Jane Lends A Hand

ront of the door of the big oven. There was an expression of such dogged concentration on his face, such fierce intensity in the grim frown between his e

household who had gathered in the kitchen-Aunt Gertrude, Jane, Elise, and ruddy little Anna, the bouncing little as

ced Jane, glancing at the clock. Paul

n you not hold

answered Ja

aking th

eve to see if it fits." Elise was engaged in making over one of her mother's gowns into a school-dress fo

oven-door with his apron, he flung it open; a

e simply beamed with pride as a chorus of "Oh's" and "Ah's" greeted his first real triumph. Five big

a better one myself, have I Elise? No, not even you

d out his b

"I'm the boss around here, and I

ade a spring for him, and flinging both arms aro

uld do it! I s

eaked h

ou couldn't learn to bake an article like that in a lif

o a skill and care that not many people could give. Repeated failure had made Paul moody; he had even begun to think that his lack of success was attributable to some deep-rooted weakness in himself. He had, in fact, begun to give it quite an important significance; and, in his earnestness, had even gone to the length of making a curious pact with himself. He had determined not to touch a pencil, not

f his satisfaction; and she was as pleased

Paul's final success. He was a very just man, and h

a reasonable view of your situation; and have s

ften as he consulted Carl, discussed domestic and public business with him, entrusted important e

f looked up to by the "women-folk" as if he were a prime minister. He suggested, and was allowed to carry into effect several important changes in the simple business syst

s, he was in truth no more reconciled to the lot which destiny h

discussing, in his uncle's warehouse, a question which had arisen concerning the matter of running the state highway through the town, or turning it off from one of the outlying roads, he had said laughingly to Jane that he was getting a mild attack of "civic interest"; and then after a moment's thought, he had added more seriously, "But it's true. I've gotten pretty fond of this place. I almost feel as if I belong to it, and it belongs to me. I'd like to make it proud of me some day. It's all very nice and fine to say that you're an independent citizen, and don't hail from anywhere in particular, but you do feel lonely and left-out, and there are lots of things you never can understand. Lots of things," he repeated, with more emphasis. "I've seen dozens of fellows knocking around the world, coming from nowhere in particular, and going nowhere in particular. Some of 'em were pretty clever, I guess-I'd hear 'em talking, sometimes on board ship, sometimes around the tables in the taverns. I used to listen to them-they talked as if they knew a lot, and were usually worked up over something,-Americans, and Italians

ut beyond these elements he knew nothing save what he had gleaned from his rough contact with the world. His ignorance of many things which even the twins had learned, sometimes st

tensive knowledge, which that youth was rather overfond of airing. Every generation of Winklers had seen to it that th

se, and storing away as well as he could the simple things he heard; and many times, he sat up until after midnight, over the ashes of the fire, poring over an

re. He seemed content to bide his time, if necessary, for an indefinite period; and had set

tudying, which he doubled as the spring examinations approached, certainly did not improve either his health or his disposition. Aunt Gertrude was worried about him, and tried to coax him to spend more of his time out of doors, for by the end of March the snow had melted away from the hills, the sun was growing warmer, and the trees already turning green with buds opening in the genial warmth of an early southern spring. He resisted these gentle efforts, however, and even when the long Easter holiday came, settled down to a process of cramming, utterly indifferent to the delicious weather. Even his father had one or two slight difficulties with him, so uncertain was his temper, and the other me

with him was "his confounded swell-head." By this time, Paul had reached the end of his t

suddenly losing his temper altogether, he seized Carl's shoulder fiercely. "I'm sick of your eternal whining, and sna

his grip, and backed toward t

eyes flashing, "and you're a-don't you dare to touch

ut of me-you're pretty sure that I wouldn't hurt a little fellow like you. You're a little cow

hat?" sne

e Paul's big hand clamped down on his shoulder. Carl's face went white, and a

he repeated, in a milder tone. "Will y

e here! Thrash me if you want to! Nothing will

n anger stared into his cousin's pale,

ou tell Uncle Peter about my playing

id not

y you had a lot to do with Uncle Peter's bad opinion of me, and yet-somehow, I don't believe you hate me as much as you think you do. If you had told Uncle Peter about that business with Jeff Roberts he would certainly-not certainl

ilence-which he maintained for a full week-wore on Paul's patience, until more than once he was on the point of declaring his definite intention to put up with it no longer

