Monica's Choice

tle white bed, after the Saturday night bathing operations were over. Mrs. Drury was

hat the bow Mrs. Drury was tying nearly slipped out of he

at is it

rn!" Amethyst brought out the words with such vehemence,

repeated the c

sternly. "I cannot understand what you mean. I

thing, and Olive doesn't care a bit about me now; all she wants is Monica." And Amethyst repeated what

or them to make up a little of what you miss by having no sisters. But Olive, especially, seems older than you, and I do not at all wonder at her making this new friend, and I only hope that they will help each other to be good girls. And, surely, Amethyst, if y

a dear old darling, and, as you say, so long as I have her it doesn't matter so

you have been learning this evening, for your Sund

and over, not an hour before, were those of that beautiful chapter in the first e

mumsie," sh

ing Heavenly Father to root up this little weed of jealousy, and sow instead the seed of unselfish

n the days and weeks that followed; and the memory of it helped her to overcome her

which the doctor insisted upon her using excited so many remarks that she wished she had not gone. She put of

ordination, and lost interest in the result of pure disobedience; but several of the more reckless-minded, Oli

ping that rul

like to see my father trying to stop me visiting

n house?" said Monica haughtily, and the girls muttered, "Oh, yes, of cour

appy in her grandmother's permission to be as friendly as occasion necessitated with the Franklyns, realised th

aciously answered in the affirmative by the old lady, who, though she thought it right to be very stern with Monica, was really anxious for the g

event in her life, tried her utmost to pay attention to the ol

nction of Mrs. Beauchamp's, and she looked so good and well-behaved that the old lady's h

hile the French sailor hat, simply trimmed with a huge rosette of dark blue, exactly suited her bright young face. It was very seldom that the girl troubled about her personal appearance: her u

d up at the iron gates over which the regulation doctor's lam

etting ready to come home. Richards will be here punctually a

f the windows, so she was eager to be off, and promised readily. Her

d, Moni

upturned hat-brim did not look quite so fascinating, wi

ou are my granddaughter, a

lamation, "I never get a chance to forget it!" reached Mrs. Beauchamp's ears, or that lad

brow, and her face was all smiles again as she

y to have y

uch more jolly

ughed gaily, in thei

easures," suggested Olive, as the two girls ascended the staircase, arm-in-arm. As they went up,

take you to her room later on. This is our room--Elsa's and mine," she continued, as they crossed the w

and, and chest of drawers (which also did duty as toilet table), a couple of chairs, and an impromptu wardrobe made by a shelf and some creton

d then the two friends climbed another fl

ally, as she showed her friend into every nook and corner o

it for, and who d

Osmington College, we had gay old times up here, between us. But now they are away, and as Lois has

a?" asked the visitor, sudden

a walk. Funny of her not to want to

round her friend, and

the little ones with her, and go on an errand that needed to be done, for she, too, was very much attracted by the winsomeness of this new schoolfellow, although Monica's many faults repelled her at times; in fact, a year before, Elsa Franklyn would not have troubled a bit about it, she would h

ly made, but accepted them without demur, stifling her conscience, which accused her very plainly, by persuadin

bottom of the large, old-fashioned garden, and indulged in a long, long "confab," as Olive termed it, after the

n her heart, a sound of youthful voices was heard in the hall

Monica and Elsa greeted each other with

ent to

Paddy. Go and fetch him up,

?" pleaded Elsa; "she

d benignity; "let her come if she likes.

out children," said Monica, as E

her friend; "they are always in the way, or getting into mischief, b

sword of his fascinations. He came peeping in the door, demurely twisting his clean holland overall in restless little finge

entured somewhat stiffly at le

ars of laughter. Paddy, perceiving he had said something comical, laughed gleefully,

pades--how once he had got hold of the garden hose, and hiding behind some shrubs, had squirted the water all over Nanny, who was searching everywhere for him. And how another time father had come in one evening to find a stream of w

olemnly, and Pat added innocently, "Yes, naughty Pa

' kindly courtesy and Kathleen's merry chatter soon made her feel quite at home amongst them. The doctor, too, came in just as they had begun tea, the result of Olive's persistent pleading that he

plendid swing; the twins, who were by no means novices at swinging, being really frightened at the height to which Monica worked

from going so recklessly high, but Monica showed no sign of lessening her speed, and would doubtless have ev

ng hold of Olive, said mischievously: "Were you afraid you would have to pick up a bu

scared-looking face, made Monica realise that she had gone a little too fa

r mother's room as the

, Olive," she said, with a bright little s

e, never dreaming that her haughty young friend was troubled with any such thing as nervousness, pushed he

soft voice murmuring words of welcome, while the thin white hands clasped her strong young ones, and drew he

e scanned the face of Olive's new friend with eager inten

ething to the effect th

ines, got a very good insight into the character of Olive's friend. "A girl with wonderful possibilities before her," she thought t

of the mantelpiece; but remembering yet another of her two brothers, taken together, which was in the drawing-ro

, turning to the girl who was sitting beside her couch, said

called "religious," and scarcely knew what to answer, but the kind, motherly eye

But my father

y child, why

be one," said Monica, slo

ie; life is very short.

's just what I don't know. Perhaps if I

us----" began

invalid could only whisper: "Read the 3rd chapter of St. John, and ask God to show you

rnoon would be a good opportunity for reading the chapter; and when the next day came she was de