The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-05
CHAPTER TIT. At NnruonnMtond

At Normanstand.
 IL was not long before Dr. An Wolf and Harold came again to Norman stand.
 successful than the first, for Tn his absence came to stephen remembrance of things which she had intended to do and say and had forgotten at the time. These were now stored up afresh in her memory ready for his advent. This there was no lack of purposed pleasure. and the days were not long enough for enjoyment There is this difference between child hood and other hoods; and it was but the beginning of many visits: for though the father could not often leave his work the son could come without trouble. Each time he came the Squire as we'll as Stephen liked him better. He had given him a horse. a fine. big horse of the same strain as Robin Hood; and the boy thought nothing of riding over and returning after one full day.
 When ha was at Normanstand Steph- en insisted on all sorts of boyish games. There was not any one to ob- ject; for Aunt Laetitia was seldom at the house at such times, and Mrs. Jarrold did not see any reason why the child should not enjoy herself in such a way. It was healthy play, and she was happy; what more was re- quired! The only person who could have objected was the Squire; and he secretly not only approved but re- joiced. The more boyish the girl was the better he was pleased. and the nearer came her education to his wish Time had not, in this respect. soften ed his old idea.
 Stephen must have playmates; she insisted on 1t now that she has tasted the pleasure. So her father began to ask to the house such children of neighbors as were available.
 To Stephen the most attractive of these companions was a boy some three or four years older than her self. Leonard Everard, the only son of a gentleman. retired partner of bank, who had not long before pur- chased a moderate estate between Norchester and Normanstand. He was a pretty boy. with blue eyes and light suriy brown hair. His features gave promise of being handsome. and he had a figure well-fashioned and alert His movements were as light and graceful as those of a young lawn. He first won her attention by refusing to agree with her wishes--a thing as strange to her experience as it was striking to her feminine mind She remembered it when she had forgot ten more important things. She thought 1t was independence: but this particular thing simply arose from selfshness. She wanted one thing. but he wanted another He did not think of the future at all. or indeed of anything outside his own imme- diate purpose. But she. not knowing his nature. was struck with that something she had not seen in other people All around her gave her sym pathy even when they denied her wishes; but this new boy who refused with a brutal mo" became at once a power to her. And then he was SO pretty The black eyes which she saw in her mirror were nothing like these blue eyes; the sunny brown hair seemed sweet and reposeful after the contemplation of her own flaming red. The other children were somewhat anna zed, for the imperious little lady had so impressed her own will as well as her own individuality on them that opposition to her wishes was new rU them all At first she was not over pleased but there was compensation in the thought that this was real boy who was masterful Every fibre in her feminine body realized the fact. She was glad. too, that Harold was not there; for Harold had way of making every one obey him, and she felt that this boy must not be compelled to play by boy so very much bigger than himself Already she had shrewd idea of Harold's force. He was in the back ground of her mind as power: power that she could command, and in which she had implicated faith. child of lesser nature would have sulk"i or vo,ild have refused to play any other game and so have wrought out her own desires. But stephen was above such pettiness. Her sunny nature, though impulsive, was reasonable; un- less the thing was very desirable she did not wish to make any one else un- comfortable. Moreover, Leonard was her guest: the virtue of hospitality had been in the blood of her race for too many centuries to be easily neglected.
 very we'll" she said. in her pretty high bred way, you choose. Leonard, we'll play at what you like"
 Leonard had chosen at once. He had no oualms or scruples in a matter of gratifying his own desires. The thought of any consideration for his hostess or any of the other children, or for any girl manifestly weaker than himself, did not even suggest itself to him. He would have been nightly surprised if it had.
 Leonard's pleasure had not. all told
 been increased by his opposition and | the giving way to It. The little girl had. in her dignfed haughtiness. nor l tified him. though he had not immA- diately been aware of it.
 1 A little after this time a great blow | fell upon Harold. His father who ] had been suffering from repeated at-