"Uncle 'Gustus has curly hair on his cheeks, on his mouf, all round.
_Not_ little prickles, sticking out like needles."

"O, you girl!" said Bennie, frowning at Fly. "You mustn't laugh at my
pa's beard. There's a man comes in, sometimes, and shaves him nice; but
now the man's gone to Newark."

"Is it possible," repeated Mrs. Brooks, taking the child's hand, "that
this is Colonel Allen's little niece, and my Maria found her!"

"Your Maria didn't find me," said Fly, decidedly; "I founded Maria."

"So she did, pa. The first thing I knew, I heard somebody calling,
Doggie, doggie,' in such a sweet voice; and then I looked--no, of course
I _couldn't_ look."

Here the discouraged look came over Maria's mouth, and she said no more.

"There, there, cheer up, daughter," said Mr. Brooks, with tears in his
eyes; "I was only going on to say, it is passing strange that any of our
family should run afoul of one of the colonel's folks."

"It's the Lord's doings; I haven't the slightest doubt of it," said Mrs.
Brooks, earnestly. "You know what I've been saying to you, pa."

"There, there, ma'am, _don't_," said Mr. Brooks; "don't go to raising
false hopes. You know I'm too proud to beg of anybody's folks."

"Why, pa, I shouldn't call it begging just to tell Colonel Allen how you
are situated! Do you suppose, if he knew the facts of the case, he'd be