The Story Book Girls

Lei

graphs, Elma Leighton sought sanctuary. Pursued by a tumultuous accusing conscience, which at the same time gracefully extended the un

compressed edition of the most reliable friend she at that moment possessed in the world. Parents commanded. Relations exaggerat

her learning that "m" held priority. She corrected her

emb*arr

progress there. The hot mortification of despair lent it wings. She watched the tide of red creep to the soft curls of her hair as she viewed he

id "embarr

rs which she merely knew by sight and find them unknown to herself as talking acquaintances. Cousin Dr. Harry Vincent, Staff Surgeon in His Majesty's Navy, eyeglass in eye, merry smile at his lips ("such a dashing cousin the Leig

e drawing-room when visitors ar

n asked to play, would have said, "I'm too shy." Elma

fascinated her as with a demand

vously and answered, "My em

e. But the flaming sword of fear cut further conversation dead for Elma.

ell look up 'melodramic.'" This was a carking ca

d anothe

allowed clouds to overshadow the bright horizon of her imagi

istake again as long as I live. Melodramatic,"

Oh! dear, I've f

s a treacherous acquaintance, sh

she said with a certain amount of

had regained its undistinguished pink. She was sorry she could

p--in every way." She sigh

long she took to become like

mily. Each worked on it differently however. Mabel, the eldest, now seventeen, in the present delights of hair going up and skirts letting down, took her ideas of fashion straight from "Adelai

on the sporting carriage of

christened their divinities. It did not do to recognize latterly that the Dudgeons were known in society by other names altogether. One can do these dreamy, inconsequent things with the most superb pleasure while one's

need not know how they emulated the Story Book G

word to the one elder brother of the establ

is Helen?" asked Cuthbert one day bluntly. "Met her at a d

o--o

thrill that the four underwent

out us?" asked E

ou kids exist,"

tumbling pa

the Story Book Girls s

ated an existence for the Story Book Girls which would have astonished them considerably had they known. As it was, they sometimes noticed a string of large-eyed girls with a good-looking brother, going to church on Sunday, but it never dawned on one of them that the tallest carried a heliotrope parasol in a manner familiar to them, nor that another exhibited a rather extraordinary and highly developed golfing stride. Grown-up girls do not observe those in the transition stages, and just at the fiercest

a tall man, with a fine intellectual forehead, and handsome, clear-cut features. He stooped

t our little baby g

ighton sedately. A quiet smile played gently over a face, lined softly,

templatively along the smoothed hair which made a ga

we keep t

s we do," sa

t! It's overwhelming. We were only married

day gown. The blue eyes of the Leightons were gifts handed down by a beneficent providence through a long line of ancestors, and one wise mother after another had matched the

hat you liked," she said dismally. "Heliotro

Jean. "It will only make h

the expression

he garden-party smartness of Adelaide Maud, an

penitently. "Do let her

otrope. They had patterns from Liberty's and Peter Robinson's and Woolland's in London, and a s

eighton in attendance. Mabel's choice lay betw

he said one minute, an

ithin ten days will be c

y out of the window. The clipity-clop of a pair of horses might be clearly distinguished;

ud and Theodora. Theodora was sitting in any

Maud wa

d breathlessly

id Mrs. Leighton patiently, whose ears were not att

ced round

tly, "I do believe you were rig

sin Harry's being with them gave an air of festivity to the occurrence, and curiously enough, Mrs. Lei

that day, when for the first time they all seemed to grow up,

Mabel with carefully coiled hair standing in a congratulatory crowd of peop

"Mrs. Maclean has brought her nep

f having to explain to Cous

ing most awfully. I want to know Mr. Maclean so well in abou

inety-nine days at sea without meeting a lady, could be counted on doing anything fo

n his head inside of three

ye. It enabled her to take her cour

like having measles every three minutes. It was awfully n

which she made this confession. She felt more worldly

Harry

he Maclean m

iligent themselves. She saw Mr. Maclean's eyes fixed on Mabel when she at last gained her opportunity. Mabel had gone in a very careful manner, hair being her chief concern, to play a Ballade of Chopin, and this provided

e herself out of trivial thoughts and enter a magic world where one dreamed dreams. Into this ne

a little rebellious lock of the newly arranged plaits fell t

ean sigh

ant tow

dgeons, don't you? Do

nod

e her?" she a

said Mr

e--almost--as pret

s more pretty than Miss D

Maclean!"

of rapture if he had tried to. At that

quite

priated, and she felt as though she had brought up a larg

whispered to herself. "Mabel i

ardon?" asked

re about emb--emb--Do you mind if I ask you?" she i

ment," said

on't care whether I'm embarr