Lydia of the Pines

ind. This is the very

ring

veler there may be a certain monotony in the unending miles of rolling green hills, stretching on a

ild rice. Some are couched deep in the hollow of curving bluffs. Some are carefully secreted in virgin pine woods. From the t

ainst the sky-line are primeval pine woods, strange to find i

he black green of the woods. Mighty acres of corn land, blue-green, march on the heels of the wheat. Great pastures riotous with early goldenrod are t

ake City, lays claim to almost a century of existence. Lying among the hills in the northern part of the State, it contains both the state capitol and t

ve. The dome of the capitol rises from the trees at the southern end. Between, deep lawns stretch to the water's edge with fine old houses capping the gentle slope of the shore. In

, with an atmosphere th

, culture, leisure,

re except for narrow trails worn by children's feet. To the initiated each trail told its own story. There was a hollow square that formed the baseball diamond. There was a straight, short cut that led to the little cress-grown spring. There w

ay and the children of the surrounding blocks had all by one method

hair of a dusty yellow. The curly hair did not hide the fine square head, a noble head for so small a girl, set well on the little square shoulders. Her eyes were blue and black lashed, her nose nondescript, her mouth large, her chin square and her little jaw line long and pronounced. She wore a soiled sailor suit of blue galatea. Caught in the crotch of two opposite branches was a doll almost as large as the sleeping

Clive in India." It was written by G. A. Henty and told of the marvel

with her tongue caught between her lips was deftly whittling a cigar box cover into doll furniture, of a sca

r spoke softly to Florence Dombey occasionally, but otherwis

the knife down the neck of her blouse and began to suck her finger. "Here, let me have Henty, F

the knife into her blouse and she opened the book. But before

, up in the tree! Watch me, dearie! See me c

re into the blouse. Florence Dombey, being hastily inverted, sho

s, baby! Catch

ht and held up her arms as Florence Dombey, dangling unhappily, upside down,

come. Watc

a let herself down, landing with a spring of which a

kissing the baby-"fi

n we'll sta

e, home

turned the perambulator around and ran it along one of the little paths to the sidewalk. She hoisted it to the

irl of her own age, who carried a

cried. "It was a per

ice that something in her blue eyes denied.

zzie would have done that! I think your

My father's got plenty of money," she b

he held out two beseeching dimp

Lydia. "It-it'll make your tummy ache

o was the pet of all the children in the neighborhood, and put the string of her b

ring away and held

es, Margery," she said. "I

and tied it about the baby's wrist. "You know you can't buy her one and you know she'll

or, crowing ecstatically over the red bubble t

," she said reluctantly. "I'll

rgery, nonchalantly.

ees were frame houses, of cheap and stupid construction. Before one of these Lydia paused. It was a dingy brown house, of the type know

ket fence and tugged the perambu

hall Lydia take you

little Patience,

a arrange Florence Dombey in her place in the perambulator. Her resemblance to Lydia was marked. The same dusty gold hair though lighter, the square little shoulders, and fine set

cried with a stamp

orderly. The center-table of fine old mahogany was littered with pipes and newspapers. A patent rocker was doing duty as a clothes rack for hats and coats. A mahogany de

st and was evidently the dining-room and sitting-room. A huge old mahogany table and sideboard, ill kept and dusty, filled the bow windo

e was a broad wreath of wrinkles, surrounding bespectacled black eyes and a thi

atience, pattering up to the ol

id Lizzie. "Where'd yo

n cup on the kitchen ta

teak. He complains so

skirts and went on into the kitchen. Her

s in her voice when she spoke to little Patience and it was appare

about time you got home,"

ime was about forty years old,-a thin man of medium weight, his brown hair already gray at the temples. Lydia evi

r supper?"

teak," s

sake, don't le

deftly. "I'm going to give baby her cup of m

ed the cup of milk toward the dining-room. From where he sat he could see her kneel before little Patience, and hold the cup, while the baby dra

