"No. Since his home was broken up and Mrs. Holmes lives with her sister, his visits are few and far between. He was dining the other night with the Croftons, but he did not come to us."

"I always thought that a false step on mother's part, getting Eddie into his regiment. A man told me the other day it was one of the most go-ahead ones in the service."

"So it seems, as far as Eddie is concerned.”

"Colonel Holmes is a nice fellow, is he not? He used to be a great friend of yours, Olive. Do you remember when he boxed Duke's ears for his impudence in the meadow over carrying your school books?"

Olive laughed, but there was a sudden flush in her cheeks that Vinny observed in the glass in front of her. "Which did you favor then?" Vinny continued ; "Duke, wasn't it? When Colonel Holmes went to Woolwich he got a little too grand for us. I hear Duke is at the Cape. Do you hear from him?"

"Me! Why should I? Osmond is his friend.

Vinny turned round and drew Olive in front of her.

Child, your cheeks tell tales. What has happened between you? Elsie tells me she is sure something has. Six months ago Duke told me he could not live without you. Don't you like him?"

Olive drew her hands out of her sister's clasp.

"Don't mind my cheeks," she said a little unsteadily. "He asked twice and I refused him twice, and that is the end of it. There! Your hair is done. Goodnight!"

CHAPTER VI

SHAKEN

What can we do, o'er whom the unbeholden
Hangs in night which we cannot cope?

-F. W. H. Myers.

VINNY brought a certain amount of stir into the quiet household. She might talk slightingly of London society, and of her town life; but she was a wellread, cultured woman, and was able to give Elsie much information about the world of letters, and of art, which delighted her heart. Mrs. Tracy enjoyed her visit. She drove out with her every afternoon, and appealed to her on every subject, till Olive declared, laughingly, that her light was put out and she must retire into the background. She certainly found more leisure to attend to her own affairs now that her eldest sister engrossed so much of her mother's time and attention. Mrs. Tracy seemed unusually bright and interested: she came to Olive one morning and announced her intention of giving a small dinner party in honour of Vinny, and when Olive demurred a little at the expense it would entail, she was promptly crushed.

My dear, we are not so badly off that we cannot afford to give a quiet dinner to our friends. I will ask Lady Crofton, and Dot and her father, and Colonel Holmes, and the dean and his wife. Perhaps we had better ask two more gentlemen. The two unmarried canons-how many will that make?"

"Twelve with ourselves," said Olive.

“That will do nicely, and I will write the invitations myself. I think we might say next Thursday week." "All right, mother; only don't you trouble about sending the invitations out. I can do them."

"I shall like to send them myself, dear. I will do it now."

Mrs. Tracy had been walking up and down the dining room as she talked. Vinny and Elsie were out. They had gone primrose hunting in the lanes near; and Olive, though longing to be with them, had stayed at home to write letters for her mother. She went with her now into her morning-room, and saw her comfortably settled at her davenport. Just as she was leaving the room, Mrs. Tracy called her back.

"Olive, I think on second thoughts I will answer that letter of Eddie's myself. I have not written to him lately."

'Very well, but don't tire yourself over it; and don't promise to send him any more money, mother!"

Olive placed Eddie's letter on the davenport, then bent down and gave her mother a kiss before she left her. She was not usually demonstrative, but something in her mother's face that morning drew out her affection towards her. All her life long, she was thankful she had given her that kiss. Mrs. Tracy gave a little sigh, as she dipped her pen into the ink, and commenced her letter to her absent boy.

"Olive is a dear good girl, but she is not his mother, and she does not understand him as I do!”

Then her eyes wandered out of the open window, in front of her to the sunny garden beyond. The labur

THE PROPER

SOCIETY B

NEW-YORK

nums and lilacs were in full bloom; and the spring bulbs round the shrubberies gave a very bright look to the old garden. Her thoughts wandered from the present to the past. The dean had been so fond of spring; he had asked for a pot of primroses to be put near him before he died. "Lucy, they speak to me of the new spring dawning for me in the other world. How wonderful it will be to taste the spring of youth again, when this tired worn-out body will be laid aside."

And as she thought upon this, a silent unseen visitor entered the room and approached her. She took her pen up, with the words upon her lips, "He is so like his father, he only needs more steadiness and application." And then she wrote:

MY DEAREST BOY,

I must just send you a line to-day, to say I have received yours, and am so glad you won the race yesterday. I cannot help feeling anxious about these steeple-chases, but I hope you will be prudent. I wish you could get leave to come over to a small dinner party I am giving. I am going to ask your Colonel, as I have not seen him for a long time. Vinny is here, and enjoying herself much. I am feeling much stronger than I have been lately

Then very softly, very gently did the silent visitor lay his hand on the widowed mother. She bent her head over her letter; the pen dropped from her grasp; a little fluttering sigh; and then a stillness fell on that sunny morning room, and on the writer in it. A chaffinch outside perched on the window-ledge, and looked with quick inquiring eyes at the scene within; a sunbeam found its way to that bowed head and touched it with a golden radiance; and still no one came to disturb the solemn silence that reigned. The gardener outside whistled a cheery tune as he mowed the turf with the lawn cutter;

Olive in her bedroom above was singing happily to herself as she moved here and there; and the maids' chatter in the kitchen was wafted into the garden through the open window. Sunshine indoors and out; for was not spring in its loveliest garb on this May day? And the hearts of all were affected by it.

And the spring that the dean had talked of had come at last to the one who had found most of the year grey and autumnal.

When Olive entered the room a short time afterwards, she raised a cry that brought most of the household, in fear and trembling, to her side. A doctor was sent for, but nothing could be done, and when Vinny and Elsie returned with their primroses, it was to find themselves motherless.

"Failure of the heart's action," was the doctor's verdict, but though for a long time her daughters had known that Mrs. Tracy's heart was weak, her sudden death stunned and paralysed them.

Olive found in the dark days that followed the help and comfort of having Vinny with her. Elsie shut herself up into her room; Olive still had to arrange everything and manage the household. Eddie came home, sobered and saddened by his loss, but was not able to give his sisters much help, and went back to his regiment immediately after the funeral. All of them marvelled at Olive's composure. She still maintained her cheery voice and demeanour, and if she did not offer comfort in words to her sisters she looked after their bodily comforts in a way that no one else did. Osmond was the only one who noted something missing in her looks and tones, and he quietly waited his time.