Kitty Trenire

ad of a very weary man, and the face of a very worried one, ano

rfully sorry, father," he said impetuously. "I-I was a brute to throw

lowly; "but, of course, the wood was old and dirty, and the

ht of that," said D

the house thinks, it seems to me. I suppose, though, it isn't your fau

o uncomfortable had been her rule, so un-homelike the house, so curbed and dreary the children's lives, that when Kitty reached the mature age of thirteen her father, only too glad to banish th

py childhood, so all family troubles, all anxieties, domestic worries and details, were kept from them, and the result was that, beyond the nursery and schoolroom life, they knew nothing. Kitty had not the least idea how rooms were cleaned, or meals provided, or anything. Then had come t

k up the reins of management, life at Dr. Trenire's was not well-ordered and fre

t followed. Though when four wild young spirits, that have been bottled up and corked down for years, suddenly find themselves free and able to do what they like

ust seized the advantages and revelled in the freedom, but ignored the responsibilities; and no one was more acutely aware of

used to sit and tell them stories, and hear them say their prayers before they went to bed. "I have thought over the whole situation, as

may. She had never thought that anyth

is not to be wondered at. We are a large family on the whole, and a doctor's house is not an ordinar

ithout any open fiasco, and they had been able to enjoy themselves, and the servants had not been bad-tempered, s

r father slowly. "So, after much thought and hesitation, for I am very reluctant to admit even a comparative stranger into our midst again, I feel that the only thing to be done is to write t

readful! It could not be-they could never bear it! She had stayed with them once for a fortnight, and it might have been a year from the impression it had left on their memor

rtnights; and not as a guest, but as head and mistress of them all, to manage them, to order them

is Anna!" g

bout it as did his children. "Anna will live here too, prob

p of bitterness their cup could hold, th

mphasis; "and we shall hate her more if she is here always

are unworthy of you,"

y solemnly, "and we've got to speak the tr

u won't like it either, a bit. When Anna was here before you often used to say, 'Oh, that child!' and you looked quite glad, as glad as we did, when she went away. I am sure y

lips. It was a way she had. She had never been known to cease talking without being forcibly made to do so. "It does seem dreadful," she went on thoughtfully, "that just because Jabez got his head hit we must have

at I think it will be the best plan for all of us-for our comfort and happiness, and your future good. I can't have you all growing up

Thank you,'" sa

vage than anything,

she might have saved them from it. The others blamed Jabez and his tale-bearing; but Kitty in her heart of hearts felt that Jabez with his cut forehead and his tale of woe was but a last link in the long c

decision final, they recognized only too clearly, and the glorious su

ng on the garden wall that afternoon they were changing and spoiling their lives for ever, and giving Aunt Pike the chance she had been longing for, the chance of coming there to 'boss' them? How was one to know what one might do and what o

again without expecting something to

Dan foreboded gloomily, "so it is just as well to be p

ds to grasp all they had to grasp. They had a sort of gloomy longing, too, to revisit the spot where so much had happened, to go over the fam

nd the sky was heavy and overcast with threatenings of the storm that had b

gh it knew,"

ey. He looked quite imposing with his bandaged head, and he was taking himself very seriously. He glanced furtively at the children, and bore himself with an air o

e forehead seemed so trifling compared with what they had to bear. Jabez, who had expected anger or teasing on their parts, felt this coldness greatly; he was not

has he, Jabez?" she asked anxiously, st

got to go to Welland to on

oo?" looking at

ys I'm to go 'ome and 'ave a good night's r

to drive father?"

as 'ow he'd d

id with quiet firmness, "I am going to drive father; then perhaps he will be able to sleep a little in the carriage. Don'

sly first at the sk

I can," she said eagerl

got trouble e

there's a nast

pecially when I am

se, 'cause she stands thunder and light

ess father stops me; so don't bother to say any more a

If you'm set on it you'm set on it, and

bez, you might give me the nail out of that bit of wood," said Dan

e to the affair, for he was really devoted to them all, and was ashamed of his part in

be wise of me to let 'ee 'ave it. I dunno wh

ed Dan. "You've nailed Aunt Pike fast to the house with it,

and suddenly realizing that their sombre faces and

e here, and it's your fault," said Betty concisel

vivid recollection of her former visit. "She hain't a

and times worse. She is coming here for good,

e said, "and I shan't be allowed to show my nose in the kitchen. I'd have had my old 'ead scat abroad every day of my life and n

d Dan, "that

take and do it. I've stood so much more from all of 'ee and never so much

t must have been something, for sure," brea

ore we start, and then father won't let me go;" and Jabez, with another gloom