come to her rescue.

"Look here, kids!" he said: "I expect you're bound to know later on, so
you may as well be told now. Come, and be introduced to your future new
uncle--_our_ new uncle!" he added with a laugh, at the same time leading
the little ones up to Dr. King.

"Oh!" exclaimed Joan, drawing a long breath and surveying the doctor
with her head sideways, like a fastidious young robin eyeing a crumb.
"Is that why you was allus comin' to ask if we had headiks, or
stumukiks, or if baby wanted castor-oil, and to look at our tongues? I
s'pose uncles is like that. Never had none before," she added, still
gazing at the stout, bald-headed gentleman in front of her, as if the
honour of being her future relative had invested him with a new
personality and lent him fresh interest in her eyes.

"What'll Aunt Catharine do without you?" asked Darby of Auntie Alice
somewhat reproachfully, and giving but a limp, indifferent shake to the
hand which Dr. King held out as a peace-offering.

Auntie Alice glanced timidly and sadly at her sister, for this was the
one bitter drop in her cup of sweetness--this severing of the ties which
for years and years had bound the two Misses Turner as closely together
as the Siamese twins almost.

"Tush!" cried Aunt Catharine briskly, although there were tears in her
eyes. "She's not going out of the country. Beechfield is but a short
walk from Firgrove; we can meet every day, if we want to. Besides, I
have you children, and your father will be back and forward between this
and Denescroft--for a while, anyway," added she, laying a loving hand
on Darby's head.

The boy pressed closely to her side; but Joan confidently clambered upon
her knee, and laid her golden head against her aunt's shoulder.

"Aunt Catharine has got me," she announced, flinging her arms round that
lady's neck, creasing the dainty lace collar, crumpling the delicate
lilac ribbons, tumbling the neatly-banded hair. But Aunt Catharine did
not seem to mind; in fact, she looked as if she rather enjoyed the feel
of those soft little hands upon her face, the pressure of those clinging
arms about her neck. "I'll stay wif her allus and allus. I used to like
Auntie Alice best, but she's got _him_," Joan went on, pointing a small
pink finger at Dr. King, who, it must be admitted, looked a trifle
sheepish at being so frankly and openly sat upon in family council; "so
now I's goin' to give the most of the love to Aunt Catharine," she