The National tribune., 1882-12-21

hold, then as Dolly kept urging her to come in,
she slowly approached the bed and as slowly
sank into the vacant chair near by. DoIlyS
eyes flashed as she saw how all the girls ignored
this unfortunate latest conner, and her brave.
generous pitiful spirit rose up to meet the stu
alton. With her gayest, brightest manner she
introduced Fanny to the others as the Empress
Eugenie, and sparkled off into so many funny
jokes that despite their determination TO be
dignifed and cool, first one girl and then
another giggled over their candies and cake.
But not one Of them turned glance upon
Fanny, or vOuchsafed a word to her They fell
to talking again with each other. but they paid
not the slightest attention to the unfortunate
Empress Eugene Dolly tried to make up tor
all this by quiet little CoUrtesies and knduesScs
She passed her the basket of sweets again and
again, and when Fanny helped herself timidIy
and sparingly, she heaped plate for her with
the cream of the dainties.
But it was Of no use; the nCar-sightcd eyes
filled and filled with tears, and the tears ran
over and fell upon the sweet things till the
sweet things turned salt and bitter, and the
poor empress at last choked and then burst
into sob and then jumping up flew from the
room.
Milly Jarvis stopped leaning against Margie
Gaines and sat bolt upright. and Marge Gaines
dropped her piece of candied cocoanut as if it
had been hot coal, and Florry wainwright
dropped the basket and tipped over the table,
plates, goodies and all and Katy D0wnes lifted
her hands, all smcarcd with her crushed cookie,
and covered her face while Dolly Lincoln be-
gan To cry as ii her heart would break. Between
her sObs she gasPcd:
And it's Christmas, and she's alOne-oh, oh,
and no mother-and 10 father-tO send her
thl-thlngs, and cre-mCan-sei-s selfish, ha-
hateful-gir-girls. and wha-wnat'l be-become
OF MS ssome-sometime-spos n-spoS n we-shcu-
should dO-sOmething bad-that We-were
sorry fOr-fOr If she has done vhat-you think
she IS sorry and you're not giving her Il
chance" At this last word general sob and
wall sounded in the room; there was Il confused
tangle of gold locks and dark locks upon the
bed confused cry of Dolly, don't" and
Dolly, l shouldn't have thought which was
interrupted by voice from the floor. 1t was
the voice of Florry Wainwright. Girls, girls,
look herc." She was sitting near the over
turned table amid broken plates and scattered
dainties. The empty basket was in her lap.
She had just taken Il paper from the bottom OF
it which she was regarding intently There
was something in her voice which made every
girl listcn-something in her face which the
next moment made every girl jump off the bed
and cluster round her on the floor As they
did So Florry pushed the paper towards them,
and said Girls this is Julia NOrriss missing
problem; it was at the bottom of this basket
What does it meau?"
Dolly jumped to her feet stood for moment
with her lips parted, her eyes dilated with
some new thought, then she rushed from the
room and tore down the hall. The next in
slant Miss Weston, one Of the teachers, was
astonished TO see Dolly Lincoln with tear
stained cheeks and swollen eyes, standing be-
fore her, to hear her ask:
Miss Weston, was it a bag or basket that
Julia Norris left in charge of Fanny Drayton
when she went to see her mother in New
York;"
1t was basket-that pretty Fayal basket.
Why do you ask"
Then Dolly told her story. Miss Weston was
only girl herself Of eighteen, and she got quite
as excited as Dolly as she listened to this story
and she took Dolly's hand and ran with her
down the great hall TO where the little grOupof
girls sat on the floor puzzling and pondering
over the problem.
Yes, of course it's the missing problem!"
she exclaimed; land you found it at the bot
tom of the basket | asked Julia again and
again if she had searched her basket thoroughly
when she got it back, and she was so positive,
as she always is. l ought to have looked my
self l ought to have remembered that J ulia IS
the most impatient girl, and constantly mixing
up and overlooking her things! But she was
50 sure. Oh, dear where's Fanny"
iii fetch her. and Dolly tore down the
hall again on her happy errand. How eau |
ever picture the scene that ensued? How can
| ever make you see Fanny. with her wiGking,
blinking, near-sighted eyes, looking and listen
ing. and gradually taking it all in-that the
problem had been found where she had put it
that everybody was happy and sorry in
breath, and asking her pardon and trying TO
kiss her and make much of her The crown
of everything came, when suddenly Dolly
pounced upon the sixth robins egg-the one
left over and made Fanny the sixth mem
Der of the Robins Ring Club And such good
time as they had afterwards. They sat up until
half-past nine o'clock, and Miss Weston sat with
them, and laughed and told stories as gayly as
any of them, and at the end, when one after
another of the girls said they never, never had
had such a good time in their lives before, Miss
Weston declared that she certainly never had a
better time; whereupon Dolly pulled off her
Robins Egg ring, and asked Miss Weston if she
felt too big and too old to belong to their club;
and Miss Weston said she should be only too
delighted to belong, but she didn't want to rob
Dolly of her ring; but Dolly wasn't going to
stop for such a trihe as that; she was sure she
could get another one So, "on her very littles5
finger Miss Weston put DOlly's Robins Egg
ring; and there she wears il to this day, as sign
and seal of her membership of the Robins Ring
Club, and of that delightful evening when they
were all so sorry and happy together at Dolly's
Christmas kettledrum-DecembeT Ujde AudGs.