Jane Lends A Hand

and its big, black square piano, had lost a little of its funereal aspect, and a great deal of its oppressive neatness. Over the chairs, over the Brussels c

ght needles that were so industriously plied. Outside, the first heavy snow of the winter was falling, in big

d one young lady with a comfortable sigh of relief. "I start makin

buy all of them in the city, when I go to visit Cousin Mary. It

with large, soulful eyes, and a tiny mouth. "And that is what counts. It's what makes Christmas pre

aid the one who bought her Christmas present

it in a square of holly-red paint. "But I think that just a little card, with a tasteful de

elia's cards, and inspected it, through a pair of lorgnettes, which she held about six inches from her eyes, spreading out her little finger. "How charming! How effete with taste! Lily, my dear, you

, blushing crimson. "Th

, when will you remember that everything has its proper place? Now, I did want to read Amelia that delightful little Bandeau o

ercome with embarrassment, adding, desperately

rustling black silk, turned her lorg

I see that you are all happily occupied. What are these gay

o for costumes, Mrs. Deacon," said Annie Lee Webs

uerade? How

fourth girl, the lively, apple-cheeked Do

. Mrs. Deacon looked ast

will you do that? Sa

asure, where, concealed by the long, dark-red curtains,

lorgnette levelled on the younge

tfully, concealing her vulgar orange under her pinafore. "What

te at her ease under Mrs. Deacon's prolonged stare. Amelia, who took herself very serious

e! Sappho wa

ly, "that will be charming. And so well

with laurel leaves in my hair. And I shall carry a lyre,"

acon in perfect raptures. "So simple. And af

lyre?" asked the p

e one out of card-b

jo," suggested Jane, gravely. "That would rea

deign to reply

ly?" Elise put in hurriedly, th

ced at he

s-as a Spanish dance

r very similar to Amelia's. Why would it not be sweet for you to go together as the Two Muses, the one fair, the other brunette, representing, as it were, the poetical talent of Fre

ht of having her poor little verses publicly read and appra

ting off a thread with her little white teeth, "I don't know why, but I d

g hard, your mother would let you," wh

mamma thinks its awfully bold of

out a Spanish dancer. Ju

at all dashing,"

now what it feels like. I'm sick of being demure and lady-like. Yes, I am! And I want to wear a comb in my hair and

the matter with you? You want to flirt? Why, I never heard of

ed Lily, audaciously. "Do

whose brown eyes were twinkling, "Amelia's too intel

a hes

flirt ever wins a man's solid respect. My brother-in-law says that every man really care

ith a spirit that astounded her friends. "I feel like flirting.

eaux, but I know that you pose as being intellectual, just to-well, because you think it's one

ervation, which struck everyone bu

h costume," coaxed Annie Lee. "We can use this yellow stuff

my lowest bureau drawer ever since. I knew I never could use them, but I couldn't resist th

d Annie Lee. But at that mo

d you these few little things that I think perfectly dear,

e hapless Lily, turning red as f

n she was only fifteen, Amelia. It's called The Pinetree." And with a pre

t of the moon, And I wondered why it made me Feel so very full of gloom. It

ittle things are full of poetic feeling. So melancholy, you know. Lily was quite a melancholy child. Just look o

ne, why am

es from the belfry of the nearby church, and Mrs. Deacon suddenly

was tactfully abandoned, and now that Mrs. Deacon's overwhelming presen

he sees you Mrs. Deacon will let you have your way,"

older than Lily in many ways, notwithstanding the four years difference in their ages; and she felt rather sorry for Lily, without exactly knowing why. Jane, so capable herself of getting what she wanted, had the tendency of many vigorous natures, to feel a certain good-natu

re, as she saw her ambition to appear "dashing and dangerous" gradually being rea

ror, reflected the gayest vision that had ever peered int

clad in a pair of black silk stockings with scarlet clocks!-another of Lily's hidden treasures. The black lace scarf, draped like a mantilla over the high tortoise-shell comb, fell over Lily's slender white shoulders, and framing her face, made her skin seem more transparent, her hair bl

e, "you can tear the satin off the heels of you

said Dolly; "there isn't a thing wrong, a

gazed into the mirror, as if uncertain that the r

en broke off with a shame-f

ance out of the window to see how d

Sheridan. I wond

ee the eccentric young man, whose habits had for several weeks been the subject of much speculation in that busybody little town. Even Amelia forgot her dignity and scrambled

ssion of surprise,-even of indignation, as if he resented this notice from the "feminine element"-was almost instantly replaced by one of alertness. Jane beamed at him, and waved her hand, and he smiled back at her and lifted

lushing pink, and with an answeri

y pretended not to hear. Shrinking back,

s-rushing to stare at a stranger lik

aid Annie Lee. "Anyone who is as quee

t him?" cried Lily

ne, and lives all alone in that big house. You may

Dolly, sentimentally. "I'm sure h

not romantic, "he's no mo

oncerning the secret sorrows tha

ertises his like a breakfast food." Then once more she turned on L

etending to be studying her o

o you," ins

didn't do anythi

"you know very well he did

on't know him. How cou

only

noth

cealing something

that belongs to Mr. Jenkins started to run after me, barking and growling the way he always does. I got over the stile, but he crawled under the fence, and followed me again. And I started to run, a

ed Dolly, "and is

And he said he liked them, they were so intelligent. And-and then I sa

is keep up?" inq

e. "Did you find out how he liked cow

y indignantly. "It was perfectly natural to sa

the dog doin

? Oh-I guess it mu

if you had simply thanked him, and gone on your way. And I think that Mr. Sheridan sh

n it, it seemed nothing short of shocking that she had spoken in such a familiar vein with a young man to whom she had never been introduced. Why had she said anything

anyone but a prig would

lise, "that isn't a ve

to know him Janey

him," replied J

ed on

ng is what he does with himself all the time. He says he wants solitude, and that he doesn't want to

se in Frederickstown is invited, and its all so informal and everything, I don't see why we shouldn't ask him too. It would be perfectly all right, bec

o objections to make, and was in fact already making ce

with a sober face she began quietly to take off her finery, as if some of the fascination