ak, she said, "Aren't you strong, though, Jane!"

Jane couldn't say a word, but Polly piped out, "If I let you have my
valentine to look at a little while, do you think you'd feel better?"

"Lots, Polly, lots. Mamma told me about you; and when you come to stay
with us, you'll be a regular treat."

"Stay with you?" cried Polly, wonderingly.

"Yes; what," turning to her mother, "haven't you asked her yet, mamma?"

"No; I've only talked with Mrs. Banks."

"Well, I'll talk to Polly. Polly, we've been looking for a nice little
girl like you to come and stay at our house. I'm lame, and I can't do
much. When mamma came home and told me about you and the bank and the
paint-box and the valentine, I said, 'That's the girl for me; let's go
and ask her to come.' And _won't_ you come, Polly?"

"I--I'd like to if--if Jane can come too."

"Don't. Polly. I can't--I can't!" whispered Jane.

"Oh, mamma, mamma!" cried the lame Elise, entreatingly.

"Mamma" turned to Mrs. Banks. "If she _would_ only come and help
us,--come and try us, at least,--I'm sure we could make satisfactory
arrangements."

Mrs. Banks nodded, and smiled approval. "Of course Jane can go if she
chooses."

"And you _will_ choose,--you will, won't you, Jane?"

"Course she will," cried Polly; and then everybody laughed, and
everything was as good as settled from that moment. Then it was that
Polly burst out, "I should be puffickly happy now if I only knew jus'
who that mess'nger was that sent my valentine."

"Tell her, mamma, tell her!" called out Elise; and "mamma" bent down,
and said to Polly,--

"It was somebody who saw what a loving heart a certain little girl had
when she chose to give up her paint-box to buy her dear Jane a
valentine."

"'Twas you, 'twas you!" cried Polly, joyfully. "Oh, I jus' love
Valentine's Day, and I knew it must be Somebody's birfday,--some very
good Somebody!"

SIBYL'S SLIPPER.

CHAPTER I.

When Sir William Howe succeeded General Gage as governor and military
commander of the New England province, he at once set to work to make
himself and the King's cause popular in a social way by giving a series
of fine entertainments in the stately Province House.

To these entertainments were bidden all the Boston townsfolk who were
loyal to the British crown. Amongst such, none were more prominent or
made more welcome than Mr. Jeffrey Merridew and his pretty young niece,
Sibyl.

Mr. Merridew was a stanch roy