brown
hair, and let her weep until the fountain of her tears was exhausted,
and he himself had become entirely composed once more.

"My dear child," he said, at last, "let these be the last tears you ever
shed for the wrong done you. I beg you will not allow the memory of it to
make you unhappy, my Mona; for as I have assumed a father's care for you
in the past, so I shall continue to do in the future; you shall never
want for anything that I can give you while I live, and all that I have
will be yours when I am gone. I have made an appointment with my lawyer
for the day after to-morrow," he went on, in a more business-like tone,
"when I purpose making my will, giving you the bulk of my property. I
ought to have done this before; but--such matters are not pleasant to
think about, and I have kept putting it off. Now dry your tears, my dear;
it pains me to see you weep. And here," he added, smiling, and forcing
himself to speak more lightly, "I almost forgot that I had something else
for your birthday. Come, try on these trinkets, for you must wear them to
the opera to-night."

He took a case from his pocket as he spoke, and slipped it into her
hands.

Mona looked up surprised.

"But you have already given me the mirror, Uncle Walter," she said. "I
could not have anything that I should prize more."

"Ah, well, but I could not let a birthday go by without spending a little
money on you," he returned, fondly; "so look at your gifts, and let me
see how they will fit."

Mona obediently opened the case, and found within a pair of narrow gold
bands, studded with diamonds, for her wrists.

"They are lovely," she cried, a smile of pleasure breaking over her
face, "and--I really believe it is the very pair that I was admiring
in Tiffany's window only a few days ago!"

"I shouldn't wonder--sometimes the fairies whisper maidens' wishes in
older ears, eh?" Mr. Dinsmore archly returned, and glad to see the gloom
fading from her face.

"The fairies are great tell-tales then, for you are continually
anticipating my wishes," Mona replied. "But," she added, glancing at the
clock, "I have some little things to attend to before going out this
evening, and I must be about them. A thousand thanks for my diamonds,"
and she kissed him softly as she said it, "and I shall surely wear them
to-night."

"And here is your mirror," he said, taking the box containing it from the
drawer of his desk. "Remember your promise, dear, never to pa