garden. I wouldn't have come if I thought you were one of those ladies
who wanted little girls to sit on chairs. Oh! do say you are a romp."

Here there was a laugh heard behind them, and Mr. Ellsworthy came up
and joined the group. He greeted the girls kindly, and very soon
discovered that their father had been the old acquaintance whom he had
known of the name. Then he and Primrose went off together, and Mrs.
Ellsworthy took the two young girls' hands.

"My darling," she said, "with the single exception of my only son,
Frankie, who is at present at school, I am the greatest romp in
existence. Now let us come out into the sunshine and enjoy ourselves."

The few hours the girls spent at Shortlands passed only too quickly
for Jasmine and Daisy. Mrs. Ellsworthy laid herself out to be
charming, and no one could be more charming than she when she chose.
She had naturally a good deal of sympathy, and taking her cue from the
little ones, she entered into their lives, and became one with them.
Jasmine and Daisy became quite merry. An indiscriminating observer
would have said: "How shocking to hear such merry laughter--their
mother has only been dead a month." But Mrs. Ellsworthy had far too
kind a heart to do these children such an injustice. She knew that the
dark lines under Jasmine's bright eyes were caused by the passion of a
great grief; but she also knew that with such a nature sunshine must
follow storm. Daisy in the midst of her play, too, began suddenly to
cry.

"What is the matter, my little one?" asked the lady of the house. The
child put her arms round her neck, and whispered through sobs: "I am
so happy now; but I know I'll be miserable bye-and-bye. I'll want so