ned, but she slipped
away and got into the little cottage around the corner. There was a
child there that she had taken a fancy to from seeing it at the window
whenever she passed.

"Nobody can find out how long she was there, or what the two children
did. She says that they played party and had 'good fings' to eat that
they 'finded' by themselves. Miss Alida met her coming home about four
o'clock, and turned to walk with her and see her safely into the
house, for she suspected that Doris had run away. Doris was eating
some of the pink candy that she had brought home from the cottage,
although we did not know where it came from until this morning.

"She offered Miss Alida a taste out of the little pasteboard box she
carried. To Miss Alida's horror, she found it was a package of roach
paste, warranted to be a deadly poison to insects. Miss Alida hurried
the child into the house and set to work so skilfully that by the time
the doctor reached there, nothing was left for him to do. He said that
Doris would have died but for Miss Alida's medical knowledge and
immediate attention. If nothing had been done until he arrived, it
would have been too late to save the child.

"Ada got home about the time he pronounced Doris entirely out of
danger, and was so frightened when she heard what had happened that
she went from one fainting spell into another. This morning we found
where Doris got the poison, and learned that the little child at the
cottage died in the night. Ada is so unnerved that she is nearly
frantic, thinking how near she came to losing Doris. She is so
grateful to Miss Alida that she would go through fire and water to
serve her in any way. Well, we all would, in fact," added the young
man, with a suspicion of huskiness in his voice. "You see, Doris is
the only grandchild in the family, and we are almost foolishly fond of
her."

Detaching a locket from his watch-chain, he handed it to the judge.
"Here is a miniature of her," he said. The judge looked at the
beautiful baby face framed in its golden curls, and then glanced up at
Alida, who had returned, dressed for her drive.

[Illustration: "HID HER FACE IN A GREAT BUNCH OF ROSES."]

"Thank God for such a sensible little daughter!" he said with
fervour, as he rose and kissed her.

This was not the last time that Ben Fuller was sent to escort Alida to
his sister. Mrs. Cranford's gratitude grew into an intense affection
for the girl. All winter she sent for h