Transcriber's note: Unusual and inconsistent spelling is as printed.
Armed only with a stick, he went straight up to the bear
and commenced belabouring her.
TRUE HEROISM.
BY
A. L. O. E.
AUTHOR OF "NED FRANKS," "PICTURES OF ST. PAUL,"
"THE WHITE BEAR'S DEN," ETC.
GALL & INGLIS.
London: Edinburgh:
25 PATERNOSTER SQUARE. 20 BERNARD TERRACE.
CONTENTS.
CHAP.
V. THE LADY AND THE SERPENT, ETC.
XVII. THE DAY OF TRIAL AND DELIVERANCE
TRUE HEROISM.
CHAPTER I.
IVY LODGE.
"TIRESOME—how tiresome! another rainy day!" cried Tom Gore, turningimpatiently from the window.
"Pretty sort of holidays these are, truly," muttered Louis. "One cannotget out for five minutes for a walk, but back one is driven by ashower! Here's the last day of our Easter holidays, and not one—no, notone fair day have we enjoyed."
"Except Sunday," suggested Jessy.
"Oh! Sunday—I did not count Sunday. But what are we to make ofourselves all this long morning?"
"Let's have games," suggested merry little Julia.
"What games? We're tired of all."
"And we must have nothing that is noisy, on account of old Mrs.Presgrave! No fun! I shall almost be glad to get back to school again,"cried Louis, "we are so moped up here!"
For want of something better to do, Willy, quietly seated in thecorner, was cutting a round hole in his drum; a box of paints lay onthe table, with which Bella had been daubing, certainly not adorning,the plates in the last book which her uncle had given her. There wasa broken draughts-board under the table, but half of the draughtsmenwere lost, and Tom and Louis, who had taken to chess, were beginning toquarrel over the game.
"I'll move there—check!" cried the former, putting down his queen withan air of triumph.
In a moment