Jane revelling in the last days of the spring vacation proposed a lon

wanted to stay at home to do some mending while she took charge

e party. But it cannot be said that he was a particularly lively member of it. He looked pale and sulky, walked by himself, and with a moody expression kept his eyes on Jane and Paul as if their high spirits, their perfect camaraderie angered him. And in

us?" suggested Elise, as they

erybody! Nobody ought to stay cooped up indo

r; there did not seem to be much joy in Schubert's beautiful little spring song as she sang it-"And

il

she appeared

u've got to com

are you

may

inute she was with them, swinging her straw hat on her arm. On down the lane th

branches of a tree that, growing inside of the wall around the Sheridan place, extended its patriarchal boughs across t

without me?" he asked in an inj

ne, giving Paul a surreptitiou

in a low tone, remembering bitterly the unhappy part he had been call

essary," returned Jane, calmly,

With the air of one who feels that her small tasks have been well done, she watched Lily and M

ar what they were talking about," but Paul was pained, and u

n the furrows of dark earth, freshly ploughed, young co

ellow, though. How do you think he'd strike you if you were a crow?" Then without waiting for an answer, he went on talking to Lily, describing all his late activities in the line of agriculture, his plans for new buildings o

ood deal of the time?" she asked timidly. "I very

e reason, her words, so simply said, and without the

own-and farming is interesting because-because-" But f

es ache, and he was thoroughly tired out already. Lily was walking arm in arm with Elise, and both were talking to Mr. Sheridan, the twins were running ahead, trying to catch the yellow butterflies that they frightened away from the early fie

come and walk

mn't I?" he returned. Jan

im?" she asked Paul. "Hav

an that I've never given him any cause that I know of. I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I seem to make him downright unhappy-he acts as if I had slipped into his shoes, and I've never taken anything he wanted, have I?" and after a short pause, he added, "And I'm sure that I don't w

ondered Jane. "I could unde

ha

" she said frankly. "I didn't like you then either. I didn't like you for q

," said Paul, laughing, but with a rather sad expre

, quickly, looking

g that I-perhaps I

er day-and what a silly little thing to make so much o

rving, being an ordinary human being. I started to run away the first night I was here-Carl knows that-and I didn't because I was afraid to. He knows that, too. And so I stayed on, planning to make a break as soon as I could. And I hated everything-I was perfectly miserable-until that night, do you remember, when we had that talk by the fire. After that, I began to look at things differently. It seemed to me that I'd been acting like a donkey, and so I decided to do as you said-make the best of things as I found them, and see what would happen. And now-I don't know how it is-but you've all been so good to me, and it makes a difference not to

ply, and presen

t be helped. Only, I haven't any right-I mean, if he's going to be miserable while I'm around, if I get on his nerves every minute-it isn't as if we were little kids, we'll soon be men, and two men quarrelling wi

dom to seem to do so deliberately, and she did not talk to him until the twins started to hunt for violets and jacks-in-the-pulpit, when she began to remind him of the places t

Phil Blackstone and Johnny Everett and Mary and all the rest of them would say to his bucolic pleasures, and grinned at the thought of the expressions they would wear; and he wondered himself at his own enjoyme

r little Janey, inwardly saddened by what Paul had told

was the time to ask him what was the root of his ill-feeling against Paul, now was the time to tel

n, "I want to-" but he s

what's the matter with me. B

quite unde

out?" sh

ry now and then everything gets to jiggling in front of my eyes."

're ill? Let me-oh,

d, impatiently. "I'll get home all right. And don't scare mother to death w

han by his words, obediently slackened her pace.

pper," called Elise, glancing back at

e. Please, Carl, dea

ver me, and talking, and asking questions!" he exclaimed, wit

they were just gaining the road. But Paul, strolling along with his hands in his pockets whi

st until his head stopped throbbing a bi

ully, but the next moment he seemed to guess that something was wrong,

y Carl has a little headache, a

did not waste any time in asking the well-meant questi

better let me h

ere was no hostility

er me, do you hear," he said in a

ey. There's a short cut through thi

ss we'll-try that, Jane." And wi

arm," s

ld, and then obediently ran at full speed to cat

turdy arm, frankly, if silently grateful for its solid support. They said nothing, and Paul, who realized more than Jane had that Carl was seriously ill, wore a grave exp

ow, cousin," he said gently. "Wou

y now only looked at hi

y, and then drawing a long breath, he ad

smi

," and with that, he lifted Carl quite easily in his

hirping of the birds in the budding trees outside his window, the sound of voices in the street below could all be heard distinctly, and yet Aunt Gertrude and Mr. Lambert sat beside his bed, and Janey

n the boy's mind. All its pompousness had fled-it looked old and helpless and humble. And apart as he was, Paul, looking upon their fear and sorrow, felt that he was being welded to his own people. All his