Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-11-14

?
how d you know il was my smoke, pray
1t might "a been Tom Dick or-iarry's
smoke by this time, for all you knew about
it," She spoke the three names together
as if they had been one. IL was Harold's
turn TO hesitate now but hastened to in
form Miss Flanders Of mothers departure
and the anxiety which we had felt on her
account This softened her at once.
"Mother sick Well, that is pity-a
dretful pity. Poor little things Come in,
come in ~
Five minutes afterward we we're seated in
her small parlor, and close beside us was
the little stand which held some OF her most
precious treasures the brass cup from Da-
mascus the queer scissors from CONSTANT
nople the ivory elephant from India and,
what interested us quite as much, the bas-
kets and boxes in nests, one fitting so close
ly within the other that each one taken of
revealed fresh surprise.
Harold was especially delighted. He had
never been allowed to touch these things
before and even now he received many
charges, both from Miss Flanders and my
self
One set of delicate boxes, the largest of
which looked very much like a good
spool of thread, held carefully out of his
reach
"But, sister he begged.
mo, no, Harold. You'd certainly break
it,"
81 dun know what should do if that got
broke, put in Miss Flanders. Twas the
very last thing my George brought home,
an there's no KNOWN whether I'll ever set
eyes on his face again, poor fellow. l think
everything of that.
"You mustn't touch it, Harry said |,
decidedly Let sister take out the boxes
for you" Then l whispered in his ear.
Remember Mrs Lincoln's plate" My last
words had the desired effect He drew back
at once. 81 don't want to peel it. You
peel it, sister, We laughed at his funny
way of putting it and, indeed, each cover
ing fitted its neghbor so closely that it was
not unlike an outer skin. There were six
teen in all, and the last three had to be taken
off with a pin, so very small and fragile
were they. In spite of my sixteen years,
was as childishly interested in the process
as Harold himself aud when, at last, the
sixteen separate boxes were spread out upon
the table, drew a long breath Of salts
faction"
aren't they curious, Harry just think
of making those tiny, tiny boxes How
very gently they must be handled ~
"Yes, answered Harold. Then, as he
saw that | was going to put them back,
Let me hand them to you, very gently,
won't you, sister =
Not for the world Don't touch them on
any account Just think how Miss Flanders
would feel if anything happened to them ~
put the little fragile things together
very deftly, thought. How marvellously
they fitted Harold watched me with in
terest. Miss Flanders had gone into the
kitchen at that moment to fill her teakettle
| was counting as l went along, Two,
three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine
all went smoothly | took up the tenth box
Perhaps my previous success had made me
careless perhaps the box resisted a little.
At all events, as 1t went into its place, it
gave a spiteful little snap that brought the
hot blood into my cheeks. looked at Har
old His face told me had heard it, 80
sister, is it
Hush - l whispered, my face all afiame.
Hardly knowing what | was doing, ar
ranged the rest of the boxes, and put the
inoffensive looking case back upon the table
Miss Flanders came back in a moment
and oh, how grim and forbidding her face
looked to me then, in spite of the smile
which it wore 81 cant tell her ~ | said u
myself, ~ Just can't And very hastily
we made our adieux
well I'll let you go if you must" she
said kindly, 'but don't let me go clean out
of your minds again. You're welcome tc
look at the cur'osities any time, for know
you won't break EN-"
Harold gave me a queer glance, which
ignored felt too miserable and cowardly
to take his hand but, as mine hung list
lessly down. felt the comforting pressure
of his warm little fingers.
SISTER he asked in a whisper, did yol
hear it cr-r-ack -
Hear what crack Z" l inquired GROSSLY
Then, despising myself, l sat down upor
the stone wall and covered my face
Too bad it got broke, sister
didn't answer
"P-r-aps we'd better 20 back and tel
Miss Flanders it got broke.
Still no reply.
Its better to tell It's always better t.
tell, cause, you know, she might thinl
somebody else did it.
Still silence.
Coward girls don't tell, " he went on, il
a soft, persuasive voice. Brave girls tells
Don't cry, sister"
For l had quite forgotten my sixteel
years. Indeed, we seemed TO have changes
places completely.
"You dear, little forgiving brother ~
exclaimed, as remembered my severity t
, him only an hour or so before. But HOY
can go back and tell that woman She
scold dreadfully | know and it will brea
her heart too, for she thinks so much q
? those boxes How wish I'd never see
! them Oh l don't know what she will d
when she finds it out ~
l "Of course you don't know, y said Han
z old "She didn't know herself Don't yo
remember she said she didntf"
= IL can't tell her, exclaimed 81 cam
. / can't, | CAN'T
4 The very words which Harold had use
to me an hour before and he gave me bac
q my own answer. but spoken, oh, so tender
= ly
NV sister wouldn't like to be cowar
girl shouldn't thing she'd like to be that
l IF it had only heen somebody else, an,
TO body but Miss Deborah Flanders ~
, Harold had nothing to say.
10 Really, Harold" faltered, feeling quit
{ like a criminal before a judge, lit wi
e make her feel so dreadfully. 1t was the la
thing poor George brought her, you know
e and she may never see him again
"Will he get drownded - asked Harol'
t with solicitude.
, Nobody can tell He's very likely l.
Perhaps, after all, Harry, it's just as wC
; not to tell her"
y False, cowardly reasoning, and kne
s it; but | allowed myself to be persuade
e for the moment.
S "Come, Harold. Wen go home'
= He trotted along silently by my side.
we neared our own gate, he said half tir
. idly
. "P-r-aps PaPa'd go with you tonight,
tell her."
, The idea of taking papa with me upc
}, such an errand made me laugh, in spite
}, myself.
But Harold's face was very grave As
looked into it, suddenly realized, as new
y before, the value of little childs respec
and that, to keep it, one must show himse
+ worthy ; also, that, if gave way now,
g would be real loss, not only to myself, b
f also to my little brother.
His serious questioning gaze moved n
" strangely. 1t almost seemed as if he wei
looking at me with mothers eyes.
"What would she think of me Z" | e
e claimed Then put my arms about Ha
e old, and hugged him so tightly that he q
n most screamed
., "Sister has been a coward girl, l erie
but she is going to be brave now. v
won't wait for papa You shall 90 ba,
y with me, and help me confess.
Grave girls tells, he remarked encou
v agingly and not another word was sa
until we reached Miss Flanderss doc
IS Then he drew back.
Don't be afraid, Harry, She can't hu
g us. 1t will soon be over. We're bo
d brave, aren't we Z"
. Eyes we're both brave" But his hal
y grasped mine nervously, and his little rouI
~ face took ON a look of supreme anxiet
He was six again. and sixteen.
y | LLNntl lilI.lL nunanL Ln 900 m 20