A Court of Inquiry

row, and Pleas

ra

s exclusively-she is Grandmother to a large circle of people, all of whom are glad to see her whenever they have the opportunity. Rhodora is a new gr

ly upon the porch a step or two in advance of the old lady, "that I th

as the carriage, the horses, and the old family coachman were all her own. But she did not correct the girl. She is a tiny little lady, wi

, untied her bonnet-strings, smoothed her soft, white curls, and brought a footstool for her little feet

with them. They went early this morning to climb Bluebeard Mountain,

and jolly?" in

depends upon one's point of view," said I. "They a

" laughed Rhodora. "

fte

lately," remarked Rhodora. She looked at me as she spoke. I wondere

s she?" sh

never as

girl would never settle down like that to talk to

es, and one does not make caustic speeches to one's guests-if one can help it.

oming in colour, with somewhat strikingly modeled features. She wore sleeves to her elbows, and her arm

to look our way, "did I bring my litt

ora. "Which way is Bluebeard

he bag, and when I could not find it the Gay Lady went away down to the red barn to

a smile which might have repaid anybody for

d consider me an elderly person, and that, in spite of her confidence that the Gay Lady was not "

t the river. Rhodora began by dropping into the stern seat among the cushions, but the Gay Lady fitted two sets of oars into the rowlocks, and offered Rhodora the position o

ime for luncheon, and I took

cannot well see themselves at the same time. Rhodora came up behind her, stooped to peer over her shoulder, and seized upon the ivory comb which lay on the dressing-t

red Rhodora, having fi

it overhung all the other fresh towels. Grandmother used one end of Rhodora's towel, and carefully folded and put it in place,

a spare handkerchief?" she crie

linen, exquisitely embroidered with her own monog

ne, Granddaughter," she

"Oh, I seldom lose two in one day,"

d her up on the couch, and covered her with a little silk quilt from her own room, and went away and played softly upon the piano in the distance

ter she had lain for some time quietly observing the figure by the window, freshly dr

made for their rooms, and reappeared presently in that irreproachable trim which the dustiest and most d

lk bag from the porch floor, and followed with it dangling from his hand. Just as she reached the table she dropped her handkerchief, and the Lad sprang for it as a re

to attend to Rhodora, beyond lending a polite ear to her remarks now and then and immediately afterward returning to the elderly guest. Grandmother was really a most interesting talker when

h listened, smiling, to the discussion which had arisen between Grandmother and the Philosopher. It was well worth listening to. The Philosopher, while whol

else to do her honour she had entered into conversa

greed the Lad softly. "Ni

ughter. "I didn't think she ought to come. I could have come alo

able player-but he beat her until he discovered that she was growing very much annoyed-then he allowed her to win the last set by a game. The Lad, who wa

rl and the Philosopher had returned and taken their seats upon the steps of the porch. The twi

eople are always fussing," she remarked, in a slightly lower tone to

returned the Philosopher, in a much lower tone than Rho

anything beautiful about old persons,"

ad done in the morning. He looked curiously at Rhodora. By his exp

e coloured like a girl, and put out her delicate little old hand in its black silk mitt, and he took it in both his and held it close for a minute, looking at her with his blue eyes full of such a boyish expression of affection as his own mother might have seen now and then,

had lots of beaux! What a gorgeous jumble of old-fashioned flowers t

s in after her, shook hands with Grandmother in his most courtly fashion, and stood aside. We waved

were out of sight around the corner, and we had turned to go

id I. "Perhaps by the time she

o are no more the same sort-than--" he looked toward the garden for inspiration and found it, as many a man before him has found it, when searchin

that it is useless to follow her in when she goes to play in the twilight-if they did she would send them back again, or stop playing. And as it is worth much to hear her play when she ha

dmire and follow about, and consume myself with wishing that some day I could be like them. How could a girl l

ch can't be copied," I ret

l glance. "You never said a t

ped playing and was coming out again upon the porch, I turned my attention t

last, don't you?" he queried, when he and

for some reaso

u were going to have anything more like that to

to Co