Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-28
Noel 5 I. U : 4; / ]!
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cally Ryland,
Noel Derwent toiled YEARLY up the sec
ond stair-aight Of the dilapidated apart

.nent house.
a door opned as she. reached the land
old collector Of violins shuftfed out
'.Ah, my dear yo'ng lady, he said, rub
bling his hands and looking for the rims
.bing his hands and looking over. the rims
if his rusty fspectacles at her with little,
twinkIing. black eyes: "you#haf made up
your mind to sell him, is it not - on
will gif mo de refusal of de Gaglianiz for
two hun ed p
never! And you had as well spare your
self the trouble of asking me again. she
added, beginning to ascend the third
fight.
..Two hund'ed und fifty?'' he called up
after her: but she Indignantly closed her
ears to his appeal and climbed on.
At the top Of the fourth flight she
turned into a narrow hallway, paused
for moment to brush away the weary,
troubled look from her face with a sIen-
der white hand, and, opening the door,
entered the room with q smile and g
step that was almost buoyant.
.R"Oh NOEL called sweet, gentle voice
from the couch by the window, on which
lay at full length pretty, pale-cheeked.
little girl I'm so glad you've come at
last I've been so lonely all day. think
it must be the touch of spring in the air."
she said wistfully, turning her eyes to the
window, from which she could catch
glimpse of scraggly. greening elm in
a neighboring yard, for I've Just laid
here and longed and longed for the-the
old days. she ended, with a sob in her
voice.
II know, dear; I know answered
Noel, soothingly, pausing on her way 70
hang up her coat in the little closet to
lay a cool hand on the flushed face.
..I've been thinking of them myself all
day And when that naughty Miss Van
s;teen came up to buy her rihbons---such
lovely ones she always gets, too. and such
yards and yards of them-I couldn't help
but put myself in her place and slip her
into mine. behind the counter, and pre-
tend that it was I who was buying the
pretty Things used to buy when Mama
and Papa were living; and that it was
I who would nod to the shop-girl aud
say, send them up at once, please, and
sail out to my carriage with grand air
and rustic of silk petticoats. Why, Amy.
darling, what is it? Is the pain SO Dad
again? Tell your big sister what the
trouble Is For Amy had covered ner
face with her thin little hands, and was
sobbing bitterly.
"Oh. NOEL. she cried brokenly. II can't
help It, do try to be brave, but when
T thu Of you-sta nding behind coun-:
ter all day, selling ribbons-you, " HON
Papa always called his little Princess,
and who always wore such beautlIul
things yourself, and looked SO lovely IN
them. It Is too hard, Noel. too hard: And
here I lie, lame and helpless, and only.
burden to you.
..Now. Amy said her sister. gently,
drawing a chair up to the side OF the
couch, and putting her arm around the
frail little figure, you promised me NOT
to worry about that any more
"As If YOU could be anything but the
Gil Z
81 must do something to keep the wolf
from the door, and you know what
failure was at teaching and emoroid-
cry, till our little fortune wasted away
to almost nothing. It is only for little
while now, till Mr.. Kessnich pronounces
me competent to give music lessons, and
Their shall earn big sums, and we VIII
| :,ott live like real princeeses.
shall 1 get my violin now and play
to YOU, or will you have your tea frst?
| And she opened the battered old case. on
| the table and drew out, with q caresslng
| touch, the beautiful Gagliani which, with
| the couch on which her little sister lay.
! was all that had been saved from the
| wreck of their fortunes.
I'm not hungry yet, and my head
| aches too badly even for your music to-
night" said poor Amy. rubbing her hot
/ forehead with nervous fingers.
81 want you to talk to me. Noel. Ialh
| about the old days-they do seem old
don't they Though you were only II
| when Mama died. and you have not yet
turned 10.
Talk to to me about the beautiful
| house we lived in. Do you ever see it
! now when you pass Fifty-eighth street:
| And my own dear little room with its
! brass bed, hung with blue silk curtains
| and the lovely drawing-room, and Papa
! and Mama, and the servants and the
| carriages. How was it possible for II
all 10 be swept away in a few days
Noel?'
/ why, you remember, dear" begar
Noel gently Papa had gone heavily into
/ several big speculations, put everything
/ he had into them. in fact, except the
| thousand dollars which he called 'Noel's
| nest egg, and with which we still rent
| this magnificent suite of bedroom anc
! kitchen.
| "When the awful May panic came, ev'
! erythIng was swept away-literally every
thing. You were only II, Amy. But yol
| surely have not forgotten the misery Of
it all SO soon. That terrible evening. wher
| Mama heard the report of a pistol anc
| went into Papa's dressing-room to find,
.'Yes, yes, I remember" said Amy. shud
dering. Don't let's go over that part
| dearie."
.srhen came the sale of the house anc
4 the furniture Noel Went on, anu lI1eI-
4 then we came here 10 live, and poor Mama
made such frantic appeal to Uncle
! Wyndham for help. He was just finishing
his postgraduate course in medicine
abroad. you know
| "Why do you. suppose she never hearc
from him?'' asked Amy.
| 81 don't know" answered Noel sadly
HE seemed to be her last hope, for ne
was the only relative we had in the world
! except some distant cousins out West
and when the days went by and the for
I ejgn mails came in and brought no let
/ ter from him, she gave up in despair. a
last. and pined away and died.
4. st can just remember him. Amy said
"Hc had blue eyes, like Mama's. anc
i such an odd trick Of narrowing then
I Till they looked like tiny Sits when NJ
/ laughed; and he was always so good tt
US. Go on. Noel.
t."rhen you had that awful fall over the
/ stairs" began Noel again. and old Dr.
Kane said If l kept you quite still fol
six weeks you could walk again. . s.
And kept quite still, even when vol
had to leave me to go to work, Noel.
1 tried not to move" said Amy sadly. II
i has been six months now. and seem tc
4 grow worse instead of better.
i ,"In January I could walk around TIT
! room, don't you remember, Noel! anc
I now can't take three steps for The
/ pain. Oh. Noel am to be helpless likt
! this all my life? Can't something be done
/ for ms? %
Noel drew quick, sharp breath. Sh'