Year: 1875




stood, calm, complacent and unblushing,
with that same unvarying smile on her
face that Clarence had, within one short
hour, learned to despise.


Yes" he replied, Il heard you tell
her" That was all-all, he said, and


.epping into the hall, took his hat and
gloves and walked away, with cool
"Good-evening,' leaving Arabella feeling
rather cresttallen, for she saw at glance
her beautiful castle in the air all fallen to
the ground. She knew he must despise
her, but her only regret was that she had
lost handsome beau and could no longer
look forward to old Mr.. Lees estate as her
own in the future. But she determined to
vent out her spite on poor little Lettie.


This all happened the evening before my
story commences, so you may know that
Lettie's heart was heavy enough on this
hot July morning with all the weeks
ironing on her hands, besides the rest of
the family housework. No wonder she
sighed often, to herself; no wonder the
gentle, brown eyes were full of tears.
But the ironing was all done at last. The
sheets and pillow-cases hung, smooth and
spotless, on the clothes-ba and the table
cloths and napkins were folded neatly and
laid on the broad shelf by the stove, to
thoroughly air before putting away in the
drawer, while Arabella's rufiies and laccs
and embrOideries were all starched
and futcd and crimped to perfection,
50 that even that lady herself could find no
fault with them.


The dinner over and the afternoon work
out of the way, Lettie flew up to her own
little room as to haven of security, for
here no one ever intruded upon her. 1t
was up too high for Mrs. St. John to drag
her fat, dumPy figure, and as long as
Arabella could summon Lettie at her bid
ding she had no idea Of climbing up the
Kitchen stairs to see what she was doing
This little sanCtIm of Lettie'S was by no
means an inviting-looking room. The
floor was bare with the exception of a
small piece of torn and faded rag carpet
that Lettie had one day ished out of the
ash heap and cleaned and spread before
her bed. The walls, also, were cherries
and unpapcred, but she had two pictures
which she had cut out of Il pictorial news
paper which she found once in the street.
One of these Lettie never tired of gazing
at 1t was the picture of little curly
headed girl, just out of bed on Christmas
morning, taking the first peep into her
stocking, which was crammed full of
goodies; and as Lettie looked at the bright
face and happy eyes she remembered a
time far away-at least it seemed far away
to think Of, she felt so Old nova time
when she, too, hung up Ler stocking and
had a Merry Christmas like this little girl
in the picture; and then she turned to the
bit of broken looking-glass that lay on her
toilet table-and what this table was |
don't know as you ever could guess-a
rough dry goods box, with her own little
faded green shawl on it for a spread. She
took up the broken bit of glass and
looked into it long and earnestly.


81 feel real DID," she said to herself,
"but amt seventeen yct-rot till next
week." and here came another sigh for
the glad birthdays past and gone. 1t was
not very old-looking face that met hers
in the mirror. Two rosy cheeks, two
brown eyes, slightly-turned-up nose,
ripe, red mouth which held pretty, white
teeth, and mass of golden-brown hair,
which was the envy of Arabella, who had
TO rely upon fashionable milliner for
that which nature had denied her, or,
rather, that which she had lost by crimp-
ing and frizzing and pinching with hot
irons.


But Lettie was in no mood today to
look on the bright side of anything, so the
rosy, youthful face was not rosy or youth
full or pretty to her She saw only what
she felt. But she had Il love of neatness,
and so she mechanically smoothed out the
long, silken tresses and put on her white
muslin with blue forget me-nots sprinkled
all over it, Ia dress made over by her own
hands from one Of her mother's), fastened
a knot of blue ribbon in her hair and sat
down in the window and looked out into
the great old oak tree that leaned close up
to the sill and swayed to and fro with its
wealth of midsummer foliage. This was
her favorite seat. 1t seemed, somehow,
as if the old tree could sympathize with
her and to it she told her troubles, and the
whisper of its leaves was like Il soft, Low
ing response to her weary young heart.
She loved this old tree-the only friend
she could claim upon the whole broad
earth-and this afternoon she poured out
her heart to it after her own childlike,
lmpulsive fashion.


"Oh, you dear old tree, you, whatever
should do without you? Pm 50 glad
God made you grow! | wonder if He
didn't think of me when He first looked
down and saw the little acorn lying on the
ground, and then whispered to it to climb
up here by the window on purpose, so
when ! came l might have something to
love and talk to. Oh, you do make me
happy and feel just like singing" And
here she happened to remember that her
aunt and Arabella had gone out for drive
and she was alone in the house. With a
little, glad laugh at the thought, she broke
forth into merry song, which echoed
through the lonesome old house and
sounded far out through the open window
She sang on and on, forgetful of all out
ward surroundings, only knowing and
feeling that she was, for few brief mo,
ments, happy. At length her joyous carol
died away into low, soft melody, and
the old Scotch song, so tender, so sweet,
again broke from her lips. And again
Clarence Lee was a listener and knew il
was the same voice that had so charmed
him on that r-to-be-forgotten evening
He had legal news of importance for Mrs
st. John, concerning her husbands will
and he was just passing up the long, grav
eled walk when his ear caught the frs
notes of his favorite song. He reached
the door, then paused and listened. He
could not bear to put an end to such swee
singing by making his presence known
and so he waited until the last verse was
ended: .s~., .
| Her voice is low and sweet,
She is all the world to me,


And for bonny Annie Laurie


would lay me down and dee


Then he rang the bell. Lettie started
and rubbed her eyes as if she had beer
dreaming, as its harsh sound reached hel
little chamber. She supposed, of course
it was her aunt and Arabella returned
and, finding the door locked, had runs
| the bell. and thew had heard her singing