estion given in the form and tone of command.

"A friend of yours is at the house," he said abruptly, when Jo had driven
on and was outside of hearing.

"A friend of mine!" she repeated, losing a little of the wild rose tint in
her fear that Hebler might have arrived.

"So she says. Mrs. Kingdon sent her here to sew for the children."

"How you relieve me! I was fearing it might be a man."

"Her name," he said, "is Bobbie Burr."

"What!" Her voice had a startled note. "Bobbie Burr! Oh, yes; I remember
her."

"Is she a particular friend of yours?"

"I am more attracted by her than by any girl I ever knew. Let's sit down
in the shade of one of the few-and-far-between trees you have up here. You
were interested in my welfare when you took me from Bender, but you will
be doubly interested in Bobbie when you hear her story. She is a convert
far more worthy of your efforts and those of Mrs. Kingdon than I have
proved to be.

"She is the type you thought I was before you snatched me from the
burning--I mean from Bender. Let me see if I can quote you correctly: 'One
of the many young city girls who go wrong because they have no chance;
bred in slums, ill-treated, ill-fed.' Poor Bobbie had no chance
until--you'll be skeptical when I tell you how she first received her
moral uplift--she had some nice clothes. Stealing was her only vice! At
that, she only took enough to meet her needs; but one day she _found_ some
money; quite a lot, it seemed to her. Down in her little fluttering fancy
she had always had longings for a white dress--a _nice_ white dress. She
had the inherent instinct for judging rightly 'what she should wear.' So,
for the first time in her life she was able to be correctly and elegantly
clad. The white dress she bought was simple, one of the plain but
effective and expensive kind. With the wearing of this new gown there
naturally came the feminine desire to be seen and admired. She didn't know
where to go. She had never been a frequenter of dance halls. She knew, of
course, there were few open sesames for her. She went to one where no
questions are asked before admittance. Things didn't look good to her at
this Hurricane Hall, and she thought her doll was filled with sawdust
until the inevitable man appeared and changed her angle of vision. He was
that most unusual apparition, a nice, honest man. He saw her; she saw him;
after that there were no others visible in their little world.

"Within twenty-four