The Chronicles of Rhoda

oductory tone. "She is to be your little nurse, and p

folds of white apron. Lily-Ann was all white apron, down to the tops of her large, patched shoes. She was fourteen years old, perhaps, with the digni

cock horse to Banbury Cross,'" she told my mother over my head.

ive fashion that my mother laughed, and my grand

nd," my mother said. "You mustn'

t morning. We had all three,-Banbury Cross, then puss-in-the-corner, and, finally, wild beasts. Lily-Ann crawled under the bed and

olumes of sound. "Lions eat people all up. So do w

d shining made a snatch at my foot, and then retreated, to retur

half afraid; but only half afraid, for she was very obedient to my whims, and,

curl. It could be done by eating crusts! There had always been a great deal of trouble about my crusts. I would never eat them, not even after I had been reminded of

rously, to such appeals to my feelings

t might have curly hair! What a nice thing that would be! Of course it meant months of work, but Lily-Ann, whose hair twisted from the roots, mus

ould ask, eagerly, in the mornings

every day," she asserted,

you do hurt

ee that long, beautiful one. I c

my mother would notice the change in her little girl, for, indee

d by feeling rather foolish, for not a bird would be caught, though I crept persistently on their track, always sure that the next time I should be

shment. "But then she is older than you are. And so smart! She t

ediately added, with growing enthusia

s a touch of dread in the eagerness with which I visited the snake incubator,-a rusty pan half-filled with water, and hidden in a secret space behind the lilac bush. Little by little the horror of the situatio

ne's truth, nor had there been anything of which to be afraid. Now I learned of a new world that lay about me,-the

hings that come out and run all about the floor! Under the chairs and under the bed they creep around.

hes, for I was in bed when this was first related, a

-Ann," I said, faintly, glui

eep," she returned, w

a short but terrible pause. "There's a

ed, fearfully, determined

bad child. H

o examine my record every night, and she was the greatest on

n very bad to-day, Lily

e brother's ball," s

back to him!" I

d your litt

pped me, too

slapped her. And yo

ke me live up to my station. And it was so hard to be good, and hardest of all t

myself, so you can get your supper, will you chase away the Thi

and betters; but somehow I had remark

bout the floor, and the Bear rattling at the knob. Many a night after that I huddled myself up into a heap, afraid to sleep lest my hands should unclasp and slip out of bed, afraid to move lest the Bear on the prowl for bad children should pounce on me and eat me up, sins and all. I used to pretend to sleep very loudly and heavily that he might thin

n the family commented on her faithfulness, or devised schemes for improving the home from which she had come. Many large bundles went out of o

had any childhood of her own

confidences on the subject with her cousin, who came in

thing. They are that starving that they are not particular. Every smithereen of clothes that she has the mistress

usin s

our own," she said. "Faith, it'

continued, darkly. "She tells li

ed, with sudden eagerness, pressi

n her capacious lap

laugh. "See that now! Ain't she growing a big girl, Bridget? See

only when a burst of laughter broke from the two women that I under

htful color. I wanted to give her my Sunday cloak, also, but she reminded me that there were other Sundays yet to come. She did take my bank with its one jingling gold coin in it. Unfortunately, all the money of less value had been pried out long ago to buy candy, but I told Lily-Ann how sorry I was that the little red house was

tamping her foot energetica

lairs; but I was not critical. It was enough for me that they went, if only for a time. Always

hildhood and youth; prize books in foreign tongues, won at school and laid away in tissue paper; bits of costly lace, and many little worthless, well-beloved possessions. In the closet there was a box on an upper shelf. Quite an ordinary box it was on the outside, made of pasteboard and tied with bands of yellow ribbon which had

mother said. "They came off the t

" I cried, in an ecstasy. "But, mothe

. You shall, t

ear, suppose I should grow up, and never get married

ther said, with a laugh, and tied the box up ti

ther had. Once, with great pain from the acute rasping of my knees, I climbed up the closet shelves, and peeked in a loose corner of the box. Then I came down again, perf

Lily-Ann could possibly be telling her. I knew that it was not about me, for I had been very good that afternoon. To be sure, I had pulled the cat's tail; but she and I had kissed each other affectionately afterwards, and were friends again. Nor was Lily-Ann apt to

and rocked me as if I were a baby again, and in

eant to give you those

mother!" I c

taking. Do you know what it

ed sol

steal,' you kno

, mo

up into my cl

g my

to ask for mother to give them to you,

ed, in surprise. "I only looked

em? Think what you

breaking into tears, for though I wa

tioned me to look in. The bride and groom were leaning stiffly side by side against the sofa in the parlor! They stared back at me with scorn on their sugar faces, and there was, also, something accusing in their expression, as if they were saying, "Little girl, how do we come here?" Still I would not confess. I had not taken them. I had wanted them very much, but now

grandmother asked,

er have suspected my child of lying and stealin

I did not love them any more. They knew me so littl

still with that frightened look on her face. "I do

, patient fingers. She tucked me in,

whisper, bending down until her

I would no

and little cakes with frosted tops baked in scolloped patty-pans. I wondered whether I should have any supper, or must lie there in the dark, while they talked about me at the supper-table. I did not think that I coul

I whispered to the darkness. "And, oh, please

although I was always the first to welcome him at the door. Nobody seemed to miss me. I heard them draw up their chairs to the table. Now they were eating honey. Now they were eating frosted cake. Lily-Ann would have some of the cake. They believed in her. It was only their own little girl whom they sent to bed without her supper. It was only Rhoda whom nobody love

thing which I had left to love in the whole world. My father and mother had deserted me, but Norah was staunch. She kissed me as she carried me, big girl as I was, straight down the steps into the dazzling light of the supper-table. Norah was excited. She had a red spot on each cheek,

her, and it's not for the likes of me to say what the mistress shall give or not give. Then this morning when there was questions asked, she crept upstairs and put them in the d

at her in bewilderment. Norah h

would have told them the truth. I would have said, 'Lily-Ann stole them yisterday, ma'am, and to-day she put them in the doll-house, sur.' But, no, they don't ask ho

's neck, and hugged her un

, Norah," my moth

ately standing her ground, still with my arms about her neck. "Either ol

There was a ring of truth about Norah's

say, Lily-Ann?" my f

er eyes in a miserable fashion, I felt that I could forgive her all the harm w

ay!" I cried, piteously. "I'll be s

used were very stern ones, and his was the hand that held open the door for Lily-Ann to pass out of the ho

ross the mirror of a pain-racked mind with all the horror of childish ignorance and fear. Yet I still feel that I have forgiven Lily-Ann. Coming from the home

ing which my prayer had brought, something frosted, with scolloped edges, was tucked under my pillow

said, tenderly, unwitting of my long memory.

e. She went down on her kne

ith her mouth against my ear. "Mot

eally something for w