The Danger Mark

desperate. Not one out of the fifteen servants considered necessary to embellish the Seagrave es

ned young Mrs. Severn to Staten Island, every servant in the h

Sunday they were demons; and Mrs. Farren shu

of hot muffins. Later, when Mrs. Farren ventured into the schoolroom, she found Scott Seagrave drawing injurious pictures of How

an, "it is after n

t cheerfully; "we haven't anything to do till Kat

as just sent you this list of lessons

ing cologne on a lump of sugar, thrust the lump int

cott! Did you ever hear of anything half so mean? Kathleen's

halk and aiming a kick at the big papier-maché globe. "I'm sorry Kathlee

ied on Friday," said th

s for a moment in the prese

ldine slowly.... "When i

to-night,

"but I'm tired of lessons. Now, Mrs. Farren, watch me! I'm going to kick a goal from the field

ead on one side, wriggled, carefully considering the angle. Then, t

rs. Farren!" said Scott calmly; "Harvard is

d, and the big globe struck the nursery door

every time; then, as usual, when she got what she wanted, gave up to Scott and let him monopolise the kicking u

to hold it for me to kick," said hi

awing Howker. You can't

, I

on his drawi

house; I might have a little fun to-

y toward their bedrooms, but went on calmly with his drawing, using some effective coloured

to do to-day?" he

thes, was kneeling on one knee and hast

t of her eyes. "Come on, Scott, I'm going to misbehave all day.

her with patronising tolerati

ne, but you're n

isted. "I'll do whatever you do; I'll do w

d into the red drawing-room!

le skate, and a moment later she whirled into the red drawing-room backward and ups

bly turned into rinks; the twins swept through the halls, met and defeated their nurses, Margaret and Betty, tumbled down into

to buy them off with tribut

rred Mrs. Bramton. "Don't I know the likes o'

rted Scott. "I wan

full, "but we expected to skate about the kitchen an

cken over there," said Scott. "And I want

ed Geraldine. "Get me some dough, so

nd the spice cupboard, sneezed violently; a Swedish kitch

e air was suddenly filled with balls of dough. Mrs. Bramton fled before the sto

wker arrived they retired hastily with pockets full of cinnamon sticks, olives, prunes, and dried currants, climbing triumph

you?" inquired Geraldin

ng. If I had anothe

you I can misbehave as well as any boy. Dare me to

t's all very easy f

it! And you know p

all, even if you hav

h dough at Olga and Mr

n't hit

soft, horrid lum

can't throw

!" said Geral

bris

say that

ng-gloves. You did tell a lie,

When he returned he hurled a pair of boxing-gloves at Geraldine, who put them on, laced th

s and then punished him savagely before he could get away; then he attempted in-fighting, but her legs were too ni

hipped in an upper-cut. Then, darting in, she drove home her left

lie, didn't you? Five-six-Oh, Scott! I've made your n

e; but his sister threw down her gloves and offered him her handkerchief, saying: "You've j

ted; wipe

hrow straight. Ginger! Wha

nching honourable wounds. After a while he laughed. "Thunder!" he exclaimed r

ake, if you like," sa

sister to feed him and tell him that his disaster was only an accident. He tried to think so, too, but serious dou

he began. "I'm all rig

t, I don'

ow which of us really

t when I'm very, very angry. And I ought not to become angry the way I do. Kathleen tries so hard

ing and changing the subject. "I say, it loo

k, bounded by Madison and Fifth Avenues and by Ninety-fifth and Ninety-sixth Streets, looked out from its fou

y April dementia that possessed the children at recurring intervals, and whi

partly for the children's sakes, partly in memory of the past; but the newer and younger domestics had less interest in the past glories an

. Mrs. Farren, the housekeeper, understood it; Howker, the butler, knew it; L

en remember parental authority; and only a shadowy recollection of their grandfather's lax discipline survived, becoming gradually, as time passed, nothing more pe

orld of fashion with his cultivated taste in art and wine and letters and horses; he had been a very important man, too, in the civic, social, and political construction of New York town, in the quain

gotten him. Only an old friend or two and his old servants remembered what

the last will and testament of Anthony Seagrave had provided a marvellous, man-created substitute for the dead: a vast, shadowy thing which ruled their lives with passionless precision; which ordered

lt and unpleasant authority which controlled their coming and going; which chose for them their personal but not their legal guardian, Kathleen Severn; which fixed upon the number of servants necessary for the house that Ant

he Half Moon Trust Company, acting as trustee, guardian, and executor for two little children, who

ich they were unable to account was always followed by a peri

ian, Kathleen Severn, the children broke loose with the delicate fury of the April tempest ou

s the spring sun broke out, gilding naked branches and bare brown earth, touching swellin

noticed dandelions in the grass and snowdrops under the tree

could see the roofs of electric cars speeding up and down Madison Avenue, and the houses facing that avenue. North and south were quiet streets; westward Fifth Avenue ran, a sheet of wet,

ing, anyway," said

all our exercise with Kathleen just the same, and watch ot

e," admitted Geral

y'd only let me have a few friends. There are plenty of

e, "if there is anything t

hy

and begin to whisper as soon as we come along. Do you know what

attening his nose against the window-

; and I said that we were not rich at all, and that I never had had any money, and that I

et you? Of cour

nd I showed her the boy, but sh

een's

act that way-Mr. Tappan makes her. Our gr

I'm old enough, I'll have other boys to play with

the Half Moon

back at the portra

d, "that I believe mother

Scott. "Sometimes I feel like kic

ved Geraldine, lifting a slim, gracefu

hat they go out and help Schmitt, the gardener, who, at that moment, came into vie

