We Ten

We Ten, by Lyda Farrington Kraus��,

The Project Gutenberg eBook, We Ten, by Lyda Farrington Kraus��, Illustrated by Minna Brown
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: We Ten Or, The Story of the Roses
Author: Lyda Farrington Kraus��

Release Date: December 7, 2006 [eBook #20052]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WE TEN***
E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland, Jacqueline Jeremy, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net/)

Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 20052-h.htm or 20052-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/2/0/0/5/20052/20052-h/20052-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/2/0/0/5/20052/20052-h.zip)

WE TEN
Or
The Story of the Roses
by
BARBARA YECHTON
Author of "Ingleside," "A Matter of Honor," "Gentle-Heart Stories," "Two Knights-Errant," "Little Saint Hilary," "Christine's Inspiration"
With Illustrations by Minna Brown

[Illustration: "'OH, PAPA! PAPA! SURELY YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BURN THE FETICH!'"]

New York Dodd, Mead and Company 1896 Copyright, 1896, by Dodd, Mead and Co. All rights reserved.
University Press: John Wilson and Son, Cambridge, U.S.A.

TO MY DEAR ONES.
"Thou hast done well thy part, if Thou hast done thy best; As sure as I am God, I answer For the rest."

CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGE
I. ROSES AND ROSES 1
II. IN THE STUDY 17
III. CONCERNING A PERFORMANCE 25
IV. AND A FETICH 43
V. A FRACAS AND AN ARRIVAL 53
VI. DISPOSING OF A FETICH 72
VII. NEW FRIENDS 92
VIII. A RESOLUTION 109
IX. MAX'S WARD 123
X. IN THE SCHOOLROOM 145
XI. AN AFTERNOON RECEPTION 165
XII. IN THE SHADOW 182
XIII. THROUGH THE SHADOW 200
XIV. A MISSION OF THREE 213
XV. SOME MINORS 230
XVI. AND A MAJOR 254
XVII. NORA'S SECRET 274
XVIII. EXPERIENCES AT ENDICOTT BEACH 283
XIX. HIS BROTHER'S KEEPER 322
XX. A SOLEMN PROMISE 346
XXI. THROUGH THE SLOUGH OF DESPOND 367
XXII. AUF WIEDERSEHEN 378

WE TEN, OR THE STORY OF THE ROSES.

I.
ROSES AND ROSES.
TOLD BY JACK.
When papa said positively that only Phil could go to college, we all felt so badly for Felix that we held a council in the schoolroom that very afternoon. At least, six of us did; the other four had been ruled out by Felix, who declared that "kids were not allowed in council." Paul and M?del didn't mind so much,--they're the twins, they're only seven years old; nor did Alan,--he's the baby; but Kathie was awfully mad: you see, she's nearly ten, and she does love to hear all that's going on. When she gets crying, there's no stopping her, and I tell you she made things pretty lively round that schoolroom for a little while. How she did howl! We were so afraid she'd start Alan, and that the noise would reach papa's study; good-bye then to our council. We got provoked with Kathie; it was so silly of her to stand there crying like a big baby, and keeping us back that way.
First Phil called out, "You just stop, this minute, Kathie!" and then, when she kept right on, he threw the old sofa pillow at her, and told her to go smother herself; Nora said, "Horrid child!" in her most disgusted tone, and Nannie and Betty coaxed and coaxed, trying to quiet her.
[Illustration: "THE SCHOOLROOM VIXEN."]
But nothing had any effect until Felix limped over to his easel. Felix is lame,--dear old Fee!--but my! isn't he clever! Greek and Latin are just as easy as--as--anything to him, and he writes stories and poems,--though nobody knows this 'cept us children and Miss Marston, and we wouldn't tell for the world,--and he paints the most beautiful pictures you ever saw. Well, as I was telling you, he limped over to his easel, and took up his brush. "Just keep that charming expression on your face a few minutes longer, Kathie," he said, "until I get it on canvas; and I'll paint your picture as the 'Schoolroom Vixen,' and send it to the Academy. That's right, open your mouth just a little wider--what a wonderful cavern!--hullo! why'd you stop crying? I'm not half through."
That quieted my lady! You see she was afraid he was in earnest; and after Nannie had wiped her eyes for her, and given her the last piece of chocolate in her box, off she went to the other end of the room, and began playing house with the twins and Alan under the schoolroom table, as nicely as you please.
Then the council began. Nannie said it was called to discuss "ways and means." I suppose by that she meant to see if there was any way that Felix could go to college too; but, as usual, in a very little while everybody began to take "sides," and then, the first thing we knew, we were all talking at the same time, and just as loud as ever we could. That's a way we have,--all talking