r
children to start the real flow of delight through their veins, and
his little Cinderella did not suffer by comparison.

Mr. Warren came in and welcomed his guest cordially, looking over the
little girl about whom they had speculated. She was very attractive
just now, with her face of sunshine and her eyes with their starry
look under the long curling lashes.

The men had to discuss the queer unexpected fortune. The Warrens had
been notified nearly a year before.

"But I hadn't much faith in it," laughed Mr. Warren. "My wife had
really forgotten her family lineage, and we should hardly have claimed
the Schermerhorns. There's so much red tape in these matters and by
the time the expenses are paid, there's little left for the heirs, but
this turns out better than I supposed, considering the many
descendants the old man had. I can't complain of the lawyers."

"And we were very glad to find Marion's child, though I wish I had
known it when her mother died. Do you want to keep her at Newton?"

"I think Miss Armitage has some claims," he returned.

"And I feel as if we ought to make up for our negligence."

The children were in a little huddle on the corner of the sofa. What
was Newton like? A real city?

"Why there are some beautiful long streets and stores and churches and
a park and rows of houses built together like this, and schools and
trolleys--"

"Why it must be a city then?" said Edith. "Has it a mayor and a city
hall and a postoffice?"

"It has a mayor and a postoffice and a court house. Mr. Borden used to
talk of going there."

"It is a very old town," explained the guardian, "dating farther back
than the Revolution, yet it was not much of a business center until
the last thirty years; but it is very pretty and rather
aristocratic."

"Children," said their mother, "go and make yourselves ready for
dinner."

"What lovely curly hair," exclaimed May, half in envy. "I wish mine
curled."

"But you have two such beautiful braids." "Jessie's curled a little
but it was so thin mother kept cutting it. Dear me! You wouldn't catch
me soaping and brushing the curl out of it if mine curled," declared
May.

They had a rather merry time at dinner and the children did not seem a
bit afraid to talk, though they were not aggressive. But Dr. Richards
thought his little ward compared very favorably with the others. Her
daintiness suggested Miss Armitage, he fancied.

They sat a long while over their dessert of