ink from your description, must be the lady who has
charge of the little one. I will bring him back to you then. But what a
very audacious little girl you are to think that a baby would be allowed
to come to the Sunday treat."

"I could not have come without him," replied Netty.

"What is your name?" asked Mrs. Holmes.

Poor Netty was on the point of saying Netty Floss, but at that moment
she caught Ben's eye and his warning glance saved her from making a
startling revelation.

"Susy Minchin," she answered.

"Minchin! I know the Minchins well. How is your Mother? I have not seen
her for some time."

"Very well, indeed," answered Netty, flushing brightly. Her heart beat
with a sudden feeling of alarm. This was quite terrible news. The kind
lady knew her supposed Mother, Mrs. Minchin. Netty had not the faintest
idea what Mrs. Minchin was like; she did not know how many there were in
family, but a dreadful memory now darted through her brain--the curate
had said that he did not believe that the Minchins had a young baby.

Suppose this lady who knew Mrs. Minchin so well should remember that
fact, then what should she do?

The train stopped, Mrs. Holmes got out, and presently returned with the
baby.

"By the way," she said, as she placed the child in Netty's arms, "is
this your little brother?"

"No, ma'am, my little cousin," answered Netty, whose distress had
rendered her wonderfully sharp and indifferent to the many lies she was
telling. "He's my little cousin, ma'am, but I love him as if he were my
own brother."

"So I can see, and he seems a dear little fellow, but what pale cheeks!
Do you give the poor baby enough to eat?"

The baby was smiling in that inconsequent and yet fascinating way which
babies of a certain age adopt.

His lips were forming into pretty three-corners, and his eyes were
blinking, and when he saw the bottle which Netty drew out of her pocket
he stretched out his little arms with delight and cooed with
satisfaction.

Soon several of the other children clustered round little Dan and began
to fuss about him, and when they thrust sweets into his mouth he thought
the fun excellent and crowed and laughed and flung his arms in the air.

"The sea will do him a sight of good, the darling," said Netty, kissing
him with rapture.

Soon afterwards they reached Southend, and then the real pleasure of the
day began. Never as long as she lived could Netty forget that exciting
and wonderful day