Ailsa, little Dainty Chase.
She came into the store, and I was talking to her about the death of my
wife and her mother, when she dropped in a sort of fit. See to her, will
you, while I run back to my customers?"

Pretty Ailsa Scott hastened to resuscitate her old school-mate, and
when she revived, was startled to hear her sob, hysterically:

"I came to find my mother, Ailsa. I have been lost from her for wretched
months; but your step-father told me she was dead! Oh, it can not be
true! God would not be so cruel!"

Ailsa Scott had passed through the recent loss of her own mother, and
she knew what a blow it would be to Dainty when she heard the cruel
truth; but there was no escaping it, so she clasped her gentle arms
about the stricken girl, saying sadly:

"It makes my heart ache for you, dear Dainty, but it would be useless to
deceive you. About the time that mother lay in her last sickness it was
rumored that your mother came back here the very day after the house was
burned. I did not see her myself, but it was in all the papers that she
went suddenly insane, and after wandering wildly about the city all day,
calling for you, took poison and died in an alley. I do not know where
she is buried, for mother was so very ill, and died the same week. Since
then I've had my heart and hands both full with the care of the
children, and teaching school, too, for I would not depend on my
step-father for a penny. You know"--whispering--"I always hated him, and
there wasn't much love lost between us. Indeed, I wouldn't have stayed
here a day after mother's death only for my little half-brothers and
sisters. He had no relations to help him, and hired help is not very
reliable. He keeps a servant, but they tell me she is unkind to the
children when I'm at school. If you have no friends to go to, dear, I
wish you would stay with me awhile, and look after the little ones while
I'm away."

It was a delicate offer of a shelter, for Ailsa's eyes had taken in the
poverty of her guest, and Dainty was but too glad of a refuge in which
to nurse her deep despair.

When Ailsa informed her step-father questioningly of her offer, he
smiled approval, and made Dainty welcome in his simple home, while
tender-hearted Ailsa soothed her all she could in the bitterness of her
bereavement.

"We are both orphans, dear, and we can sympathize with each other," she
said, tenderly, and helped her friend to get some neat mourning gowns,
in which sh