ned to wonder how she had
ever come to marry anybody with so lively a name as Lark. But before she
got away, Mrs. Lark asked Daisy to go in and see her mother, and Daisy,
not knowing how to refuse, went in as requested.

What a change! Another poor room to be sure, very poor it looked to
Daisy; with its strip of rag carpet on the floor, its rush-bottomed
chairs, and paper window-shades; and on the bed lay the bed-ridden
woman. But with such a nice pleasant face; eyes so lively and quiet,
smile so contented, brow so calm, Daisy wondered if it could be she that
must lie there always and never go about again as long as she lived. It
had been a matter of dread to her to see anything so disagreeable; and
now it was not disagreeable. Daisy was fascinated. Mrs. Lark had
withdrawn.

"Is your mother with you, dear?"

"No ma'am, I came alone. Mamma told me to ask Mrs. Parsons if there is
anything she would like to have, that mamma could do for her."

"Yes; if you would come in and see me sometimes," said the old lady, "I
should like it very much."

"Me?" said Daisy.

"Yes. I don't see young faces very often. They don't care to come to see
an old woman."

"I should like to come," said Daisy, "very much, if I could do anything;
but I must go now, because it will be late. Good-bye, ma'am."

Daisy's little courtesy it was pleasant to see, and it was so pleasant
altogether that Mrs. Parsons had it over and over in her thoughts that
day and the next.

"It's as nice as a fairy tale," Daisy repeated to herself, as she took
her seat in the chaise again and shook up her reins. It was better than
a fairy tale really, for the sunshine coming between the trees from the
sinking sun, made all the world look so beautiful that Daisy thought no
words could tell it. It was splendid to drive through that sunlight. In
a minute or two more she had pulled up her reins short, and almost
before she knew why she had done it or whom she had seen, Mr. Dinwiddie
stood at her side. Here he was. She must not go where ha was; she had
not; he had come to her. Daisy was very glad. But she looked up in his
face now without speaking.

"Ha! my stray lamb," said he, "whither are you running?"

"Home, sir," said Daisy meekly.

"Do you know you have run away from me?"

"Yes, Mr. Dinwiddie."

"How came that?"

"It was unavoidable, sir," said Daisy, in her slow, old-fashioned way.
But the bright eye of the young man saw that her eye fell and her face