The girl is at ---- Hospital for
treatment, but spends _every Sunday_ at the Grahams', and
Hilda devotes _most_ of her spare time to her. The boy is at
school,--one of the _best_ schools in the city. 'But _who_
are these people?' I hear you cry. My dear! they are simply
_ignorant paupers_, who were Hilda's constant companions
through that _disastrous summer_. Now their mother is dead,
and the people with whom Hilda stayed have adopted them. The
boy is to be a doctor, and the girl is going to get well,
Dr. George says. (_He_ calls her a beautiful and interesting
creature; but you know what _that_ means. _Any diseased_
creature is beautiful to _him_!) Well, and THESE,
my dear Helen, are Hilda Graham's FRIENDS, for whom
she has _deserted_ her OLD _ones_! for though she
is _unchanged_ towards me when I see her, I hardly ever
_do_ see her. She cares nothing for _my_ pursuits, and I
certainly have NO intention of joining in _hers_. I
met her the other day on _Fifth Avenue_, walking beside that
_odious_ bath-chair, which the freckled boy was pushing. She
looked so _lovely_ (for she is prettier than ever, with a
fine color and eyes like _stars_), and was talking so
earnestly, and walking somehow as if she were treading on
air, it sent a PANG through my heart. I just paused
an instant (for though I _trust_ I am not SNOBBISH,
Helen, still, I _draw the line_ at bath-chairs, and will
_not_ be seen standing by one), and said in a low tone,
meant _only_ for _her ear_, 'Ah! has _Queen Hildegarde_ come
to _this_?' My dear, she only LAUGHED! But that
_girl_, that cripple, looked up with a smile and a sort of
flash over her face, and said, just as if she _knew_ me,
'Yes, Miss Everton! the Queen has come to her kingdom!'"
THE END
Selections from The Page Company's Books for Young People
* * * * *
THE BLUE BONNET SERIES
_Each large 12mo, cloth decorative, illustrated, per volume_ $1.
Pages:
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
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162
163
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