A Romance of Billy-Goat Hill

this tiresome trip to the country for purely altruistic reasons. She had come to prove to herself, and to her circle, the bond of friendship that existed between her and

s fond of telling her husband, "to which

thumous. It was what he was going to be, that made his name an awe-inspiring word in the community, more than what he

her arm and pushed open the door. The hall had doors to right and left, but before making further investigations she paused to

up saw a pretty, slender girl in a short white petticoat and a sleeveles

young person, cordially extending a smiling welc

ner intended to impress this exceedingly casual perso

erney Foster, our neighbor, is fitting this lining and she has to get ba

ne susceptibility to a pretty

t look any queerer than it feels. Miss Ferney doesn't know what's the matter, and neither do

ly cut lining across a smooth white neck, while the girl before her, having shifted

and too loose there. Have her take up the side seams to the place

in my room, if you like, just across the hall from the Doctor's." And without further ceremony

now was in sitting on the top rung and dictating arbitrarily to all those below. She had acquired a passion for dictating, for arranging, and setting in or

herself up to the pleasure of recounting at length her troubles of the past few months. She enjoyed talking, as a prim

e how frightfully anxious I've been, but then this whole spring has been a veritable nightmare. Donald and Lee Dillingham both involved in this unspeakable scrape,

n the leaves of the massive volume which he had regretfully closed at her entrance. "I, for one, owe him a debt of gratitude

ave complicated things frightfully. You know his grandfather, the old general, is the largest stockholder in the People's Bank, and Basil insists that he must not be offended. That was one reason why I was so anxious to keep Don out of the way. Even if Lee wa

heard nothin

oats like a gentleman. You remember Uncle Curtis? They said at the club he was a frightful drinker, and yet not a woman of his family ever saw him intoxicated. Then look at Grandfather Morley!" Mrs. Sequin was mounted on a favorite hobby. She had a large and varied collection of family skeletons, some of rare antiquity, which she delighted in exhibiting. She could recount the details of the unfortunate matrimonial alliances on both sides of the family for generatio

en she paused for breath; "if he is guilty, he ought to take his

probably in the Orient with Cropsie Decker. What a magnificent bed this is! Do

the Doctor's thin lips: "Thornwood's po

on I met in the front hall was Miss Car

etic and attentive to all my wants, and receptive to a remarkable degree. She has been reading to m

asked me to fit a dress for her when she had never seen me before in her lif

pecially. A fine, frank countenance, with dark eyes-yes, I believe I did notice

he'd make a sensation. I shouldn't at all mind asking her in to spend a few days with me sometime. You know I adore young people, and poor Margery, like all the other las

e next year to complete the fifth and last volume of my 'History of the Norman Influence on English Literature and Language.' If I have been able to give my children very little of my

eanwhile? Heaven knows what Hattie will develop into if she isn't taken in hand. She refuses to have trimming on her underclothes now, and wears boy's shoes. As for Co

," the Doctor said, somewhat helple

. What a savage creature your new cook, Myrtella, is. I believe she is an anarchist! She opened the door only a crac

, did you s

hich he said was going to be a cake. I must say she seems good t

"She is an excellent cook, and a good manager. Her on

on earth is that noise? It sounds a

Sequin complied, Miss Lady came in, carrying a large lun

lenty crowned,'" quoted the Doctor. "

, Mrs. Sequin?" Miss Lady asked, as she fixe

down, I want to talk to you. I've discovered the ideal site for my new house, and I want to ask you ab

long before it was ever

"You might modify it, Katherine, by calling

upon any suggestion that emanated from the Queering

s to Mr. W

Cousin John, wasn't that the man Don stayed with, when he was lookin

Doctor. "I encouraged him. It seem

Of course he's a darling fellow but he has ha

n and was standing by the bed, her hands tightly clasped and her eyes fixed on his, he explained: "We are speaking of the young brother of Mrs. Se

otives. "I was like that for weeks when my last dog was run over. The most casual thing would u

e in quite irrelevantly on Mrs. Sequin's steady flow of talk: "I said chestnut brown, K