The Little Colonel's Knight Comes Riding

ught of being left here alone all night with just me. And she thought it would be such a good time for Betty to read us her n

she explained to her mother who had come out into the hall at the

eep at the house, but something turned up at her home a little while ago to prevent. So they want Kitty and Betty and me to come ovah right away and spend the afta

wards the windows, against which

, rainy afternoon with you," almost slipped from Mrs. Sherman's tongue. B

r rain," interposed Bet

only natural they should want to be going," she thought. "But if it wasn't so selfish I could almost wish that Gay hadn't come to the Valley for the

d was answering merrily, "We'll be ovah right away! Ri

the Lindsey Cabin, each in a comfortable rocking chair. Lucy had taken them to her room saying it was cozier up near the roof where

uare of linen to start a piece of drawn-work, and Kitty had some napkins to hem. Mrs. Walton had turned over the management of the house to Kitty only that day (

o years before. It had been intended for a Christmas present, and she had brought it with her intending to finish it before another Christmas or perish in the attempt. "Don't pay

ad her novel to the girls, she had been so sure of its merit. But now as she glanced down the page she was assailed

it of three Lloydsboro people. He looks like Mr. Jaynes, stutters like Captain Bedel and has expe

Presently the girls began to exchange approving nods. She watched them from the corner of her eye. Now and then there were low murmurs of approbation at some particularly pleasing

hought it. She saw it in better perspective through their eyes. Its plot moved so smoothly. There was more life, more go in it than she had been conscious of in he

ears on her lashes and Lloyd with the peculiar tightening of the lips that showed she was trying to swallow the lump in her throat, she was so happy sh

eeded. There was a personal interest in the story for each of them. Lloyd saw herself as plainly in Betty's heroine as she could see her reflection in the mirror door of the huge mahogany wardrobe opposite her. Some of Kit

the window. "I'll ring for lights," thought Lucy, "just as soon as she comes to the end of this chapter." But

less when I'm to have a real live authoress to dinner? I was

jubilant over her triumph that her eyes were full of a happy light. "This is

der that they might get back to the reading as soon as possible.

make you think o

of it myself; that rainy day at Boarding School, when Ida Shane read 'The

ls always make me feel that I have missed half my life, because I wasn't with you when Ida Shan

ve since discovered, but then it seemed all that was lovely and romantic. It gave us thrills up and down our spines and sent us around with our heads in the clouds for days. We were seeing embryo Guy

reathed during the last two chapters, and I'm so eager to kno

Elizabeth Lloyd Lewis?" asked Kitty tea

for and prayed for these last ten years. Can you wonder that it makes me r

when the girls went into the dining-roo

son to go on; that we'd wait on ourselves and clear the table, and they could wash the dish

le, they heard the outer kitchen door cl

indow-shade farther down, Gay. There's just room for somebody to peep under it, and there's not

. "Do for pity's sake put your mind on something else, Lucy, a

impersonating different characters in the Valley. She was a fine mimic, and kept them laughing al

en with Sylvia gone, that I was afraid to look over my shoulder. Queer, isn't it! For it's just as warm an

males are enough to keep any Lloydsboro f

ed dramatically beside Lucy's chair to say in a stage whisper, "Hist! I have a

rday to bring you those books. It was awfully funny, girls, the way he seemed to leave it by accident. I couldn't help laug

s to the kind of weapon she had in reserve. It was after eight when they rose from the table, and they made such a

e of the huge living room, for the night was chilly as well as damp. But Luc

men in the house," she explained. "We'll light two big lamps,

etty found her place. But just as she raised the sheet of paper, the great door of the mahogany wardrobe swung slowly and stealthily open. Not a sound did it make, and there was something so ghostly in its silent undoing that Lucy gave a little shriek and hid her face in her hands. Each one of them acknowle

of-fact Kitty, who had crossed the room to examine it. She turned the ke

We've forgotten to bring up the silver pitcher and Jameson's ladle. I put them on

red Gay. "There's no use in your doing

prang up, but Gay

enough. I don't mind acknowledging that I'll be glad to hav

was almost as timid as her sister, but the fearlessness of her two companions made her keep up a pretence of bravery. A

a man and h

rs came t

on the c

ey thought

down on the

hey couldn

teen miles i

looked b

ell the scariest burglar tale that she had ever heard, but

and began looking around for the silver heirlooms. Lucy was m

ut all over me! That's the mos

," insisted Kitty. "When she saw the

I can feel things grabbing at my ankles. Let me have the candle a min

or Lloyd was as fearless as herself. She did not get further than a sentence or two, however, before Gay came hurrying back. To their astonishment she blew out the candle as she reached them, a

e was creeping around under the windows, and then up on the porch. I

heir hearts thump a little faster, when they, too, heard a noise at the window. There certainly were step