" he muttered. "Patience would break her he

cup. "Now for the steak," she

went into the dining-room and sat in a rocking chair with little Patience and the balloon in his lap. Old Lizzie

n?" asked Amos as Lydia bro

er," answered the chi

, I suppose. I wish I

ollar and a half

a, sitting the baby in her high chai

I guess heaven is paved with lies like yours, Lydia. John Levine will be ov

father and poured tea. The ancient maid of all work sat be

e didn't finish her nap this afternoon," said Lydia. "I

was becoming too close a fit and toiled with he

sorder, the floor covered with clothing and toys, the bed unmade, the old fashioned mahoga

ten the balloon to the foot of the bed. Then she carried her to the little rocker by the window and with a look that was the very essence of motherhood

the land of

ts riches

hat beauteous

my home, fo

hich crickets shrilled,

im agai

one, while my pr

e-and still

me no gau

rom simpl

rom the l

e summer

gust wind touched Amos

e-" he

ully, and as carefully deposited little Patience on the bed. This done, she untied the balloon and carried it out with her to the little la

love the smell of them. Think what they can do, how they can float, better than birds! How y

the house. Then she slipped down the stairs and into the night. A dozen times she

Patience does," she murmure

e of which the street boasted. She stole up to the door and fastened th

aning against the gate-post next her

nt! Did you li

ould have taken that t

ing but carrying wat

't pay for. I promised mothe

ight-- Now, don't fly off the handle-look, I got a trick. I've rubbed

as a little taller than Lydia, led the way to the open space

pinning back a quick overhand shot, "but

her from the bow window

"I'll wait till he calls me twi

yd

Kent. Don't throw curves

shan't c

Good night, Ke

e I'll be over, to-morrow, if I

sant at all to look forward to now," she thought. "The circus parade is over a

cake Lizzie had saved for her. With this in her hand she entered the dining-room. An

the parlor, Dad," sai

stuffy,"

said the tall man. "Come h

with a clear affectionate gaze on his thin smo

say 'young' Lydia

want to know, t

short curly hair with a gesture that was indescribably gentle. "I tell you

e bite of cake. "You'd take me traveling, wou

heart's desire, whatever that might be. I

them both with a sort of puzzled

' for you to see, Lydia," said Levine. "Keep it as

book and the two men returned to t

comes due in January,

to do s

get so much?"

lumped all my outstanding debts with the doctor's bil

Why does he live on this st

sick sense in the pit of her stomach that always came when she heard money matters discussed. Her earlie

as a fool ever to have quit it. It looked like a mechanic could eat a farmer up, though, when I was a young

s a sharp farmer to make interest on a hundred an acre. Lord-when you think of the land on the reservation twenty

unch of Indians moved on and gave white men a chance. I wouldn't s

Amos," replied Levine. "But it would t

ss, then? What's that bunch we

ing his pipe. "I get ugly about the reservation, y

elieved two hundred and fifty years ago when they settled in New Hampshire and put loopholes under the eaves of

omach on the couch, tu

ed up with su

to live. I'd love to live

You should have been a

who'd have mothered little P

k at that litter on th

smiled while

do with that doll furni

vi

oll house for little P

table wriggle. "Don't

your mother's trait. I wish I'd had it. Though how I could

ctantly, her bo

d," Amos went on; "go to b

p on a chair and laid it on the top shelf of the sideboard. Then she ca

, my child,

ne. "Haven't you one to sp

ently on the cheek. "If you were ten ye

e child, with a happy giggl

a moment, then John Le

is such

r nursing my wife. I can't afford to pay for decent help. And after al

a better chance. I wish y

what?" as

r own way. She'll be getting to notice th

itted Amos. "I'm going to move next mo

no!" excla

"I came down to put Florence Dombey to bed," she explained. "Oh, D

a garden," insisted Amos. "If we go further o

moving. Last time you said 'twas because you couldn't bear to stay in t

to bed!"

kitchen and in a moment they hear

, take that cottage of mine out near the lake. I'll let you have i

mos. "It's as pretty

don't you go to Congress? Not to-day, or to-m

look about it, the gift of a Canadian French grandfather. Amos was typically Yankee, with the slightly

man to put to another," said

d Amos. "There's rich land lying twenty miles

cratched

iff," said Amos, "as a

on why a real estate man shouldn't go into politics as wel

lowly and stifling her sobs for the sake of the little figure in the b

nce up right." This was her regular formula. To-night she added a plea and a threat. "And O God, don't let us move ag

moonlight slowly edged across the room and rested for a long