The Portland daily press., 1888-03-12

up her hat and books. Once, indeed. hay.
ing her school luncheon strapped over her
shoulders, she stayed up in the tree all day
and all night, in spite of my efforts. Ralph
happening to be absent, and felt that She
might not have come down at all if she had
not seen the doctor call for little Isffie-of
whom she, was passionately fond, and into
whom she had confidentialiy told me she was
sure the soul OF the little dead baby must
have gone-which sight brought her down so
incontinently as to bring a multitude of
bruises and scratches with her. Neither en-
treaty nor force could bring her to leave the
room after that till Effie was pronounced to
be out of danger
nc 4 L, was as, no use to tell her that she panied
US py ner conduet-it was we who panied
1er. IL was no use to tell her that she was
ulsgraclng the name we had given hers she
saiu we could take back our name and she
would take another. And she could be
Drought to see no use in book learning, or
IN uemure behavior, or in any obedience she
did not see fit to render The years were
soon long struggle with her. don't know
now she managed to learn anything during
this course, unless she absorbed 1t at the
pores, although she listened, to be sure.
diligently in the corner Of the hearth,
when Ralph read aloud evenings,
''lt is just as | said," declared Aunt Juliet
who being the person OF means in the con-
nection, took the liberty of saying what she
liked you've taken little hussy that you
don't know anything about into your hearts
to break them"
Nina was still at fifteen years, little, lean,
brown thing with OWLS eyes. and as ia
rouche and shy as anything Of the woods,
when Lance came home Lance was Ralph's
brother, and had been away at the naval
school and then sailed round the world, and
had not been at our home these six years.
We'll, he said, what imp of darkness is
this?"
And she heard him, And nothing could
bring her into the same room with him dur
ing the whole time Of his stay. But by-and-
by she hung over the balustrade to listen to
his voice, or she hung over the balcony to
see him on the lawn-all If he were not look
ing-or she flashed like FREELY from win
dow to window to watch him IL he strolled
around the river path and behind the fringe
of birch and beech with Flora Denny, our
pretty neighbor. II always did hate a
white grip she mattered 81 like dark
people, like you and me. We are alive"
Once or twice during Lance's stay Nina
went into the kitchen. and with a strong
hand compelled old Rose, the cook, to show
her how TO prepare certain dishes, and then
she watched outside the kitchen door of the
lunch-room, to learn of their reception,
which was tolerably favorable 81 always
knew could do it if | wanted to- she said.
And then she might have been observed bent
over work in hidden corners till she had fin
ished little purse of steel beads. "Herel'
she cried over the bannisters, the morning
Lance was going away You take this !!
There's lucky penny in it," He looked up
and saw her bending there-the strangest
lady, so serious, and dark and Eitch-llke,
that ever sent knight on his deyOir.
II will take 4" he Sid, "if you will come
down and give it to me-"
And step by step she came down, as If he
drew her forward and some unwilling power
held her back, and laid the little brown leaf
of a hand ia his. And then Lance drew her
a lffle taarar and handing from his lOr0lV
height to bid me good-by, turned ana bent
and gravely kissed her, too.
In another instant she had broken away,
and had raced out into the orchard and hid
den herself in the long grass; and when she
came in, some hours afterwards, she an
nounced that she was never going to wash
the spot upon her face that Lance had
kissed.
THAT girl is a fool" said Aunt Juliet,
who had dropped In, don't know whether
the fact that her foot caught in croquet
wicket and threw her down on her way to
the gate afterward had anything to do with
her remark or not.
Shortly after this Nina said, "You know
always said anybody could do anything If
they only wanted to do it | wanted to cook
those things; and you know what he said
about them. l wanted to make him purse,
and there wasn't knot in the silk. Now
want to learn French and music and all that
white thing Flora Denny knows. Aud you'll
see." And she did
Not all at once, of course, did we see the
desired proficiency, but she had a natural
aptitude for music and for art. And pres
emily a strange quietude seemed to have fallen
on the house; and now, instead of little
brown imp, there was slender. dark young
girl, whose angles were turning into curves,
on whose olive cheek rudy tint was BIOS
soming, whose lips were bowknot of scar
let, and whose eyes-there never were such
eyes out of gypsy S head The swift capri
ciousness of movement had become sort Of
flashing grace; Indifference to dress had
changed to wondrous taste for the pictur..
esQue, and carelessness for the feelings of
others had vanished before her old intense
tenderness for one and all of us.
'sShe has been going through the chrysalis
STAGE" said Ralph. "And what a gorgeous
butterfly she is going to bel"
''She is not going to be gorgeous butterfly
at all" said /. SAN this has resulted from
some dream of Lance. And Lance will
marry her white enemy there, of course, and
she will sadden into little brown moth OF
some sort"
Nonsense" said Ralph Lance only
opened her eyes. Every girl, every boy, has
to have half-dozen chances before the real
one comes along. Don't you remember
'Romeos' 'Rosalind?' Yes, Lance will mar
ry Flora, and much joy go with them. But
our Nina shall do better"
Ralph was right. One day Flora came in
quietly with a letter in her hand, and told
us in her gentle-yOiced way of an engage
ment to Lance; and if Nina had had dream
the dream was over. But l was not at all
sure myself; Nina did not sadden to any ex-
tent, nor for any length of time, and before
we could account for it ourselves, she was
brighter and sweeter and even gayer about
the house than any household fairy. You
had better call me your Brownie she said,
when l began to perceive from how many
little tasks she saved me, how much she
looked out for Ralphs comfort, how alb
sorbed she was in Fife, how she beautified
the house with her pencil and her flowers,
what a bit of vital hearth-fre she had be-
come.
But while this peacefulness was develop
ing DIT home. there was trouble brooding
abroad. Ralph'S business was in bad way,
and creditors were cruel, and disaster was
impending And one day it came. The
great operation on which, outside of his
legal business, Ralph had been engaged so
long. fell with a crash, and all our hopes OF
the future and all our certainty of the pres
up, and with all the rest our home that had
been such nest of happiness for all our
married years.
OF course did what could to hold up my
poor Ralph's hands, and it was settled that
we were to 60 into lodgings and live in the
smallest way possible while he was picking
up some practice again, taking desk in an
office that was open to him.
f"Now," said Aunt Juliet, you see what it
is to have burdened yourself with another
mouth to feed and back to clothew
"Nina is no BURDEN" said |. ''She is a
blessing. She is an angel we entertained
unawares."
''Oh, yes she's all your fancy painted her,
she's lovely, she's divine. But she's got to
livep said Aunt Juliet. "And you've got
to find her the means. And / don't see how
you're going to do it without starving and
stripping yourselves. Surely you can't af-
ford TO keep cook now; and I'll take Rose
off your hands, I've always wanted her."
OF course gave Rose the option of going
TO Aunt Juliet" "No, | thank you, ma am,"
said Rose. II wouldn't live with your Aunt
Juliet, ma am, not If she had the only man
sion there was in heavenp
81 always told you was your little SER
yanc maid" said Nina. And now will
either go out to work some way, or stay and
do your work here. | can't do too much for
you, can't do too much for him DO you
know, once thought, for just little WINE,
that Lance was the only man IN the world /!
Lance isn't a hadow beside him! There isn't
such soul alive as his, and you were made
for him! Oh, if were only good Tor some
thing now"
"We will all work together" | said, think
ing it best to disregard her enthusiasm lest 1t
became hysterical. The laundress and the
second girl have gone, and it's just as well;
for we shouldn't have room for them III our
new lodgings"-and then it was who was
hysterical, for | broke down crying, the
thnuuht of Having INV daa hnmn hQin0 more.