The Story Book Girls

s A

o immediately and tell

ightful in connection with the two sisters except the illness which made a prisoner of Miss Annie. Miss Annie lay on a b

she might marry a duke, Elma pictur

usually resolved itself into the important phrase of "something internal." Old Dr. Merryweather, years ago, had landed himself into trouble concerning it. "A poor woman would get on her feet and fight that tendency of yours," he had said to Miss Annie. "Money simply encourages it. You will die on that bed if you don't fight a little, Miss Annie." Miss Annie had replied that in any case her bed was where she intended to die, and forthwith procured quite sweetly and pathetically, yet quite determinedly, another doctor. That was over twenty years ago; but Miss Grace still passed Dr. Merryweather in the street with her head down in consequence. She did all sh

Annie, a pleasant easy manner of taking the nervous fussy attentions of Miss Grace. It was astonishing how soon they could show that in this establishment of magnificence, Miss Grace did not count. She was immaterial to the general grandeur of the verandahed palace belonging to Miss Annie. They were always on their best behaviour in the house where not only a footman, but an odd man were kept, and Elma, at the age of seven, had been known to complain to Mrs. Leighton when a housemaid was at fault, "We ought to have a man to do this!" Indeed th

her duke in a whisper, she had suggested to him that Miss Grace might let her play on this instrument. Miss Grace, coming in then, was in time to see her lips moving, and c

the frightened hurt lo

It was hers--when she was able to--t

ened tears in front of her alarme

aid very simply, "th

d sincerely the fact that her legs stuck so far through her clothes, so that she could not trail her skirts to the piano and arrange them as she screwed herself up on the music stool. However, what did a small thing like that matter while Miss Grace sat with that surprised happy look on her face, and let her play "anything she liked"? Anything Elma liked, Miss Grace liked. In fact, Miss Grace discovered in her gentle, amiable way, a wonderful talent in the child. It formed a bond between the two which years never broke. Mis

the tea table. Crumpets and scones might be passed about by Miss Grace. In a very large silver cake basket, amongst very few pieces of seed cake (Miss Annie took no other) Elma would find a pink biscuit. After that

anslated into actual composition in music, the poses which caused Elma to be the butt of a robustly humorous family, crushing her to self-consciousness and numbne

necropolis. They are having a lovely time. Oh! i

ing family circle as Jane Austen or "Sense and Sensibility." The consequences of her position sent her so many times tearful to bed, that at last she put a severe curb on herself, and never used words that had not already been sampled and found worthy by her family. The afternoons at Miss Annie's, however, where she could remove this curb, became very valuable. The result was that while things might be "scrumptious" or "awfully nice" or "beastly" at home, they suddenly became "excellent" or "delightful" or "reprehensible," in that cultured atmosphere. Only one in the w

on Miss Grace's piano. He was greatly pleased, delighted in fact, and immediately wanted her to do the same for him. Elma's sensitiv

why this should be, except Mr. Leighton himself, who looked long and with a new earnestness at his daugh

ed as happily and easily to a roomful as she did alone. She blossomed out with

id Elma to Miss Annie on the day when she

he handsome teapot be

han Miss Dudgeon?" she asked

n said so,"

. Maclean?" as

's nephew. But he knows Miss Dudgeon, and he looke

said Miss Annie reprovingly. "Mabel is high

elieve any of us can be gifted. He thinks there's a g

ng?" asked

g I mean, Miss Annie?" Elma

e of seed cake from the formal pieces lyi

ould infer that your father, by telling you there was a great deal to lear

on these occasions, when she took the pl

to please Elma immensely. Her e

big things to be done, and it doesn't seem to be any use to try the little things. Like Mozart's Rondos! They are so silly, y

that this young thing should invariably be expressing the thoughts which had troubled her all her life, and never even been properly recognized by herself, far l

mething more, to prevent the foolishness which she was afraid of experiencing whenever she made a speech of this nature. Miss

nimity with which she always f

" Miss Grace said gravely. "Mr. Sturgis was young himself once, and no doubt a

is doesn't approve of freehand drawing at all. He says it's an

id Miss Anni

's rotten,"

thing of a pau

amma goes right into the room and hears her do it. But Mabel can read off and play

he chords yet, deari

what was it I said?" she a

ing," said

o," said Elma gratefully.

d to see her in this attitude. Nothing was ever said on these occasions, but invariably one knew that in order not to

g to play a Liszt Concer

iszt?" asked Miss G

anything,"

being prettier than Miss

never Elma had to listen to the wisdom of the white book. The title, The Soul's Delineator, fascinated her by its vagueness. She had never cared to let Miss Annie know that in growing from the days when she could not even spell, the word "delineator" had remained unsatisfactory as a term to be applied to

, as by the encouragement of the sensibilities, i.e. these elements which go to the making of the

a rather high and different tone, as it a

manners, hasn't she?"

the Story Book Girls to-day, and everything about M

eyes

scene of the drama of life from four far-away people to her own newly grown-up sister. It was a devotion which lasted long af

ld her how it was that Mabel had got a blue gown after all. It was delightful to fe

gan to look anxiously at Miss Annie, and Miss

" said Miss Grace in the concerned tone with which she a

ly in to remove, and El

ss Grace to Miss Annie once more,

obligations, dear,

was of Miss Annie to be brave like this, and wondered a trifle in her enth