recollecting the speech he had puzzled over ever since he heard it.

"No, I brought the book, but in the hurry of my tea-party forgot to
unpack it. I'll hunt it up to-night. Remind me, Thorny."

"There, now, I've forgotten something too! Squire sent you a letter,
and I'm having such a jolly time I never thought of it."

Ben rummaged out the note with remorseful haste, protesting that he was
in no hurry for Mr. Gulliver, and very glad to save him for another
day.

Leaving the young folks busy with their games, Miss Celia sat in the
porch to read her letters, for there were two, and as she read her face
grew so sober, then so sad, that if any one had been looking he would
have wondered what bad news had chased away the sunshine so suddenly.
No one did look, no one saw how pitifully her eyes rested on Ben's
happy face when the letters were put away, and no one minded the new
gentleness in her manner as she came back to the table. But Ben thought
there never was so sweet a lady as the one who leaned over him to show
him how the dissected map went together, and never smiled at his
mistakes.

So kind, so very kind was she to them all that when, after an hour of
merry play, she took her brother in to bed, the three who remained fell
to praising her enthusiastically as they put things to rights before
taking leave.

"She's like the good fairies in the books, and has all sorts of nice,
pretty things in her house," said Betty, enjoying a last hug of the