sary to complete Texas!" exclaimed Kitty.

"Sure you don't mean ivy?" asked Alec in an undertone.

She wilted. "Sh! Please don't remind me of that,--I was almost happy
again!"

"No symptoms yet?" he asked.

"None--yet. I live in hopes!"

"Let's wait till after breakfast before we give Blue Bonnet our
gifts," suggested Sarah. "She'll enjoy them more, I think."

"Not to mention our enjoyment!" laughed Kitty.

The suggestion was followed, and at the conclusion of the meal, Blue
Bonnet kept her seat and opened the rest of her packages with the eyes
of all the crowd upon her. Very simple were the gifts, as the Woodford
girls had slender purses; but the love and good will that went with
the presents made up for their lack of material value.

From Kitty there was a dainty sewing apron of muslin, with pretty blue
bows on the pockets; from Amanda, a fancy-work bag, and from Debby a
complicated needlecase. A silver thimble from Susy and Ruth completed
these very feminine accessories.

Alec's eyes twinkled as Blue Bonnet tried the thimble on her slender
finger-tip. "If you're not a model of industry after this, Blue
Bonnet, it will prove you're rather slow at taking a hint!"

The girls joined heartily in the laugh against them, though they
professed entire innocence of any such intention as Alec implied.

Sarah's gift provoked a chorus of exclamations. From the fine
drawn-work, the hand-made tucks, to the tiny irreproachable
buttonholes, the waist was a triumph of the needlewoman's art.

"It's the prettiest one I ever had!" Blue Bonnet declared. She would
have liked to jump up and kiss Sarah, the dear old thing! But with
eight boys looking on, such a demonstration might appear done for
effect, she concluded; and so reserved that mark of affection for a
future occasion.

When the girls had presented their offerings, Knight came up and
dropped a paper parcel into her lap. On the card tied to the blue
ribbon that decorated it was written: "To the Good Samaritan from the
One Who Fell by the Wayside." There was a laugh in Knight's eyes as he
watched her read the inscription and then unwrap the tissue-paper
that enclosed the object.

Blue Bonnet lifted the lid of the long narrow box, took one look, and
met Knight's eyes with an answering laugh in her own. Inside the box
was a shimmering red silk sash. Knight had kept his promise to himself
to buy Blue Bonnet the "fanciest thing in the sash line that Chicago
could boast