BY THE BEACH.

II.

66

THE TRELAWNEY BROWNES have arrived. They made their appearance this morning. They were on the Parade for an hour or two, three of them, two girls and a man. Young SMITH'S glass was glued to them for five and twenty minutes. Clippers, bejove! Clippers!" he murmured, as he followed them up and down. "Ah!" he said to ADA, "there's style for you, if you like! That's what the French people call ayclar, you know."

Young SMITH rather prides himself on his French accent. Last summer he went over to Boulogne for a day, and for a month or two afterwards (when he happened to think of it) he had almost forgotten his English. "Ah!" he continued, still studying the new-comers through his glass. What an air distangy! Those frocks hail from WORTH'S or the Luvver, or I'm a Dutchman, ADA!

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ADA's eye followed the direction of the telescope, and the smile died on her lips. Was it jealousy? Presentiment? The shadow of coming events? Poor little ADA! Beside these clippers" she looked a mere nobody, and she was conscious of it.

Young SMITH is a wonderful judge of character. At the very first glance he decided that the new comers had "style," and before the morning was out he overheard the following conversation, which confirmed his judgment.

"The Colonel won't be down for another week, ALGY," said Miss TRELAWNEY BROWNE. Really?" drawled her brother.

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No; he is detained in town by Parlia

ment."

"Awful bothaw."

Young SMITH pricked up his ears. Colonels, even common Colonels, were a cut above him but Colonels who sat in Parliament! Phiou!

"You had a letter from Sir GEORGE this morning?" asked the second Miss TRELAWNEY BROWNE.

"Ya-as. The Ba'net wants me to go north for the last of the hunting, you know."

Young SMITH's eyes dilated. Baronets and hunting? It was not every day that young SMITH listened to talk like this. Before tea-time all Little Puddleton knew what he had heard. "They seem nice sort of people these TRELAWNEY BROWNES," he said; well connected, and all that sort of thing. I heard young BROWNE say that some Baronet had asked him to go hunting."

"WHAT BAIT ARE YER USIN', BILLIE?"
"WHAT ARE YER TRYIN' TER CATCH-MICE}"

Young SMITH has an elder sister, and her name is MADGE. Young SMITH does not think much of her-"not one of my sort, you know;" but HARRY JONES, ADA's fifth and favourite brother, reckons her divine. There is nothing HARRY wouldn't do for MADGE. He has called his cutter after her; he blacked only fivepence-halfpenny. a boy's eye because he said she squinted; and, asking Pa for anything, he was such an old when he is in funds, he brings her packets of screw; and ADA? ADA had half-a-crown in fruit-tablets from the penny-in-the-slot ma- her purse, but she was not allowed to change chine. The other day HARRY caught sight of it. Could the photographer possibly do it for ADA'S photograph. ADA was frightened, for less? HARRY hated bargaining; but, hang HARRY is a great tease, and she thought she it! what was a fellow to do? Well, yes, would never hear the end of it. But HARRY to oblige the gentleman, the photographer was intensely interested. He wanted to know how much it cost. ADA couldn't tell him. He supposed it could be done cheaper without a frame? And ADA thought yes, certainly it could.

вре ма

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"CHELSE."

It was no use getting it, and HARRY sat about all the afternoon, biting his nails, and frowning. He was, in fact, quite metamorphosed. Pa JONES did not once have to tell him how many bad accidents he had seen, and Ma JONES began to fear he was developing influenza. The whole household was altered. Not one raid did HARRY make into the nursery; not one doll thought he might take the two for ninepence. did he Jack-the-Ripper; not once did he pull Fivepence-halpenny from ninepence, that the twins by the hair, nor smack little left fourpence - halfpenny-no, threepence, TODDLES's head. ADA alone had an inkling wasn't it? HARRY could never tackle arith- of his ailment, and offered her sympathy; metic, and, when there was a fraction, he but HARRY would none of it. He sat apart A few minutes afterwards HARRY was down always felt uncertain. He thanked the photo- in melodramatic silence, brooding over his on the beach in consultation with the photographer, and said he would think of it. Half wrongs, and cursing the fate that left him grapher. The regular charge was sixpence the day he spent devising schemes to raise the to struggle through life on such a limited each a shilling for a group of two. Would residue. He volunteered to rig out JOHNNY's income. that include a frame? No, only a pink paper mount. A frame was fourpence extra. HARRY's face fell. He would give the world to be taken with MADGE SMITH, but he had

boat for threepence, and to mend the little
Robinson-boy's cycle-horse for a halfpenny. "THOU ART SO NEAR AND YET SO FAR."-
His offers were declined with suspicion. Paltry Appropriate address to a miser residing at
as the sum was, there seemed no possibility of the Antipodes.