se, he wouldn't admit that he had done so; but he
happened to be right there when his cousin put in an appearance. There
were no street lights on Hillside Avenue, and Janice was glad of his
company.

"Huh! ain't yer gittin' pop'lar?" croaked the boy, grinning at her.
"An' goin' ter 'Rill Scattergood's ter supper. Ye must ha' had a fine
time--I don't think!"

"Of course I had a nice time," laughed Janice.

"With that old maid," scoffed Marty.

"Say, Marty, would you go to school again if they had a different
teacher?" queried Janice.

"'Course I would!" returned the boy, stoutly.

"Maybe next Fall they'll have another one. Miss Scattergood talks of
giving up teaching."

"I should think she would!" exploded Marty. "But she won't. You'll
see. She'll be teachin' Poketown school when she has ter go on
crutches."

The next day, after Janice had inveigled Marty into spending most of
his forenoon in the yard and garden (and the latter was beginning to
look quite like a real garden by now), the girl went shopping. Most of
the stores were "general" stores, and she did not believe there was
much choice between them. Only she had an interest in Hopewell Drugg;
so she proceeded to his dark little shop.

Lottie sat upon a box nursing a rag doll, in the sunlight that came in
at the side door. She was crooning to herself a weird little song, and
rocking back and forth upon the box. Mr. Drugg seemed to be out.

Janice walked the length of the store very quietly, and the child did
not apprehend her approach. But when she stepped upon one of the
boards of the back-room floor, little Lottie felt the vibration and
looked up, directly at Janice, with her pretty, sightless eyes.

"Papa Drugg be right back; Papa Drugg be right back," she said, forming
the phrase with evident difficulty.

Janice went close to her and laid a hand upon Lottie's shoulder. The
little girl caught at it quickly, ran her slim fingers up her arm to
her shoulder and so, jumping up from the box, felt of Janice's face,
too. The latter stooped and kissed her.

"I know you--I know you," murmured the child. "You came home from the
lake with me. I was trying to find my echo. Did _you_ find it?"

Janice squeezed her hand, and she seemed to understand the affirmative.

"Then it's really _there_?" she sighed. "It's only _me_ that's lost
it. Well--well--Do you think I can ever find it again?"

Janice squeezed the hand firmly, and she put into