lmost curled. And as he listened to her soft, flowing voice,
he kept thinking--if he was to marry some one and have a little girl
full of quaint ideas as this one was! But it would take a long, long
while, and he sighed.

Miss Armitage was sitting by the parlor window when they returned, and
she came to the door to meet them.

"I ran away with your little invalid," the doctor exclaimed. "Haven't
I brought her back improved?"

Her cheeks were positively rosy and were rounded out by the exquisite
shading. She clasped her small arms around Miss Armitage.

"And I've had the most splendid time! A real Sunday. We've been out in
the beautiful country where birds were singing hymns and I'm just full
of happiness."

They had kept their pact, these two people; they could not have worked
together otherwise, and each one was following the same path, for the
good of the poor of this world.

"I am very glad----"

"Then you are not going to scold me?" with a questioning smile. "I
promised her a drive you know, and today was rather a holiday to me."

"Why, she doesn't scold," cried Marilla in a sort of joyful
contradiction.

"Won't you come in and have some dinner with us?"

"Pete would grumble if he stood here an hour. Now, if you would change
it to supper--and a cup of tea----"

"Let be a cup of tea, then. I want to talk over some plans."

"Very well. Expect me on the mark. Six, isn't it?"

"Yes," with a smile.

"Oh, I'm just delighted," and Marilla squeezed his hand.

"So you had a lovely time. Where did you go?"

"Oh--through the park and then out on such a beautiful road. Things
seem nicer on Sunday, because there isn't so much noise. And there was
an old man who has to get about in a chair with little wheels, and
can't walk any more. And the lady gave me some cake and such a
luscious pear, and asked me to come again. I just wished that there
was some little girl from the Home living there."

Marilla had her face and hands washed, and a fresh white frock put on.
She was so bright and chatty and really charming. But after dinner she
lay in the Morris chair and Miss Armitage read her to sleep. It seemed
as if she had improved so much in the twenty-four hours.

They had such a genial and charming supper, and Miss Armitage played
on the organ afterward and then talked about the girls who were going
to the Rest House next week. Five of them were very much worn out.
They would need to stay a full fortnight.

"An