"My wife has hardly answered you fully," he said. "I am under the
impression that she desires to adopt a certain portion of this alley; at
least I have heard of little else since last Sabbath afternoon. She is
in search of some stray sheep who have been put under her care."

"Ah," the doctor said, turning quickly to her, "a Sabbath-school
teacher? Is this young man one of your scholars?"

"No," she explained; "but she had heard of him while inquiring where
one of her boys lived, and she had called to see if she could help in
any way. Dirk Colson was the boy who, they told her, lived near this
place."

The eyes of the trim sister brightened.

"He lives on the next square," she said. "Oh, ma'am, are you his
teacher, and do you care for him? I'm so glad."

"He is a favorite of yours, is he?" the doctor asked, looking from one
speaking face to another, and seeming immensely interested in the
matter.

"No, indeed!" the girl said, quickly. "He's horrid! But I'm sorry for his
sister; and she wants Dirk to get on, and he never does get on; but I
thought maybe such a kind of a teacher could help him."

There was such intense and genuine admiration in the girl's voice for
the vision of loveliness before her that Dr. Everett could not help
smiling.