Edna was the adopted daughter of Captain Bill May, who had brought
her home from one of his voyages when she was a little baby, and
placed her in his wife's arms, saying that she was a bit of
flotsam and jetsam that belonged to him by right of salvage. His
ship had been in a Southern port when a woman, with this child in
her arms, had fallen from a pier into the river. Springing into
the water after them, Captain May had succeeded in saving the
child, but the mother was drowned. As nothing could be learned of
its history, and as nobody claimed it, Captain May brought the
baby home, and she was baptized Edna May. She was now fourteen
years old, and Ruth Elmer's most intimate friend, and the first
picture in the album was a good photograph of herself, taken in
Bangor. The others were only tin-types taken in the neighboring
town of Skowhegan; but Ruth thought them all beautiful.

The next morning was gray and chill, for it was late in November.
The first snow of the season was falling in a hesitating sort of a
way, as though it hardly knew whether to come or not, and it was
still quite dark when Mrs. Wing woke Mark and Ruth, and told them
to hurry, for the stage would be along directly. They were soon
dressed and down-stairs, where they found breakfast smoking on the
table. A moment later they were joined by their parents, neither
of whom could eat, so full were they of the sorrow of departure.
The children were also very quiet, even Mark's high spirits being
dampened by thoughts of leaving old friends, and several tears
found their way down Ruth's cheeks during the meal.

After breakfast they said good-bye to the Wings, and went over to
their own house to pack a few remaining things into hand-bags, and