ono, as she had something
particular in view for which she was saving all she could spare. The
colonel looked inquiringly, but received no answer to his questioning
glance. He was accustomed to Alma's having her plans and her whims and
fancies; and as they generally did no harm, he was not in the habit of
examining particularly into them. It would even be a pleasure to him
to pay Nono's wages personally. He liked the little brown boy who made
him think of the sunny south, and could not pass him in the garden
without giving him a pleasant word or a friendly nod. It pleased him
to think there would now be a new link between them. A silver link it
proved in a small way to Nono, who had no reason to complain of the
change. The little Italian did, however, half realize that Miss Alma
did not notice him quite in the same way as at first; but he was
thankful for the friendliness of the past, for his pleasant home, and
for steady work, and life was very bright to him now that the twins
were more his protectors than his tyrants.

Frans was not at all pleased with the new system of economy. Alma had
always been ready to give or to lend to him from her own private purse
when he was "short of money," for the construction of his machines or
for any of his various undertakings. She had often scolded him for
being thriftless and reckless, but had been as liberal with her loans
and gifts as with her reproaches. He was fairly astonished when his
birthday came round to receive from her an old book of her own, with
the fly-leaf torn out, and an inscription written on the title-page,
"Frans. From his devoted sister."

"Much devoted!" he said with a shrug, as he looked at his present, a
nicely-bound book, truly, and containing much good advice, but conveyed
in such long words and long sentences and such very small print that
Alma herself had never been able to read it. "What's got into you,
Alma?" he added hastily; "you seem to be drawing off from me, every
way, as fast as you can. I wonder if you will stop calling me Frans
one of these days, and pretend you are no sister of mine. You know I
don't care for this thing! I'm not much of a reader, any way, and
books are not much in my line, unless they are about travels or
machines or something that grows or crawls. You are all the sister I
have, and I wish sometimes you would find it out!"

Frans did not wait for an answer, but ran off to thank the housekeeper
for the big ca