Part 30 (2/2)

”We agreed, did we not,” she said, ”that we both were to go our own way.

You must not question me too closely. I have done nothing wrong-nothing; I am always faithful to you and to my mother's memory. You must not expect me to tell you everything, father, for you know you do not tell me everything.”

”Silly child!” he answered. ”But there, Sylvia, I do trust you. And, my dear little girl, know this, that you are the great-the very greatest-comfort of my life. I will come in; it is somewhat chilly this evening.”

Sylvia rushed before her father into his sitting-room, dashed up to the fire, flung on some bits of wood and what sc.r.a.ps of coal were left in the coal-hod, thrust in a torn newspaper, set a match to the fire she had hastily laid, and before Mr. Leeson strolled languidly into the room, a cheerful fire was crackling and blazing up the chimney.

”How extravagant--” he began, but when he saw Sylvia's pretty face as she knelt on the hearth the words were arrested on his lips.

”The child is very like her mother, and her mother was the most beautiful woman on earth when I married her,” he thought. ”Poor little Sylvia! I wonder will she have a happier fate!”

He sat down by the fire. The girl knelt by him, took his cold hands, and rubbed them softly. Her heart was full; there were tears in her eyes.

CHAPTER XVII.-THE FALL IN THE SNOW.

The next morning, when the meager breakfast which Mr. Leeson and his daughter enjoyed together had come to an end, Sylvia ran off to find Jasper. She had stayed with her father during most of the preceding evening, and although she had gone as usual to drink her chocolate and eat her bread before going to bed, she had said very little to Jasper.

But she wanted to speak to her this morning, for she had thoughts in the night, and those thoughts were driving her to decisive action. Jasper was standing in the kitchen. She had made up the fire with the smokeless coal, and it was burning slowly but steadily. A little, plump chicken lay on the table; a small piece of bacon was close at hand. There was also a pile of large and mealy-looking potatoes and some green vegetables.

”Our dinner for to-day,” said Jasper briefly.

”Oh Jasper!” answered the girl-”oh, if only father could have some of that chicken! Do you know, I do not think he is at all well; he looked so cold and feeble last night. He really is starving himself-very much as I starved myself before you came; but he is old and cannot bear it quite so well. What am I to do to keep him alive?”

Jasper looked full at Sylvia.

”Do!” she said. ”How can a fool be cured of his folly? That is the question I ask myself. If he denies himself the necessaries of life, how are you to give them to him?”

”Well,” said Sylvia, ”I manage as best I can by hardly ever eating in his presence; he does not notice, particularly at breakfast. He enjoyed his egg and toast this morning, and really said nothing about my unwonted extravagance.”

”I have a plan in my head,” said Jasper, ”which may or may not come to anything. You know those few miserable barn-door fowls which your father keeps just by the shrubbery in that old hen-house?”

”Yes,” replied Sylvia.

”Do they ever lay any eggs?”

”No.”

”I thought not. I wonder a prudent, careful man like Mr. Leeson should keep them eating their heads off, so to speak.”

”Oh, they don't eat much,” replied Sylvia. ”I got them when father spoke so much about the wasted potato-skins. I bought them from a gipsy. I did not know they were so old.”

”We must get rid of those fowls,” said Jasper. ”You must tell your father that it is a great waste of money to keep them; and, my dear, we will give him fowl to eat for his dinner as long as the old fowls in the shrubbery last. There are ten of them. I shall sell them-very little indeed we shall get for them-and he will imagine he is eating them when he really is consuming a delicate little bird like the one you and I are going to enjoy for our dinner to-day.”

”What fun!” said Sylvia, the color coming into her cheeks and her eyes sparkling. ”You do not think it is wrong to deceive him, do you?”

”Wrong! Bless you! no,” replied Jasper. ”And now, my dear, what is the matter with you? You look--”

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