THAT BOY TEDDY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2517, 17 June 1893, Page 4

THAT BOY TEDDY.

(Continued.) 11. •• Oh, Teddy, do be quiet!" ••Oh. Kitty, I can’t. If you knew hOM perfectly horrid it is for me to sit sml, you let me make ever so much noise, said Teddy, with a kind of dismal pathos, anc he wound up his protest by standing cm is head in front of his sister, and, suddenly losing his balance, fell among the fire-irons with a great din. ... , . , "Oh oh ! you awful boy! exclaimed Kitty, half laughing, half crying, for she was desperately interested in her book, anai n was impossible to read in the presence of tnt irrepressible. ■■ I’ve hurted my head, Kitty! Isn t there a big lump on it ?” queried Teddy, anxiously, as he picked himself up from the fender, and stood dolefully rubbing the injured part. He was a very comical, very pretty, and wholly lovable atom of humanity, hme Teddy Ford, the youngest member of the family of six with which Doctor Ford had left his widow to battle in the hard, cold world. He was just seven, and small for his age ; and, though he was the very embodiment of mischief and motion, his small round face at times wore a singularly thoughtful expression, while his big solemn eyes looked as if they could read you through and through; _ Kitty, aged nine, was a dignified little maiden, much given to story books and idling, two things of which her grave, kind elder sister had been endeavouring for months to cure her. The three boys who came between Kitty and Miriam were at a boarding-shool in Northamptonshire, which was kept by a brother of Doctor Ford’s, who had offered out of kindness to his sister-in-law to educate the trio for a merely nominal sum. Fain would Mrs Ford have kept her family circle unbroken, but stern necessity compelled her to accept gratefully' the rector’s offer. Soft was a very small household in Hutton Place, but was kept from stagnation by the liveliness of Teddy. “ How far is it to Christmas, Kit ?” queried Teddy presently, composing his restless limbs for a brief interval on a stool. •• Two weeks to-morrow. But you should say, ’How long is it till Christmas ?’ Teddy,” said Kitty, with a superior air. *• You talk very ungrammarly.” Poor Kitty was quite unaware of the sad slip she made in the last word, and, happily for her, so was Teddy. “Oh, it doesn’t matter?” said Teddy serenely; “ it’s holidays anyway. Oh, Ido wish Uncle Silas would let jack and Charlie aud Ally come home just now. It’s no pokey havin’ old women and girls.” Kitty laughed. “ What a miserable little boy you are. Teddy,” she said, patronisingly. "Now, come here. If you promise to sit still, or go away till I finish my story. I’ll tell you a great, great secret." “Yes, yes, I’ll sit still—at least I’ll go away"—said Teddy, rapturously. “Well, guess who’s coming to-night ?" Teddy shook his head, but remarked triumphantly, ” There I knew somebody was coming, ’cos Miriam put on my velvet suit; but she wouldn’t tell me ‘ who it was.’ " “ I don’t wonder at it, because you are always doing some dreadful thing,” said Kitty, calmly. "But it don’t matter now, because he will be here at six o’clock. Guess who it is ?" “ It isn’t Mr Carnegie, ’cos he sees my velvet suit out of the pulpit on Sundays, and knows I have it,” said Teddy, meditatively. “Mr Doctor Mair, and Mr Grantly—oh, .it ' 4 quick, Kit, ’cos I dunno " Mr Heatherlic," „ XXf : h “ 0 h i" Ouick as lightning Teddy ,ji£d«o«lw somersault, this time mth Si^oTe“Set. down and I’ll tell you the r&i, sa d Kitty, dropping her breath to a mysterious whis per “ He’s coming all the way from London to see Miriam, of course and. perhaps—but this is a great, great secret. led, and I don’t know whether I should tell you, but I believe he’ll be wanting to take Miriam away soon." "What for ?” queried Teddy, his round eyes as wide open as it was possible for them to be. h " I can’t explain, because yon re too little a boy to understand," said Kitty, " But don’t you say anything, mind, or mamma will be very angry with me for speaking a k,?j t g t a y ( Kitty, why has Mr Heatherlic never been here for such a long. long, long time?” asked Teddy, soberly. "I once asked Miriam, and she began to cry, so l never said it again.” , . , . . ** I am not quite .sure, but I think he went away to make his fortune like they do in storybooks." said Kitty. “ Grown-up gentlemen always do something like that before they marry the lady they want to,” “Dothey?” inquired Teddy. “Well. I think it was stupid of Mr Heatherhe anyway when he had such lovely horses and things, and so much money. Oh, what chocolates I used to get!" he added, in tones of rapturous regret. “I say, Kit, was it that that made Miriam’s face so shiny today. and her eyes so sparkly ? I asked her what it was, but she only laughed. /• j suppose it was, but you are too young to understand,” said Kitty once more. “Now you mast keep your promise, for I must finish this story, and hem my seam before mamma comes in from making her calls. Teddy, thus admonished, st}l} sat for the unexpected space of five minutes, and by the expression in his eyes it was evident that he was lost in thought. Presently, however, he picked himself up, and slowly sauntered out of the nursery, and, sliding down the balustrade, stole into the drawing-room, where agiowing fire shed a tempting, ruddy light over everything, and even seemed to beautify the poor, plain, shabby furnishings nil they looked almost luxurious. Teddy sat down pn one of the stools, and. clasping his hands round his knees, thought, and thought, and thought, till hi* brain grew weary, and he felt hi,B §yehds heavy with sleep. Then, knowing where to find a snug corner, he stole away to the old couep. rolled himself in an antimacassar, and was speedily in the land of dreams Now a little draught screen stood directly in front of the couch, and effectually hid the small sleeper, whose presence there was destined to work such an important and _ happy change in more than one life—his own among the number. About half-an-hour after Teddy thus ensconced himself there came a knoC» at jllff outer door, and then the bustle of an arrival in the Jittle fiajl, but none of these sounds oenetrated to tfie .ears of the slumbering child. The UWfo niaid.-servant, smiling and curtseying, for she t}i@ visitor of yore, ushered him up to the drawingroom, and. shutting the door upon him, went to tell her young mistress. And after a brief interval, which, however, appeared interminable to the impatient lover, the ■irawing-room door was softly opened once ; nnr „ : aud a slender and very graceful figure Z -nid was, without ado, clasped S i ‘ wV’' Heatherlie’s heart. The ° l( £ ely u lu f JVnfidiPgly against his .olden head rested rteht ,road shoulder, as if it had 2 oerfect right here, and for a minute or so their joy ;ilent, but there was no need of words. After what seemed to be a long, long sleep, Teddy awoke with a start, wondering for a moment where he was, for the room was almost in darkness save at the neartn, where the ruddy glow lingered still. Hear(ln ov continued.)