om she least of all desired to meet. An icy stare on her part, a stiff
formal bow from the man passing--that was all, but she knew that in that
brief interval he had had ample opportunity to observe that she was
worried and cross and looked every day of her twenty-nine lonely years;
and of course it could not but give him much satisfaction. This
disturbing thought crowded out the remembrance of the unloved, unwelcome
niece and nephew until a sharp curve in the road brought into view the
smoke begrimed depot and, drawn up before it, the train which had just
come to a puffing, throbbing standstill like a wild horse unwilling to
pause in its mad race.

Several of Miss Hetty's acquaintances, gathered on the station platform,
were not accorded the usual recognition, for her eyes were fixed
intently on the childish pair alighting from the train. The one, a tall,
slender lad of about thirteen, with curls of golden yellow hair
clustering over a broad forehead, a mouth whose sensitive delicately
modeled lips together with the shadowy depths of deep grey eyes
indicated even in one so young the temperament of a dreamer, first
engaged her attention. But little Pearl! Hair black as night when only
one star is shining and eyes like the double image of that star; a
figure as tiny as the dream of a fairy: that was Pearl.

It was not her childish charm however that made Miss Hetty gasp. It was
the enormous bow, half covering her head, and the butterfly comb that
caught back her curls. The ribbon seemed larger than the silk frock
buoyant with many skirts and quite abbreviated, while the little
high-heeled shoes seemed designed for anything rather than wear.

For a time the children stood quite alone on the platform. Their first
appearance had held Miss Hetty spellbound at her position near the door.
She felt rather than heard a suppressed chuckle run through the small
crowd. Then suddenly her gaze met a pair of compelling brown eyes, not
cold and scrutinizing as they had been when their owner had passed her a
short time before, but sympathetic and friendly. She blushed furiously
and, quickly walking toward the forlorn pair, extended to each a cold
hand of welcome.

"Come Periwinkle, come Pearl," she said, not ungently. "I am your Aunty
Hetty and have come to take you home." And holding her head high and her
eyes straight ahead, she lead the strange pair past the tall gentlemen
on the platform.

"Do you know, Aunt Hetty, I thought it