rateful girl after all they've done for Mammy and me. Poor Jack _was_
hurt the worst, and he _was_ brave, though he did scream. I wish I could
go and tell him so, and hear him say, 'All right.' Oh, me, I've spoiled
the day!"

A great sob choked more words, and Jill was about to have a comfortable
cry, when someone entered the other room, and she saw Frank doing
something with a long cord and a thing that looked like a tiny drum.
Quiet as a bright-eyed mouse, Jill peeped out wondering what it was, and
suspecting mischief, for the boy was laughing to himself as he stretched
the cord, and now and then bent over the little object in his hand,
touching it with great care.

"May be it's a torpedo to blow up and scare me; Jack likes to play
tricks. Well, I'll scream loud when it goes off, so he will be satisfied
that I'm dreadfully frightened," thought Jill, little dreaming what the
last surprise of the day was to be.

Presently a voice whispered,--

"I say! Are you awake?"

"Yes."

"Any one there but you?"

"No."

"Catch this, then. Hold it to your ear and see what you'll get."

The little drum came flying in, and, catching it, Jill, with some
hesitation, obeyed Frank's order. Judge of her amazement when she caught
in broken whispers these touching words:--

"Sorry I was cross. Forgive and forget. Start fair to-morrow. All right.
Jack."

Jill was so delighted with this handsome apology, that she could not
reply for a moment, then steadied her voice, and answered back in her
sweetest tone,--

"I'm sorry, too. Never, never, will again. Feel much better now.
Good-night, you dear old thing."

Satisfied with the success of his telephone, Frank twitched back the
drum and vanished, leaving Jill to lay her cheek upon the hand that
wore the little ring and fall asleep, saying to herself, with a farewell
glance at the children's saint, dimly seen in the soft gloom, "I will
not forget. I will be good!"

Chapter VII. Jill's Mission

The good times began immediately, and very little studying was done that
week in spite of the virtuous resolutions made by certain young persons
on Christmas Day. But, dear me, how was it possible to settle down to
lessons in the delightful Bird Room, with not only its own charms to
distract one, but all the new gifts to enjoy, and a dozen calls a day to
occupy one's time?

"I guess we'd better wait till the others are at school, and just go in
for fun this week," said Jack, who