in fell in torrents, and the streets were drenched and slippery with slus

the tyrant-governess to the victim-pupil, and she felt a curious sort of disappointment when no such vehicle appeared and no such personage arrived, for a

modating engine whizzing the unwelcome guest off into some remote region from which she would never see the desirability of returning. Nan wished her no ill, but she did not wish herself ill eith

tantly followed by the word of warning, "Hush!"-but she must have been mistaken, for it was only Mr. Turner who was speaking. He was asking for Nan herself. She slipped from behind the door with the hope at her heart that even now, at the last

le curls and tendrils about her temples, where it took on a ruddy sheen in the gas light. Her nose was delicate and short; her mouth, which was not small, was fascinating from the fact that the parting lips disclosed two rows of perfect teeth. She had two dimples that c

all that worry. She's as afraid as she can be. I

Turner was a

Miss Blake. Can't you welcome

e her the opportunity to make the moment an embarrassing one. She s

l about you. I hope we sha

t attempt

stood beside the new governess with a very curious expression on her face.

e. She is drenched with the rain and must be cold and hungry. Will you be g

kly at the note of rebuk

come to your ro

h a dazed, uncertain fashion. She thought she must be a sad "'fraid

n above. "I hope," he added in an undertone, taking her hand, "that you will be happy.

she entered the house, but it seemed to her she had not known weariness or chill until now. She felt herself shiver a

looked anythin

as groping about for matches. The air of the place was cold and damp. It had the feel of a room that was unused. It was barren and cheerless. But in the second preceding Nan's discover

r hat without saying a word. Nan turned

here I can find some warm

g-room. Left-hand faucet," announ

s gently clo

in the middle of the floor and gazed about at the awkwardly-placed furniture, the faded carpet, the bare walls, and the ugly mantel-piece as if she could not take her eyes from them. She turned slowly from one thing to another, and

er tears at this bare and unfamiliar room. Even Nan must have been moved to wonder what M

a dainty supper for the governess, and scowling at her as she s

n my life! This very afternoon you looked black as thunder when you thought she had come,

prigs of parsley neatly about the sliced chi

I like that! I should think you'd be

an spoke she bent her face over the table and pounded away in silen

She has the true eyes. When you see eyes like that you can mostly be sure they've an hone

s'pose, that you intend to let her. Never tal

ely off toward the cellar stairs. When she came

o with those?" deman

spark'll look good to the poor little

hed, and she tore after Delia upstairs,

re in that grate since daddy went away! You know very well there hasn't, and now the first thing you do is to light it for that horrid governess-woman that's going to boss you 'round like anything, and make me do all sorts of hateful things. I tell you what it is, Delia Connor, you don't care a single thing about me. I know just how 'twill be. You'll help h

outdo the other, and Delia stood by looking first at this one and then at that wit

of an opening door above, and immediately after Miss Blake's light steps upon the stairs. Nan bit a word off square in the middle and set her lips tightly together. Delia removed the "blower" from the grate and the dancing flames leaped high up the

o the hearth. "How perfectly jolly! Don't you think an open fire is the most comfortable thing in t

-chair as stiff and stolid as a lay-figure in a sho

er attitude, however, and went on talking as easily

rth-rug and look into the burning coals. I used to see all sorts of wonderful things in the flames. They used to tell me I'd '

the room in order to get Miss Blake's supper, w

erness turned toward Nan in a stran

ed to do when-when I was a little girl. It seems so good to get back-to

r chin in her palms and her elbows on her knees, looking so much like a little girl that for a seco

" or something equally introductory and to the point. But of course she did no such t

s Blake lifted her head and

' haven't we? I was thinking so hard I quite forgot you-and myself. Ah, what a pretty supper! But I put you to so much

needn't flaunt her defection in Nan's very face. Why, it was positively disgraceful the way Delia fetched and carried for this person already, and looked, all the while, as if she could hardly keep from dancing for very joy at the pri

of the governess were so deep and soft and gray that they made you feel like-no, they didn't either; but they weren't needly all the same. No! That whole description part would have to be changed. Bother! Well, if it came to that she guessed she could do it! "Her hated form haunts me in my sleep, and I dream of her all night as

, turning toward Nan inquiringly, and then the girl sudden

ould be pestered to death by having to make changes in it this way-at the last minute, too. Why wasn't Miss Blake tall and lanky and needly-eyed and a fright, she'd like to kn

lake, I've come to the conclusion you don't suit,' and she'll go right off. She may cry a little, but I won't mind that; and if sh

take more supper when Nan again wa

han a bird. Do take a little more chicken, do! And

sprang to her feet and without a word-with nothing but a glance of

ing eyes, but made no attempt to follow her. She

ia!" she falt

ere, there, lamb, don't cry so, Allanah! See, I'm not crying, am I now?" sobbed she, kneeling beside the stranger and hugging her k