Gypsy's Cousin Joy

pausing, with a crisp bit of halibut on her fo

ding over her teacup with their very most irresistible twinkle. "Now it isn't the slight

dangerous, Gypsy,-up over those moun

es. Rattlesnake has the best roads of any of the mountains round here,

't a fence. There are logs in some

fraid of stable horses. I can manage any of them, from Mr. Burt's iron-gray colt

d never forgive myself if any accident h

. There isn't a cow

pped her tea and

Winnie, glaring savagely at Gypsy over

be seen in Winnie's attire in spite of his mother's care. "A boy who jerks buttons like that couldn't go 'horsebacking.' You wouldn't h

nity. This young gentleman had a pleasing little custom of deluging the united family at meal-time, at least once regularly every day, with milk and bread-crumbs; maternal and paternal injunctions, threats, and punishments

er thinks about it," Mrs. Breynton went o

. "Father's in the library. Winnie, you run u

ough eatin'. I'm goin' to make him let me

mperturbable deliberation, pushe

his mother, the table, and the carpet. Every

he do it? Why, W

om his waist, empty, upsi

eve it! I never saw such a chil

ug hanging, Mr. Darley might have made a small fortune out of; but the pen of a Cicero could not at

ch a thing for? Wha

I was a steamboat, and the mug was my stove-pipe, 'n' then I

d been a pleasant winter: times there had been when Gypsy heartily wished Joy had never come, when Joy heartily wished she were at home; certain little jealousies there had been, selfish thoughts, unkind acts, angry words; but many penitent hours as well, some confessions, the one to the other, that nobody else heard, and a certain faint, growing interest in each other. Strictly speaking, they did not very much love each other yet, but they we

f his locomotion about the house with any safety to the carpets, he was dispatched to the library on the errand to his father. What with various wire-pullings of Gyp

best beloved of fathers, you mustn't keep saying, 'Gypsy, Gypsy, be careful,' y

id of

y. Her father attempted to call her a sauce-box but Gypsy jumped upon his knee,

d have called it-his children were perfectly conscious of; children are apt to be the first to discover their par

l June day, a merry party started for a

they were starting; "we may not be back till late, an

ypsy; "why, the therm

t the waterproof. She afterwards h

teacher), Sarah Rowe, and her brother Francis, who was home from college on account of ill health, he said. Tom always cough

dows on the distant mountains, all were mellowed in together like one of Church's pictures, and there was one of those spicy w

of dreamy, unconscious way, but they were too

ny, with just the arch of the neck, toss of the mane, and coquettish lifting of the feet that she particularly fancied. The rest were

es and unseen flowers, under the soft, green shadows, thr

an uncommon bore, this doing nothing but looking at the trees. I say

don't approve of r

of being beaten; the iron-gray was n

Mr. Francis, impatientl

d Gypsy, seri

ld leave that bay mare out of sight

hat's out of the question. But I should

e the tall fir-tree is, wit

rot, of cours

really almost afraid to have you go. You might come to the pr

father; come, Nel

ure pucker, touched Nelly with the tassel of her whip, and flew away up the hill on a brisk trot. Mr. F

really come in first," began Mr. Francis, lo

with a twinkle in her eyes;

spot on her neck. Suddenly, while the colt was springing on in his fleet trot, and Mr. Francis supposed Gypsy was a full eight feet behind, h

e fir-tree, was something neither of them had seen;-a hu

under his breath as the colt

and shied, and planting his dainty forefeet firmly on the ground, refused to stir an inch

happen?" cried the rest,

marked Mr. Francis, quite bewildered; "wait till I've cl

of reins in her hand. But just then she looked back and saw Joy toiling on slowly behind the others; Billy with his

isconsolately, as she came up; "Billy

y, slowly; "you might have

ldn't like Billy any better than I do. It's dreadfully

guess I won't race, I'm go

ning. But Gypsy did do it; and though her face had clouded for the

n, tied the horses where they could graze on the long, tufted wood-grass, unpacked the dinner baskets, and dev

ent their several ways, finding amusement for the sultry hours. Mr. Breynton and Tom went off on a hunt after a good place to water the horses; Francis Rowe betook himself

go off. I know a place where there used to be some splendid foxberry blossoms, lot's of 'em, rea

" called Mr. Breynton, as the two girl

ut of sight now," s

ered Gypsy. "He didn't mean we mustn

k," observed Gypsy, as they strolled on through the fallen leaves and redcup mosses, "just think of their sitting still and read

ut you'll do just

not going to be

y, I am, and I'm going to ha

for two dozen trunkfuls. I'm not going to stay home and keep house, and look sober, with my

ing. I'm going to be married in St. Paul's, and I'm going to have my dress all caught up with orange buds, and s

vet moss, her eyes turned up to the far, hazy sky, showi

us, earnest tone Gypsy seldom used, "I do really, though, so

der

ever made for. I suppose t

" said Joy

n and die, for nothing. One can't be a little girl all one's life, climbing trees and m

nd tufted grasses, and tangles of mountain flowers, chatting as girls will, in thei

ow the way back," s

rned about a good many times, but I don't think w

s was sweet; where hidden blossoms were folding their cups fo

ddenly, "we're certai

's getting dark, too. They'll be ready to

steps, over brambles and stones and fallen trees; t

sy, half under her breath; "wh

ence, "do you remember that kn

ped and lo

I dare say we saw them and forg

ter. They walked quite a

voice trembling a little; "I know we didn't come by that

tree, and flower, in search of the tiny, trodden path by which they had left the summit of t

now ver

. Take hold of my hand, Joy, and we'll run. I think I know

arker, and grew darker. They could scarcely see the sk

, knee-deep in a jungl

aid I don't-k