Red-Robin

er the Third's school days, when she had waited each day for the lad's boisterous charge upon the kitchen after the "bite" which was his and her little secret, she hoped to find i

e soon learned to love him. But a girl-how would she look sitting at Master Christopher's desk, in

ese room was only separated from the library by heavy curtains through which voices could be

tle. He had, in the few days, grown very fond of Robin, and he hated to leave her with Harkness and Budge an

s different-" he was thinking just as M

nows much more about some things than most girls her age-and nothing at all about others. What I want you to do is to go easy; easy, that's it. I rather imagine she's

o a straggling Van Dyke beard which he always stroked with the fingers of his left hand. He was the old type of schoolmaster whom the rapid forward stride of education had left far behind. His summons to Gray Manor had come rather in the way of a life-saver and he did not int

e other, his face wrinkled in h

erstand me? Never mind what's in the old schoolbooks. If she'd rather take a walk than study Latin verbs, well, let her. I want her to b

mighty jab. As though it were not bad enough to bring the girl to the house in the first place without paying a man a fancy price to t

nd she should not be singing as though she owned the whole world. These two transgressions and the sight of the bright blossoms in the girl's hand brought the climax to the old woman's w

that Gray Manor was going to be a prison instead of a castle, sought out her new friend she foun

ou doing?" crie

hat's what.

uffered the keenest impatience all through the trying morning, longing to go

on't let

please the old thing. But I hate to go home." She sat down, dolefully, on th

a very big amount of money to Robin

to me-'specially when I have to earn it." Then, with a flash of temper: "What do you know about wanting

and pouring out her troubles alwa

ng in my life that I

yl, I'm

n remember. Pop's sick all the time and cross, and poor mother looks so tired and tries to be so cheerful and brave that your heart aches for her. And even when you're poor, a girl w

our mother?" broke in

f-sacrifice. I wanted it to buy a violin. That thing I've got's nothing but a cheap old fiddle. And I can play-I know I can play, or could if I could get a good violin. I took lessons from an old Bel

hat it was to want something and not to have it, though perhaps she had not known it as cruelly as Beryl had, for Jimmie had always contrived to cover their bleak moments wi

and I'm not hinting for

thered up an armful of clothing on top of which lay an oblong bundle. Its wrappings were old and loose so that as Beryl flounced her burden toward

yl picked it up. "That old thing

arm. "Wait-oh, wa

an old doll

me look at it. It's like a doll-I lost, once, ev

o find in her face a likeness to the

. A little girl went off and left it. I

y called to me to hurry and I forgot-and you found it. Why, I cried mysel

l and loved her because I thoug

loveliest dol

loveliest dol

. They sat on the edge of the bed, the d

all alone that evening and would have been lost if it hadn't been for my-" she broke off short and flushed

grave as she smoothed out

r and I were so happy, over finding the doll and because Pop had just gotten a raise. It seemed as though everything were going to be wonderful and we felt as rich as could be. We called the doll a lucky doll.

happ

ucky since. It's just as I said; mother's had to work and Dale's had to work and Pop just sits in a ch

aybe things will change. They'll have to-Jimmie always said, it's a long lane that has no turning. I'm

u ought to h

obin added triumphantly, "because we're really truly friends

hook he

crank-"

wanted here just for the asking and he's made me the silliest big allowance that three girls couldn't spend. Oh, I've a pla

ked doubtful. "

ppy while Jimmie's having his chance-that's why I came, you know. But this house is so big and so old and Mr. Harkness and Mrs. Budge are so old that I k

t for themselves and Robin, no doubt, was like all the others. Yet she was such a queer little thing that perha

m because Jimmie thought the girls and boys who went to the school I did, might make fun of my being lame. Poor Jimmie, he always minded my being lame much m

't want a penny I don't earn. But

r those uniforms-for then you wouldn't be a girl like me.

ish them in Robin's room, Beryl working mechanically, unable to believe her good fortu

cigar smoke, were pleasantly discussing the pros and cons of the

two men. "I've engaged Beryl to be my chum. I-I thought I might be lonely here a

a grin. Here was Miss Gordon taking her "head" at once, without so much as one lesson. He glan

'cause she's almost my own age and we lik

; she seemed like a wholesome, spirited sort and the idea of a little companio

begin-holding your own, my dear. Don't forget-ever, that you a

n his eyes. She rang the bell as her guardian indicated, then waite

bring Mrs. Budge here? There's s

out a clean apron, grumb

?" she asked, as she follo

ite wrath when Robin, standing

companion. I'm going to give her half of my room so that I won't

should not be in a Forsyth butler's eye at all. But there was no twinkle a

ness and Cornelius Allendyce cried out, the one pleadingly, the other in warning: "Car

is unkind to her it's just the same as being-unkind to me. That is all," she finished grandly, with an im

elowstairs. "If Missy wants a young lydy for a companion, well, she's a right to

ius Allendyce was pat

first skirmish, my dear. Bu