FOR OUR BOYS & GIRLS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 253, 22 October 1892, Page 3 (Supplement)

FOR OUR BOYS & GIRLS.

Florence's Reparation,

An Easier Story

By Emilie Poulsson,

When Florence Thayler started for church thab bright Easter afternoon, her thoughts wore fall of a story Aunb Margareb had been reading aloud the evening before ; and when Paulina Ross and Ruth Leonard joined her, she began to talk about it. The three girls had come into town for the Easter services. They had been to Trinity, and now they were going to a children's service.

' Did you ever read " A Girl's Daring "?' she naked.

» " A Girl's Daring"?' Baid Ruth. ' No— I don'b think bo —whab is it; ? A book ?'

'No, only a sliort story; bub it's porfectly splendid ! There's this girl Sarah, and she makes up her mind she will bo brave in every little thing thab come alonp, you know, and—'

'Oh, yes,'broko in Paulina, 'and aftor she trio 3 that for a few days she eaves somebody from drowning or prevents a great railroad accident, or something, dosen'bsho?'

' Well, yes,' said Florence, laughing, and then sho gave an outline of tho story. 1 But,' added she, ' though ib is always so in stories, I don't believe ib happens in real lifo thab any ordinary girl like one of us, for instance, over had very much influence as ever could make a difference in tho way things would turn oub.

And then they were at the church door and they wenb in .without further conversation.

The Easter Sunday afternoon service was particularly for the children and young people. Mr Brooke Horford'a tdke at these times were full of inspiring anecdotes and practical illustrations. His subject this bright April afternoon was 'Faithfulnesß.' Florence folt aa though Mr Herford had overboard the talk on the way to church, for he dealt directly with many of the queries aroused by the story. 'Ho thab is faithful in that which is loast is faithful also in much,' was the text

■ It was tho 15th of June, the date on #eh fell the grand annual church picnic, was an important day in the libtlo suburban town. Many families from the city always came out, and Aunt Margarot had always given the preparations hor best thought. Bub to-day she was obliged to go to a sick friend. Moreover, tho one maid had been called away by sickness. A thousand unusual duties fell to the lob of Florence.

' You will have to lock tho houso and see that everything is all right before you leave ib,' said Aunb Margaret. ' I want you to promise you will not only lock up with great care but, the very last thing before you go '

•Oh ! I know.' said Floronct laughing ; ' you wanb mo to taka a " last look," as you always do.' • Yes, that is what I wanb; and don't forget ib, Florence. Even if yon are sure you have locked every door and window, just go all round tho house tho very last thing. Ib is a greab satisfaction and a groat safeguard.' 'I will,1 said Florence. 'I'll have my lunch basket on the fronbstopsand pretend I am starting off, and then I will go back and look tho house over; so don't worry, Aunb Margaret.' Florence had plenby to keen her busy, and it was half-pp.st eight before she was bhrough. Bab, ' Thero !' she said ab lasb, 'everybbint is done. And now I must geb off as soon as ever I can. All I've got to do is to get my hat and jackeb, and tako my " last look."'

Just as Florence set her lunch basket on the sbep, the waggon which was collecting the baskets drove up, and Mr RO6B called out, 'if you hurry, Florence, you'll catch Paulina, for she's just across thero on her way to Ruth's.' 'Oh, good ! I'll cabch her,'said Florence. 'Hero's my baakeb.' Mr Ross drove away and Florence ran back to sbuo the door. Sho had her hand on the knob, but, suddenly remembering her promise to take a' last look,' paused a moment before closing ib. . ' Oh, dear ! I know ib is all right, and if I stop I won't catch Paulina.'

Without allowing herself another thought Florence shut the door with a bang, turned the knob onco to ccc thab the- night-latch bad caught, and ran after Paulina. All the morning at Blue Pond Florence was as gay and happy as anyone, with no thought but of the pleasure of the moment until she ran across Mr Herford. Bub after he had left her her thoughts went back to that Easter talk at the children*! service, and to the resolves ib had led her bo, to her attempts since, and—sho could nob stop the tide of her thoughts—oh, why had sho nob kepb her promise to Aunb Margaret. As if ib mattered whether she caught up with Paulina or not! In a few moments she sought out Ruth. ' I want to tell you something,' she whispered, and then sha added, 'Ruth, I must go home.'

'What do you mean?' said Ruth. ' Aren't you well ? Why, you can'b go homd, Florence Thayer 1'

'I musb,' repeated Florence; 'and I don't want a great fuss made aboub ib. I thought I'd just tell you, and then I'd slip away ; and if any questions are asked you can just say I had to go. Don't try to coax mo.. I must! I promised Aunb Margaret something and then didn't do it; and now I musb make ib as nearly right as I can.' 1 Bub Florence, ib'e so far ! You can't walk,' urged Ruth,

' Oh, yes I can.' said Florence. ' So goodby till night. You know I'm to stay with you; Aunt, Margaret comes so late.1 And Florence looked back with a little smile and nodded good-bye again.

Leaving Ruth and the picnic purty with the day's fun only begun, Florence took her way homewards. Four miles through fields and rough pastures, under a hot sun. How different; from the cool fragrant woods.

She reached Aunt Maryaret'3 g«te about two hours after leaving Bine Pond.

The house and garden looked co peaceful and quiet that Florence little thought anyone had been near since bar departure. But there had been, Thero was an intruder.

About throe hours after the merry procession, headed by the six-horse team, had started from the preen, a rough-looking man went up the path to the bank door of Miss Margaret Thayer's home. One of his coat sleeves had been cut off at the elbow, and the lower part of his arm was bandaged and wrapped in a dingy red handkerchief. He knocked two or three times at the kitchen door, then cautiously tried it, but it was locked. He then crept stealthily about, trying the windows.

