instructions from Aunt Barbara to weed the long
box-borders behind the house, which he somewhat unwillingly obeyed.

A few days later the excitement was at an end, the sad funeral was over,
and on Sunday the Fosters were at church in their appealing black
clothes. Everybody had been as kind as they knew how to be, but there
were no faces so welcome to the sad family as our little Betty's and the
doctor's.

"It comes of simply following her instinct to be kind and do right,"
said the doctor to Aunt Barbara, next day. "The child doesn't think
twice about it, as most of us do. We Tideshead people are terribly
afraid of one another, and have to go through just so much before we can
take the next step. There's no way to get right things done but to
simply _do_ them. But it isn't so much what your Betty does as what she
is."

"She has grown into my old heart," said Aunt Barbara. "I cannot bear to
think of her going away and taking the sunshine with her!--and yet she
has her faults, of course," added the sensible old lady.

"Oh, by the way!" said Dr. Prince, turning back. "My wife told me to ask
you to come over to tea to-night and bring the little girl; I nearly
forgot to give the message."

"I shall be very happy to come," answered Miss Leicester, and the doctor
nodded and went his busy way. Betty was very fond of going to drive with
him, and he looked about the neighborhood as he drove along, hoping to
catch sight of her; but Betty was at that moment deeply engaged in
helping Letty shell some peas for dinner, at the other side of the
house, in the garden doorway of the kitchen. She had spent an hour
before that with Mrs. Beck, while they tried together with more or less
success to trim a new sailor hat for Mary Beck like one of Betty's own.
Mrs. Beck was as friendly as possible in these days, but whenever the
Fosters were mentioned her face grew dark. She did not like Mrs. Foster;
she did not exactly blame her for all that had happened, but she did not
pity her either, or feel a true compassion for such a troubled neighbor.
Betty never could understand it. At any rate, she had been saved by her
unsettled life from taking a great interest in her own or other people's
dislikes.

That evening, just as the tea-party was in full progress, somebody came
for Dr. Prince; and when he returned from his study he announced that he
must go at once down the river road to see one of his patients who was
worse. Perhaps he saw an eag