Kate forgot that the
Doctor was a stranger; and with this forgetfulness the sharp pang of
humiliation at a stranger's knowledge of such a family difficulty, and
the little sting of resentment at Ally's attitude towards them all, was
overborne to such an extent that she could frankly admit that her
husband was right, and that none of them had had love and patience
enough to help the child to fit into the new circumstances of her life.

It was an added pang, but there was no resentment in it, when she saw
Ally's sudden shrinking from her as she entered the Doctor's parlor with
him a little later.

To think that they had, though unwittingly, hurt and estranged the child
like this, was Mrs. Fleming's first thought; and the tears came to her
eyes, and her voice broke as she cried impulsively, "Oh, my little girl,
my little girl!"

Ally started at the sight of these tears, at the sound of this tenderly
breaking voice. And there was Uncle John; and _he_ was crying too, and
_his_ voice was breaking as he said something. What was it he was
saying?--that it was not forgetfulness, it was not neglect of her, that
had made him fail to meet her at the station, but an untoward accident
to the streetcar he was in that had delayed him. And what was that Aunt
Kate was saying? That they _did_ care for her, that they _did_ want her,
and that they had set the telegraphic wires all over the country to hunt
for her and bring her back to them.

"But--but--Florence told me," faltered Ally, "that you dreaded the
winter on my account,--I was so--so bad-tempered--so hard to live with."

"Dreaded the winter on your account! Florence told you I said that?"
cried Mrs. Fleming, in amazement.

"She said she heard you say it to her mother."

A light broke over Mrs. Fleming's face. "Oh, I remember now perfectly.
It was just after you were so ill with that bad throat, and I was
speaking to your aunt Ann about it, and I said to her, 'I dread the
winter on Ally's account.' How could--how _could_ Florence put such a
mischievous meaning to my words?"

"Perhaps she only heard just those words," replied Ally, who would never
take advantage of anybody.

"But why should she want to tell you what would hurt you like that?"

"We'd been quarrelling," answered Ally, with an honest brevity that was
very edifying.

"But, as you see now it was for your bad throat, and not for your bad
temper, that I dreaded the winter," said Aunt Kate, with a smile, "you