The Little Colonel's Chum: Mary Ware

but A.O. Miggs had that distinction early in the term. Her birthday was in October, and when she appeared that morning wit

worlds!" cried one superstitious

flashing of red and blue lights in the heart of the gem. "It's bad luck not to wear

child is b

vicissitude

wears the o

every care

eloved of the gods and men as lo

d Jane Ridgeway, who had joined the group, "f

that opals are the prettiest of all the stones. Write the verse out for me, A.O., that's a good child.

, and when, a week later, she appeared with a beautiful Hungarian opal surrounded by tiny diamonds, wi

o wear one. The answer came in the shape of an old heirloom, a Scotch agate that had been handed down in the family, almost since the days of Malcolm the Second. It had be

each month. The firm which issued the catalogue would have been surprised at the rush of orders had they not had previous dealings with Girls' Schools. The year before there had been

born, withou

st live unlo

when the catalogue offered the genuine article as low as $2.75. The daughters of April and May, Ju

an emerald

oved and hon

ten dollars, and added half her month's allowance

ongingly when it came her turn

world of ou

rst open sh

peril fir

loodstone to

found her so absorbed in her task that she did not notice the open letter Betty carried, and the gay samples of chiffon and silk fluttering from the envelope. She looked u

thing for the extras. There isn't a single person I can cut off my Christmas list. I've put down what I've decided to make for each one, and wha

mething to the mock Christmas tree fund, and I want to get Jack something nice. I couldn't take his own money to buy him a present even if there were enough, which there isn't. I've already made him ever

r Jack, for his birthday is in March, too, and it is such a dark, un

tone as if she were n

is evening as soon as I've finished looking over the A class themes. Because none of the girls has ever done

ly she followed the winsome princess through her gay social season in town, rejoicing over her popularity, interested in everything she did and wore and treasuring every mention of her in the home papers. The old Colonel sent Betty the Courier-Journal, and the society page was regularly turned over to Mary. There was a corner in h

ned candy-pull. Not more than half a dozen guests managed to get there. Tell Mary that I tried to distinguish myself by making some of that Mexican pecan candy that they used to hav

"It comes in a cone, wrapped in a queer kind of leaf, so I'm sure she didn't have it. I'll write out the

table, cracking pecans, and picking out the firm full kernels, while Joyce presided over the bubbling kettle on the stove. She wondered if Lloyd had enjoyed her grown-up party as much as she had that

on a hastily scribbled note

Why don't you try your hand at that Mexican candy Lloyd mentioned. If the girls once get a taste it will be 'advertised by its loving friends' and you can sell

ng headlong as she reached the top, by catching at A.O., who ran into her on the way down. She could not get back to her bank book and

into the halls, which set every girl within range to sniffing hungrily. Betty explained it to several, and there was no need to do anythi

full of the delicious sweets that she could only mumble. "Any man who can

you want to scream when his name is mentioned. Now there's Babe Meadows. Will you ever forget the way she rang the changes on 'my Uncle Willie'? I used to quote that line from Tennyson under my breath-'A quinsy choke thy cursèd note!' It wa

t Mary taking this way to e

hard work stopping her. She is as full of energy and determination as a locomotive with a full head of stea

-the-box! She's always springing him on an unsuspecting public, and just about as unexpectedly as those little mannikins

uded Dorene's suggestion. She carefully picked up the last crumb. "I shall speak for three pounds of this right off. Papa has such a sweet tooth that he'

eneral favourite that whatever she did was passed over with a laugh. The few who might have been inclined to criticize found it an unpopular thing to do. The object for which she was working enlisted every one's interest. Jack

, for, as she said to Elise, "I've set my heart on taking the valedictory for Jack's sake, and of course I couldn't sacrifice that ambition for all the watch-fobs in the catalogue. He wouldn't want one at that price. But I've found that I can pick out nuts and learn French verbs at the same time. If you and

on, for there was no denying the drawing qualities of

me time. "I really believe that this is better than Huyler's hot fudge Sun-balls

f. "Considering that you ate the lion's share of it,

factor he is, when he sends you bon-bons and books and things." She had enjoyed his many offerings

Mary, what do you think? A.O. has a suitor! A boy from home. He is to come next week, armed with a note from her 'fond payrents,' giving him permission to call. After talking about him all term and

rd. You'll make a byword of everything he said and quote it to me till kingdom come. You know how it would be, do

name, for friendship sounds t

I've always thought it would be nice to have one, but I suppose I'll have to go to the end of my days si

in a mood for teasing everybody. She pointed an accu

cake. It was an old English shilling, coined in the reign of Bloody Mary, with Philip's and Mary's heads on it. That is a sure sign they were meant for each other. Phil said right out at the table before everybody that fate had ordered that he should be t

ing. "My! How you are blushing, Mary. Look at her, A.O." Her

train there

y lo'e

s name or whe

choose t

ly to talk that way when everybody knows that Phil Tremon

on at one time. I'm not mentioning names, but you know very well that she's not the one he is crazy about now. Just wait t

testing its hardness. Then she spread out several sheets of paraffine paper with a great show of indifference. It had its eff

wanting to seem behind her room-mate in romantic experiences, silly little A.O. had drawn on her imagination for most of the confidences she gave in exchange. When Elise talked of the lieutenant, A.O. talked of "Jimmy," adding this trait and that g

own, and too bashful to speak his admiration, he had followed her around at picnics and parties with a dog-like devotion that touched her. He had sent her valentines and Christmas cards, and at the last High School co

w slipped into the background, and it was his devotion and his chivalry she enlarged upon. Elise, impres

ce. I have given him a note to Madam Chartley, granting him my permission to call on you. He is in an agony of apprehension over the trip to Warwick Hall. He is so afraid of meeting strange girls. But I tell him it will be good for him. It is really amusing to see h

opened and swallowed her before she drew such a picture of him for Elise to admire. There were only two ways out of the dilemma that she could see: confession

was to be in Washington she could arrange to meet him there. So she could plan a trip to the dentist with Miss Gilmer, the trained nurse, as chaperon. She wouldn't have minded introducing him to Elise if she had never painted him to her in such gl

fairs, and when she saw that her turn was coming again, she

window, tapping on the kettle with her spoon in a preoccupied way. Then she laughed su

oo funny for words. I'll have to go now," she added, as if the cause

You're going to be overflowed with orders, I'm sure. Well,

always some mischief brewing when she acts that way. I don't dare leave her by herself

ut on the window sill in the wintry air were firm and hard, all ready to be wrapped in the squares of paraffine paper and packed in the boxes wai

train there

y lo'e

down to meet him. I'd want them to see him. I made up my mind at Eugenia's wedding that it was safer to be an old maid, but I'd hate to be one without ever having had an 'affair'

little Wigwam kitchen. A handsome young fellow turning in the highroad to wave his hat with a cheery swing to the disconsolate little girl who was flapping a farewell to him with her old white sunbonnet. And then the same face, o

e time she had overheard a conversation not intended for her about a turquoise he was offering Lloyd, she said to herself, "He is for Lloyd. They are just made for each other, and I am glad that the nicest man I ever knew happens to like th

. "That fits me exactly. No Lieutenant, no Jimmy, and no birthstone ring, and no prospect of ever ha

l-singers were practising for the yearly service. This one was a new carol to her. She did not know the words, but to the swinging measures other words fitt

not by the road, and

far sea way, yet c

f all the world, love