The Chronicles of Rhoda

grew, and along the path to the gate purple flags appeared each spring in uneven rows, like isolated bands of soldiers marching on a common enemy. There were dandelions

here was the grocer's boy, and the elderly lady from over the way, who wore one kind of hair in the morning and another kind i

ght he stepped along quickly, with an alert carriage of the head; but there were cloudy

ous fashion, the first time that he saw me

end, but there was a twinkle in his eye, and he had a beautif

t out a smal

t of confidence. "I live here in this

idently much impressed. "T

hen he turned on his way back, he stopp

. "Well! Well! Perhaps you c

h a fascinated look

en't a

d a watch," he ans

, and picked the snowy seed-ball of a dandelion plant. The

ive o'clock. Time for the old m

ll about the child whom he had left still perched on her gate. I had not entirely passed from his memory, however, for when he

the old major!

asked, looking up from

rons with pockets. She could make the most

any little girls or boys that I could play with? Oh, I

tle girls or boys. He lost them al

er find them

r. Never

ah said that I had a pair of bright eyes, and my very father, when he wanted his slippers, could think of no one so trustworthy to send as I. To find little girls and boys would be quite easy, for they were much larger things. I had only to ask all the girls and bo

y gate the next da

ing my head at him, "I'm going to fin

and boys?" he a

that you lost

hen he came back he stopped at the gate again. He took my face softly between his hands

oved you," he said, hurriedly, and then went back towar

front. We both had original ideas on things, and often differed, but none of my new clothes ever seemed quite real to me until the major had admired them, and pinched my cheeks with that air of gallantry which showed that I was a woman. He brought me presents, very wonde

p in his house until the weather cleared again. There was something the matter with the major which made this necessary. In some unaccountable way

doors, and, as far as I could see, had never met in the course of their lives. For as sure as the man with the umbrella came out of one door, the little lady with the roses in her bonnet gathered up her skirts, and scurried in as if she were afraid to meet him. With her went the sunshine

mother's room every morn

gerly, "has the little

nt of the mantelpiece and regarded

, "do you think that t

a stitch in her knit

t on, indignantly, "I think t

of what

nd, grandma, I think that he's the worst. He goes in with such a clic

oked up over h

it," she said, "they've act

rs in her bonnet, and he hasn't? Look, grandma, she's coming out very quietly. She's

fair weather

r will come

jor!" littl

jor!" Beatr

ng on them angrily. "He belong

the path to see him, he would pat their fat arms through the spokes of the gate, but it wa

n I mentioned this, and slapped

jor. They were old friends, and had a great deal to talk about. I remember

urn another woman's he

den straightening of his shoulder

, Kitty?" he asked, wi

," she cried. "D

people's. His white hair was smoothly brushed, and his black hat was set on jauntily, and his kind eyes shone as if he were young again. I noticed that the lady from over the way always wore a black

y that bracelet," he sai

r-oil, except that time when Auntie May mixed it so cunningly with lemonade that it went down and d

exclaimed, patting the bracelet. "I always kn

the major answered, soberly, and then broke into a gl

ne, talking of all the many people whom they had known in their lives. Her touch on his arm was very li

e major between us, and then it was always at my gate that he stopped fir

o the city for a

eek had seven days in it, and even a day was a long,

he said. "Bear i

used to forget. I thought that it was becau

ind old hand and

ity?" he asked. "A new doll? What

the city. There were little doll-babies, or picture-books, or cups and saucers, or ho

to me? I should like the littlest watch in the w

in such a grand request. "Now, remember, if all goes well, I'll be at the

ried, joyfully. "All the flow

d, with a sudden

arfully, for even the watch coul

go, and cam

major," he said, i

t the gate he stopped and waved his hat to me, as he had done on that first day, and squared his galla

together again. And they did, in the night. And when I lost my little front tooth, I prayed to God and He sent me a new one! So it was not hard to pray for the major. But somehow or other I did not like to do it before my mother. It seemed such a secret sort of a prayer. I wa

r him when he was in the pride of his strength, a magnificent figure on horseback. He never ros

her's soft voice added. "He has lived alone in

ty," father answered, with

we must make more

, not until the day dawned which was seven times from last Friday, and was Friday again, bright and clear, the very day for the major's home-coming. There were so man

asol. And there was a lovely white one with a lace flounce, which went with my scolloped petticoat. My third best dress had roses and buttons on it, and the fourth best was covered wit

h drop dress, mother?

ou might put on the white dress with the lace flounce," my mother said,

ttle black

ittle black

flower girl? And you put roses in my hair so it looked li

roat, and a big, floating, pink sash swept down my back, and there were roses in my hand for the maj

er wise head when s

ld dress her in brown gingham down to her

and moth

ent on, severely. "Suppose

upon the gate, and stared out, bashfully, at the st

boy. Stricken with sudden admiration for my charms

are a dais

embarrassment. "I haven't time to p

ut, thinking that I would relent, but all my smiles and flow

head, and the flowers wilted in my hot hands. The lady from over the way came to

Rhoda?" she asked,

seemed

hing for the majo

answered,

ere must be an operation, and he was not strong. There was no one whom he loved there at the end. H

e, wheeling me back against the fenc

d proceeded to take off all my pretty things and put on a

d. "I want my white dress. I want to see my

still held in my hand. Together we went out into the garden. Together we gathered all the flowers that there were-the big ones and the little ones-and formed them into a great bunch. It was for the major. I danced with sheer delight, knowing only to

on our front steps, but afterwards she drie

I watched at the gate, and then something stran

andma and I are going out, and you must stay i

ark things, and she and grandmother did not look jo

go, too," I s

rah coa

e cried. "Sure you'll not be after leav

was always the blind man, and she was the longest time catching us, and when she did she could never tell who it might be. She would guess quite impossible people,-the

be Trixie!" she cried, wh

hed the people going along the street. There were a great many of them, much more than usual. Suddenly there was the sound of a fife and drum i

" I cried, eagerly.

rah said, coming with the twins in

ession, with the lovely flowers and the music in front. I looked for him in every carriage, that I might wave as he went by. He was not there, but othe

his, Nora

e, d

" I cried. "Oh

as quite angry with Norah when she drag

eard of heaven before. It was where I came from, and the twins, away back in the early days. Heaven

see him again,

again,

urged, anxiously. "And the major is old, q

n to be a little child again

ch in the world, and on the back of the watch there was a star in blue stone