Theo: A Sprightly Love Story

, and two pair of eyes were watching it. Both pair of eyes watched it from the same place, namely, from the shabby sitting-room of the shabby residence of David North, E

the deep, old-fashioned window, with both elbows resting upon the broad sill; but the other pair only glanced up now a

se of David North, Esq., rather a questionable paradise. But to-day, being half-holiday, the boys were out on the beach digging miraculous sand-caves, and getting up miraculous piratical battle

"it appears to me that you might find something better to do than to stand with your arms folded, as you h

ish gipsy than that of a poor English solicitor's daughter. "Pam, I should really like to know if life is ev

usly. "If you would be a little more sensible, and less romantic, Theodora,

turned to the window

everything to do, and the shopping to attend to, and mamma scolding every one because the butcher's

amela, "without wasting my time in that manner. I should never

wish there was no such thing as duty. Duty always app

thur's," put in Pamela, dryly. "Perhaps you had better see to it at once,

careworn, and not too smooth in disposition. There was no romance about her. She had fairly forgotten her girlhood, it seemed to lie so far behind; and even the unconquerable mother-love, that gave rise to her anxieties, had a touch of hardness about it. And Pamela had caught something of the sharp, harassed spirit too. But Theo had an odd secret sympathy for Pamela, though her sister never suspected it. Pamela had a love-story, and in Theo's eyes this one touch of forlorn romance was the silver lining to many clouds. Ten years ago, when Pamela had been a pretty girl, she had had a lover-poor Arthur Brun

here and there; the features once delicate were sharpened, the blue eyes were faded, and the blonde hair faded also. It was a face whose youth had been its beauty, and its youth had fl

slipped from Theo's fingers into her lap, an

were you ever at L

wed itself on Pam

s once. What nonsense is running in

actually glowed all over, her eyes catching a ligh

elp it. The letter she sent to mamma made me think of it

concisely. "So you may as

of previous disappointments. "I have nothing to wear, you know, and, of cour

Pamela was stitching industriously. She was never idle, and always taciturn, and on this oc

n her determination to make a sacrifice of her youth on the altar of her dead love, Lady Throckmorton lost patience. It was absurd, she said; Mr. North could not afford it, and if Pamela persisted, she would wash her hands of the whole affair. But Pamela was immovable, and, accordingly, had never seen her patroness since. It so happened, however,

always gets the lion's share of everything, bec

yes, and neglected the bread-and-butter cuttin

fit to wear, mamma," she

howing themselves on her harassed forehead; "and we

as, nevertheless, not without its own desperate resignation. This was why she had watched the tide come in with such a forlorn sense of sympathy with the dull sweep of the gray waves, and their dull, creeping moan; this was why she had been rash enough to hope for a crumb of s

ungry, and dishevelled, and of course, all in an uproar. They had dug a cave on the shore, and played smugglers all the evening; and one fellow had brought out a real cutlass and a real pisto

was in the habit of patronizing Theo occasionally, came to his favorite

er how much it would cost a fell

red, indifferently. "I nev

l want with a cutlass? But couldn't you guess,

aged to reply, with a decent s

t if it would cost a pound, I shall never have one. I say,

aid Theo, a tr

ooked u

njoyed yourself in your girl's way. I'd rather go to their place in Lincolnshire, where old Throckmorton does his hunting. The governor says that a fellow that was a good shot could bag as much game as he could carry, and i

can't bear to hear it. Just think of how I might have enjoyed myself, and then to

es, in a manner slightly expres

crying about something. Joanna and Elin cry if their shoes are shabby or their gloves burst out. A fellow never thinks of cryin

to her just then. Pam was busy with the tea-service

to silence. But it may be that she was not so callous after all, for at least Theo fancied that her occasional speeches were less sharp, and certainly she uttered no reproof to-night. She was grave enough, however, and even more silent than

re to violate lightly. There were closets and boxes there, whose contents were reserved for her own eyes alone, and questions regarding them seldom met with any satisfactory answer. She was turning over these possessions to-night, Theo judged, from the sounds proceeding from her chamber. To be truthful, Theo had some curiosity about the matter, though she never asked any questions. The innate delicacy which prompted her to reverence the forlorn aroma of long-withered romance about the narrow life had restrained her. But to-night she was so wide-awake, and Joanna and Elin were so fast asleep, that every movement forcing itself upon her ear, made he

I want you for a s

nd had opened the door in an i

at always sounded almost severe. "You will take cold if you

e of Lady Throckmorton's gracious gifts; and although it had been worn by every member of the family in succession, and was frayed, and torn, and forlorn enough in broad daylight, by the uncertain Rembrandt glare of

aid Pamela. "I wan

ealed through raised lids; but some of them were lying upon the bed, and the sight of them made the girl catch her breath. She had never imagined such wealth-for it seemed quite like wealth to her. Where had it all come from? The

imed, "whose are they

her with an a

nd most of them were presents from Lady Throckmorton, who was very kind to me then. Of course, you know well enough," with dry bitterness,

ined sound; and before she went on, she knelt down before

, and the visit may be a good thing for you in many ways. My visit to Lady Throckmorton's would have made me a happy woman, if death had not come between me and my happiness. I know I

swooped down upon her as it were, falling upon its knees, flinging its white-robed arms about her, and burying her in an unexpected confusion of bla

rl as you say; but I think that, because I am a girl, perhaps I understand a little. Do you think that I could let you make such a sacrifice? Do you think I could let you

her arms clasped so warmly, tremble within them, and the bosom on which she

es not make people understand one another very clearly; but to-night, I remembered that I was a girl too once, though the time seems so far away; and it occurred to me that it was in

with just the settled precision that demonstrated itself upon even the most trivial oc

ging will make everything as good as new for you now. The fashion only needs to be changed, and we have ample

London the day of Arthur's death, and had never been opened for family inspection. Some motherly instinct, even in Mrs. North's managing economy, had held them sa

hink I could make it with a train? I n

in her mellow-lighted eyes, t

them," she said; and then, half-falteringly, a

d it. Upon the white velvet lining lay a pretty set of jewels-sapphires, rarely pellucid;

. "I should have worn them upon my wedding-day. You are not so careless as most girls, Theodora, and so I will

ossible that she-she was to wear them? The whole set of earrings, necklace, bracelets, rings, and everything, with all their crystallized drops and clusters! It was a sudden opening of the gates of fairyland! To go to London would have been happiness enough;

really can't. And I will take such care of them-such care of everything. You shall see the dresses are not

ow, she said, prudently, and there was plenty of hard work to be done; so, with a timid farewell-kiss, Theo went to her room, and in opening her door, awakened Joanna and Elin, who sa

startling figure broke out. "Joanna and Elin, do yo

bed her ey

u are everlastingly going somewhere, Theo, and Elin and I stay at home, as usual. Lady Thro

belonged to her wedding outfit. She never wore them after Mr. Brun

now. It's just like Pam, with her partiality. She never offered to lend them

hinking excitedly of Pamela's generous gifts, and of Lady Throckmorton, and, perhaps, more than once the strange chance which had brought to lig