had stirred something so deep that to know it was there was like pain.

The tall clock in the hall chanted "One" in a round, mellow tone as she came down the stairs. The little group of Wainwright servitors pressed forward to thank her, with real heartiness. She had quite a little ovation before she went out of the door. Mr. William, like the respectable family retainer he was, insisted on accompanying her. It was a short distance in actual city blocks that lay between the big house and her own apartment. But the girl had the sense of being a very Rip Van Winkle; to have experienced so much one must have been away for many years.

With all her happiness one thing rankled.

"How could they?" She voiced it at last, turning to Mr. William. "How could people, for their own selfish pleasure, leave their child alone at Christmastime? They were the only ones-and they have so much more. It is terrible to think they could do it."

"Oh no, Miss. You mustn't think that for a minute. Hi didn't make you hunderstand. Nobody could love a child more. My mistress was called away suddenly not three days ago. Hit was thought her mother was dying. The hold lady made a quick recovery, hand my master hand mistress were motoring 'ome in a 'urry to make ready for Miss 'Elen's Christmas. We 'ad a wire, this hafternoon at three, Miss, that there 'ad been a haccident, the motor 'ad skidded in the snow-Hi never did 'old as much by motors as by 'osses, Misshand Mrs. Wainwright's harm hand. shoulder were badly injured - they 'adn't 'ad the X-ray yet so they couldn't tell whether hany bones were broken. The doctor 'ad forbidden them to move 'er and Master 'ad to stay with 'er, of course. Hand we were to see about Miss 'Elen's Christmas. Hand somehow, with everythink to worrit me, I clean forgot it. 'Leave her alone,' you said, 'for their hown pleasure'?

Hit's

little pleasure the poor young things 'as 'ad-if Hi may make so bold. Hi know they are habout 'eartbroken. Hit was because they idolized Miss 'Elen so, in a manner of saying, Miss,

that Hi was afraid Hi would lose my position when they found out Hi 'ad forgotten."

"Oh, I'm so glad, so glad! I just couldn't bear to think of it. That's the one thing needed to make it all perfect. No child in all the world has been forgotten."

Mr. William nodded. They were at the door of her apartment-house. It took much ringing to bring the sleepy janitor to the door. It was a tribute to William's shining respectability that the man's glance, as he opened the door, was merely grumpy, not suspicious.

After Mr. William said good-by he lingered awkwardly for a moment. He seemed to have left off his livery of impersonality.

"Thank you, Miss. Thank you," he said at length. "You ought to be 'appy to know you 'ave saved a child from a sore 'eart.'

"Dear little child-" Dorothy spoke dreamily.

"Hit's never Miss 'Elen-although she would not 'ave 'ad the 'appy 'eart she will when she wakes if hit 'adn't been for you. My own little girl Hi was thinking of, if Hi may make so bold as to speak of 'er. When Hi found that. shop was closed Hi 'ad about made up my mind Hi'd 'ave to slip 'ome and take the little things we 'ad got ready for hour little Hemma-I was that afraid of what the Master and Mistress would do. Hand, in a manner of speaking, that would 'ave gone pretty 'ard with my missus and me-hand 'arder than Hi like to think with little Hemma."

It was half-past one by her own little clock on her own book-shelf, but there was to be no sleep that night for Dorothy. She spent the rest of the night looking up time-tables and packing. To go to sleep would have disturbed the dream. The dream, already far more real than any of the actual scenes she had been drifting through all the strange, wonderful, illuminating night was of fireside warmth in a comfortably homely room and of a man's supreme ly contented face. ly contented face. And through the dream ran, like a golden thread, the sensation of the drowsy caress of a little

arm.