The Penn's Grove record., 1888-04-28
she was never going to wash the spot

az BE- oc
Juliet, who had dropped in. I don't
know whether the fact that her foot
caught in a croquet wicket and threw
wards had anything to do with her
| remark or not.
Shortly after this Nina said, "You
know 1 always said anybody could do
anything il they only wanted to do it
I wanted to cook those things; and
you know what he said about them.
1 wanted to make him a purse, and
there wasn't a knot in the silk. Now
l want to learn French and music, and
all that white thing Flora Denny
knows. And you'll seer' 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 presently a strange quietude
seemed to have fallen on the house; and
now, instead of a little brown imp
there was a slender, dark young girl
whose angles were turning into curves:
on whose olive cheek a ruddy tint was
poisoning, whose lips were a bow
knot of scarlet. and whose eyes-there
never were such eyes out of a gypsy's
headi The swift capriciousness of
movement had become a sort of flashing
grace; Indifference todress had changed
to a wondrous taste for the pct
uresque; and carelessnesS for the feel.
ings of others had vanished before her
old, intense tenderness for n and all
Of us.
"She 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 a gorgeous
butterfly at ALL" said l. SAIL that has
resulted from some dream of Lance.
And Lance will marry her white
enemy there, of course, and she will
sadden into a little brown moth of
some Sort"
"Nonsense,n said Ralph. Lance
only opened her eyes. Every girl,
every boy, has to have a half-dozen
chances before the real one comes
along. Don't you remember Romeo's
Rosalandp Yes, Lance will marry
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-voiced
way Of her engagement to Lance; and
if Nina had a dream the dream was
over. But 1 was not at all right my
self; Nina did not sadden to any ex-
tent for any length Of time, and before
we could account for it to ourselves
she was brighter and sweeter and even
gayer about the house than any house.
hold fairy. you had better call me
your Brownie" she said. when I began
torperceive from how many little tasks
she saved me, how much she looked
out for Ralph's comfort, how absorbed
she was in Ellie, how she beautified
the house with her pencil and her
flowers, what a bit of vital hearth.fre
she had become.
But while this peacefulness was
developing at home, there was trouble
broodlng abroad. Ralph's business
was in a sad way, and creditors were
cruel, and disaster was impending.
And one day 1t came. The great oper-
alton 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 Ger.
tainty of the present fell with it.
Everything was to be given up, and
with all the rest our home that had
been such a nest Of happiness for all
our married years.
Of course l did what l could to hold
up my poor Ralph's hands, and 1t 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 a desk in an office that
was open to him.
"Now," said Aunt Juliet, "you see
what it is to have burdened yourselves
with another mouth to feed and back
to clothel'
"Nina is no burden" said l.. "She
is a blessing. She is an angel we en-
tertained unawares."
''Oh, yes; she's all your fancy painted
her; she's lovely, she's divine. But
she's got to livel' said Aunt Juliet.
"And you've got to find her the means.
Aud l don't see how you're going to
do it without starving and stripping
yourselves. Surely you can't afford to
keep a cook now; and Ill take Rose off
your hands. I've alwaps wanted her.
OF course, I gave Rose the option of
going to Aunt Juliet.
mo, l thank you, ma'am," said
Rose. II wouldn't live with your
Aunt Juliet, ma'am, not IL she had the
only mansion there was in heaven!"
81 always told you l was your little
servant'maid," said Nina. "And now
l shall either 60 to work some way, OF
stay and do your work here. l can't
do too much for you. L can't do too
much for himl Do you know, ono
thought for just a little while, that
Lance was the only man in the world
Lance isn't a shadow beside HIM
There isn't such a soul alive a. his,
and you were made for him. Oh, If
only were good for something nowl"
I'VE will all work together" l said,
thinking it best to disregard her enthu'
siasm lest it become hysterical. "The
laundress and the second girl have
gone; and it's just as well; for We
shouldn't have room for them in our
new lodlngs'-and then 1t was l who
was historical, for l broke down cry
ing, the thought of leaving my dear
home being more just then than l could
bear. The appraisers had been there
that day, going over everything, and
it had all seemed such an intrusion and
proclamation that it had been too much
for me; and l wondered when an APP
parently accidental bucketful of water
was dashed from an upper story win
dow as they were going away, giving
them a thorough wettiug, if it had moi
been too much for somebody else and
the old spirit might not be again taking
possession.
at made something flash fire inside
me like sparks" said Nina, ito see
these men turning over our dear things,
Oh, why can't l do something to carr
some money in a lumpl If there were
only a millionaire for me to marry. ]
might marry him, you know-l'm very
pretty" 49,.
sob, Niual, I exclaimed, SIS this
the end of all my teachingp" But
had to laugh in the midst of my trou'
bles. But Nina did not look at it as
did, the affair anyway being In the
nature Of a myth.
"I'd marry him, you know, In {
minute, if 1 could" she said, "anc