scapc
Inevcr could tell what actuatcd me to linger
| on her movements as did, or why she strong
| ly attracted me, but from the first think |
must have loved the child, even before was
slightly old enough to understand the meaning
| of the word.
We reached the worn old door-stone togeth-
er, and l, being boy not at all afraid to speak
| to any one, much less timid little girl, |
coolly asked her if this was her first day at
school,
Eyes, and dread it so much"
| 1t was the sweetest voice | had ever heard
or ever heard since. The peculiar rising in
| Election on the last word was like the short,
clear notes of a bird, and as purely natural.
"Do you come every day."
Haven't missed day this winter"
60, l am so gladm
"Why?"
Because you are good boy. Won't you
| please tell me your name?"
| Edward Durand"
al like the name" she said sweetly, and l
wondered how any mortal ever came by such
| an angel smile. All this time she had been
| trying to unite the round worsted strings of
| her hood, but had only succeeded in drawing
them into a harder knot.
wont you please unite them for me,
Eddie?"
| She held up her little chin, and without u
moments hesitation l bent down and did as
she requested 1t was such a tender, contid-
ing little face-who could help loving it? |
patted encouragingly the rose-red cheek turn
| ed toward me in a gentle trustfulness, and
babe her not to be afraid, for she had as good
a right to come to school as any one.
| "Hallo! where did that little blackbird
come from?" cried kind-hearted Ben Phillips
as we entered. "Come along, little girl, and
get warm, for you look half frozen"
A general tittering and nudging followed
Ben's energetic seating of the new scholar,
and one saucy little mink, not understanding
its significance, asked pertly:
| "What are you looking so like a crow for
| / hate black dress"
"Hush," reproved an older girl, who over
heard the remark. "Hush, Sue, don't you see
| that she is in mourning ?"
The voice that had so charmed me in the
entry answered the question in strangely
| quiet way:
my father is dead
| Ahush as of death fell upon the noisy group
gathered around the old cracked stove. The
| unwonted silence was broken by the entrance
of the teacher, who raped us to order, after
which he briefly called up the new scholar
What is your name?"
Mr.. Pike looked wise.
"Adelina Lagrange, suppose; and you are
the daughter of the lady who has recently
taken the Baldwin cottage?"
eyes, sir"
"Well, you may take this seat, ;" pointing to
| bench not far from the place where was
sitting, and without further questioning
| Adelina had passed through the trying ordeal
of " first day" and was counted one of us.
Her mother, it was rumored, was lady of
| refinement and culture, but very proud and
| reserved in her demeanOr, u person who was
obliged to teach music for living. Mrs. La
| grange was, at any rate, young, handsome and
recently widowed-at least the length and
newness Of her veil indicated to observing
feminine eyes that the bereavement was recent,
and that was all the gossips knew about her
Inc summer Term brought Adellna again 10
the old school house, but SO changed outward.
| ly that we hardly knew her for the sombre
"backbird of the previous winter
She fiuttered in one morning dressed in
white, with sash and shoulder-knots cherry
ribbons-the loveliest creature ever saw.
At noon she came to me and said, very
gravely:
"After to-day am not coming any more. >
"Why2"
"I am going to the city to live; but you
were kind to me the first day came, and
tell you for that reason and because you didn't
mind untying my hood for me-"
] felt her going SO keenly that could not
study, try as would, and in consequence my