Lang, the second man, refusing hats and overshoes; and presently were dig

, ramming down the moist earth around a fragile

plained the old gardener. "N

g for several minutes, st

"and I'm not going to sit here all day waiti

ees by the coach-house, across paths and lawns and flower-beds, tearing about like a pair of demented kittens. They frisked, climbed tree

olley of last year's horse-chestnuts. And when the enemy had been handsomely repulsed, the children

ran along the top of the granite-capped wall between hedge and street; and Scott followed

wayfarer, however, received careful attention, Scott having div

some time, when suddenly Geraldine pin

comes that boy I

at

h and proud to play with him. And that

them a volley. You take the nurse and

ms of the twins; the boy, who appeared to be amazingly agile, seized a swinging wistaria vine, clambered up the wall, and, cling

rted Scott; "come

u to say when you know I can

he had to fight him; "I'll tell you what!" sinking his voice to an eager whisper; "You run away from yo

ed Geraldine; "and br

erbockers. "Do you want to

if you like, and your sister and I wil

at Scott, looked uncertainly at Geraldine, then shot a hasty and hostile glance at the interior of

, "I'll come back and p

irrel to the pendant wistaria, he le

n their shoes and stockings, scrambled down to the shrubbery and raced for the house. Through it t

do you think I'm going to miss the first chance

t discovered two small figures dashing up the drive to t

d to defend his post; Scott prepared t

looked fearfully embarrassed, for the Seagrave livery was still new to him; nor, during his brief service, had he fully digested the significance of the policy which

ddenly jerked his hand from the bron

of feet were flying through the hall, echoing lightly across the

He seized his guests by the arms and drew them behind the rh

ster, Na?da. Let's wait a moment before we begin to fight;

eraldine with an inte

ess like a boy," she sai

dine. "I'll get you a suit of Scott's clothes, if you like.

boys here." And, to Duane, as Geraldine sped cautiously

t th

s Mrs. Severn, our guardian-is always with us when

d Duane in frank disgust.

a, doubly distressed that a girl should hear the degrading term applied to him.

ane cruelly, "do the sort of

ne," stammered Scott.

with three boys isn't anything," he

sked Scott,

ine, and after one. We have fine times. Scho

r kilted skirts, had abruptly turned her back on him; yet he was mise

now how to play hockey," co

was no

Play with dolls?

own quite white. Na?da, turning,

that," she said; "

est clothes, halting when she perceived the situation, for Scott had walked up t

y?" asked Scott in a

, I

shing in between them, "you'll h

nd shoved her

to fight him," she

ight, we'd really be what you call us. Put on Scott's clothes, Na?da, and while our

aid Na?da tremulousl

orted Geraldine. "You can like anybo

a," said Duane sternly. "Ar

o costume herself while the two boys invested th

ake hands," observed S

ted Geraldine; "shake hands

lenly; "shake hands with anyb

n't, I'll put on those glo

upon Geraldine with newly mixed emotions.

ght is all right. Duane called you a silly name. Instead of disputing about it and calling each ot

eemed d

rcely, stepping so swiftly in f

the sudden smile which Geraldine fla

r pockets, strutting a little and occasionally bending

ne; "begin! Look out, Na?d

s touched gloves, then

ment Geraldine

she said; "remember! Now, d

re lacking. Doubtless their ancestors before them joined joyously in battle, confiden

nd twine to half-completed nests in the cornices of the House of Seagrave, to pay much attention to the combat of the S

mprehended that her new companion was absurdly at her mercy; and then she s

mulously, "and nobody gained the vic

n of the lonely child's caresses. "Yes-I do love you, Geraldine. Oh, look at t

reaked their countenances. Duane Mallett wore a humorously tinted eye and a prehensile upper lip; Scott's nose had again yielded

oning Na?da's waist, walk

Mrs. Bramton to give you enough for four to eat and bri

icked," mut

was I," s

nced Geraldine. "Do get something to

gloves respectfully, and Scott shook of

l, and gloves still on, evidently that instant arrived from those occult and, as the children

on earth has happened? What is all this that

piness now to be snatched away ere scarcely tasted. Into the child's dirty, disfigured face came a hunted expressio

Scott? Tell

y and girl in to play with us, and I've just been fighting with him, and we were h

or a moment, speechless

re they,

e-the

the

es

are t

tt. We got them to run away from their nurse.

e at once,"

d produced a pocketful of jack-stones, and the three children were now sea

saying to

verybody says so, and all the nurses in the Park

Geraldine, "why don'

you have as mu

month.... It's my turn, Na?da! Oh

f her mouth as Kathleen Severn, in her mourning

t on," said Mrs. Severn quietly. She turned t

wash and dress properly, because I am going to telephone to your mother an

ay loosely about the shoulders of her own charges; one encir

e; Geraldine, turning on the stair

ly going to l

am, da

ay together all al

.... I thin

ng herself into Kathleen's arms; then danced awa

nd reassured Mrs. Mallett, who, however, knew nothing about the

presently was put into communication with Colonel Mallett,

ered in here through your son, Duane. That is how the case stands, Colonel Mallett; and I have used my judgment and permitted the children

it! You know that he won't, Mrs. Severn. I suppose, if he consults us,

o parties like other children-they ought to be given outside schooling sooner or later. All of which questions must be taken up by your directors as soon as possible, because

Mr. Beekman to-night. Until you hear from us, no more visitors for the children.

by the inclination she displays.

oesn't s

es anything

thoroughly unders

e or kept in the house. The child was perfectly truthful about it. She admitted filling

bout the sherry she s

aked a lump of sugar in it every night.... She is absolutely t

en Severn hung up the receive

ame a joyous clamour and

d her face with her