He bad just given up the last one when ho suddenly saw a door he had not noticed before—a screen door opening from the «ide porch. He went to this and wrapped loudly several times, poering in moan while. He saw a very pleasant dining-room, but his eyea fastened at once greedily on the sideboard, where stood several pieces of

silver which Aunb Margaret used constantly. Judging there was no one in the house, he opened the door and wenb in. He examined tho silver, bub lefb id untouched, saying to himselef, ' I'll see whab I can find over the rest of the house—l can grab these ou my way oub.' Just as he was about to go upstairs, however, the front gate clicked and the sound or' a light step made him look hastily around for a hiding-place.

Opening from the dining-room was a glass-onclosod piazza which made a pretty conservatory, iind by tho doorway was a closet and into this he slipped. The latchinc of the closet door was ab tho same instan'j as the dosing of the Btreeb door, and tho house, as Florence entered ib, seemed only too quiet. Sho was very warm and very tired, but she could not rest until she had looked ab every window and door. Whon she wenb into the dining-room an exclamation of surprise burst from her lips and the man hiding in tho closet wondered whether he had loft) any trace cf his presence. Bub no ! it was tho unhooked screen-door bhab had made Florence exclaim. She hooked ib, and then continued her tour of investigation. On her way, sho sat down ab Aunb Margaret's desk and wrote a note. Sho must confess as coon as possible, and sho should not sco Aunb Margaret until aftor school tho noxt day. Out of tho abundance of hor heart she wrobo, and then loft bho noto upon tho outside of the dosk so Aunb Margareb should find ib whon she came homo ab night.

Tho houso still had a very ompby feeling, but Florenco folt so light-hearted now that she did nob mind ib ab all, and sang as sho wont about, setting hor thoughts to HiiutchoH of tunos.

' Ho that is faithful, faithful. In that, in that which is loast. He shall bo faithful, faithful, Faithful also in much.' carolled Florence ; and again and again the words rang oub cloarly in a sweet young voice.

Tho man in tho closeb hoard, ab first without listening, but soon with an intent ear and a changing face. ' Blast bhe girl I' ho mubtored, under his breath, 'why don'b she go 'long 'bout hor business ?' But Florence had eoen a few thingß to be dono, and all the timo she was singing, with countless trills und warbles :

•He that is faithful, Faithful in tho least. In every little, thintf, Shall attain to faithfulness, Shall attain to faithfulness.'

Tho man in tho closet, who heard all. saw a vision, while ho listened, a vision of a boy, with much labour, fastening up a motto on tho wall at tho foob of the bed in a pretty room. What was tho motto? Oh ! thab girl's voico had sung ib oub clearly onough: ' Faithful nnd True.1 All tho boyish ardour and high impulse of thab timo came back to the degraded mau hidden in the closet, and only ■ waiting opportunity to commit a crime. Low as he had sunk ho had never before enbored a houso for bho purposo of theit. He would probably have gono away this time had he found that ecreen-door fattened. But the temptation of so easy, safe and profitable a robbery had broken the last cord which held him to honesty. 'Shall attain to faithfulness,' warbled Florence, running up Htairs to her room. In a few momonts she was down again, and baking hor schoolbooks for the nexb day, wenb out of bho front door.

The man was alone in the house again. Ho ci>me oub of tho closot. Bub he did not carry out his plans. His only thought was to got away quickly. In bis hasto ho bruehed against a dosk, and Florence's noto fell to the floor. He picked ib up, and as he held it in his clumsy fingers he caught a fow words bore and there.

Hastily replacing it ho lob himeelf oub tho front door as Florence had, disappearing immediately in tho shrubbery aboub the porch. Ho lay thon a long time thinking over Florence's song :

Shall at last, at last, Attain to faithfulness.' His heart loaped up at last) suddenly, He would try.

The picnic party reacbod home jusb ab dark. Ruth could nob say enough of the jolly good times. Florence heard ib all serene and undisturbed; and when, jusb before thoy paid good-nighb, Ruth asked suddenly, ' Florence, as long as you found everything all right and nothing had happened, even if the door was open, don'b you think ib would havo beon jueb as well if jou had waited and come with the reafc of us ?' she answered, slowly :

' Perhaps—for the house.' Then, with a sudden impulse, sho added ; 1 But, Ruthio, I know it wouldn't havo been as well for—mo.'

Jusb then the train whistle sounded shrilly bhrough the still summer night.

Aunb Mnnrarob stopped from thab train, and as sho did bo sho caught her foot, tripped, and would have fallen had ib nob been tbab a rough-looking man sprang and caught her jusb in timo. Ib was a bad place for a fall, as the road was being repaired there, and this man was the only person near enough to hnvo saved her. Ab she looked up to thank him she noticed one coab eleeve wan cub off at tho elbow, and the lower part of his arm bandaged iv a diVty red handkerchief. In a moment; more ho was on board and Aunt Margaret was going toward home. As soon as hlio hnd a lighb Miss Thayer discovered FlorencoV noto, and rend ib.

' Poor libtlo Floss 1' t>ho said tenderly,

In folding bho nobo again sho nobiced a large grimy spot on each side of it, as if it had boon taken befcweon a very dirty thumb and finger.

' How strange !' thought Aunb Margaret, burning tho note over and over. She stood looking ab the finger-mnrks for some moments, then roused herself. ' How foolish. Of course nobody has touched ib. I won't givo it another thought.' Nevertheless, the made a tour of tho house. Everything proved to be risrhb. and Aunt Margaret laughed ab herself for her undefined fear over the finger-marked note.

* # * * * And did they never find oub about bho burglar ?

They never did. Florence probably thinks to this day thab it is ' only in stories ' that n girl's finings aff'ecb the tide of events in any direct mannor.