"Oh, you'll only laugh at me."

"No, I won't laugh. I never knew a Cinderella who went to the palace
and danced with the King's son."

He drew her up a little in the bed and placed the pillows around her.
Then he seated himself on the couch at her feet and smiled so
persuasively that she really couldn't resist. She pictured the kitchen
and how comfortably she had settled herself and--she really couldn't
have been asleep she saw everything so plainly and, at first, she did
not believe the fairy godmother.

Dr. Richards was really charmed as she went on. It was all so vivid,
so beautiful. She appeared to have a better command of language than
most children of her years, and the whole picture was exquisite. Why,
it seemed very real to him. And her face was a study. Surely the child
must be a genius, she made the things so real and not overdrawn. A
veritable fairy palace.

Then she drew a long breath and a lovely smile irradiated her eyes.

"I'm so glad I went," she said in a satisfied tone, freighted with a
certain joyousness that appealed to his heart. She really was
transfigured at that moment. What possibilities were lying in her soul
unawakened. The little bound-out girl would never, could never realize
them alone in her fight with life. For he had known:

"Full many a flower is born to blush unseen
And waste its sweetness on the desert, air."

When a helping hand would have transplanted it into a garden of
appreciation.

A sudden fatherhood stirred within him. He had thought more than once
of the woman he would like for his wife; now he wanted this little
girl to grow up by his side and bloom with the sacred joy within her.

"I'm glad, too," he said in a strange, full voice that trembled with
emotion.

CHAPTER VI

DOCTOR RICHARDS

Doctor Richards went slowly down stairs, Miss Armitage let herself in
with her latch key.

"How is my little patient today?" she asked.

"Stronger in some respects. But I don't quite like the heart action.
And I'm afraid I haven't improved it any."

"Oh, you did not scold her--?" in a half upbraiding tone.

"No, no. But I coaxed that dream story out of her and several other
things. In a year or two more those Borden babies will have her all
worn out. So many of the little Cinderellas don't get half a chance
with life, the stolid ones do better. But she could hold an audience
with that story, if she was not afraid of the audience," smilin