gh of relief. "Let's all go to the doah toge

lone woman's voice answering, and the burglar forcing his way over the transom! Our only safety is in keeping perfectly st

neighbours he'll kno

ds, and how near it was to Stumptown, with its many drunken negroes. The knock was not repeated, but the steps sounded

growing gray-headed. I can't stand this suspense another second." Then as the st

hat happened, but almost instantly a pistol shot rang out. Up till that moment ne

another, in such rapid succession that they lost count. A series of piercing screams from Lucy, up-stairs, made their blood run cold, but the sh

ty in a horrified whisper

t lying on the settle, and threw it on the coals. It bl

e for herself, for Lucy had caught her in a hysterical grasp and was holding her like a vise. As the candle flared up something fell from

us of shouts outside. Some one was calling: "Mrs. Harcourt

Lloyd flew to open th

of relief. "We thought it was a burglar doing the

ut I had no idea it would come back at me in that boomerang fashion. She popped loose and shot at me bang through the front door. The firs

right. I ought to have gone away without knocking when I saw there was no light down-stairs, b

s the consequences of her wild shooting might have been, she could not face him. At the first sound of his voice she ran for the stairs, her wild dash almost upsetting L

ay's tearful protests that she could never look him in the face again, never, neve

ate their remarks with bullets and will shoot at the drop of a hat. Hereafter he will herald his approach by telephone or else come in a coat of mail warranted to turn even the fire of a Gatling gun.

NXIOUSLY OVER A B

n. Her chafing dish was her panacea for many ills. She had tried it at the Post too many times with the different boys who flocked there, not to know its full value. So when Gay came into the room

ce and put him on the same privileged footing that the boys at the Post enjoyed, than dozens of casual meetings could have done. It was

, but she did not stay there long. It was impossible to resist the infection of Alex's high spirits.

e was no telling when there would be an opportunity to finish it as good as this would have been. Once she had a hope that Alex would not stay long and that there would still be time to finish the reading after his departure. But while the candy

ongs for some duet they wanted, Lloyd crossed over to the settle wh

'Brer Tarrypin.' He used to be devoted to candy-pulls, and came up to the Post every time he thought w

Uncle Remus stories by heart and wondered in what way this on

ottoms of the plates to keep the candy from sticking, but 'Brer Tarrypin he klum up in a cheer an' say he watch an' see dat de 'lasses didn't bile over.

discreet in her reminiscences, for she felt that Lloyd was already prejudiced against Leland more th

t. The boys all got to hailing him in Uncle Remus fashion, 'Heyo, Brer Tarrypin, wha'r you bin dis

erved Lloyd, with an amused smile, which Gay interpreted as mean

s properly fastened, and started Lucy on her way up-stairs with the silver pitcher and ladle safe in her hands. He seemed to leave the sense of his strong protecting presence behind him. As they bolted the door and heard him go whistling cheerily down the road, Lucy declared enthusiastically: "He's a nice boy and he's ma

Betty slipped into a borrowed kimona, shook down her hair and

us watch out of the corner of her eye, intending to stop at the first sign of weariness. But the attention of her audience was as profound as it had been during the afternoon. Stifling

e always been suah you'd make a name for yoahself some day, bu

ling. "My friends may be willing to 'pass my imperfection

ls, and Betty's heart grew warm as she listened t

all ready to send off in the morning. It would be so fine to be able to brag to my grandchildren that I helped. I h

k to find it, Lucy climbed up on a chair to look on the wardrob

hen I'm so far from the source of supplies. Oh, I know now," she said after an instant'

dainty nightgown. It was the work of only a moment to slip out the

insisted. "See what an

on and wrapped in Lucy's paper, it was gravely handed over to Lloyd, who

able," said Lucy, "if anybody's brave enough to go down and ge

melted the red wax in the heat of the candle. "Somebody ought to say an abracadabra charm ovah it," she suggested. "You do it, Kitty." Then she looked aro

caught up the old silver ladle and pressed

y difference. There!" She lifted the ladle, and they all crowded around to see the clear-cut impression left in the red wa

s a fine war-cry for Betty. She's striven so long it's bound to bring

had carefully fastened both ends of the package. She held the wax

and the dagger of the ladle's crest. Then they stood over Betty while she addressed it to the publisher to whom long ago she had dec

s the chime on the stair began its warning. "Th

around at the four pretty girls in the candlelight, as they made a ceremony

cargo of fame and fortune that the girls had predicted. She had dedicated the book simply "To my Godmother," and she pictured to herself the supreme moment when she could lay the published volume in her

the first lover of her stories. She almost sat up in bed in the excitement of her next thought. She wondered why it never had occurred to her before. If the book should be really successful it would bring

ng Heart in every one's memory-with her pen! She felt that her whole life ought to be a perpetual Thanksgiving, and when she fell asle