Jane Lends A Hand

to nurse a grievance for life; but Mr. Sheridan was too young, and too healthy not to find himself, at the end of so

own barren, unkempt lands with the thriving farms of his neighbors. It occurred to him to go in for farming in the spring, to plant corn and wheat, and to get cows and horses, to build barns and paddocks, and to rent out part of his land to some of the thrifty, shrewd young farmers, the newly married ones. The idea delighted him; he wanted to talk about it, to get the opinions of some of the intelligent land-owners of the neighborhood, and to air his own notions. But gradually his enthusiasm waned again. He was getting lazy and listless. Every effort seemed useless to him. He began to feel very much abused because no one was interested in him. Miss Abbott had treated him very badly, even Peterson was as cross with him as the old servant's good manners would allow, Phil scolded him in his short dry letters, and finally had stopped writing altogether, and that bright little red-headed girl had never come to see him again. When he walked through the town he felt abused because everyone seemed to be having a better time than he. They all knew each other; the women stopped to chat on their way to market, the men talked local politics and business in the doorways of the warehouses; when he passed they touched their hats respectfully, and stared after him curiously, as if he were something that had dropped from another planet. He was in a chronically bad humor. That the world in general had taken him at his word, and left him entirely alone put him still more at odds with it, and the fact that he knew he was living idly and uselessly put him at odds with himself. If he had stopped to consider, he would ha

onversation, certainly, and it piqued him a little to think that he had not been able to say something more inte

led himself up short, and displeased at his own weakness, firmly resolved not to waste another thought on Lily. It was all the faul

e ceremonious, courtly style of her generation, reminding him of the friendship that had existed between her hus

society wavered feebly under this hospitable attack; and after five or ten minutes reflection, this hardened m

ght, riding high above the happy, festive little town. New fallen snow glistened on the roofs, lined

otesque masks; evidently bent upon showing for once in the year that they too had not forgotten how to frolic. There was old Mr. Pyncheon, with green pantaloons appearing from beneath his great bearskin coat, and a huge red false nose hiding his own thin, impressive eagle's beak; there was grave, bearded Professor Dodge with red Mephistophelean tights on his lean nobby limbs, spryly tucking Miss Clementina into his little single-seated sleigh. (Miss Clementina, aged fifty-two, was representing "Spring," in pink tartalan with yards of green cotton vine leaves, and bunches of pink cotton roses garlanding her spare, bony little figure, though at present this delightfully symbolical costume was hidden under piles of cosy-jackets, mufflers, veils and cloaks.) And lastly,

" cried Jane, "and I do believe that she'

n the chesterfieldian old man's very zeal. He was an ardent, if not an exactly comfortable driver; he shouted to his horses and the two lean, shaggy animals alternately stopped short, and leapt forward with terrific suddenness and speed; and at each jolt,

Deacon, as casually as she could. But Mr. Buchanan would not hear of this; he felt

tenderness of his emotion so wrought upon Mr. Buchanan's spirit, that large tears stood in his childish blue eyes. It cannot be said that even these assurances calmed Mrs. Deacon's fears; but if to her that five mile drive was a thing of sudden alarms and constant terrors, to Lily it was an unmixed delight. It was not often that Lily was able to take part in the various merry-makings of the town; there always seemed to be so many other things for her to do, and she was far ofte

lds, glistening under moonlight so bright that one could detect a rabbit track across their smooth expanse-all filled her with unutterable delight. She was very glad that she hadn't gone with any of the others; then she would have had to talk, and she wasn't ready to talk yet. It was too nice just to be able to sit still, and enjoy it all, and think. Her thoughts must have been pleasant ones.

n itself. What she longed for was to appear fascinating and irresistible, just so that-well, just so that, he could see. Dolly had told her that he would be there. Would he recognize her? Would he dance with her? Well, it might be this way; he would see her of course, but she would pretend not to see him, and he would think that she had forgo

y to one side, her mother half tumbling upon her. At breakneck speed, and with a great flourish of his w

where the big, rambling, comfortable old homestead stood. The road leading from the house to the barn was ill

holly were tacked to the walls, colored lanterns, with sly sprays of mistletoe hanging from them, dangled from the ceiling. A huge fire blazed in a great brick fireplace, in front of which the older men had collected to drink a toast with Mr. Webster. And up in

erriest family in the world. To see the four big boys, with their irresistible grins, and the two rosy-cheeked bright-eyed girls, and Mrs. Webster, a dignified-looking woman

r favorite anecdotes. Then the darkies, grinning from ear to ear, an

our partners, gentlemen!" and dashing

ening were Lily Deacon and-Miss Clementina! Yes, Miss Clementina, little and wizened and brown as a walnut proved beyond argument her right to boast of having been once the queen of hearts in Frederickstown; and although thirty years and more had passed since her cheeks were rosy, and her sharp little elbows had had dimples in them, she still had her faithful admirers, grey-haired, portly gentlemen, a trifle stiff, and a trifle gouty, who still saw in the wiry, black-eyed little old maid, the charmer of auld lang syne

here were wings on her scarlet heels. But now and then she lost the thread of what her partner was saying, an

d, and talking to Mr. Webster (who was at last forced

e as compared to life in the city; and to laugh at the droll yarns of the other old gentlemen; and to watch the multi-colored swarm of dancers spinning about to the lively rhythms

ided to settle down here for go

ided. But I shall probab

don't happen to be thinking of getti

," replied Mr.

inking himself of his duties. "I'm nearly forge

guest by the arm and dragged him of

the plump but agile Dolly. He enjoyed it, and he e

a wicked twinkle

enjoying his disappointment (which he hastily concealed under a pleasant smile) betrayed him into the hands of a pallid young lady, we

l had ensconced himself, his long legs dangling over the edge, his chin between his hands, brooding above the jolly turmoil of the dance floor like a large, thoughtful crow; and here several of t

pany. Having ascended the wooden ladder, she s

," she

d Paul, "been hav

at are y

tch

usic. You know, I'd like to learn h

would the trombone suit you

d then without replying focussed h

ghing and half ann

is too mea

s too

I do that the main reason Mr. Sheridan came was so that he might m

" sai

Amelia until th

nice-looking fellow," remarked Paul, condescendingly. "I

or a whole evening. I saw Dolly introduce him to her at least half an hour ag

k yourself a pretty important person,

iss Lily as soon as she could. I told her he was very sa

Amelia. You usually seem to like e

. That's what I don't like about her. I don't like people who write about the stars, and then turn a

ully and gallantly; but every now and then a haunted and desperate expression came

happy man, and that he might confide in her. His only escape from this harassing conversation was to dance with her (trip

tone of decision, "so

E

must go down, and ask A

ha

d it shall be returned to you a th

n any such bargai

for a minute. I'll ask mother to get Daddy to go

n't know how to dance anyt

n, now, Paul-like a good, delicious angel.

g to be a matchmaker. You're going to make all your friends hide in a

" And actually, so irresistible was her determination, she coaxed the enraged Paul down the ladder, and

tion, professed abysmal regrets at being forced to lose his charming partner; and then Paul, with the sweetly wan expression of an early ma