tle pink and white face, her solemn eyes, and smiling mouth,
and without a hard line anywhere, looked as if life had smiled upon her.

All through the day the little strangers kept close together, and took
very little notice of what went on around them. They ate their
Christmas dinner in solemn silence, and declined to join in the games.
Mother Agnes was disappointed, for her whole heart was bound up in her
children's happiness; and least of all she could bear to see sad faces
on Christmas Day. She watched Kate with much interest, but could not
wholly understand her.

* * * * * *

Before many months had passed, a curious transformation came over Kate.
She became the recognised leader of the children. Mother Agnes saw
with despair Jane's influence waning before that of this strange new
girl. Jane was so safe, so true, so dependable; and Kate, well, who
could trust Kate, with her odd ways of going on? Sometimes she would
keep the younger ones awake half the night telling them the wildest of
tales. She had laws of her own for the play-hours, and a secret system
of rewards and punishments. But, worst of all, she was not
straightforward. Mother Agnes, with her true, honest nature, was cut
to the heart to find that Kate could act a part, and did not scruple to
do so, to shield herself and her little sister from punishment.

Kate was popular now, and yet no one loved her, and she loved no one
except little Frances. She never thought any trouble too great to be
taken for her little sister. If any one said a rough word to Frances,
Kate contrived to punish the offender in a way that was not easily
forgotten. She helped Frances with her lessons; shielded her from
blame; dressed dolls for her through whole long summer afternoons; told
her stories that aimed vaguely at having a good moral; answered her
childish questions with infinite patience.

The summer and autumn passed, and Christmas came and went; and after
Christmas an event happened, the memory of which no lapse of years
could ever efface from poor Kate's mind. A certain morning dawned,
just like other mornings, bright and cold; lessons, house-work and play
went on as usual, only, as the day was drawing to its close, some men
came to the door, carrying a little prostrate figure; and Kate was
standing in the doorway, and saw it all--saw her poor Frances lying
unconscious in the men's arms, her head terribly bruised, and her
pret