ords, but
Ruth gave her no time to meditate.

"Do you like the name I, as your god-mother, give you?" laughed the
merry little girl.

"Yes, indeed, it is fine, but we must keep it a secret. Just fancy Sally
or Abe, or any of the servants, calling me 'Miss Flutey!'" And Aunt
Selina laughed aloud just as the door opened and Sally popped her head
through the aperture. Seeing the happy faces and hearing the unusual
laughter, she immediately closed the door, without having been seen or
heard. Out in the wide hall she lifted both arms high toward the ceiling
and rolled her eyes devoutly upward as she murmured, "Praise be to the
Lud, dat dat little tree is come wif healin' in its leaves." After this
strange remark, Sally hurried out to tell Abe of the miracle.

Aunt Selina, in spite of her age, felt a childish delight in having a
secret with Ruth, and after a few moments said, "I shall have to call
you Fluff, and you must call me Flutey, I suppose, if we are to belong
to the same Nest."

"Yes, that's the way," replied Ruth, clapping her hands softly. "Now,
let me tell you all the wonderful things we did this summer."

Then began a recital of how the Blue Birds of Happy Times Nest started;
about each member and her name; the nest in the old cherry-tree; how
they had earned money to bring some poor children from the city to spend
the hot weeks in the country; and, best of all, how they had interested
all of the citizens of Oakdale in helping a hundred poor city children
to spend a few weeks in the beautiful village of Oakdale.

At this moment a loud knock at the door caused Aunt Selina to sit up and
call out, "Come in!"

"Shall you hab lunch in de dinin' room, or serbed here?" said Sally.

"Lunch! Why, is it time--is it one o'clock?" gasped Miss Selina.

"Ya'as'm--pas dat hour, too," replied Sally, smiling broadly at Ruth,
who returned the good-natured feeling.

"Well, well; I feel much better, Sally," admitted Aunt Selina. "Nothing
like having young folks around when one feels blue, eh? I guess you'd
better bring the lunch tray here, and Miss Ruth and I will picnic this
noon."

In a few moments the waitress brought in a huge tray while Sally
followed with a folding table which she placed by the side of the couch.

A joysome hour passed in "picnicking" the lunch, then Sally rang for the
maid to remove the dishes. After she had gone, Sally turned to her
mistress and, with the familiarity of an old servant, said, "Mi