ur before Irene, with the assistance of the old housekeeper, had adorned herself with all the finery at her command. Then she

ely with a little white nubia

e wide stairs, "the child's too pretty and too willful, and Mr. Brooke spoil

in the hall ready for her, and went back to her own domain and he

gure that stood at the window with its back

looked at her. It was not Mr. Brooke at all. It was a younger, handsomer m

swered coolly, and Irene ga

e you a bear, sir, that you talk of

ward into the light,

quired, with a smile that l

ight at each other, taking a mental

Irene Brooke appeared in Guy Kenmore's eyes, though it is no ea

nces, sweet

ites and dar

rms of flit

mal attempts a

and the faint, very faint, retrousse inclination of the pretty little nose, gave an air of piquancy and spirit to the young face that was hightened by the proud curve of the short upper lip. The round, dimpled chin, and soft cheeks were tinted with the soft pink of the sea shell. The waving, rippling mass of glorious curls was of that war

ess. He was decidedly handsome, with a well-shaped head of closely-clipped brown hair, good features, laughing

t took for these cursory des

rming frankness. "You look like-see how good I am at

h faint annoyance. He chews the end of his long must

name

ian hills,'" she quotes,

he answers, stifling his rising

mocking, ridiculous little courtesy. "I hope you will make yourself q

, while she paces, a little res

May I inquire to what circumstance

u're going to take Bert off our hands, and I cons

at the cool speech

ith a peculiar accen

re until she is married off. Now to-night there was a ball. Papa had said I might go, but when he was called unexpectedly away to the city what did Bert and mamma do but forb

ess out of the school-room yet," mentally de

dvantage of me? I haven't t

eed. "Haven't you, really? Did Bertha never

your existence," he answered, wi

. Only think, Mr. Kenmore, papa came home just after they had gone, and said he would take me to the ball

everything out of my mind for a moment. Your father was in

idn't you?" she demands, stamping

t I quite forgot,"

e now?" she inquires, flashing

wers, provokingly, and openly amused at the impat

uts her red lips tightly over her busy little tongue; but her e

now, I'm

fled laugh

d away on a little matter of business, but that he would

ntment, but he was scarcely prepared fo

corner of the room, flung herself dow

asily in his chair a moment, then rises and goes over to the window, and listening to the low, sad

says, vexedly, to himself. "How childish, how silly! She

the sound of her childish we

to her at last, "I wouldn't cry if I were in y

blue eyes shining under the tangle of golden love

go out on business they never come back for hours and hours-a

t? He wouldn't have gone of himself," says Mr. K

he'd promised me, and I was all ready," Iren

between his teeth, and feeling a strong

ings up, dashing the

s out, determinedly. "All the best dances wil

d, you know," h

ha's, you know, etc.," she says, with a little, malicious laugh. "Yes, you sha

iles

l in ball costume," he objects, gla

ing candor, "you are handsomer and nicer-looking than any of the black-coated dandies that dawdle a

a lady's request," he repli

juries sustained at Bertha's hands, she longs to avenge herself, and show her selfish sister that she will go her w

brightly. "We shall have a

rous over the prospect,"

must be very stupid indeed, not to care for a ball," she obse

s, feeling a strong desire to se

e, soft eyes. "I hope you haven't a bad temper," she goes on, earnestly, almost confidingly, "for Bert i

tle beauty almost gets the bette

ild, I should like to shake you soundly, and

eyes, and curls her red lips into a decided and deliberate moue a

my word?" he asks him

father that she has gone to the ball with Mr. Kenmore. It does not enter her girli

lore than her willful little mist

g," she says. "Miss Bertha will be downright outr

s flash, the red l

going! I'm going to the ball with her beau; and I mean to keep him all to myself,