egret flooded
her.

"Oh," in a broken tone. "I was rude and ungenerous to you yesterday. I
am sorry--"

"We will let that go, I knew you would regret it. I tried to look at it
from your point of view, and I think you couldn't resemble mother so
much in looks and not in character."

Her father took her other arm. "Welcome home, my dear daughter," he
exclaimed. "All our years together will prove how glad we are to have
you."

The hall was like a beautiful larger room, with pictures and statuary
and some elegant vases that would have dwarfed a smaller space.

"This is my sister, Miss Crawford--Aunt Kate, to you always; who has
been like a mother to my children--"

Aunt Kate bent over from her tallness and gave her a perfunctory kiss.
Zay clasped both arms around her.

"Oh, isn't it queer," with a musical ripple. "You certainly were a
princess in disguise at school, and some of the girls said you were my
double to tease me; but I don't think we look very much alike; do you,
papa?"

She raised her radiant face with the pearly complexion, bewitching mouth
and shining eyes. Marguerite looked rather pale and cold with the
strangeness.

Then they went up to the mother's room, but Aunt Kate paused at the door
and turned in another direction. Zay and Willard followed her.
Marguerite went to her mother's arms and for many seconds neither spoke.

"What a strange, long waiting without any hope," said the father at
length. "I have often thought what Marguerite would be like if she had
lived, and it always was impressed upon me that she would be like her
mother. If I could have wished it--"

The child raised her head. The dark lashes were beaded with tears.

"I am sorry not to be as beautiful," she said, with great humility. "I
must make up any deficiency by my love and devotion. Oh, it seems as if
I had gone into some divine country when love filled the very
atmosphere."

She held out her hand to her father who crushed it in a tender clasp.

"But you are looking pale and weary, mother." What a sweet word it was
to say when it was true.

"I have had a great deal of excitement these last few days, then the
nurse had to go away to a more serious case, but I have tried to obey
her injunctions," smiling a little. "Probably I shall never be very
robust again, but nothing like this will try nerves. I think I have
stood it exceedingly well," glancing up at her husband. "I was very
quiet all day yesterday, but I could not